Because architectural facades are noticed first, the beauty of urban design is often overlooked. But thanks to the World Urban Planning Instagram account, we can see a city’s framework in full view.
The page features stunning aerial images of Copacabana's picturesque coastlines, distinct and innovative infrastructures in Saudi Arabia, and lush greenery in a forested suburb in the Netherlands, among others.
We've put together some photos that stood out. Scroll through this list and see the world in a different light, literally.
#1 Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
A well cared tree row covers a huge area just north of Sapporo city. The urban forest surround the community, and connect two green areas together. Such urban forest contribute to a more walkable, livable and sustainable city (and has contributed to the identity of the place). Not only do they help in the removal of pollutants from air and water, but also contribute to more green and vibrant neighborhoods. Streets become more enjoyable to walk along. Urban green space enhance the quality of our daily lives and can return millions of dollars annually in health benefits.
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127points
#2 Palmanova, Udine Province, Italy
Palmanova was built in 1593 during the late Renaissance period. It is one of the many old star forts from this period. This 9 pointed star fort, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, is an attempt to follow the ideals of an utopian city. In 1960 the fort was declared to be of national treasure and became a national monument, and in 2017 it was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.
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117points
#3 Rennes, France
Rennes's history goes back more than 2,000 years. Rennes has grown incredibly since the 1950s, with its rural flight and the industrial development. During that time the city had great building plans to gain a population of 200,000 inhabitants. Today it has 700,000, and is the seventh biggest city in France. ⠀ ⠀ Here from a more rural development north of the city centre. A spiral development.⠀ ⠀
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85points
The World Urban Planning Instagram page has over 65,000 followers as of this posting. In addition to significant landmarks, it also features specific spots in each country, such as the Shanghai World Expo site, the BMW Tower in Munich, and this highway roundabout in the middle of the desert in the UAE.
#4 Brondby Garden City, Denmark
Brondby Garden City is located just a mere 15km west of Copenhagen. ⠀ Garden Cities have commonly been inspired by Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City concept; improving quality of urban life by establishing small peripheral garden cities around a central city. ⠀ ⠀
In 1964 the municipality of Brondby agreed to reserve an area for a "garden city". The architect wanted the gardens to be divided into circular shapes. He explained that the shape was to symbolise a historical village where people met at the well located in the center. By designing this way, the architect believed social interaction would increase between residents.
In 1964 the municipality of Brondby agreed to reserve an area for a "garden city". The architect wanted the gardens to be divided into circular shapes. He explained that the shape was to symbolise a historical village where people met at the well located in the center. By designing this way, the architect believed social interaction would increase between residents.
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84points
#5 Port Ariane, Lattes, France⠀
Port Ariane is a port located in Lattes. Lattes is a small commune with about 16.000 inhabitants. The city centre experience flooding once in a while so dykes and a spillway was built the past years. Fascinating circle-shaped marina area with a small park in the middle.
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73points
#6 Forte De Nossa Senhora Da Graça, Elvas, Portugal
The fort is located just north of the town Elvas bordering Spain. The town has some of the best preserved military architecture (star forts) and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. The fort, more commonly known as Forte Conde de Lippe (named after its designer Marshal Lippe), is approximately 150 metres quadrangle with pentagonal bastions in the corners. In the centre of the fort we find a decorated chapel. ⠀
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70points
#7 Carnaxide, Lisbon, Portugal
In Portugal we can see how a more modern 60-70s suburban development has been built in the vicinity of the old city of Lisbon. The aerial view shows residential apartment buildings connected into a large residential complex. Carnaxide is a former third level administrative subdivision (civil parish) in the municipality Oeiras. It dates back to the 13th century when it became the first suburban parish of Lisbon.
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63points
#8 Suloszowa, Poland
Suloszowa is a small village with almost 6,000 inhabitants, and has one of the longest streets in Poland (stretching 9 km non-stop) as shown in the image. Suloszowa is located just 29 kilometres northwest of Krakow, and is connected to famous attractions including Ojcowski National Park and Pieskowa Scala (14th century cliffside castle).
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63points
#9 Plaza De Tetuán, Barcelona, Spain
The now famous, but at that time radical, urban planner Ildefons Cerdà designed the grid pattern in Barcelona named Eixample. The design has long straight streets, wide avenues, and octagonal square blocks with rounded corners placed in a strict grid pattern. This has given better visibility, air and is the grand aerial landmark of Barcelona.⠀
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61points
With a landmass size of 720 square kilometers (roughly 278 square miles), Singapore’s city planners had to be purposeful with their land use.
Dr. Liu Thai Ker is primarily credited with Singapore’s modern architecture. One of his insights focused on long-term planning.
#10 Venice, Italy
Venice in Italy is archipelago of 117 islands formed by 177 canals in a shallow lagoon, and connected by 409 bridges. In the old centre, the canals serve the function of roads, and almost every form of transport is on water or on foot.
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60points
#11 Arc De Triomphe, Paris, France
The famous monument Arc de Triomphe is located in Paris. It honours the ones who fought and died in the Napoleonic wars and French revolution. It was designed by Jean Chalgrin, in 1806, who was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus, and in 1836 the construction finished. It was the tallest triumphal arc with a height of 50 meter, but the Momento a la Revolución (67m) in Mexico and the Arch of Triumph (60m) in North Korea exceeded its height in 1938 and 1982 respectively.
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56points
#12 Lombard Street, San Francisco, Ca, USA
Lombard Street is perhaps the most famous crooked street in the world with 2 million yearly visitors. It is a one-way block where eight sharp turns (total of 600 feet/180 meters) help reduce the steepness. It was built in 1922 to reduce the hill's natural steep 27% grade, which was far too steep for the most common cars.
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55points
“In 1971, when we were still very poor, we already laid down the MRT lines on paper,” he said in a 2017 interview. “We had no money, and we went through a lot of debates on whether we should have the MRT or not.
“In 1982 when we had the money and decided to build the MRT, the lines were already there and the land had already been acquired.”
#13 Bern, Switzerland
Bern's old city was built on a narrow hill surrounded by the river Aare on three sides. The compact layout of the city has barely changed at all since its construction between the 12th and 15th century, and has kept its medieval character. In 1983 the old town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its original medieval character. A great city where public transportation, biking and walking is a pleasure.
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54points
#14 Grammichelle, Sicily, Italy
Grammichelle was built in 1693, and was laid out with six roads circling around the central square where you find the Town Hall and Mother Church. The six roads later expanded to more roads. Today it is one of the many hexagonal baroque towns you can find in Sicily.
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53points
#15 Central Park, New York, USA
Central Park opened to the public for the first time in 1858 as a 778 acre or 3sq.km park (later on expanded to 843 acres or 3.41sq.km). The park is approx. 4 km long and 1 km in width. To walk across the entire park it would take you approximately 45 minutes. Many think Central Park is one of the largest city parks in the USA, however even San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Park is 20% bigger in size.
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53points
Urban planner Jason Satori spoke to National Geographic about studies linking city planning to obesity. In his work, he has focused more on public health.
“When we design cities in ways that require people to drive rather than walk, and when we design streets that make biking dangerous, we discourage people from engaging in physical activity."
#16 Runaway Bay, Queensland, Australia
Runaway Bay is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. In 1967, a company bought 182 hectares of land along the western shore of the Gold Coast Broadwater. Development of the area started in 1972 where they had the goal of transforming it into a residential and boating area. The name "Runaway Bay" was coined to promote the area as a tranquil retreat. As other Gold Coast suburbs, many of the homes in Runaway Bay are situated along artificial canals.
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52points
#17 The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
The Forbidden City (紫禁城) was the Chinese imperial palace, which was the home of emporers and the political centre, from 1420 to 1912. It is located in the centre of Beijing and today houses the Palace Museum. Inside, the 180 acre palace ground, we find 980 buildings with a total of 8,886 rooms. Outside, it is surrounded by huge imperial gardens. The palace exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced the cultural and architectural developments both in East Asia and globally. In 1987, the Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site and is listed by UNESCO as the world's largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures.
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49points
#18 Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA
Golden Gate Park is a huge 1,000 acre park. Back in the 1860s San Franciscans felt a need for a spacious park similar to NYC's Central Park which was at that time under construction. Golden Gate Park, established in the 1870s, is however 20 percent larger than NYC Central Park and has been stated as a masterpiece in landscape architecture.
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49points
According to the same National Geographic article, many other countries have adopted the same philosophy through bike-friendly streets. Cities like Vienna, Munich, and Denmark are closing off streets to accommodate bikers and ensure their safety.
In the United States, the city of Chicago followed suit in 2023 by installing more than 50 lanes of bike-friendly routes. The government also added concrete barriers in streets with unprotected lanes to ensure safety.
#19 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Did you know that the world's longest roundabout is located in Malaysia? The roundabout, completed in 1999, is 3.5 km long and a part of the planned city of Putrajaya. The city was established in 1995, freshly planned, and more than 35% of the total land area is reserved as open green space. ⠀ ⠀
The city is located 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur and serves as the administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to overcrowding and congestion in Kuala Lumpur. This is similar to what the government in South Korea did when they moved most governmental agencies and institutions to Sejong City. A stronger move was done in Myanmar when the capital status was moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005.
The city is located 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur and serves as the administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to overcrowding and congestion in Kuala Lumpur. This is similar to what the government in South Korea did when they moved most governmental agencies and institutions to Sejong City. A stronger move was done in Myanmar when the capital status was moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005.
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46points
#20 Vicinity Of Port Said, Egypt
Port Said is a port city located north-eastern part of Egypt. It was founded in 1859 when the Suez Canal was developed. Within this area we find a number of canals along agricultural farm developments.
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44points