Compact cities: Striving for more sustainable urban planning

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• August 11, 2022

Insight summary

Compact cities prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport over cars, aiming for sustainability and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized their advantages, including shorter travel times and lower emissions. Wider implications may involve global adoption, non-vehicular transportation, and decentralized office locations.

Compact cities context

Compact cities, in contrast to dispersed cities, are those with high density and diverse uses, where pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users are favored over cars. These cities are often characterized by continuous and contained development, delimited by clear government-mandated boundaries, and have high local and regional accessibility. They also have centralized but smaller essential infrastructures like water, sanitation, and electricity, which can lower maintenance costs. Compact cities strive to be smart, ethical, equitable, and healthy, where nature-based solutions are the norm, and active transportation and green spaces are prioritized.

Michael Neuman, a scholar on urbanism, has written about the paradoxes of the compact city model. On the one hand, strict planning guidelines and rules are essential to establish a city in this mold, but on the other hand, their excess can become harmful. There is no room for organic experimentation typical of healthy urban development with a close standard to be followed.

Despite these contradictions, the compact city model has experienced widespread support in recent years due to its many benefits. For example, shops and services are closer to homes, which encourages the use of alternative transport and community interaction. Additionally, a compact city aligned with sustainability guidelines can contribute to a better quality of life.

Disruptive impact

The compact city model took on new significance in the wake of the pandemic. As most people were forced to stay home, the disadvantages of current and pervasive urban models became more apparent. For example, the reliance on cars (common in North-American cities) made it difficult for people to get around, and the lack of proximity to shops and services made it hard for people to access what they needed. Government and other public services still relied on physical locations and lacked standardization and online presence.

In contrast, the compact city model could help mitigate some of these issues. Compact cities have greater density, shorter travel times, and a wider range of activities. They have lower carbon emissions than sprawling cities. They are also healthier due to more varied land use, shorter trips, and improved mobility options, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly and the disabled.

An example of the compact city model is the developments in Barcelona. The city is working on 500 superblocks to limit motorized traffic in certain streets, allowing more room for pedestrians, active travel, and greenery. These superblocks will reduce air pollution, noise levels, and heat island effects while increasing green space and physical activity. It's expected that almost 700 yearly deaths might be prevented by reducing vehicle use. Similar ideas are now being used in low-traffic areas around the world.

Implications of compact cities

Wider implications of compact cities may include: 

• More global cities adopting the compact city model to promote a more sustainable lifestyle post-pandemic, including enabling multi-modal transportation systems.
• Public transportation and street planning accommodating more non-vehicular options like building more bicycle lanes, banning cars in certain areas, as well as building Internet of Things (IoT) functionality into street infrastructure to optimize traffic flows.
• Denser blending of commercial and residential buildings to promote shorter urban commutes for workers and busier and safer streetscapes. 
• Increased automation of critical services like water and electricity production maintenance.
• Internet service providers developing faster network connections to support IoT and smart city technologies.
• More companies building satellite offices near employees instead of mandating everyone to report to centralized facilities.

Questions to consider

• Have you lived in or visited a compact city? What were your impressions?
• What are the other potential benefits and challenges in implementing the compact city model?