Urban Livability: The Radiant City

Urban environment influences the way people live and shape their everyday lives. Examining the impact private mobility had on the growth of the physical form of the cities and out of town retail centers, the negative effects these changes had on city centers and people’s lives will be indicated. Accordingly, this essay will discuss contemporary urban design strategies to bring back urban livability.

The study is centered on what the urban and residual landscape transformations were due to the car’s popularity and use, how these changes influenced people’s lives and opposed to those practices, what are the current trends in urban architecture and landscaping.

The Trafford Center case study is used as a guide on how the rapid growth in car

He imposed an order upon people of separate locations of work, education, leisure, and commerce. The basic elements of his scheme “The Radiant City”, published in 1935, included cross shaped skyscrapers to house businesses surrounded by smaller residential structures, all connected by streets upon which cars and pedestrians would never meet (fig.3). Building upwards allowed room for vast parks between buildings which would allow residents a maximum of natural daylight, a minimum of noise and recreational facilities at their doorsteps. Among his criticizers is Jane Jacobs. In her book “The Life and Death of Great American Cities” accused Le Corbusier of an inhumane planning process that did not properly consider those which were to live in the planned developments. A further criticism was that the streets were neglected as places of community and

Danish architect and planner Jan Gehl spent forty years developing principles based on how the shape of cities can impact human lives, rather than focusing on traffic efficiency and parking spaces. He analyzed data on a number of people in a space and the way they were using the space. He believed that his principles can be applied universally, adjusted on each city’s or neighborhoods special circumstances such as weather conditions, conflicts or unregulated urban growth.

In his book ‘Cities for people”, he argues that caring for people in the city is central in achieving lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities as it will bring people’s activities back in the city. By using new design strategies to make the city scale smaller and the pace and noise lower, cities will become increasingly more attractive. The more people spending time in the city the more safe it will be perceived. This is a more sustainable solution since people will enjoy being there feeling safe and comfortable during the day and night. More walking opportunities offering prospects for social and recreational encounters will make cities