Urban Design and

Livability
How do we define cities in their
characteristics of livability?
How do we define cities in their characteristics of
livability?
Livability is the concept of a city where the
physical environment supports a healthy,
inclusive and productive lifestyle. The city as
a place for people where quality of life is
enhanced through diversity, engagement,
opportunity, flexibility, and place.
 
How well a city works for everyone includes
many diverse qualities such as employment,
housing, an absence of crime, quality schools
and public services as well as transportation
Urban Design considers the totality
of the physical environment

People
Planning
Urban
Design
Architectu
"First life, then spaces, then buildings – the other way
re never works.” -Jan Gehl, Professor Urban Design, School of
around
Architecture Copenhagen, Denmark

around never works.”

around never works.”
How you interact with a city,
and define livability is a matter
of proximity, scale and touch

• Home – block – neighborhood –

district - city
• Scale and appropriateness of scale
• Privacy vs engagement in the
public realm
• Quiet - Active - Noise
Home – block – neighborhood –
district - city
Scale and appropriateness of scale
Privacy vs engagement in the
public realm
Quiet - active -
Noise
Essential elements

• Diversity – buildings, places

events and people
• Designed to support the needs of
diverse groups including children,
the elderly, the disabled, single
adults, and families.
• Employment opportunities
• Housing availability
• Provisions for housing affordability
Essential elements
• Quality of schools
• Walkable streets
• Quality of public services,
• Community events
• Safety, absence of crime
• Support services; groceries,
personal
services, local shops
The built environment

• Diversity; building ages, types, styles

and scale
• Diversity in residential; ownership and
rental, micro, small and family
• Continuity, connection, unity
• Quality and character of public spaces,
as well as of its built form.
• Inviting streets; walkable, shade, places
of rest, sidewalk width, trees,
landscaping
• Diversity; building ages, types, styles and
scale
• Diversity in residential; ownership and
rental, micro, small and family
Continuity, connection,
unity
How do we think about compatibility within
existing neighborhoods? Continuity, connection, unity
is not emulation of a historic style in a neighborhood. We need
to think wider than “pattern book” design solutions.

People pick places to live for all the reasons we

are talking about tonight and location, safety, schools or
activities often win out over design. It is for this reason we see
a constant change of styles for changing times and taste and
family needs.

Continuity, connection, unity can be felt many

ways; lot size, consistent setbacks, landscaping, sidewalks,
bulk control, rhythm, roofs, pattern and materials. We tend to
feel more comfortable in consistency. The balance then is
between emulation and continuity of a neighborhoods’ life.
• Quality and character of public spaces, as well as
of its built form.
• Inviting streets; walkable, shade, places of rest,
sidewalk width, trees, landscaping
The built environment

• Block size, scale of buildings

• Building engagement to pedestrians
and the street
• Widths of sidewalks, sidewalk
amenities; bicycle parking, benches,
landscaping, lighting, paving signage
• Accessible open space
• Preservation of the past; historic
buildings, places and events
• Infill development in the urban core
Building engagement to pedestrians and the
street
Widths of sidewalks, sidewalk amenities;
bicycle parking, benches, landscaping,
lighting, paving signage
Widths of streets, traffic speed 
Preservation of the past; historic
buildings, places and events
Infill development in the
urban core
Movement in a city
• Barriers to movement – traffic, lack of
walks or wide walks and bike paths,
areas of crime
• Connectivity – walkable, bikeable,
transportation options
• Convenient access to systems –
transit, pedestrian and bicycle access;
Amenities that make life complete

• Recreation, active and passive

• Parks, plazas, social spaces
• Libraries
• Local shops and services
• Entertainment
• Night life/24 hour activity
Recreation, active and passive

Parks, plazas, social

spaces
Libraries

Local shops and

services
Entertainment Night life/24
hour activity
All the other stuff that has to
happen and you don’t notice it
unless it is not working

• Waste – trash, recycle and yard waste

• Electricity, water, sewer and drainage
• Protection from natural disasters
• Minimal pollution