NEUTRALPATH project’s Post

Danish architect and urban deisgn consultant Jan Gehl (1936—), proposed that twenty-first-century cities should be “people friendly”—that is, they should have lively spaces that invite people to walk and bicycle in them. He claimed that a good walking and cycling realm was also a good public transportation environment, offering less car dependence and less fuel and energy consumption. He suggested that with individuals using their own energy to move about, society becomes increasingly healthy and sustainable. Page 45, The Art of Classic Planning. Available @ https://lnkd.in/gDriBgDp

This Friday we zoom in on the city of Saint-Omer, located 68 km west-northwest of Lille 🗺️ and its surroundings within the Agglomeration of the Pays de Saint-Omer. It’s a historical city with rich heritage and home to a beautiful cathedral ⛪. The city also embraces nature, nestled within the UNESCO Man & biosphere marsh. Saint-Omer City (VSO) is taking steps to stay cool in today’s changing climate 🌞🌳and works with CAPSO, the urban planning authority, to integrate this challenge at a larger scale. The two organisations are engaged in the COOL CITIES project, also strengthening local cooperation thanks to Interreg. Both are working hard to improve areas that share common characteristics: •    High levels of social housing with families and aging residents 🏘️  •    A lack of much-needed shady spaces for community use 🌿 ➡️In the Saint-Omer City pilot project, partners are helping to test solutions for shade and green spaces in a historical area (medieval), while developing a roadmap to integrate the area into a Cool Network covering the city 🛤️. ➡️ These methodology and solutions are also tested by CAPSO on a redeveloping district (70’s) of the follower city of Longuenesse, on creating safe, shared use of public spaces 🏞️.  Their goal is to roll out the cooling experience and key learnings to the local urban management plan. Keep up the great work, Cool Cities👏! Check them out here: https://lnkd.in/ePfvFWZX

Groningen, in the Netherlands, is often celebrated as an early model of the 15-minute city. As far back as the 1970s, the city center was redesigned to prioritize people over cars, restricting automobile traffic, expanding bike infrastructure, and creating pedestrian-friendly streets. This shift reorganized the city into accessible neighborhoods where daily needs, shops, schools, parks, and workplaces, could be reached within minutes by walking or cycling. Tactics like car-free zones, integrated cycling networks, and vibrant public squares not only reduced congestion and pollution but also strengthened local businesses and community life. Groningen’s story shows how bold urban design choices can create healthier, more connected, and more resilient cities, long before the concept became a global trend.

#highlycitedpaper A Review on the Impacts of Urban Heat Islands on Outdoor Thermal Comfort, by Jianlin Ren, Kaizhe Shi, Zhe Li, Xiangfei Kong and Haizhu Zhou from Hebei University of Technology and China Academy of Building Research (CABR) ⭐ Keywords: #urbanization; evaluation index; mitigation approach; overall human comfort; #sustainablecity 🔗 Read for free at: https://lnkd.in/dCzkrvkJ

Day 2 | Creating a Vision for Port Cities Today’s focus was on practices in space and the networks of stakeholders that shape them. Through case studies such as Nijmegen, we examined how diverse actors, rowers, kayakers, swimmers, shipping representatives, and water managers, bring different perspectives to water. Understanding these varied interests, identifying shared goals, and developing governance models with integrated tools are essential steps toward sustainable port–city futures. Throughout the day, we learned from inspiring examples. Benno Bultink presented Connected River Project, a cutting-edge initiative that addresses value conflicts (learn more about it here: https://lnkd.in/ejJEkh6d). Paul Gerretsen and Alankrita Sarkar from Vereniging Deltametropool emphasized the challenges and necessity of transnational collaboration, while Yi Kwan Chan shared her methods for listening to the voices of “port outsiders.” Our field visits brought these themes into practice. At Keilewerf Rotterdam, we saw how creative spaces can generate buy-in and support multiple uses. De Urbanisten then guided us through the Tidal Park, highlighting the value of restoring tidal landscapes. We were then greeted by Joep Van Lieshout at BRUTUS Artist Driven Playground, who shared his vision of how art, culture and housing can shape the future of M4H. The afternoon continued at TWD, where engineers presented innovations in smart and sustainable technologies for port cities, before we concluded the day with Jouke Bouthoorn from the Port of Rotterdam, who opened a discussion on Culture as a Driver for Change. Tomorrow’s the third and last day of our course, stay tuned! Click the following link for more information about our professional education: https://lnkd.in/esnt6EsF TU Delft Universiteit Leiden Carola Hein

Rotterdam is in the midst of its annual tile-popping contest (tegeltje wippen!), removing tiles from driveways and streets to replace them with greenery🌱 I read this in the latest article by my colleague Carolina K., who wrote about urban resilience in Europe - the fastest heating continent where 75 % of the population live in cities. And the needed techniques are already there, as Arnoud Molenaar explains, "we just have to come up with implementation programmes and find ways to finance this." If you want to know more about floating offices, tree nursersies and tile taxis find Caro's article in the comments.

On July 1st, 2025, #IWG5Buildings held its 3rd Study Tour in Valencia (Spain). The tour included a presentation of Barrio La Pinada — one of the country’s leading sustainable neighbourhood initiatives. Spanning 30 hectares, the project plans to blend environmental, social, and economic sustainability to enhance biodiversity, improve air quality, and foster community engagement. 🎥 In the interview below, Aphat Amonarraiz Arcos, Real Estate Technical Director at Zubi Cities, shares how Barrio La Pinada is shaping the future of urban living. Watch the full interview 👇 to learn more. #SustainableCities #UrbanDevelopment

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑶 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒖𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝑷𝑨 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 Wednesday, September 17, 2 p.m.: Paola Cossu leads the strategy workshop "𝑅𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑈𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑛 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡 2 – 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑦 & 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡" at the European Parking Association Conference. DISCO Project as facilitator: the project coordinated by #FITConsulting acts as a bridge between research, institutions and real implementation in cities to consolidate a strategic debate among the most important European institutions on the role of innovation in urban logistics within the European Commission's new Urban Mobility Framework. The protagonists of the debate: - Fernando Liesa, ALICE Secretary General - Karen Vancluysen, POLIS Secretary General - Laurence A. Bannerman, EPA President Emeritus, AIPARK Secretary General The strategic debate touches on the crucial nodes of urban transformation: how to accelerate digitalisation in integrated mobility networks, concretely support the Green Deal's objectives on sustainable mobility, and promote the functional integration of urban structures. At the heart of the discussion is the need to develop common standards that facilitate the optimisation of vehicle flows and parking for last-mile logistics planning. The workshop institutionalises a process that must continue over time, considering the rapid evolution of logistics and the urgent needs of European cities. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eVp6YSe6 #DISCOProject #EPAConference #UrbanPolicy #ALICE #POLIS #EPA #LogisticaUrbana #MobilitàSostenibile

Urban planners have to focus on well planned out density and five minutes neighborhoods- less car-centric and more transit orientated TOD development is the future

🚆 By combining mobility, innovation, and art, Arden Station in Melbourne sets a new standard for urban transport infrastructure. As part of the Metro Tunnel project, it anchors the transformation of the city's northern precincts, supporting a new district for 34,000 residents and 15,000 jobs. With 230-meter underground platforms, the station connects seamlessly to bike paths, green corridors, and an accessible public realm. Its ceramic façade uses Active Surfaces® technology to break down pollutants, self-clean, and deliver the air-purifying effect of 9,600 m² of green space. 🌱 ArchDaily goes into detail here: https://loom.ly/a0uxLQ8