Welcome to Cities for People!
Hello, and thank you for popping in. citiesforpeople.net is a small, but growing, site with stories of cities for people and how we can make them.
So what is a city for people?
Great examples are cities that you may know, such as: Malmo, Portland, and Bogotá. A city for people thinks about how it can improve its environment, strengthen its economy, and enrich its culture. It also considers its impact on people outside the city, and our future children and grandchildren.
Most of all, it is a city that people like you and me would choose to live in.
What does a city for people look like?
You would recognise a city for people quickly, because of the number of parks, cycle paths, and excellent public transport. You would not see unnecessary waste, too many cars, or lots of air pollution. You would probably see a move towards renewable energy, a great culture, and a strong economy.
And you would see many people who adore their city.
What about sustainable cities or ecocities?
Have you heard similar terms such as a sustainable city or an ecocity? To move our cities torwards the sustainable city or ecocity, I think we need to make our cities for people.
The idea of a city for people has proven to be very successful in changing cities for the better. Both Jaime Lerner and Enrique Peñalosa, former mayors of Curitiba and Bogotá respectively, described the vision of their cities as “a city for people, not for cars”.
And this vision has seen possibly the two best transformations of cities in modern times.
What about you?
Is your city a city for people? Do you have inspiring stories to share with others? Or would you like to read stories for inspiration, to help you change your city?
If yes, then please have a look around. And please do leave some comments on any of the articles on my blog.