Urban Insights (Asynchronous Session)
Sustainable Urban Development in the Italian National Urban Agenda: Italian Metropolitan Cities in the European Context View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Stefania Montebelli
Sustainable urban development in Europe is an essential condition not only for achieving the economic, social, and territorial cohesion, but also for improving the quality of life of the European Union citizens. The 2014-20 Cohesion Policy before and the EU Urban Agenda identified in metropolitan spaces the centre of a community project that considers the city as the protagonist of the European future, increasingly pursued in the name of environmentally sustainable development. The degree of response and understanding of the various problems arising from the achievement of sustainable urban development is different from one country to another: for example, in the environmental policy sector, it is clear that some cities and urban centres of Europe have already adopted many years' strategic measures to reduce the amount of polluting gases. Although in Italy the National Urban Agenda is promoting the Smart Cities and the optimization of a circular economy, the country is still far from reaching the goal of managing the metropolitan areas according to urban sustainability principles, as confirmed also by the "Guidelines for Green Cities" of the last years by the Foundation for Sustainable Development. This paper therefore aims at investigating the possible support of the Italian cities, characterized by strong heterogeneity, to the process of European integration and to the achievement of sustainable urban development.
Towards a Model of Planning and Management of Large Urban Parks: The Example of Montreal's Jean-Drapeau Park Master Plan Process
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jonathan Cha
The management of large urban parks is a subject little studied in the scientific literature in landscape architecture and urban studies. Cranz (1992) [1982] in The politics of park design analyzed influential actors and park funding, Greenhalgh and Worpole (1996) discussed good practices in urban parks, Tate and Eaton in Great City Parks (2015) [2001] put forward Managing Organization, Management Principles and Funding of the finest achievements around the world, while Jansson and Vogel (2018) focused on the concept and practice of urban space management influenced by governance arrangements for participatory co-development. The paper considers a case study to highlight the approach underlying the master plan for the conservation, design, and development of Parc Jean-Drapeau, a 268 hectares urban park in the heart of Montreal. It addresses the methodology developed to review governance, the consultation process, the production of knowledge, the activation of heritage recognition processes, the collaboration with stakeholders, the development of a network, and expertise at the national and international levels and the mechanisms for implementing and monitoring the master plan. Beyond design, the study reveals a pattern of structuring actions resulting from a deepening of the theoretical and practical challenges of urban parks, the understanding of financing and management issues in a concern for sustainability. Such an initiative could become a model for how we think, plan, and develop large urban parks in the contemporary city. Between practice, research, and theory, this work presents a new way of thinking about urban parks.
Analysis of Urban Land Use Planning in the Extent of Kabul City Master Plan
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ahmad Ramin Sadiq
In this paper, first, the significance and role of urban land use planning method is explained, then, current urban status and challenges of Kabul are pointed out, furthermore, experiences and mechanism of land use planning method in Pakistan, India, Iran, and Japan are briefly described. Next, the experience of Kabul and the dominant policies and laws related to land use planning and master planning are analyzed. Following, with comparison to reviewed experiences in mentioned countries an ideal framework for Kabul is prepared. Finally, the results, findings, and recommendations such as updating the current master plan, infrastructure master plans, quick-win projects, zoning and neighborhood plans with their related laws, regulations, and procedures are reviewed.
Street’s Categorization: Considerations on Sustainability, Equity, Accessibility, and Health View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ana Karinna Hidalgo
This paper presents a literature review of urban streets concerning their definition, history, and functions, followed by a conceptual-historical analysis of current street functions and classifications. This paper’s main objective is to develop a comprehensive categorization of streets that, under the umbrella of sustainability, equity, and accessibility, considers people’s opportunity to move, stay, and restore. This categorization proposes multiple street functions: channel of communication and transportation, a container of urban objects, social artifact, and health provider. As the larger public space in cities, streets aim to provide social and health benefits year-round for all. The case of two Canadian cities is presented to show this framework’s applicability at a street and at a community/neighbourhood level.
Sustaining a Dream: The Multilevel City and Calgary’s Plus 15 View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gian Marco Visconti
Elevated pedestrian systems (also known as skybridges, skyways, skywalks, pedways, etc.) emerged as a modernist approach to urban design in the mid-twentieth century and have altered the formal and spatial logic of many cities across the world. Calgary's Plus 15, being among the most extensive elevated pedestrian systems in North America, is a key example of how early experiments in multilevel design have continued to impact the present and future of North American cities. Using a literature review and semi-structured interviews, this work aims to trace the story of Calgary’s Plus 15 from its radical conception to its current state as everyday infrastructure.
