A contemporary city is not just a stage for daily life; it is a complex ecosystem that can just as easily create barriers as open up possibilities. Urban planning must take into account the needs of all residents—from young families and older adults to people with specific access requirements. This is not only a matter of comfort; it directly influences the value and sustainable development of urban districts.
The history of cities is a palimpsest of past decisions and priorities. For a long time, planning centred on production, trade and the movement of labour. The needs of other groups—families, older residents, and people with limited mobility—were often left out of focus.
In the mid-20th century, American journalist and urban thinker Jane Jacobs argued that lively street life and active ground-floor uses make neighbourhoods safer and more appealing.
The task of contemporary urbanism is to keep the best of the past while embedding it in a deeper understanding of the needs of all city residents.
The Invisible Hurdles: When Details Matter
Even in new, well-designed districts, small oversights can complicate daily life. Often they stem from outdated design approaches or a lack of data about how residents actually use the city.
Accessible mobility
Low curbs without ramps, narrow sidewalks, and uneven paving become obstacles for wheelchair users, parents with strollers, and older residents. The absence of ramps, handrails, and lifts limits access to infrastructure and lowers overall comfort.
Public transport for everyone
Vehicles and stops that aren’t designed for easy boarding, too little space for strollers, a lack of good handholds, and missing visual or audio announcements make transit less accessible. This doesn’t just exclude certain groups—it reduces the efficiency of the entire network.
Sensory comfort
Excessive noise, overly bright or illogical wayfinding, and a lack of clear landmarks can disorient people with cognitive or sensory differences and make places less appealing.
Places to rest
Too few benches, accessible toilets, and clear signage make getting around harder for older residents and people with limited mobility.
These “small” shortcomings don’t just edge some residents out of full urban life; over time they also erode the appeal and value of a neighbourhood. Addressing them is an investment in the city’s long-term resilience and reputation.
Designing the city of the future: solutions for a harmonious environment
Building cities that are both sustainable and comfortable requires more than piecemeal fixes—it calls for new approaches. One of them is adaptive urbanism, which treats complexity not as an obstacle but as a catalyst for solutions that benefit everyone.
A key direction is architecture prepared for change. Layouts should be flexible, easy to repurpose, and able to expand or transform as needs evolve. Public spaces shouldn’t be mere corridors of transit; they should enable everyday scenarios for meeting, working and resting.
Universal design is essential. Gentle kerb ramps, integrated inclines, automatic doors and quiet lifts create convenience for the widest possible range of users and raise overall comfort.
Next-generation transport systems are built around accessibility: low-floor vehicles with space for prams and wheelchairs, intuitive wayfinding, and clear audio-visual announcements. It’s equally important to account for details such as extra boarding time for older passengers or people with limited mobility.
Sensory comfort matters too. Quieter zones, tactile guides for people with visual impairments and legible visual wayfinding help orientation and reduce stress.
Finally, public spaces play a vital role. Accessible toilets, ergonomic seating, inclusive playgrounds and age-friendly zones create settings for all generations to gather and relax. Involving residents in planning helps capture real needs, produce solutions people will actually use, and build trust in the urban environment.
Posthumanism and hybrid spaces
A contemporary city is not only its buildings and streets; it is also a digital infrastructure of sensors, smart systems and analytics platforms. These technologies let us treat urban space as a dynamic system—one that can adapt in real time to residents’ needs.
Already, solutions are making cities more responsive. Street lighting can react not just to the time of day but to pedestrian flows, shaping safer routes in real time. Online platforms enable people to share resources and services, lowering household costs. And digital tools and apps open the door for residents to take part in planning their neighbourhoods.
The city as a space of opportunity
An inclusive city is not an abstraction; it is the product of planning that accounts for everyone’s needs. It improves quality of life, strengthens social ties and increases the long-term value of neighbourhoods.
Creating such an environment calls for empathy, a strategic mindset and a readiness to recognise diverse experiences. That is what makes cities fair, resilient and attractive places to live—today and in the future.
