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Urban design: sustainable, people-centered urban spaces

I need to introduce myself first: My name is He Caiye, you can also call me Haya, I am from Sichuan, China, and I look forward to your visit to my hometown. My undergraduate major is interior design, which is more about learning how to decorate the interior of the building. Now I have changed my major and chose urban design as my graduate major. From indoor to outdoor, I also need to change my mindset.

As a student of urban design, in my personal opinion, my understanding of urban design is not only about designing the appearance of buildings, the routes of roads, and the flowers, plants and trees in the park, etc. It also involves how to create better living, working and communication spaces for people. It involves designers understanding the rhythm of daily urban life and figuring out how our designs can make cities better, more inclusive and more sustainable. The core of urban design is to find a balance between art and life. As urban designer Jan Gehl said in an interview (Almas Sadique, 2023): “Only buildings that consider human scale and interaction are successful buildings.” And his people-oriented urban design concept emphasizes the vitality of public spaces, pedestrian priority and sustainable development (Gehl, 2010), which is also worth our consideration in the design process.

For me, the utopian city I want needs to meet three directions: environment, transportation and culture. I hope that the environment is sustainable and green; transportation is convenient and sustainable; and the urban culture is developmental and people-oriented. The buildings use a variety of recycled materials, plant a lot of greenery, and pay attention to air circulation. The city is composed of a variety of buildings, both public and private spaces. With the advancement of technology, both able-bodied and disabled people can drive. Whether it is designing pedestrian streets, planning public spaces or redesigning underutilized blocks, my goal is to inject vitality into the city and improve people’s quality of life. I am very happy to start this journey with you, and I look forward to each of us contributing to urban construction in the future!

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

Sadique, A. (2023) Seeking answers to urban issues with Jan Gehl at UIA World Congress of Architects. Available at: https://www.stirworld.com/inspire-people-seeking-answers-to-urban-issues-with-jan-gehl-at-uia-world-congress-of-architects (Acessed: 25 November 2024).

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School of Architecture
Planning and Landscape
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear, NE1 7RU

Telephone: 0191 208 6509

Email: nicola.rutherford@ncl.ac.uk