Happy City Moments
On World Town Planning Day earlier this year I took some time to reflect on some of my favourite ‘Happy City’ moments and consider what elements made it feel so great. Berlin is one of my all time favourite cities. I love the festival vibe in the summer with people enjoying music and activations in the parks and along the river. I love the way the challenging history is communicated with a grave concern to never let it happen again, the narrative of the street art, the way the vibrant cafes and bars spill out into the street in the distinct and character filled neighbourhoods.
The thing I loved the most was the way every time I’ve been there I’ve felt safe to cycle everywhere, alone or with friends. I felt free to explore far and wide without hesitation. Now that is a happy city moment worth striving to achieve in every town and city.
As planners and designers we have a responsibility to prioritise space and safety for cyclists in the design of city centres and neighbourhoods. When people feel safe to cycle they will. Don’t forget to put thought into the design and location of convenient and attractive bike parking too. Why not take the chance to make it contribute to the character of the neighbourhood by considering how it would add value in the space rather than just be functional it should be attractive too.
Tactical Urbanism is a great way to trial and test ideas for new and improved road space allocation and establish the best spot for permanent infrastructure. This helps address the demand while you plan, design and construct the future enabling infrastructure and programs the meanwhile while communities wait for the positive changes they know are coming. Investing in a human centred design approach to planning for priority cycle routes and bike parking at key destinations ensures the end result meets users needs. It is important to monitor the trial and seek to improve the design in the permanent changes.
We’d love to help guide your team towards creating more happy city moments for your communities, we can cater fo small scale neighbourhood projects to long term regional strategy and policy.
