“We decided to live in cities for very specific and clear reasons,” said Dr. Edlam Abera Yemeru, Chief of the Knowledge and Innovation Branch at UN-Habitat, in her keynote at the 2023 Asia Real Estate Summit. Her address emphasized the need to return to human-scale urban planning—a philosophy that shaped cities before the rise of automobiles and modernist sprawl.
Drawing from the work of urban visionary Jane Jacobs, Dr. Yemeru reminded the audience that cities should be built for people, not cars or infrastructure. Yet, mid-20th-century modernism and the rise of the automobile have pushed cities away from this approach. Can we reimagine a future where cities prioritize the needs of their inhabitants over sprawling, auto-centric designs?
Citing Sustainable Development Goal 11—creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities—Dr. Yemeru highlighted the fundamental role public spaces play in fostering human-scale cities. These spaces, she noted, are where people truly experience urban life. By designing urban environments that are cohesive, compact, and connected, cities can once again prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and community interaction.
As we move toward an increasingly urban future, the question remains: will we embrace a return to human-centered urban design, or continue down the path of sprawling, auto-dominated spaces?
Want to attend ARES 2024? Register here.
