Remco Deelstra’s Post

Curious how Tier‑3 cities are being reimagined for modern living and investment? 🌟 Dive into the new wave of urban regeneration—where strategic plot amalgamation unlocks smarter land use, main street redesign breathes life into neighborhoods, and cutting-edge funding models enable ambitious, community-centered projects. This transparent, practical guide reveals how city leaders and architects are combining innovative planning, active street design, and participatory financing to foster vibrant economies and improved quality of life. Case studies and actionable insights show how even small cities can attract footfall, spur local business, and build spaces for everyone. Find out how transformation happens—step by step! Read the full article now: https://lnkd.in/dCSdDsnn #UrbanRegeneration #SmartCities #MainStreetDesign #ArchitectPlusInterior #FutureCities #CommunityDevelopment

Most cities fix what’s visible—traffic, facades, infrastructure. But the real leverage is something else: How space shapes what people do, feel, and become—often below awareness. These effects aren’t accidental, they’re structured into space. And unless you see them, you can’t design for them. This is the foundation of Cognitive & Enactive Urbanism the lens behind Transformative Cities. We’ve distilled the 10 core concepts into a quick, field-ready infographic: affordances, norms, ripple effects, cognitive load, and more.Use it as a diagnostic. A new way to look at the street, the plan, the pilot. ————— If this reframes how you think about place, → join our newsletter or reach out to explore pilot work. — Transformative Cities A new model of societal transformation #EnactiveUrbanism #CognitiveUrbanism #TransformativeCities #UrbanDesign #BehaviourChange #SystemsThinking #4Ecognition #EnvironmentalPsychology #UrbanTransformation #Enactivism #PlaceMaking #UrbanPlanning #BehaviouralScience #SocialChange #PublicSpaceDesign #DesignForBelonging #UrbanTransformation #SpatialJustice #DesignMatters #PlaceShaping #BuiltEnvironment

Ever wondered how mixed-use developments can redefine urban living? In Arlington Heights, a new project is doing just that. By blending residential, commercial, and community spaces, it's creating a dynamic neighborhood. From my work in real estate, I've learned that successful mixed-use projects focus on community needs. They offer diverse amenities and encourage social interaction. Key strategies include: 1. Thoughtful design integration. 2. Flexible spaces for evolving needs. 3. Strong place identity and branding. These elements create vibrant, sustainable communities. How do you see mixed-use developments impacting your area? #Sustainability #CommunityBuilding

Social urbanism is an approach to city planning that centers on social inclusion and equity, integrating physical infrastructure improvements with social investment to uplift marginalized communities. Originating in Medellín, Colombia, during the early 2000s, this model transformed neglected neighborhoods through accessible public transport, libraries, parks, and participatory governance. The coolest part? Social urbanism turned the city’s poorest “comunas” into living proof that visionary, people-centered design can rewrite urban stories. Unlike traditional urban renewal, social urbanism prioritizes community engagement and seeks to address root causes of inequality. A notable example is Medellín’s Metrocable—a cable car system linking informal settlements to the city center, improving mobility and fostering social integration. Interestingly, social urbanism has inspired urban interventions globally, showing how blending civic participation with urban design can turn previously unsafe areas into vibrant, inclusive spaces. #SocialUrbanism #UrbanDesign #InclusiveCities #SmartGovernance #UrbanPlanning #MedellinModel #SmartCities #PublicSpace #UrbanDevelopment #EquityInCities #SustainableCities #PeopleCentered #CityLife #UrbanBuzz #HabituX #SHS #XIMUniversity

Credit to CITIES FORUM 87,085 followers July 30, 2025 🌍 Urban Design is Evolving https://lnkd.in/gNvFUH_T We no longer design cities as static forms we approach them as living, dynamic systems. 📚 We've been diving into the Urban Design Vocabulary curated by Urban Design Lab, and it’s reshaping how we think about the future of urban environments. These terms are essential for planners, designers, policymakers, and anyone committed to sustainable, resilient cities. Here are a few concepts that really worth paying attention: ✅ Urban Metabolism – Understanding resource flows for circular cities ✅ Climate Gentrification – When resilience leads to displacement ✅ Sponge City – Absorbing stormwater through green design ✅ Transect (SmartCode) – Rethinking zoning from natural to urban ✅ Urban Acupuncture – Small interventions, big urban change ✅ Resilience Hub – Community centers that support in times of crisis ✅ Blue-Green Infrastructure, Land-Value Capture, Isovist, Space Syntax… #UrbanDesign #StrategicUrbanism #ResilientCities #UrbanPlanning #CircularCities #TerritorialUrbanism #UrbanDiscourse Credit: Urban Design Lab

Urban Thoughts for the Weekend: Nice Cities “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” A general wisdom that is strikingly applicable to urban development. Many cities aspire to be ‘important’. They build iconic towers, attract large events, position themselves in international rankings, and present themselves as economic engines. Such projects generate prestige and can be valuable for profiling. But the key question is whether this truly moves the city forward, or whether it misses what urban life is ultimately about: being a pleasant, liveable place for residents and businesses. The essence of important to be nice lies in the realisation that grand ambitions only gain meaning when they are built on a solid foundation of everyday quality. Cities that invest in accessible services, affordable housing, attractive public space, green structures, and places for encounter create the basis for connection and broad prosperity. This is the layer where security, vitality and inclusivity emerge, and with them the wider attractiveness of the city. This does not mean that international profiling, economic dynamism, and horizon projects are unimportant. On the contrary, they can inspire and contribute to growth. But they should never drift away from the human scale. Jane Jacobs already emphasised that the real value of cities lies in the vitality of their streets and neighbourhoods, and in the small interactions that form the social fabric. Without that foundation, prestige projects risk becoming empty symbols. A city that only seeks to be ‘important’, without being ‘nice’, loses its soul. A city that is ‘nice’ naturally gains significance and meaning. For urban professionals, the challenge lies in not choosing between ambition and liveability, but in bringing the two into balance. Prestige can inspire – but only if the city is, at its core, a pleasant place for everyone. #UrbanPlanning #CityMaking #Architecture #Placemaking #UrbanDesign #Liveability #Inclusivity #HousingPolicy #SocialCohesion #UrbanResilience

Lighting the Future: Designing Identity Through Innovation Lighting is more than a utility, it’s a language. And when thoughtfully designed, it speaks volumes about a city’s soul. In our proposed Futuristic City Kingston in Jamaica, we’re reimagining urban identity through biotech-integrated infrastructure, smart lighting systems, and culturally resonant design. This isn’t just about illumination, it’s about storytelling. Every pole, every glow, every shadow becomes part of the city’s narrative. We believe that cities of the future must do more than function, they must feel. They must reflect heritage, foster wellbeing, and inspire pride. That’s why our lighting strategy is woven into a broader vision of AI-driven public services, regenerative architecture, and inclusive innovation. Let’s keep designing legacies that don’t just shine. They speak. #FuturisticCityKingston #SmartCities #UrbanIdentity #BiotechInfrastructure #LightingDesign #JamaicaInnovation #ResilientCities #UrbanNarratives #GlobalSouthLeadership #CityOfTheFuture

The Power of Observation ++ [city ideas] Allan Jacobs has been a powerful voice in urban design because he insists on seeing cities first, really observing how people use streets, paths, and public spaces, rather than imposing top-down ideals. He showed that “great streets” are built from patterns: consistent building edges, human-scaled facades, places to stop, shade, visual interest, and a balance of movement and pause. For city managers, his lessons are especially useful: treat street redesigns as experiments informed by observation, prioritize physical form-based codes, and let real human use lead decisions. By embedding Jacobs’ approach, a city can evolve streets that are not just efficient but beloved, places that invite people to walk, linger, and invest in their community. Enhance community pride.

Seeing what cities actually do Most cities try to fix what is visible: traffic, facades, infrastructure. But the real leverage lies elsewhere, in how space shapes what people do, feel, and become, often below awareness. These patterns are not random. They are built into the way environments afford, restrict, and guide behaviour. That is the foundation of Enactive Urbanism, developed by Josephine Yilan Liu of Transformative Cities. It builds on Cognitive Urbanism yet takes the next step, from observing the city as a cognitive system to engaging with it as a living, adaptive one. Enactive Urbanism reframes design as choreography: not how the city looks, but how it feels to move through. The new overview of ten core ideas acts as a field guide for urban professionals. It encourages us to see cities not as plans to be implemented but as behaviours to be understood and supported. Affordances remind us that every physical element signals a possibility or a limit. Behaviour settings reveal the unwritten rules that make certain actions feel normal. Feedback loops show how small interventions ripple outward, creating new habits and norms. And cognitive load draws attention to the mental effort of navigating urban life; clarity and coherence are forms of care. For planners, designers, and policymakers, the practical message is clear: pay attention to what the city itself is already doing. Observe how people move, pause, and interact. Understand where they feel seen, and where they hesitate. Then design to strengthen what works, rather than merely repair what is broken. Use these ten ideas as a diagnostic lens, a new way to read the street, the plan, or the pilot. Cities live through action, not appearance. The task is to design for life as it unfolds. For more insights, see transformative-cities.com and josephineyilanliu.com #enactiveurbanism #cognitiveurbanism #urbanism #placemaking #urbandevelopment #behaviouraldesign #citymaking #urbanplanning #transformativecities #socialinnovation