The Role of Urban Design in Sustainable Development
Urban Design is a diverse field that offers an insight into how people use and perceive their surroundings. It provides the tools necessary to create healthy, and inclusive communities. The MA Urban Design course has been exciting, drawing on a variety of disciplines and providing a good base of theories and varying aspects of urban design allowing for a well-rounded approach.
An area of Urban Design I have an interest in is sustainability. Particularly looking at how we can create adaptable developments, neighbourhoods, and cities that can accommodate current and future generations. Additionally, sustainable living is becoming a more crucial factor in the worlds attempt to become greener as well as designers drive to produce people centred places as opposed to designing around cars. The three pillars of sustainability include economics, social and environmental. These can be broken down into a broad spectrum of components influencing Urban Design such as sustainable transport, green infrastructure, and alternative methods of building. Research on sustainable urban design suggests there are 8 key principles for best practice;
- good connections
- compact design (20-minute development) with shorter commutes
- better quality transport
- increased density
- shift to lower parking or car-free designs
- mixed-use developments
- improved cycle routes
- stronger walking network
