Urban Design,
How important is it for cities?
This paper has been written by the EUKN on behalf of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European
Union (The Ministry of Housing, Urban and Rural Affairs). It has been produced with regard to the meeting of
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Directors General responsible for urban development to be held on 13 and 14 of March in Copenhagen. On
this occasion the paper will serve as inspiration and a point of departure for a roundtable discussions and a
related on-site visit in the city of Copenhagen.
Discussion points
o How is urban design promoted in the national policies of European countries?
o Are urban issues recognised, considered and integrated by central government agencies in
their decision-making?
o Are national policies on urban design sufficient to promote the quality urban design of cities?
o Are national administrations recognised as positively participating in, and supporting, major
urban design projects?
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Introduction
Urban design is the art of creating and shaping cities and towns. It involves the arrangement and
design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems, services, and amenities. It is the process of
giving form, shape, and character to groups of buildings, to whole neighbourhoods, and the city. It is
a framework that orders the elements into a network of streets, squares, and blocks. Urban design
blends architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning together to make urban areas
functional and attractive.
While the two fields are closely related, 'urban design' differs from 'urban planning' in its focus on
the physical improvement of the public environment, whereas the latter tends, in practice, to focus
on the management of private development through established planning methods and
programmes, and other statutory development controls.
Recent years have seen a development in the use of design, as well as in design philosophy and
design research. Design has come to mean more than shaping and aesthetics; it has increasingly
become a strategic element in business innovation processes as well as in a number of societal
development processes. A designer's ability to combine, for instance, designing with user
understanding and overall solutions is increasingly becoming a competitive parameter when
companies develop new products and services.
An increasing number of countries have invested in design to promote their image internationally, to
raise awareness among local consumers of the value of design and product quality, and to increase
interest from local industry in the benefits of design for business performance. Furthermore, many of
these countries have also invested in developing their design educational systems and their
capabilities within the area of design research.
How the city has changed
Seen in a long-term historical perspective, city space has always served three vital functions
meeting place, marketplace and connection place. As a meeting place, the city provided
opportunities for social exchange of information of all kinds. As a marketplace, the city facilitated
commercial exchange of goods and services. And finally, public spaces enabled access to and
connections between all the functions of the cityWithin a span of only a few decades, a city
devoted primarily to working city and basic necessities has been transformed into a city of leisure
and enjoyment. (Gehl et. al., 2006)
In New City Life by famous Danish architect Jan Gehl et. al. (2006) the story is told about a survey
among people in Copenhagens city centre. The main question was, What is the primary reason for
your being in Copenhagens city centre?. The response was measured at two moments in time. The
first was in the 1970s when the answer was shopping. Later in 2005 the response was often being
in the city. Therefore the conclusion was that city space is a goal in itself, a worthwhile asset in its
own right. According to Gehl et. al. (2006) more people use the central city and have spent more
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time there over the past 40 years, including evenings and weekends when the shops are often
closed. All in all, this is a dramatic and remarkable development that offers lessons for other cities
that want to improve their public spaces as a way to enliven and enrich the experience of urban life.
What kind of policy is in play in European cities when it comes to urban
design? And do these policies work?
While being interviewed by EUKN, Matthew Carmona, Lead Expert of URBACTs HOPUS project, said
that a good urban design process is about achieving places that are better than it would otherwise
be possible to achieve if you let the market have a free rein. Good urban design helps to establish the
correct framework within which better investment can occur, within which better social outcomes
result and in which better environmental results can be achieved.
A city is a living expression of its people, their culture and an integral part of their identity as well as
being a response to the need for shelter. Societies are defined and recognized by the things they
make and the things they do. Most enduringly, they make the buildings and places that
accommodate the public and private lives of their citizens. Beyond the practical needs for shelter, the
accommodation of functional requirements and the achievement of comfort, people of all societies
have demonstrated that their buildings express the highest beliefs and aspirations of their culture -
an expression of the human spirit. Insofar as they succeed, their buildings become a form of public
art.
Urban design and architecture were mentioned in the Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon
Agenda or Lisbon Process. This was an action and development plan devised in 2000 for the economy
of the European Union between 2000 and 2010. Its aim was to make the EU "the most competitive
and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with
more and better jobs and greater social cohesion". Urban design and architecture in the Lisbon
Strategy point to cultural activities and the creative industries. Therefore they play a critical role in
boosting innovation and technology and are key engines of sustainable growth in the future.
The aim of the Lisbon Treaty was not met, but the German EU Presidency of 2007 decided to make
urban design and architecture more pragmatic. Several researchers were commissioned to produce
background studies in order to prepare the Leipzig Charter for Sustainable European Cities. One of
the reports was on good urban design and was produced by Gehl Architects. In this report the term
Baukultur was first introduced. The German word Baukultur unites the multifaceted qualities of
planning and building in a single term. It describes how the built environment is created and how
society deals with it. It has to be seen as a quality requirement that not only relates to buildings per
se, but also covers the way in which we deal with users and stakeholders, with planning processes,
with the surrounding countryside or urban areas and the infrastructure. Social aspects play a role in
the notion of Baukultur. The extent to which building and public spaces meet peoples needs
(comfort, healthy environment, stimulating social interaction etc.) is a determining factor for the long
lasting urban viability of buildings and will enhance the quality of life.
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But what has been done with Baukultur since the Germany Presidency? In the Baukultur as an
impulse for growth Good examples for European Cities by Gehl Architects - several case studies
are shown where intervention was needed. All examples reinforce the notion that Baukultur is today
a relevant factor of European structural and location policy and that it needs to be strengthened.
One of the cases, namely that of Central Berlin (Germany), describes the successful rebuilding of the
city centre which is in a large part attributable to the consistency and confidence with which simple
but effective planning controls have been applied. Urban (re-)design in this case saw to it that:
70,000 visitors come to Potsdamer Platz every day, of whom 40% are tourists;
The Central area is Berlins centre for film with 40 screens in 3 cinemas, a Film Academy,
Imax, and Film Museum and is regarded as a must see by visitors;
Potsdamer Platz is considered one of Berlins top shopping areas;
The streets have become popular outdoor eating places, where the number of caf chairs is
equal to those in some of the most popular eating street in Europe.
The new development of the Central Berlin area is successful in illustrating how large scale
redevelopment of a central city site can be achieved by close co-ordination of all players in a citys
Baukultur. On a critical note the report mentions that [a]t a time where many cities are seeing high
rise development as a solution to modern development, Potsdamer Platz is a sobering example of
how the consistency of the public realms is of greater importance than individual architectural
statements.
A look at two case studies: Holmbladsgade, Copenhagen (Denmark) and the
Singing Tower and Culture campus, Utrecht (the Netherlands)
In the Gehl report each case study was assessed along a series of quality criteria, namely: local
character, connectivity, density, mixed use, adaptability, high quality public realm, integrated
decision-making, user participation. In the paper Towards an Urban Design Manifesto, Jacobs and
Appleyard (1987) suggested seven goals that were essential for the future of a good urban design:
1. Liveability: A city should be a place where everyone can live in relative comfort.
2. Identity and control: People should feel that some part of the environment belongs to
them, individually and collectively, whether they own it or not.
3. Access to opportunities, imagination and joy: People should find the city a place where they
can break from traditional moulds, extend their experience, and have fun.
4. Authenticity and meaning: People should be able to understand their (others) city, its basic
layout, public functions and institutions, and the opportunities it offers.
5. Community and public life: Cities should encourage the participation of their citizens in
community and public life.
6. Urban self-reliance: Increasingly cities will have to become more self-sustaining in their uses
of energy and other scarce resources.
7. An environment for all: Good environments should be accessible to all. Every citizen is
entitled to a minimal level of environmental liveability.
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In the following section we will look at two case studies and assess them according to the above
mentioned essentials.
Holmbladsgade at a glance:
Description Urban neighbourhood that has undergone a thorough
neighbourhood make-over, with the restoration of buildings, streets
and squares. In addition, new sporting and cultural institutions have
been built.
Client City of Copenhagen, Urban Committee of the Danish Government and
Holmbladsgade Facelift Project.
Timeframe Neighbourhood facelift: 1997-2003
Budget 178 million for housing and open space improvements
45 million for holistic projects
15 million for the involvement of residents, information and
secretariat
105 million for a Culture and Sports Plan
Total 343 million Euros
On 9 July 2009, the neighbourhood of Holmbladsgade (Denmark) was awarded the prestigious
Bilfinger Berger Award. According to those involved, one of the reasons this project was so successful
was the collaboration with residents and other local forces. Twelve per cent of local residents had
participated actively in the neighbourhood regeneration process through meetings or working
groups. Even more had participated in events hosted by the design team.
A sports and culture centre was built, where the most pronounced feature is a large translucent
membrane that stretches between the sports and culture centre arena, and the four characteristic
end walls of the neighbouring public housing scheme. Citizens can get together here which promotes
social encounters as well as leisure activities. The main goal for the project was to stop the negative
economic and social development of this worn-down old industrial neighbourhood and kick-start a
new and positive development.
The result of the regeneration of Holmbladsgade was that outdoor events such as neighbourhood
festivities have fostered a local identity and a sense of community, and the work done on new
squares and precincts promotes the use of public urban spaces in an entirely new way. It can be said
that the urban design plans for Holmbladsgade have had a positive effect. If we look at the seven
criteria set out by Jacobs and Appleyard (1987) we could say that the neighbourhood has regained its
identity and control. Through new infrastructural changes Holmbladsgade is better positioned within
Copenhagen, allowing the citizens of that neighbourhood to move around better and therefore to be
more self-reliant and sustainable, and the sports and culture centre has created a stronger and safer
community and public life.
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The Singing Tower and Culture campus at a glance:
Description With the construction of the Singing Tower a new landmark will be
added to the new Culture campus of the centre area of
Vleuterweide which is in the Leidsche Rijn neighbourhood in
Utrecht. By means of the Singing Tower the atmosphere of the new
town of Vleuterweide is being improved as well as the activities
within the surrounding neighbourhoods and shopping area.
Client The City of Utrecht
Timeframe 1 January 2007 1 January 2010
Budget 250.000 from ERDF, 175.000 private investment and 819.632
from public money
The Singing Tower is located in the Centre of the Culture campus of Vleuterweide, and has many
diverse functions. Culture, however, is the connecting link. Surrounding the Singing Tower are the
Amadeus Lyceum culture school, the Utrecht Centre for the Arts, Zuwe Welfare (a welfare
institution), and the Vleuterweide library. In addition, there is room for a church centre, a sports hall,
a theatre hall and the centrally located information square. There is a day care centre for the
developmentally disabled and there are approximately sixty rental houses included in the complex.
At the heart of the Culture campus stands the 30 metre high artwork which was commissioned by
several partners seeking to create a landmark within the new town of Vleuterweide, an example of
urban design where art and architecture were used to promote awareness of the area. As a result
the city of Utrecht hopes to attract entrepreneurs to the Vleuterweide neighbourhood. It is thought
that an attractive neighbourhood will see more visitors, so that the experimental character of the
Singing Tower will play a bigger role. The campus as a whole is designed so that functions can be
combined.
It can be said that not only the design of
the Singing Tower but also the
development of the Culture campus have
had an impact on the Vleuterweide
neighbourhood because the Amadeus
Lyceum culture school and the Utrecht
Centre for the Arts have attracted younger
visitors to the neighbourhood. The day
care centre for the disabled has created a
new identity for the neighbourhood, one
where everyone is accepted. On that line it
can be said that the Singing Tower and the
Culture campus have given an artistic
character to the neighbourhood, which has attracted entrepreneurs in the neighbouring shopping
centre, making the area more self-reliant. Access to and from Vleuterweide has also been improved
through infrastructural change.
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How are architectural policies important for the development and
implementation of the European Unions aims set out in the EU 2020
strategy?
During the Urban Intergroups European Forum for Architectural Policies (EFAP) conference the
President of the Intergroup, Jan Olbrycht, underlined that indeed the issue is not if but how
architectural policies are very important for the development and implementation of the European
Unions aims set out in the EU 2020 strategy. He said that architects should anticipate the future
needs of society rather than respond to present needs. They play a crucial role in the impact of
regulations and policies and the way they can be adapted. They must design a vision on the future
and inspire the public and decision makers.
In a changing world, the EU2020 goals are focused on a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy.
These three mutually reinforcing priorities should help the EU and the Member States deliver high
levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. In line with these goals the Royal Institute of
British Architects (RIBA) produced a policy paper entitled Better homes and neighbourhoods. In this
paper it is said that high quality design adds value to homes and their surroundings. It can achieve
higher values for development sites, provides greater occupier satisfaction, an improved public realm
and prestige for owners. Well-designed, sustainable housing will last longer, be more flexible in use,
cost less to heat, light and maintain, increase safety and security, and grow old gracefully. Good
design contributes to a sense of wellbeing statistics have shown that over 2 billion per year is
spent treating illness arising from poor housing stock more than is spent by local authorities on the
building stock itself.
Three policy examples
1. The United Kingdoms Governments Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) on housing
encourages local planning authorities to demand high standards of design for new homes
and includes the CABE Building for Life criteria, which are an important benchmark for well-
designed housing and neighbourhoods. CABE is the UKs Design Council, which supports local
communities to help them deliver and shape places and spaces that meet citizens needs.
RIBA wants to demolish the myth that design is only subjective. The Building for Life Criteria,
for example, provide an objective means of judging the design quality of homes and
neighbourhoods and should be more widely used. More should also be done to encourage
the provision of high quality public areas and vibrant, well-designed streetscapes.
The UKs Government goes a step further with its policy planning statements and also
considers how houses and the public realm can be built more sustainably and more greenly
as domestic energy use is a major contributor to CO emissions. Planning and urban design
are not only as important as the design of homes in achieving carbon reduction but also have
a major role to play in adaptation to climate change. Therefore the PPS1 is put in play. This
consultation seeks views on the proposal to combine and update existing planning policy on
climate change and renewable energy from two documents into one. Building from current
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approaches, the new policy reflects the latest legislative and policy context. The Planning
Policy Statement (PPS) will be a supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering
Sustainable Development (PPS1). Apart from PPS1 on sustainable development there is also
PPS25 which can contribute to a greener Europe. Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) sets
out the Government's spatial planning policy on development and flood risk. In the latest
edition the definition of functional floodplain is clarified, and it changes how the policy is
applied to essential infrastructure, including water treatment works, emergency services
facilities, installations requiring hazardous substances consent and wind turbines in flood risk
areas.
2. In 2007, the Irish Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government initiated a
process designed to review the effect of policy actions on architecture and to establish a
renewed programme of action that would take into account the changed circumstances of
the time. The Minister established a Steering Committee to prepare recommendations on
policy actions, and three Focus Groups to brief the Steering Committee. The Focus Groups
concentrated on three general themes: Quality in the Built Environment; Sustainability; and
Awareness, Education and Research. Membership of the Steering Committee and the Focus
Groups was drawn from across the professions, public service, statutory bodies, non-
governmental organisations, specialist organisations and academia as well as the specialist
media. Following the reports of the Focus Groups, the Steering Committee also engaged in
public consultation, holding a series of public meetings in seven locations throughout the
country. The consultation process was called Conversations about Architecture and the Built
Environment and it identified a series of consistent views expressed by participants across
the various venues. The facilitators summarised the key issues and made a number of
recommendations in a report presented to the Steering Committee.
Among a number of recurring themes, the three most commonly expressed views related to
issues around planning and the built environment, education and awareness, and a desire for
strong leadership from Government in promoting a high quality, sustainable environment. A
significant number of participants commented on their experience when interacting with the
planning system and expressed the desire that design quality should be given greater weight
in the planning process. It was apparent during the Conversations that many feel
disempowered in their ability to impact on the built environment. Those who participated
warmly welcomed the Conversations about Architecture and the Built Environment. It was
suggested that existing agencies need to be further resourced to design and deliver a range
of conversational and educational processes as part of an on-going process of public
discussion about architecture and our shared environment.
The Irish Government therefore created Government Policy on Architecture 2009 2015,
Towards a Sustainable Future: Delivering Quality within the Built Environment. The Key
Statements in this policy are:
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In order to strengthen the evidence base for architecture and built environment policy,
the Government will actively promote research into the designed environment and will
seek to optimise the alignment of existing research funding sources with the need to
develop capacities and to deliver reliable information on factors that impinge on
strategic decisions;
Environmental imperatives which extend to every aspect of design and architectural
quality are also measured by building performance over time. The Government will play
a key role in setting standards and in ensuring that best practice is followed in the
delivery of the designed built environment;
The Government recognises the importance of fostering architectural creativity and
innovation and recognises the key role in certain circumstances of architectural design
competitions in delivering architectural quality and value for money in the built
environment;
The production and management of a sustainable high quality built environment will be
advanced by integrating architectural design and planning frameworks.
3. Where and how people live is one of the primary elements of social sustainability. In the
development of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons (resolution 46/91), the UN
General Assembly recognised the importance of living conditions and housing for the elderly,
and infused it throughout all five categories relating to the status of older people:
independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity. Key principles relating to
housing for the ageing population include:
Access to adequate food, water, shelter, clothing and health care through the provision
of income, family and community support and self-help;
Ability to live in environments that are safe and adaptable to personal preferences and
changing capacities;
Ability to live at home for as long as possible;
Ability to utilise appropriate levels of institutional care providing protection,
rehabilitation and social and mental stimulation in a humane and secure environment;
Ability to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms when residing in any shelter,
care or treatment facility, including full respect for their dignity, beliefs, needs and
privacy and for the right to make decisions about their health care and quality of their
lives.
In worldwide statistics for 2007 published by the Population Division in the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Germany, closely followed by Sweden, Greece and
Austria, is among those countries with a high proportion of old people. Only Italy and Japan have a
higher proportion of over 60-year-olds. Japan is a special case as the highly-developed industrial
nation with the highest level of population ageing and sharply rising life expectance over 23,000
Japanese are over 100 years old and has been tackling the challenges of population ageing through
social insurance system reforms for nearly 35 years.
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As a consequence of the countrys continuing economic growth, professional life has slowly but
steadily become ever more demanding, so that fewer people are able to care for their parents. The
traditional image of Japan, in which the elderly are looked after in the family, usually by the eldest
child, is beginning to fade away. Very often there is little alternative to an old peoples home, but this
is still generally frowned upon in society. The result is an irreversible decline in communal living in
large family structures, which in turn leads to the increasing isolation of many old people.
How does Japan deal with this situation? The government responded by encouraging the building of
nursing homes, day-care centres and the development of care at home programmes. According to
the Japanese Ministry for Health, Employment and Social Affairs, in the year 2000, 349 private homes
for the elderly catered for around 26,000 senior citizens. By July 2004, over 52,000 residents lived in
990 assisted residential schemes for the elderly, a tendency that continues to rise. A large number of
hotel-like facilities of luxury character have since been built. In recent years, however, more barrier-
free residential complexes have been built.
In the introduction it was stated that urban design is the art of creating and shaping cities and towns.
Urban design involves the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems,
services, and amenities. It is the process of giving form, shape, and character to groups of buildings,
to whole neighbourhoods, and the city. It is a framework that orders the elements into a network of
streets, squares, and blocks. Urban design blends architecture, landscape architecture, and city
planning together to make urban areas functional and attractive.
The above mentioned policies touch on housing, sustainable development, spatial planning,
architecture and how to make sure that proper homes are built for older people. The core, however,
is that within urban design there is a need for flexible and sustainable plans. As architect Antonio
Borghi puts it, Urban design and housing issues are strongly affected by demographic and migration
trends. Ageing population and ethnic minorities have become a major issue in most European
countries. Europeans are becoming older so urban design and housing projects should bear in mind
specific needs, services and facilities for elderly. This does not mean that we have to build homes
specifically and only for the elderly but when building, bearing in mind the elderly, children and
disabled people. People love what they own or what is theirs [their house, their city] and growing old
does not mean that they stop loving these things. You have the right to stay in your house which is
possible by creating houses which can be easily adaptable to your specific needs. Moreover people
are going to live longer and play a very important role in society, supplying a lot of services that the
welfare cannot afford anymore. Cities and buildings have to evolve accordingly.
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Interesting further reading
o Urban Design for an Urban Century: Placemaking for People - Lance Jay Brown, David Dixon,
Oliver Gillham
o Planning the Good Community: New Urbanism in Theory and Practice - Jill Grant
o New City Life Jan Gehl, Lars Gemzoe, Sia Kirknaes & Britt Sondergaard 2006
o Baukultur as an impulse for growth, Good examples for European Cities Federal Ministry
of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (publisher), Gehl Architects (consultant)
o Jacobs, A and Appleyard, D. 1987. "Toward an Urban Design Manifesto" - in Le Gates, R and
Stout, F (eds) 1996. The City Reader. Routledge. New York pp 165-175.
o Government Policy on Architecture 2009-2015, Towards a Sustainable Future: Delivering
Quality within the Built Environment Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
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