From good old times to cities by design
Cities used to grow by accident. Sure, the location usually made sense – on a hill or an island, or somewhere near an extractable resource or transport routes. But that was then. Today you need to think about sustainability, happiness and safety amongst the citizens when you plan a city. How does people in your city want to move in the future? How do we develop a city with mobility solutions that the citizens appreciate?
At the opening show at Evolve Arena conference, you’ll get introduced to Brent Toderian, former city planner of Vancouver, Canada. This is a rare opportunity to get first-hand information about city planning success factors, real life experiences and useful inspiration about smarter life in human cities. Don’t miss out on Toderians brilliant secrets – his work has resulted in Vancouver consistently being ranked amongst the world’s most liveable cities. It’s simply known as a “city by design”.
Make way for the bicycles
Most people agree that walking, cycling and public transport should be the most attractive ways to travel. So, does your own city have the optimal solution in this area? And are you prepared for the future needs and demands of your citizens? The town of Eindhoven in the Netherlands has come up with a ground-breaking solution: They have made something called Hovenring – a giant construction that allows thousands of commuters to pedal safe above the busy traffic jam beneath them. Maybe this (or a little bridge) could be an idea for your own city?
How to connect different neighborhoods (and different people)
When it comes to mobility, it’s necessary to have several aspects in mind. Ask yourself this: Did your city consider factors like human happiness and safety last time you introduced a solution to improve mobility? During the 90s, drug gangs controlled the streets of Medellín in the Andes. The citizens were stuck – the only way to get in or out of there was to climb the mountains. However, in 2004 they got cable cars. So, what happened? The poor people got integrated into the city and access to jobs. People in the city started using the cars to travel the opposite way to visit the “bad” neighborhoods. The achievement? A social mixture of people was obtained.
Obviously, cable cars are not an option in all cities. But the principle of making it easy and affordable for people to move between different neighborhoods, has potential to have a positive impact on integration, quality of life and the degree of connection and mix between neighborhoods.
