Urban Design in 2022 is as relevant as ever

Most of us live busy lives with needs that range from the basic – food, warmth, security, company – to the more complex – wellbeing, culture, income, and travel, to name a few. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to fulfilling these needs, as they are personal to each of us, and influenced by our family groupings, identities, and sense of community. These needs are the reason we interact with our environment the way we do. To help us achieve this, our home environments need to be responsive and lively as well. That is, rich in economic and social life.

Think of everything a home could and should be today

• Protective.
• Warm.
• Well ventilated with clean air.
• Full of natural light.

This would allow us to reduce our emissions, and it would also make us more resilient to climatic change such as heat, storms, or floods. Homes could and should be places that allow us to sleep, live and work in comfort.

Think of everything a street could and should be today

• Safe.
• Convenient.
• Close to schools, shops, and services.
• Accessible.
• A place for children to play and be inspired by the world around them, prompting them to ask questions (why do the leaves change colour?)

Think of everything a neighbourhood could and should be today

• A place where people can form friendships and avoid loneliness.
• A place with a size that allows most people to walk or cycle everywhere.
• A place with childcare options.
• A place where vulnerable and marginalised people are prioritised and heard.
• A place where people have a clear sense of where they are thanks to the design of buildings and spaces.
• A place with strong physical and digital connections.
• A place that is well-connected further afield by low-emission public transport.

How many of us would say our home environments are all these things? How many people living on a modern housing development could say the developments they’ve bought into give them homes, streets, and neighbourhoods that provide all these things?

Our lives are dynamic, and to live our best lives our homes, streets and neighbourhoods need to be dynamic too. Look at the recent evidence of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the escalating climate crisis. Both situations put the quality of home environments in the spotlight, as well as how our basic mental and physical health needs were affected by our homely surroundings.

High-quality home environments should not be the privilege of a few. If we’re expected to invest in new development, there needs to be a social contract in place with a minimum expectation that all new development is designed to meet people’s needs – food, warmth, security, company, wellbeing, culture, income, and travel.

If the experience of the last two years has taught me anything, it’s that it is no longer acceptable (it never was) to give people no viable option other than making a lifetime investment in real estate models that result in poor social support networks, isolation, or car-dependency. To expect people to live with low immunity to climate stresses, economic dependencies, and the impacts of a future pandemic is just unthinkable.

So let’s get growing, and build new developments that in return for our investment allow us to live our best lives.

Sign up to my email list now

You’ll get notified when more blog posts and exciting news are available.

Photograph credit: Derwenthorpe, York (Rob Beardsworth)