Briefing: An urban bill of rights

摘要

They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. There is no group of people more dedicated to making urban life humane and attractive than urban planners and designers. However, there is also no group that can do more damage to the cause of urban livability if they allow pet theories, resource management and utilitarian assumptions to set their course, rather than a full understanding of the fundamental needs of those they plan for -individual human beings. Popular planning prescriptions such as 'smart growth,' new urbanism, and transit-oriented development have largely lost touch with the human beings they are meant to serve. To articulate and safeguard the needs and rights of urban residents, therefore, the author proposes an urban bill of rights, summarised in this Briefing. The full explanation of the urban bill of rights can be found in the document entitled 'Cities fit for people: the urban bill of rights,' located at www.intbau.org and www.sharonhudson.com/ urban_planning/Urban_Bill_of_Rights.html.