Livable community: creating a happy life for people

‘For me, I just hope to live in a better environment, without any illegal construction, with the roads flat and the streets clean. In fact, to put it bluntly, for ordinary people like me, happiness is to get real changes and improve our quality of life and living standards.’ With the acceleration of urbanization, the requirements of residents living in modern cities for quality of life are also increasing. In this context, the concept of “livable community” has gradually become an important goal for urban designers to carry out urban planning and design. So, what is a livable community? In my opinion, it is not just a place for people to live, but also an environment that can promote health, happiness, and social connection.

In the early days of urban design, designers like Camillo Sitte focused mainly on the appearance of the city. They believed that by planning winding streets and well-designed squares, cities could become more beautiful and attractive. People believed that by beautifying the city, the living standards and social literacy of residents could be improved. But as cities continued to develop, Jane Jacobs (2000) criticized the flaws of modernist urban planning in her book “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, she especially emphasized that the vitality of the city comes from the interaction and flow of people on the streets, not just the arrangement of buildings.

Today, cities are made up of communities, and communities are made up of residents. A livable community first needs to take into account the needs of people. According to my survey and actual experience, a livable community usually has the following core characteristics:

          Convenient public infrastructure: A livable community needs to have complete public supporting service facilities, including schools, medical centers, shops and cultural venues. These facilities should preferably be within walking or cycling distance of residents. For example, in Paris’ 15-minute city (see Fig. 1), whether going to school, shopping or seeing a doctor, you can try to walk within 15 minutes, and try to meet the living needs of residents within walking distance (Mordechai, 2021).

Fig. 1 – A CONVENIENT CITY: This illustration shows how neighborhood design could let people meet their daily needs, stay in touch with neighbors, and save time.

          Walkability: A livable community should give priority to walking and cycling, design convenient pedestrian and bicycle paths, and reduce dependence on private cars. This not only helps the physical health of residents, but also reduces traffic congestion and air pollution. For example, Copenhagen, Denmark, is a famous bicycle city (see Fig. 2). It can be said that bicycles are part of the lives of Copenhageners. Cycling can help residents improve their health, relieve traffic pressure, and reduce air pollution (BicycleDutch, 2018).

Fig. 2 – CYCLING IN COPENHAGEN.

          Abundant green space: A livable community should have sufficient green space, increase plant diversity, carry out green classification, and build an ecological civilization. For example, Zurich’s public parks are also a great asset to the city. There are about 70 parks and nature areas scattered throughout the city, providing residents with ample opportunities for picnics, chatting, reading, walking, relaxing, and also hosting art exhibitions, making Zurich a real open-air museum (Bolt, 2022). Large green spaces such as eco-parks not only provide places for urban residents to relax and have fun, but also improve air quality and regulate urban temperature. Green governance is an indispensable and vital part of community development (see Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 – PUBLIC GREEN SPACE.

          Sustainable development: A livable community should focus on the sustainable use of resources. Nowadays, with the construction of ecological civilization, more and more residents are investing in the construction of green and sustainable development, such as promoting the use of energy-saving and emission-reduction technology materials, renewable energy, and garbage sorting and recycling. Residents are increasingly aware that everyone is a builder of the community.

A livable community is not only an optimization of a physical space, but also an advocacy of a lifestyle. By improving the accessibility, comfort and inclusiveness of the community, a livable community can improve the mental health of residents, reduce social inequality, and promote economic development. For example, Copenhagen, with its high-quality public spaces and bicycle-friendly policies, is widely regarded as a model of livable cities around the world. As Gehl (2010) pointed out, people desire a vibrant, safe, sustainable and healthy city, and a well-designed bicycle infrastructure can help meet these needs.

The construction of a livable community requires the joint efforts of the government, designers and residents. Through people-centered design concepts and sustainable development practices, we can create an ideal living environment that meets contemporary needs and benefits the future. A livable community is not only an improvement in the quality of life, but also a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

List of Figures

Figure 1 – A CONVENIENT CITY: This illustration shows how neighborhood design could let people meet their daily needs, stay in touch with neighbors, and save time. Photo from Micael.

Figure 2 – CYCLING IN COPENHAGEN. Photo from internet (BicycleDutch (2018) Is Copenhagen a City of Cyclists? Available at: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/is-copenhagen-a-city-of-cyclists/ (Accessed: 11 December 2024).).

Figure 3 – PUBLIC GREEN SPACE. Photo from internet (Bolt (2022) What do the world’s most liveable cities have in common? https://bolt.eu/en/blog/what-do-the-worlds-most-liveable-cities-have-in-common/ (Accessed: 11 December 2024).).

List of Reference

BicycleDutch (2018) Is Copenhagen a City of Cyclists? Available at: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/is-copenhagen-a-city-of-cyclists/ (Accessed: 11 December 2024).

Bolt (2022) What do the world’s most liveable cities have in common? https://bolt.eu/en/blog/what-do-the-worlds-most-liveable-cities-have-in-common/ (Accessed: 11 December 2024).

Gehl, J. (2010) Cities for people. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Mordechai, R. (2021) Reimagining Cities. Available at: https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/reimagining-cities-2/?rl=en-910 (Accessed: 11 December 2024).

Jacobs, J. (2000) The death and life of great American cities. London: Pimlico.