How mixed-use development shapes urban communities

Peter Park, Renee Martinez-Stone, and SAR+’s Sean Jursnick participated in last week's Urban Design Spotlight event at the home of Fred Glick & Donna Bryson on behalf of CU Denver’s Urban Design Advisory Council (UDAC). The panel discussed how recent housing policy changes in the Denver area could transform neighborhoods by allowing smaller, denser housing, as well as the resulting opportunities, challenges, and trends in urban design.

✍🏻"Scaranaro highlighted the importance of implementing ‘public realm’ projects, such as plazas, parks, & promenades, and emphasised their transformative potential in strengthening community cohesion." Nicola Scaranaro, Partner at Foster + Partners, was guest lecturer for the course in Design Management, and this article emphasizes the importance of human-centred urban design in shaping the future of smart and sustainable cities. 👉🏻Visit our Students' Blog and read the full interview by our alumna Katarina Miljusevic! https://lnkd.in/duyYSU74 #yac #yacademy #designmanagement #studentsblog

Many low-density urban areas resemble a fragmented puzzle. You’ll find residential developments with no sidewalks, commercial centers accessible only by car, and public spaces far from where people actually live. This "patchwork urbanism" results in low accessibility, weak social cohesion, and car dependency by design. These scattered geographies don’t support proximity; they isolate people from schools, jobs, services, and even their neighbours. At PROWD, we’re not proposing a radical urban overhaul. Instead, we’re exploring how to make smarter use of what’s already there:  - rethinking land use - enabling multifunctional hubs - creating better mobility options - and stitching together the existing urban fabric Because sometimes, the missing link isn’t distance, it’s connection.

In fact, rather than being contiguous neighbourhoods, many low-density urban areas operate more like a mosaic. Beyond reconsidering mobility or land use, however, the true issue is to rethink proximity as a social and institutional condition rather than only as physical distance. Connecting what already exists, people, neighbourhood projects, and routine activities that might activate underutilised places and services, is valuable to us at PROWD. By strengthening these functional and relational relationships, dispersed areas can become cohesive, living communities that are close together without being densely populated. Driving Urban Transitions Partnership URBAN2020 Association #PROWD #15mC #Sprawl #Metropolitanplanning #Mobility #functions

“Cities must urge urban planners and architects to reinforce pedestrianism as an integrated city policy to develop lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities.” Jan Gehl reminds us that the foundation of vibrant urban life lies in prioritizing people over cars. Pedestrian-oriented design is not only about walkability, but about fostering community, safety, and well-being at the heart of the city. A city that walks together, thrives together. A timeless perspective for human-centered urban design. #JanGehl #UrbanDesign

In partnership with Stockland, Alice Piper is joined by Clive Alcock, National Urban Design Lead at Stockland, and Ben White, Market Research & Insights Manager at REA Group, to unpack the homes of the future being built today, and how Australian homes and communities are set to look in the decades to come. They share insights on how technology, sustainability, and adaptable design can meet changing buyer needs and foster the sense of connection that makes communities thrive. 🎧 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/gFmWXERn

How do cities evolve when data-driven design meets real estate insight? At the ULI Fall Meeting in San Francisco, #OurJacobs Global Principal for Urban Strategies Jonathan Bartlett will deliver a session titled “Real Estate Market Analysis and the Anatomy of Site Selection” on November 4 at 1:30 p.m. PT. The presentation previews his on-demand ULI course “Introduction to Real Estate Market Analysis” and explores how real estate trends, site dynamics and market forces inform smarter city development and more sustainable community outcomes. Discover how Jacobs helps shape thriving, connected and resilient cities through data-driven planning and integrated urban strategies 👉 🔗 http://jcba.co/CwJC50Xkpkx #ChallengeAccepted #CitiesandPlaces #UrbanStrategies #RealEstate #ULIFallMeeting #SmartCities #UrbanPlanning #SustainableDevelopment #CitiesThatPerform

Every new urban story begins with a vision, not with construction 🏙️ At Reality Expo 2025, Peter Čižmár, Senior Business Development Manager, delivered a talk titled “How a new city is born: from vision to reality.” He highlighted the role of a developer as a shaper of neighbourhoods rather than just a builder of buildings, emphasising that sustainable growth relies on connecting architecture, public space, and infrastructure to create functional, vibrant districts. In the article, he reflects on the future of Bratislava, the responsibility that comes with developing urban areas, and why good urbanism is always born from dialogue 💬 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/egVj-5KC

📢 Urban Design Talent Series: Part 3 - Industry Drivers 📈 In this week's edition of the series, we will be exploring the crucial factors currently driving the UK Urban Design and Planning industry. From government investments and technological advancements, to sustainability and a growing population, this edition in the series will delve in to what keeps the Urban Design sector ticking. Stay tuned next week for Part 4!

How do cities evolve when data-driven design meets real estate insight? At the ULI Fall Meeting in San Francisco, #OurJacobs Global Principal for Urban Strategies Jonathan Bartlett will deliver a session titled “Real Estate Market Analysis and the Anatomy of Site Selection” on November 4 at 1:30 p.m. PT. The presentation previews his on-demand ULI course “Introduction to Real Estate Market Analysis” and explores how real estate trends, site dynamics and market forces inform smarter city development and more sustainable community outcomes. Discover how Jacobs helps shape thriving, connected and resilient cities through data-driven planning and integrated urban strategies 👉 🔗 http://jcba.co/XsHc50XkM4E #ChallengeAccepted #CitiesandPlaces #UrbanStrategies #RealEstate #ULIFallMeeting #SmartCities #UrbanPlanning #SustainableDevelopment #CitiesThatPerform