Last year, our family moved to Granada in Spain. As an urban planner, for me, moving was not just a personal decision but also a professional experiment. Fulfilling a long-held dream to immerse ourselves in Spanish culture before my children started secondary school, the move has yielded surprising insights. Less than a year into our adventure, I\u2019ve been astonished by how quickly my kids have mastered Spanish \u2013 they’re already correcting my pronunciation! Equally surprising has been the swift integration my wife and I have experienced. Welcomed with warm smiles at local gatherings, we have woven into the fabric of our new community faster than we did in a decade back in north-west London.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t quite grasp why living in Granada has proved so different from living in London until a discussion about placemaking with a client unexpectedly provided clarity. It felt almost like therapy, sharing how the frequent interactions with residents swiftly fostered relationships. As I spoke, it dawned on me: the street layouts were the catalyst for these relationships, creating the strong sense of community and belonging I felt in only a few months.<\/p>\n
We live in the historic old town of Granada, a place first settled in the 11th century during the Zirid dynasty and later fully shaped by the Nasrids between the 13th and 15th centuries. As the last Muslim kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, Granada\u2019s rich heritage is vividly alive in El Albayz\u00edn. From the Moorish street layout to the music and food, every aspect of this district reflects its history.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no wonder the locals affectionately call the area \u2018El Pueblo\u2019\u2014The Village. The Moorish architects who designed El Albayz\u00edn seven centuries ago truly understood the power of streetscaping and placemaking, creating an historic quarter which is a maze of winding, hilly streets connecting a network of plazas. Each plaza is a hub, surrounded by essential amenities like coffee shops, bakeries, hardware stores, supermarkets and pharmacies, linked by alleys that hide secret entrances to Carmens (typical housing typology for Granada). It\u2019s a layout that provides everything a thriving community needs.<\/p>\n
As I sat in a meeting discussing 15-minute cities \u2013 a concept famously hijacked by conspiracy theorists during the Covid-19 lockdowns \u2013 I stressed the significance of \u2018touchpoints\u2019 \u2013 places where residents naturally gather and interact. The 15-minute city, a concept whereby every urban resident can meet their basic needs within a 15-minute walk from home, offers convenience but lacks in fostering spontaneous social interactions. In my daily routine of taking my daughters to school and running errands, all within a 15-minute walk, I repeatedly encounter the same neighbours at familiar spots such as the school, coffee shop, bakery and local market. These frequent, repeated interactions foster a sense of familiarity and warmth that\u2019s often missing in more dispersed, linear urban layouts.<\/p>\n
The idea that historical insights can guide modern urban development isn\u2019t new by any stretch of the imagination. The Stirling Prize-nominated King\u2019s Cross masterplan is by Porphyrios Associates as well as Allies and Morrison, and Related Argent used lectures by Demetri Porphyrios on planning settlements from Roman times and onwards as inspiration when drawing it up. However, there is nothing like a current personal experience to force an idea home.<\/p>\n
While the 15-minute city model is beneficial, it often applies a linear approach that doesn’t cultivate frequent social interactions as effectively as a circular, nucleus-like arrangement would. My concern is that the rigid adherence to the 15-minute guideline might lead planners and architects to overlook the importance of these social nuclei. Instead of linear routes, we should prioritise creating spaces that facilitate repeated, organic interactions. It\u2019s these repeated encounters that help weave the social fabric of a community, and that\u2019s the true foundation of placemaking.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s about shaping environments that encourage genuine, spontaneous connections<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
During a recent planning meeting, a proposal to arrange benches in a circle was put forward to foster interaction. This idea, while well-intentioned, highlights the need to delve deeper than mere spatial arrangements. It\u2019s not just about placing furniture; it\u2019s about shaping environments that encourage genuine, spontaneous connections among people.<\/p>\n
Nothing I have said here is revolutionary; on the contrary, it\u2019s architecture 101, but maybe that\u2019s the point. We need to remember the basics, the reason we want to create spaces and focus on the \u2018Why\u2019 before we focus on the \u2018How\u2019. It\u2019s important that urban planners and city officials look beyond the rules and metrics; let\u2019s initiate projects that revive the heart of community interaction, drawing inspiration from historical models like Granada\u2019s El Albayz\u00edn. Let\u2019s prioritise creating urban spaces that do more than just function \u2013 they should inspire and connect communities, making every city feel like home.<\/p>\n
Kunle Barker is a property expert, journalist and broadcaster<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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