Writing a blog has truly taken me into the world of urban design

Looking back at the two blogs I wrote this semester, one about “15 minute living circle” and the other discussing “reuse of roof space”, I realized that writing a blog is not just about completing assignments, but also a process that allows me to truly understand and integrate into urban design.

At the beginning of writing a blog, there was actually a lot of pressure. English is not my native language, and I am not good at expressing opinions through words. Especially when faced with new professional terms such as’ spatial equity ‘or’ tactical urbanism ‘, I always have to flip through a dictionary and search for information repeatedly in order to barely piece together a sentence. But gradually, I realized that blog writing is like a kind of ‘slow learning’, which allows me to gradually internalize the concept of urban design into my own understanding while searching for information and organizing logic. I found that I started to actively think about the relationship between space and people, rather than just staying on the surface of space.

When I wrote my first article about the “15 minute living circle”, I realized that the core of urban design is actually “people” – it is not about building more high-rise buildings or simply pursuing beauty, but about making people’s lives more convenient, healthier, and happier. I began to understand that a good design does not rely on fancy concepts, but can truly fall into the details of residents’ daily lives.

The second blog post about “City Roofs” opened up my mind again. I never imagined that a roof could have so many possibilities – it could be a vegetable garden, a café, a solar panel, or even a social space in a community. What left a deep impression on me was the Javits Center Farm case in Manhattan, which is not only green and environmentally friendly, but also reconnected people with nature. These cases made me realize that cities are not just finished, but are constantly changing and growing. And the designer is the one who activates the space and makes the city more vibrant.

Besides the professional gains, the biggest change that blogging has brought to me is that I am no longer afraid to express my thoughts. At first, I was always worried that my writing was not good, my language was not authentic, and my viewpoints were too simplistic. But gradually I realized that everyone has a unique perspective, and urban design requires this diverse perspective to enrich and promote. Now, I dare to express my thoughts in my own language, even if it’s not perfect, it’s a genuine voice.

I also learned a lot while reading my classmates’ blogs. Some people focus on the overlooked corners of the city, while others contemplate the relationship between the city and technology. This open communication atmosphere makes me feel that urban design is not a subject with “standard answers”, but a public discussion about “what kind of life we want”.

Overall, blog writing is like a bridge that connects me with the discipline of urban design, and also connects me with the world. I started to think about problems from the perspective of personal space, jumping into a more macroscopic human environment social system, and gradually understood the deep meaning behind “space”.