The year 2020 was a critical year for all cities & communities present across the globe since the pandemic affected the very core of every
urban living and the local government had to react quickly in order to protect the lives of the citizens. They had to simultaneously look for the best approaches for handling the long-term effects of the pandemic. One topic that stands out at the intersection of both these challenges is the significance of making every city more humane & nurturing a higher sense of connection, by throwing some light on what they should be caring the most about – which is people. Let us look at some of the trends that help in achieving this.
Green planning of public spaces
Cities should be planned & designed for people as the main focus. These cities should include green streets, new corridors as well as public spaces as centers of social life.
Urban areas are conventionally segmented based on the high population density as well as heavy construction for supporting modern amenities, that include transport & commercial buildings. Cities today face severe pressure owing to burgeoning populations, limited resources & the increasing impact of climate change. An important indicator to measure SDG11 is the area of the public & green space in a city, since the lack of natural
space leads to an unhealthy urban living environment.
Cities must also be driving a decarbonization agenda as becoming low carbon is the 1st step in mitigating carbon emissions & achieving ecosystem resilience. However, at the same time, they have to ensure that
urban planning has the capability to deal with the pressures of climate change.
Every Green public space should entail large number of trees in cities. One such city that ranks 1st in the Green View Index from MIT’s Senseable City Lab is Singapore which measures the canopy cover in cities. Secondly cities should build more & larger public parks as well as nature-based solutions in the urban environment. This will help
to foster a closer connection to nature even in places with high population density. It should also include several walking as well as cycling facilities rather than car-centric designs as well as parking areas, with space for children & adults for enjoying outdoor activities & fostering a sense of security & safety. Cities across the globe have started to realize the advantages of a green approach to urban planning since it possess the potential to reduce urban temperatures, stop air pollution & build natural environmental resilience.
The 15-minute city
Cities are being designed in such a way that amenities & several important services can be reached within a 15-minute walking or cycling distance, and this will help in creating a new neighborhood approach. The 15-minute city concept was fundamentally developed with an aim to decrease carbon emissions by reducing the use of cars as well as motorized commuting time.
This is a decentralized urban planning model, where every local neighborhood comprises all the basic social functions for both living as well as working. Several people believe that this concept of building localized neighborhoods where residents can obtain everything, they need within fifteen minutes by walk, cycling or on public transport will lead to improving the quality of life ultimately. The 15-minute city is actually an iteration of the idea of ‘neighborhood units’ that was developed during the 1920s by American planner Clarence Perry. Although this approach may not be completely applicable to every city – for instance, it might be more suitable for a huge metropolis rather than smaller cities – remote working as well as the digitalization of services have surged the impetus for applying the principle of neighborhood planning regardless of the size of the city.
Mobility: Intelligent, sustainable & as-a-service
Cities today working to render digital, clean, intelligent, autonomous as well as intermodal mobility through more walking & cycling spaces, and here transport is commonly offered as a service. This is an area where cities would anticipate huge disruption. A few of the important changes in how people are moving around in cities are already under way, however the trend will augment further in the coming decade. This will be owing to autonomous driving, modal diversity electrification, smart & connected infrastructure, and mobility that is integrated, resilient, shared as well as sustainable. These are powered by disruptive business models. In a survey by ESI ThoughtLab, fifty four percent of city leaders said that they will rethink mobility as well as transportation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a nutshell
Implementing these urban development strategies will help in building a highly efficient design approach, and develop a creative environment, as well as healthier population. While the consumer expectations are changing at a drastic level today there is also increased desire for more diverse as well as walkable environments. This coupled with maintaining a high quality of life is the attraction and retention of businesses and residents. Although it is an ever-increasing competitive market the cities & suburbs which do not adapt run the risk of being left behind.
