What Is Good Urban Design?
A well-designed environment often resonates in people; their physical, social/cultural, visual, emotional, and spiritual needs seem to find satisfaction. A well-designed environment should give people using it a sense of comfort, identity and joy and must be accessible to all. Allen Jacobs and Donald Appleyard in an article written in 1987 said, “Good urban design must be for the poor as well as for the Rich”. The Albuquerque Museum/Old Town, Park Square mixed-use complex in Uptown, Albuquerque High School and Central Avenue Streetscape in Downtown, the senior citizen residential complex in Barelas, and the La Luz townhouses along North Coors Road are local examples of good urban design. They relate well to people and their activity needs, the street, and the existing environment, both built and natural.
