Urban vitality

Urban vitality is the quality of those spaces in cities that are capable of attracting heterogeneous people for different types of activities throughout varied time schedules. The areas of the city with high vitality are perceived as alive, lively or vibrant and they tend to attract people to carry out their activities, stroll or stay. However, the areas of low vitality repel people and can be perceived as unsafe. The urban vitality index is a measure of this quality and in recent years it has become a fundamental tool for planning urban policies, especially for the intervention of spaces with low vitality. In addition, it is used for proper management of spaces with high vitality, as the success of certain areas can lead to processes of gentrification and touristification that, paradoxically, end up reducing the vitality that made them popular. The concept of urban vitality is based on the contributions of Jane Jacobs, especially those of her most influential work, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Jacobs criticized in the 1960s the modern and rationalist architecture defended by Robert Moses or Le Corbusier whose protagonist was the private car. She argued that these types of urban planning overlooked and oversimplified the complexity of human life in diverse communities. She opposed large-scale urban renewal programs that affected entire neighborhoods and built freeways through inner cities. Instead, she advocated for dense mixed-use development and walkable streets, with “eyes on the street” of passers-by helping to maintain public order. Currently, the concept of urban vitality is revaluing Mediterranean urbanism and its history, in which public space, pedestrianity and squares are of great importance as centers of interaction and social cohesion, in opposition to the Anglo-Saxon urbanism of large urban infrastructures, long distances and car-centric. Urban vitality can be quantified thanks to the analysis of the elements that determine it.

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related concepts (30)

Related courses (3)

Related lectures (4)

PENS-225: Rhonescape

RHONEscape aims at realizing the necessary interdisciplinary educational background of the problematics affecting highly-corrected large rivers, by examining riverine ecological, hydrological and morp

CIVIL-309: Urban Thermodynamics

This course introduces the analysis of urban areas from a thermodynamics perspective, considering the heat exchange between different urban elements (buildings, vegetation, water surfaces, ground, and

AR-621: Unearthing traces - Part 2

«Unearthing Traces» propose to explore memory processes, power structures in archival practices in relation to built environments and material traces. This course is an on-site investigation on the ma

Sustainable urbanism is both the study of cities and the practices to build them (urbanism), that focuses on promoting their long term viability by reducing consumption, waste and harmful impacts on people and place while enhancing the overall well-being of both people and place. Well-being includes the physical, ecological, economic, social, health and equity factors, among others, that comprise cities and their populations.

The urban renaissance of the United Kingdom is the recent period of repopulation and regeneration of many British cities, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and parts of London after a period of inner city urban decay and suburbanisation during the mid-20th century. The most common equivalent term used in North America is New Urbanism. Urban regeneration was achieved through a number of initiatives including tax incentives and the lifting of some urban planning restrictions, as well as positive state intervention encouraging business and residents back into city centre areas.

A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads (including the pavement), public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to the public, such as public libraries, are public spaces, although they tend to have restricted areas and greater limits upon use. Although not considered public space, privately owned buildings or property visible from sidewalks and public thoroughfares may affect the public visual landscape, for example, by outdoor advertising.

Implementing Urban Planning Plans MOOC: African Cities II

Emphasizes the importance of implementing urban planning plans for sustainable development and urban reality.

Cities as Socio-Technical Systems MOOC: Smart Cities, Management of Smart Urban Infrastructures

Examines cities as socio-technical systems and their implications on urban management and governance, emphasizing feedback loops and complexity.

Small Towns in France and Europe: Data-driven Approach

Examines small towns in France and Europe, focusing on their vulnerabilities and demographic challenges, particularly regarding aging populations.