Urban Design+ Equity + Density

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“Commerce is the genesis of cities.”

Jane Jacobs, Author, Death and Life of Great American Cities.

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It is a changed world and we while can now see the flattening of the pandemic curve, nothing will be business as usual. We have seen that inequity is a statistically significant indicator of pandemic spread and we will see wave after wave of Covid infections without addressing such inequities.

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This Covid-induced catalyst  to rethink cities has presented with a very small but powerful window for change through the inadvertent demonstration project where families are biking, with others walking on roadways, re-using the streets as community spaces to connect rather than as car-only lanes.  This neighbourhood based possibility for social connectedness could enhance social resiliency through difficult times, essential for economic stability and civil society vibrancy.  There have been significant drops in GHG emissions with so many working from home; the post-Covid city may very well be the climate change friendly city.

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The current close-to-home focus could be a profoundly transformative opportunity  in cities/regions, impacting office space demand, multifamily/ mixed-use housing demand and use programming, impacting  the viability of small businesses + public transportation.

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Is this a turning point to re-conceive neighbourhoods as economic hubs, with new supporting amenities for home offices as well as fostering new local economic clusters? Could reconfigured densities with re-designed public realms along pedestrian oriented architectural streetscapes help support the feasibility of repatriating some of the economic activity to cities/regions? Enhance multi-modal transportation and strengthen social resiliency and civic society?

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STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT WITH THE UPCOMING ZOOM BASED WORKSHOPS!

COMING SOON!

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+ E-Retail + Walkable Streetscape Design + Social Media + Place Based Social Connectedness +  Micromobility + Curbside Management +  Autonomous Vehicles + Data Collection + Privacy + Smart City Tech + Democracy + Affordable Housing + Equity + Public Spaces + Social Resiliency + Post-Covid Recovery + Economic Equity