We wanted to learn more about poor city planning and how it can impact residents in a negative way. According to Kodikaitė, some of the worst examples of poor city planning often prioritize cars over people.
"With the rise of the automobile, cities experienced a shift towards environments heavily reliant on cars for daily commuting, resulting in longer distances, wider roads, and increased parking space at the expense of green areas," the Sweden-based urban planner explained to Bored Panda.
"One infamous case that altered urban planning history is the clash between Jane Jacobs, a grassroots activist, and Robert Moses, a New York City urban planner, regarding the proposed construction of the Lower Manhattan Expressway. Jacobs argued against carving up inner-city communities for the sake of expressways, emphasizing the detrimental impact on neighborhoods and community life," she shared.
"This emphasis on car use is also reflected in the treatment of urban cycling by planners. Cyclists are often marginalized and perceived negatively in comparison to drivers. We see such hazardous examples such as bike lanes placed on high-speed roads or highways, where cyclists are extremely more vulnerable in traffic situations compared to cars."
These car-centric cities can have lots of negative consequences for the people living there, from increased air pollution and traffic congestion to ugly environments and reduced walkability.
"Another detrimental by-product of car-oriented development is the urban sprawl, leading to low-density suburbs lacking essential amenities and perpetuating car dependency while discouraging walkability," Kodikaitė told Bored Panda.
With all of this in mind, we were interested in finding out how planners and architects can become more aware of making potential mistakes or decisions with negative consequences.
"Unfortunately, in our current economic system, funding decides the quality of the projects. However, there are still ways that planners and architects can influence the outcomes within those frames," the urban planner told Bored Panda.
"One pitfall to avoid is the tendency to adopt a 'one-plan-fits-all' mentality. The same concept applied in one country or community will probably function differently when applied in a different context. An effective approach is to actively involve the community and stakeholders in the planning process. By listening to the people who will inhabit the spaces, unexpected insights can emerge, completely turning around the preconceived ideas that were initially based on well-intended, yet stereotyped, assumptions," Kodikaitė urged planners to approach these decisions from a different perspective and be more involved with the community.
“On the other hand, in some cases, planners and architects can become too rigidly set in their old ways, adopting the ‘we’ve always done this way, and it worked just fine’ mentality without acknowledging that the current has become outdated. Examples exist in other countries which have data to prove that different models and approaches can be significantly greater, yet planners in other countries refuse to apply it, thinking it would never work on their soil," she pointed out that this sort of narrowmindedness can be detrimental to everyone.
"Lastly, in the current day’s spirit of sustainable thinking, planners ought to work with the future in mind. Designing sustainably long term involves creating adaptable spaces and structures capable of evolving alongside changing needs and circumstances. This approach minimizes resource waste and ensures long-term viability."
