Significance of Urban Design in Cities

Cities across the globe are expanding, rural-urban migration is expediting in the face of growing challenges. Resource management is at the core of policies but ballooning urbanisation and increasing population are keeping the cities away from becoming an inclusive tool of development. Inclusion is the way forward, this requires flexible policies which can be readjusted according to the changing needs of the time. In this backdrop, Urban Design is an important aspect of the cities which is a compulsory aspect for regulating city life. Spaces of the cities if not managed properly can pose a variety of challenges which can also hinder social and economic progress in the cities.

Graana.com through this blog highlights the importance of urban designs in regulating city life and its impact on real estate.

 

Background

 

The significance of urban designs can be traced back to ancient civilisations however, urban design as a professional subject emerged after the 1950s. Globalisation has played a major role in the transformation of cities, commercial activities that used to take place on a smaller scale now have to be given a special space in the urban design. Similarly, the concept of sustainability is also tied to the urban designs which can set the platform straight for implementing sustainable agenda. The advancement in transit and transport systems has also pushed for the incorporation of the concept of urban mobility in urban designs.

 

What are Urban Designs?

 

Urban Design is a major component for managing city life. The concept is about efficient management of city spaces by incorporating three fundamental tenets i.e. city planning, landscape architecture, and architecture. Thus, it can be said that Urban Design is the amalgamation of various disciplines which are a significant component of maintaining city life. One thing that urban designs cannot relegate is the importance of socio-economic development and the preservation of the environment. The modern-day urban designs particularly focus on strategies that increase the economic participation of the people, providing social services, and giving a clean and green environment.

Most of the urban centres of developing countries face problems like congestion, lack of access to basic facilities, and environmental degradation. Urban Designs are considered to be an important tool in streamlining the major aspects of city life which in return can play an important part in the socio-economic development of the citizens.

Following are the different ways in which urban design impacts cities

 

Value Addition to Real Estate

 

The foremost advantage of urban designs is that it adds value to real estate. Urban designs are evolved and implemented after due deliberation and coordination of various stakeholders; therefore, residential or commercial areas that are in accordance with urban designs have high rentals and offer good returns on investments. Research conducted pertaining to urban design also showed that areas developed through proper planning and designing increase are closer to basic amenities which increases the social cohesiveness.

The beneficiaries of urban design include investors who get good returns on their investments. Similarly, the urban designs open new opportunities for the developers who provide various services ranging from architecture designs to construction services.

 

Increasing City’s Aesthetics

 

Earlier in the 19th century, the concept of urban design corresponded to the beautification of cities. Beautification is still an important element of urban design however, cities across the globe have started to be developed on designs that cater to the sensory and visual experience of the citizens. The aesthetics of the city can be enhanced by focusing on the natural terrain of the city which through landscape architecture can be enhanced. Urban designs can also increase the emotional attachment to a city by linking architecture to the culture and history of the area.

 

Sustainable Communities

 

Since economic and social development is one of the important tenets of urban designs, urban designs give special attention to the development of sustainable communities. Sustainable communities refer to a living that promotes a sustainable lifestyle in which aspects related to the environment, governance, economy, and social work are in harmony with each other. Inclusion is at the core of sustainable communities and urban design can work towards inclusion by providing equal opportunities.

 

Increased Mobility

 

Connectivity is an important aspect of urban cities, residents of urban centres daily move from one place to another to reach their destination. Street layouts and road planning occupy a major part of urban designs, urban designers pay special attention to these features of the city so that gridlocks can be avoided and residents can experience efficient travelling. As consumption across the cities is increasing, the volume of freight transport is also increasing rapidly. Therefore, new road designing techniques are being incorporated in urban designs for avoiding gridlocks.