What makes a city attractive?
photo: Fons Heijnsbroek
The two main problems that stop us from building attractive cities in the modern world are intellectual confusion about aesthetics and a lack of political will. Since 1905, humanity has not built a single attractive city. What makes them attractive? The idea of the six principles of an attractive city was borrowed from The School of Life YouTube channel. For those who don't have time to watch it, we have prepared a short summary of the main points:
1. Not too chaotic not too ordered
The city should be in architectural order, but not excessive. We strive for ordered complexity. Too much order, as well as its absence (chaos), is also a problem.
2. Visible life
Cities need streets filled with life, where people see each other, not the concrete or glass structures of industrial zones. Bring life to the streets.
3. Compact
We are talking about densely packed, well-maintained cities with public spaces where people can spend free time. Over the past century, not a single attractive square has been built, and doing this is also an art. The video illustrates how to "pack" a square so that it is constrained but not claustrophobic.
4. Orientation and mystery
Most new cities are now designed "on a grand scale," but cities that people like to visit for tourist purposes or choose for comfortable living usually have many small streets and alleys. Of course, a balance is needed between small streets and large boulevards. Therefore, it is ideal to include large avenues with wide, flat squares and small intersecting streets in city plans.
5. Scale
We often talk about who owns this or that land, but less often we ask who owns the air/space? A comfortable city should be as tall as a five-story building. If you build higher, people will feel small and unimportant. The authors of the video suggest to have tall buildings for special occation that will meet the best ambitions and long-term needs of residents.
6. Make it local
Cities cannot be the same everywhere. Each region has its own peculiarities that can best complement its appearance. It's like wearing the same clothes in regions with different climate conditions. Find an architectural style that reflects your region and location. Using local materials and forms will be a bonus.
It's important to think in terms of a city's "attractiveness" because an attractive city draws people to live and work there. And people are the main drivers of the country. To rebuild Ukrainian cities after the war, many factors will have to be taken into account, such as location, level of damage, available opportunities, etc. But it is also important to take care of the well-being of residents who will have the choice of staying in the city or moving to another, more attractive one.