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by Sean Hill on Sep 11, 2025
Urbanisation is accelerating at a pace that will reshape the world. Within just a few decades, humanity will add the equivalent of multiple new global capitals to the map. The question that matters is not whether we will build, but what kind of cities we will choose to create.
The answer, we believe, is clear → compact, human-scaled, walkable places. Cities where streets are designed for people first. Cities that prioritise health, community, and sustainability over endless tarmac and sprawling highways.
Norman Foster addressing the need for walkable, compact, and sustainable cities - an idea that continues to inspire architects and urban designers worldwide.
The Myth of Indifference
Some argue that caring about the climate is optional. But walkable cities aren’t simply a “green” agenda. Even if you claim not to give a damn about the planet, the evidence speaks for itself:
☉ People prefer walkable cities. They are consistently the most visited, the most desirable, the most liveable.
☉ Compact, dense urban centres cut carbon emissions dramatically compared with car-reliant suburbs.
☉ Health outcomes improve when movement, not idling traffic, defines daily life.
As Norman Foster put it: “We encourage the walkable, compact, high-density city. We discourage sprawl and roads into the countryside, eating nature and biodiversity.”
In other words, the walkable city wins on every metric – sustainability, economics, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Reclaiming the Commons
The most transformative urban projects are rarely the tallest towers or the boldest icons. They are the ones that reclaim public space for people. When asphalt is pulled back and pedestrians are invited in, something powerful happens: a void becomes a gathering place, a junction becomes a shared living room.
These moments remind us that design is not about monuments, but about everyday belonging. Purposeful design can give a community back its own front porch.
Data, Voices, and Decision-Making
The future of our cities will not be secured by top-down dictates. It requires careful listening, data-driven clarity, and respect for the lived experience of those who inhabit these places.
Will we build spaces that reflect fashion and prejudice, or will we build with courage, informed by the facts? The answer matters – because cities designed without the voices of their citizens risk becoming lifeless experiments instead of vibrant communities.
Building for Legacy
At RISE Design Studio, we believe the measure of success is not how a space photographs on opening day, but how it serves people decades later. The compact, walkable city is not nostalgia – it is the blueprint for resilience.
Every project is an opportunity to reinforce this principle: design dense, design sustainable, design with people at the centre. The future demands no less.
☉ The walkable city is not a luxury. It is the foundation of sustainable progress.
Building for the future
At RISE, we believe that designing the walkable city isn’t just about better planning. It’s about crafting legacy - places that connect people to one another and to the planet. Spaces where sustainability is lived, not lectured. Where streets become shared ground, and every corner invites community.
Whether you’re shaping a new neighbourhood, reimagining a high street, or simply improving the way people move through space → the opportunity is the same: to build a city that belongs to everyone.
Let’s create environments that inspire walking, spark connection, and stand the test of time.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886
RISE Design Studio, Interior Designers + Sustainability Experts
☉ Architecture for people and planet
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☉ Company reg no: 08129708
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