Urban vitality

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Plaça Reial of Barcelona has a high vitality, with pedestrian spaces and a variety of establishments in its vicinity.
Comparatively, Plaça dels Països Catalans
has a low vitality, with fewer establishments and large, surrounding streets which inhibit pedestrian movement.

Urban vitality is the quality of spaces in cities that attract diverse groups of people for varied activities over frequent, varied times.[1][2] These spaces may be perceived as alive, lively or vibrant, in contrast with low-vitality areas, which may repel people and be perceived as unsafe.[3][4]

The urban vitality index is a measure of this quality and has become a fundamental tool in urban planning, especially in interventions for spaces with low vitality.[5] The index is also used to assist the management of spaces that already have high vitality. However, the success of high-vitality spaces can sometimes lead to gentrification and overtourism that may reduce their vitality and initial popularity.[6]

The concept of urban vitality is based on the works of

walkable streets and “eyes on the street” to deter crime.[7]

The concept of urban vitality is important in Mediterranean urbanism and its history, in which

cohesion, in contrast to the Anglo-Saxon urbanism of large, car-centric infrastructures with greater distances between conveniences.[3][4][8]

Conditions for high urban vitality

Urban vitality can be quantified thanks to the analysis of the elements that determine it. Among them are:[9][10]

  • Diversity of uses of the space that can attract different types of people for diverse activities and at various times, making the space constantly occupied, improving its security.
  • Opportunities for personal contact with
    social interactions
    .
  • Diversity of buildings with varied characteristics and ages, allowing people with different purchasing power to live in all areas of the city, avoiding the formation of ghettos.
  • High population density, residential areas are essential to attract other types of activity.
  • Accessibility for all people without depending on private transport, with pedestrian access being the most important, as it is the most democratic, sustainable and cheap, followed by access by bicycle and public transport.
  • Distance to border elements, such as large buildings,
    train tracks
    or large urban parks that discourage the use of the street.

See also

References

  1. S2CID 224862850
    .
  2. S2CID 218914835
    .
  3. ^ a b Índice de vitalidad urbana. La aventura del saber. RTVE. 7 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b Jane Jacobs y la vitalidad urbana en Barcelona. TEDxBarcelona. 8 September 2021.
  5. ^ "La importancia de la vitalidad urbana". Ciudades. November 2017.
  6. S2CID 158995589
    .
  7. ^ Jane Jacobs. The Death and Life of Great American Cities.
  8. S2CID 158254925
    .
  9. S2CID 234023321
    .
  10. doi:10.1016/j.trpro.2021.12.042
    .
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