Listen up — our cities have things to say

I bet a lot of us have complained to our neighbours about our local areas losing their “character” or signed petitions against new developments we consider to be “inauthentic”, but why? What do these terms mean and why do we care about them so much?

Urban redevelopment often stirs deep passions and provokes bitter debate. This looks set to continue in a post-Covid world, where changes in work-life balance have caused us to radically reconsider how the cities and towns should grow and change. But let’s take a deep breath, pause and, in that quiet, really listen to what our cities are telling us.

As we emerge from pandemic times, we need to consider with care what it means for a city or town to acknowledge and honour its traditional identity, or essence, as it transitions to something new.

Authenticity, culture, character and uniqueness are just words with meaning depending on who’s using them.

If you could redesign the town or city you live in right now, what would it look like? How would the traffic circulate, what type of new housing would you like to see and where, what kind of green spaces would you have, how would you make sure it accommodates the pressing needs of climate change and social justice? And how would you even begin to redesign it all when towns and cities are such complex places…