Ideactional Spaces In Urban Planning

The urban culture of a city highly depends upon social interactions and useful spaces that encourage these interactions. Idealising a futuristic city is not out of the ordinary based off urban planning research done throughout the years. Planners are trying to invest time and resources into creating functional spaces for citizens, to minimize evident division and segregation within the city and create a fluid organic functional space that proves to be useful in many situations. Jane Jacobs, an urban planning critic, stresses on the importance of a mixed use and a social interactive city by critiquing the present urban planning strategies to ensure better development in areas to create this idealized city. On the other hand, Rudolf Muller, who …show more content…
Hexagonal urban planning blocks are either directly on streets or are placed on the shortest course of a main street. Thus, allowing easy access to city blocks and integration to secondary uses of the area. For example, zoning and keeping houses away from city buildings, but still using streets as the connecting path to the two functions. Also, this idea of hexagonal blocks does not need to be symmetrical, it can also be reproduced in organic irregular shapes; does not necessarily have to be orthogonal or triangular. This allows for lenient layouts and spaces to permit the idea to be used in different regions that need different desires met whether it be socially, economically, or politically. Comparing this idea to Jane Jacobs specifies the advantages of small city blocks. More blocks equal less likely isolated discrete streets that are “socially helpless.” Helpless in the sense that there will be less opportunities to converse and the city will remain full of strangers that do not associate. Along with this, places emphasis on the economic effects of isolating streets and that people on adjacent streets, and that they can only form an economic bond where the two streets meet which leads to a monotonous atmosphere and a bland cityscape. More so, long streets will only consent for a more “depressing …show more content…
We attempt to integrate buildings with one another, rather than integrate the buildings with the environment surrounding them. Jane Jacobs emphasises how important street life is to a city’s social gain, and that a city with street users is a safer place because “people are always watching,” which gives off this idea that if there are constant eyes, or bystanders, wherein nothing negative can happen or will happen. Streets are also a basis for social interaction as residences, businesses, infrastructure, and city services would all come together to bring the streets to life. As a city dweller, one would be able to walk from shop to shop, and exclusively know everyone on their street. The creation of neighbor relationships with trust, would be formed, creating the ultimate friendly environment surrounding one’s home. Rudolf Muller converses two types of streets in the hexagonal building concept, major and minor streets. Major streets are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the city block, allowing for long streets giving off a delightful view, whereas minor streets act as crossing paths from block to block. In a sense, it is described that one would assume people would use these streets to walk along, visiting the cities gardens and economic establishments, but to an extent, these