Walking on the Right—or Not
Efficient paths may win over cultural walking patterns.
Efficient paths may win over cultural walking patterns.
Some urban residential streetscapes are more restorative than others.
A recent study makes a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between neighborhood satisfaction, naturalness, and openness, while another looks at sustainable neighborhood design.
The quality of an urban environment is regularly assessed using a limited criteria list.
The space syntax community continues to actively research human interaction by studying how people move and behave in buildings, neighborhoods, and cities.
How can planners plan for, or maintain, diverse social neighborhoods? Perhaps using tools from landscape ecology can help urban designers gain new insights into these neighborhoods.
Both Talen and Craw et al. recently have completed research related to the design of optimal urban spaces. While Craw and her colleagues have investigated issues related to the graffiti afflicting many areas, Talen has looked more holistically at developing measures for well-designed urban spaces.
One of the often-touted goals of neotraditional neighborhood design is to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment—one where residents walk and bike to local attractions, rather than drive. Several recent studies look at how people’s actions may support or hinder those aims.
The important point here is how pedestrians can be generated in an environment around a catalyst.
Building a diversified mix of stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues can draw pedestrians to urban centers and spur further economic development. Creating the initial nucleus for such development, though, is often difficult. One study reviews relevant research on these “catalytic buildings” to see what is known about their effectiveness. Originally published in Issue 1, 2003.