Is there beauty in Your Neighbourhood?

Full post archive on https://sillysmartatom.substack.com/

Thought the video 7 Secrets to Making Cities Beautiful according to The Asthetic City channel is worth expanding on. Let me know your thoughts!

Video credits to How To Make Cities Beautiful Again: 7 Design Secrets on The Asthetic City channel (YouTube)

1. Gentle Density

The recommended building density is maximum up to 7 storey- tall. Meaning no tall skyscrapers. It makes sense. I live in an apartment block in Singapore with 250 plus units in the building but only message one of my neighbours occasionally, and talk to my neighbour across my window occasionally. No block parties or intimate conversations. A key reason is people with similar interests don’t live together and the apartments are so close that my neighbour’s conversation can be heard. Hypothesize that the less privacy and space people have, the more closed-up they become.

Picture of a Hong Kong building below.

Hong Kong Apartment Block (Picture by Fanjianhua, sourced from Freepik.com)

Fanjianhua Author Portfolio | Freepik

2. Attractive public spaces

Enough said. Doesn’t this put you in a nice, cosy mood?

Screenshot from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0kXax4qLgU

3. Greenery and water features

4. Pedestrian and cyclist- friendly. Do you agree?

   

   Screenshot from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0kXax4qLgU

5. The other factors are mixed-use development, urban form and pleasant architecture.

   

   Screenshot from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0kXax4qLgU

   What makes a city beautiful to you? To me, one of the most important factors is the beautiful, period buildings instead of modern, concrete buildings. To be honest, concrete buildings are soul-sucking and there are so many of them.

   Is your city building more concrete buildings or beautiful spaces? XO

Older posts:

https://sillysmartatom.substack.com/p/book-review-of-joman-romeros-book

https://sillysmartatom.substack.com/p/podcasts-that-nourish-me-recommendations

https://sillysmartatom.substack.com/p/thoughts-on-land-space-and-democracy

Photo by Howie R on Unsplash