Urbanization: creating a human context

By Sean Chiao and Bill Hanway

Recent World Bank studies suggest that in the very near future a fundamental shift in human existence will occur when more of the world will live in an urban environment rather than in a non-urban one. At no point in the past has the urban agenda played such a dominant role in defining our surroundings, our day-to-day life, our problems and our aspirations.

But the trend towards urbanization has brought with it the threat of environmental degradation and increased pressure on natural resources. Other dangers lurk just below the surface. These include over-crowding, social exclusion, security and civil strife, all of which have been exacerbated by people’s desire to live in cities.

But the news is not all bad. What is often forgotten is that cities bring people together, acting as agents for progressive change. It is in urban milieus where ideas are exchanged, cultures intermingle, new paradigms are tested, and knowledge is diffused. Cities are hubs of creativity and invention.

As urban designers, planners, engineers and ecologists, we are enthusiastic advocates of built communities. While conceding that some of today’s social and environmental problems are connected to the increasingly urban character of our world, we see urbanization as a trend that can be turned into a positive. In fact, we believe that the design of cities is where solutions for many of today’s problems can be found.

Our approach to urban design is based, first and foremost, on a thorough appraisal of the physical, economic, cultural and social context.

Understanding the interrelationship between these complex factors enables us to create a vision and development framework that can meet the challenges of increased population density and urban sprawl. The urban framework must then be supported by a delivery plan and government legislation that secures a balance of public and private funding. Within this approach and structure, urban design solutions can maximize the socio-economic benefits of investment in physical infrastructure while reducing social exclusion and environmental impact.

The creation of a sustainable urban environment depends on four key issues.

Urban structure

The fundamental issue of creating successful new cities or repairing the urban fabric of established conurbations is the long-term commitment to delivering high-quality design in all aspects of the built environment. The temptation to compromise is strong, because it can offer quick wins such as early implementation. But the primary goal must be to make the difficult decisions that deliver a legacy of high quality buildings (at appropriate density) and public space (in appropriate quantity) that reinforces a positive physical experience for everyone who works, lives, learns and plays there.

Creating sustainable environments

Improving and maintaining a sustainable quality of life in urban environments requires a firm commitment to public transport, robust environmental targets for the use of renewable energy, a substantial reduction in the carbon footprint, and achievement of high levels of energy efficiency. Public space and the creation of habitats must be drawn from the local environmental context to limit negative impact on the surrounding ecosystems.

Social inclusion

A growing issue in our society is the ability to engage and deliver on behalf of the broad spectrum of humanity. As cities become more complex and diverse, the built environment must reflect the scope and complexity that a broad socio-economic community requires. Commercial space needs to be able to accommodate the requirements of the entire business spectrum, from small enterprises up to international conglomerates. Residential accommodation needs to balance not only key worker and private housing, but also families and single person households. And, since everyone will have to share the public domain, it is imperative to deliver spaces for young people as well as the elderly. No segment of society can be ignored.

Sense of place

This ever evasive concept is key to creating a unique identity that reflects not only the physical, environmental and historic context but also the inherent character of the local population. This identity can only be achieved through a thorough understanding of the social context, and a design response that balances the allocation of land between the need for residential, commercial, health and educational buildings and the provision of cultural and performing arts facilities. The social infrastructure is essential for creating a sustainable legacy and maintaining a high quality of life.

If the above elements of urban design are addressed within a comprehensive approach, the human impact on the natural environment can be reduced and growth can be managed in a controlled and sustainable way.

Urban design cannot alleviate civil conflict, improve education or foster peaceful
interaction, but it can sculpt the physical environment and improve the human context. When we walk down the streets of our cities, we should be stimulated by the opportunities, not fearful of the problems.

Regeneration in practice: China

In China, we have been able to explore cities – both ancient and modern – and find new ways to recast communities by making their design and planning more sensitive and sensible. Through this process, we can create places that can compete for capital, both fiscal and intellectual, on an international stage.

Shenzhen, on Mainland China’s border with Hong Kong, was the first zone in China to open for foreign investment. It is largely a new city, and the vast majority of its residents, its growth and its architecture dates from the 1970s and since. Today, six million people live in Shenzhen, most of them working in its burgeoning manufacturing economy. Even though Shenzhen is one of the region’s newest large cities and it is the recipient of generous investment, local leaders and planners see themselves faced with an urban core in need of regeneration.

Recently, Shenzhen asked us to propose regenerative concepts for one of the city’s most important industrial neighborhoods. Looking to the next phase in their development, they recognized that heavy industry was not enough to sustain any major city, because the city had reached a level of maturity where it was possible to attract tourism and foster creative service industry that would give Shenzhen a unique and distinctive identity.

The work required a regeneration framework for a key neighborhood in the center of the city. The 60-hectare neighborhood is responsible for a quarter of China’s jewelry output and, like much of the city, the legacy of its manufacturing industry has had a heavy impact on the surrounding atmosphere, with dilapidated structures, a low quality residential status and an overall deficit of character.

Our plan preserved the area’s grain and scale while introducing a balanced mixture of new architecture built in scale with the existing environment. Cultural facilities and retail were integrated with many of the city’s jewelry manufacturers, two new public squares were introduced and the existing street grid remained largely intact. We delivered a grounded identity and a sense of place while preserving the area’s economic role as a center for a growing creative industry.

Regeneration in practice: United Kingdom

In the developed world, city centers have been forced to address the social and physical consequences of the loss of their primary industrial employment generators. Because of this shift of focus, the primary objective of inner city regeneration projects is to create land value, restore a balance of social infrastructure, and deliver a working public transport system.

In the UK, public sector financing is available for preparing the groundwork and setting quality standards for private sector implementation. Thus cities can redefine their civic identity and restore economic vitality, and ultimately improve the quality of urban living.

In Manchester, the 1996 IRA bombing of the city center destroyed significant amounts of retail and office space, closed two multistory car parks and the city’s largest bus terminal. A multidisciplinary team of urban planners, architects, engineers and transport consultants worked in partnership with the city’s taskforce and private landowners to create a development framework, detailed master plan, and public realm strategy. The key principles were unity, permeability, and sensitivity.

This collaborative approach was instrumental in creating a new city center without altering Manchester’s ancient framework of streets and squares. Open spaces were united with newly pedestrianized streets, historic buildings were restored, and strong new lines of vision brought renewed centrality to the city. In embracing the existing architecture and textures, our regenerative efforts resulted in a speedy restoration of Manchester’s economic and retail heart. Within six years, Manchester was able to present a completely revitalized city center when it hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

The regenerative model – of respecting the existing grain – produces effective results around the world, from Shenzhen to Manchester with minimal impact. It shows that sensitive regeneration, building on the existing strengths of our cities, can help them not only to address key factors such as cleanliness and the environment, but it can help them to regain a strong sense of identity that is both grounded and forward-thinking.

Today’s dramatic urbanization offers unparalleled opportunities for place-making. It also offers us the chance to deliver concrete solutions for cities that will enhance economic well-being and reduce social and environmental ills, and at ever-increasing levels of scale.