Jenny Grettve’s Post

Transforming Cities for Social Equity: Discover the Power of Urban Renewal! 🌆 Exciting news! I've just published a comprehensive blog post on how urban renewal enhances social equity, and I couldn't wait to share it with all of you. 🌟 In this detailed article, you'll learn how revitalizing urban areas can: Increase affordable housing 🏡 Improve access to public services 🏥 Create economic opportunities 💼 Enhance public spaces 🌳 Foster community engagement 🤝 Urban renewal has the potential to transform neglected areas into vibrant, inclusive communities, ensuring everyone benefits from the growth and development of our cities. Whether you're an urban planner, community advocate, or just passionate about social equity, this blog post offers valuable insights and real-world examples of successful urban renewal projects. 📌 Read the full article here: https://wix.to/LFgF9bW Let's discuss how urban renewal can lead to a brighter, more equitable future for all. Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! #UrbanRenewal #SocialEquity #CommunityDevelopment #AffordableHousing #SustainableCities #UrbanPlanning

Five steps to unlock the power of collective action The key to influencing positive urban change lies in understanding the power of collective action to create cities that thrive for generations to come.   1. Collaboration: Foster partnerships between government, businesses, and communities to create a shared vision for sustainable urban development. 2. Empowerment: Provide resources and support to empower individuals and communities to take ownership of their neighbourhoods. 3. Education: Promote awareness and education about the benefits of sustainable urban development to inspire action. 4. Innovation: Encourage innovative solutions and technologies that can transform cities into more liveable, adaptable and resilient urban environments. 5. Advocacy: Advocate for policies and regulations that prioritize sustainability and social equity. #influencingpositiveurbanchange, #urbanworldmatters, #sustainableurbandevelopment, #collectiveaction, #liveablecities, #liveablecities, #resilientcities Photo credits: @pawel-l-435199

The news this morning about yet another road tragedy is but one symptom of a broken urban form. It is heartbreaking that it takes such tragedy for discussion about the downside of oversized cars to even register in the public conscience. But that's the way it is. Thanks to those who are making the case in these poignant articles of late... "Our children are victims of road violence. We need to talk about the deadly norms of car use" by Hulya Gilbert and Marco Te Brömmelstroet : https://lnkd.in/gDqrsj5a #Betterstreets blog on the connection between increasing vehicle sizes and road deaths. https://lnkd.in/grH-BS8X There are also several opportunities coming up for transport and urban planners, engagement practitioners and developers to discuss the path toward safer, healthier, more community-oriented streets. This is a wicked challenge that requires transport and land use integration, all the while respecting the complexity by leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration and early engagement with the community. 10 November: Ogden Transport Lecture on engagement and policy responses to better integrate transport and land use: https://lnkd.in/g7tqeXSy 15 November: IV discussion of five urban development scenarios: https://lnkd.in/gRyvrPvw 23 November: "Together we cycle" documentary screening and panel discussion at Melbourne University https://lnkd.in/gTNV-PZ5 I'll be speaking on a panel after that last one. Hope to see you there to keep making the connections that will ultimately help unpick our car dependence. #betterstreets #stoptdekindermoord

Urban sprawl is a growing issue that poses a significant threat to the health and well-being of cities and their residents. A Rutgers University study highlights the negative consequences of sprawl, including environmental damage, public health issues, social isolation, and economic inefficiency. But there are solutions. The study proposes "smart growth" strategies to curb sprawl, including land-use planning, investment in public transportation, preservation of green spaces, and downtown revitalization. Policymakers can implement fiscal incentives, encourage public participation, and educate the public to raise awareness. By embracing these strategies, cities can move towards a more sustainable, healthy, and economically vibrant future. Let's work together to make our cities thrive! #smartgrowth #sustainability #urbanplanning #CityPlat #CRE

The development of cities is unavoidably contentious, but it need not...

(1/2) The Walkable Malleswaram project is now almost two years old. We had set out to reclaim and rejuvenate the conservancy lanes of Malleswaram to create a 3km continuous safe walking network. From derelict back alleys once used to scavenge sewage, they have become landmarks of sorts, with several city guides doing weekend tours. Over the next few months, we will also put the last infra layer. In the past year, we have also asked ourselves how to scale up this work; thus, the 'Walkable Cities' initiative was born. Here we attempt to answer the repetitive non-starters - 'Oh, where do you start when everything needs fixing?' and, of course,' But there aren't enough budgets.' The answer to solving walkability at scale may lie in taking a more strategic approach by identifying and investing in 'priority walking routes'. These are continuous routes in any neighbourhood that are most conducive for walking and where we must make segregated pedestrian infrastructure available that is safe, comfortable and accessible. In March 2023, we launched - 'Walkable Bengaluru', a pilot programme to conduct walkability audits in 19 wards across the city. With the help of 150+ civil volunteers, we audited 350km of footpaths and 185 junctions across 27 parameters ranging from garbage spots to encroachments, footpath quality, street lights, etc. A vital feature of this massive data pool is that the data produced is high on accuracy and ownership by leveraging technology and civic muscle. The project doesn't end here!; all the data is processed to generate budget estimates (using SoR) so that government officials and local communities can take a data-centric approach to draw consensus on which road segments to invest local funds. All the data analysis is published publically as an interactive dashboard at www.walkablecities.in. We must say, see it on a laptop screen; we still need to fine-tune it for phone viewing. For the next few months, we are doing outreach to share data with the 9 -10 agencies responsible for fixing the directly fixable issues. For issues where the pathway to the solution remains unknown, like solving for parking encroachments or vending zones, we are planning workshops with different stakeholders. More about the upcoming event in the Part (2/2)

The Scottish Government is the only European country that has elevated the facilitation of #20minuteneighbourhoods to national policy. Because the government understands that with a complete and accessible #dailyurbansystem, there is less inequality and poverty, better physical and mental health for residents, a stronger economy, and less environmental impact. Whether we’re talking about a #10minutecity, a #15minutecity, or a #30minuteregion, it’s all about envisioning a sustainable, healthy, and livable country, region, city, or neighborhood. Proximity, accessibility, and inclusivity are key concepts in this vision. It requires the government and urban professionals to move away from complex-oriented thinking and working toward a more integrated approach (in terms of geography and socio-economic aspects). In this context, the Scottish government has published several highly interesting studies and guidelines (for local authorities). The latest addition is the ‘Scottish Government Planning Guidance: Local living and 20-minute neighborhoods’ (available here: https://lnkd.in/eVTYJ7CE). It is very readable, beautifully illustrated, and, most importantly, provides numerous references. It clearly describes the what and how of the 20-minute neighborhood and, even more importantly, outlines how to achieve it. This includes examining multiple case studies. Scotland is, of course, a very diverse country, with large cities and sparsely populated regions and islands. It’s fascinating to see how they’ve developed different approaches for various components. For every urban and design professional, this is definitely worth exploring!

The below article is a good primer / reminder on why and how the success of regions (including those that are rural) is tied to central cities. In other words, we're all in it together and looking the other way hurts everyone... https://lnkd.in/ehCTduF6

How to improve the quality of life in 'popular' neighbourhoods? This is the guiding question behind the series of policy briefs developed within the Gridding Equitable Urban Futures in Areas of Transition (GREAT) project. For the past three years the team across UCL (featuring DPU's Dr Catalina Ortiz) and Universidad del Valle (CO), alongside Lancaster University, Secretariat of Social Housing and Habitat of Cali has worked on three lines of research: Comprehensive neighbourhood upgrading, Mobility, and Integrated solid waste management through Zero Waste initiatives. The policy briefs funded by ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and UK Research and Innovation present ideas, experiences, and recommendations aimed at contributing to enhancing the quality of life in popular neighbourhoods. Read the news and access the policy briefs here: https://lnkd.in/enYpVMbB #urbanplanning #zerowaste #mobility #policybriefs #sdgs #urbangovernance #governance #neighbourhoods #wastemanagement

COMING SOON The Case for Cities draws on the expertise of contributors from the academic, professional, and civic sectors to explore the creative tension between the two great values on which the vigor of cities depends—that they should be "Cities of Choice" (places where people who have choice want to live) and "Cities of Justice" (places that welcome and support people with limited choices). The book’s underlying perspective is that these two values are symbiotic and that promoting both is what leads to viable, sustainable urban resurgence. https://lnkd.in/gvRfxpRG