The need for implementing innovative urban design

Every city has a different feel; however, many of them suffer from certain problems - the lack of an efficient public transportation system and a lack of proper housing. Infrastructure development has not kept up pace with population growth in cities. Cities in developing countries lack an efficient transportation system, while commuters to cities in North America are reliant on private transportation to commute to work. In most cities, rent can be so high that the poor are not able to afford a decent living space. All these create a number of negative externalities, like air pollution, traffic gridlock, and time wasted commuting to and from work.

Many solutions have been proposed and applied to cities to fix the urban transportation problems. Some are: paying tolls to use faster lanes, or tolls to enter the city center, or constructing metrorail/subway system in a city. There are some instances where cities were successful in overcoming the problems of a traffic gridlock. The city of Medellin in Columbia is a perfect example where a city created a network of sustainable public transportation network. The city government created an integrated transportation system that is a mixture of rapid bus transportation, cable cars, escalators and metro rail. A city surrounded by waterways can also add water buses transporting people and can integrate it in the public transportation system. 

Cities are also in short supply of land. Land in cities cannot be misused, and if there is abandoned property or infrastructure in a city district, creative methods can be used to make it a public space. The High Line in New York City shows how an abandoned rail line can be transformed into a public space. Through public-private partnerships, abandoned spaces in cities can be transformed into different kinds of useful areas with parks, housing and offices. Many downtown areas in US which used to have a lot of abandoned factories or warehouses are being re-developed to mixed-use areas with offices, apartments, restaurants and entertainment areas. The American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham, NC is a great example where an abandoned factory has been transformed into an innovative urban space. 

Each city has a different set of problems and opportunities, so different solutions are needed to solve the problems using the opportunities available. One set of urban design cannot be applied to all cities. Instead of encroaching new lands for expansion and development, cities should focus on applying innovative ideas to create sustainable cities using their existing design and opportunities available.