Urban Form and Human Behavior in Context of Livable Cities and their Public Realms 

Abstract

overall sustainability for cities. Yet as we also learn from the authors herein, these goals can only be achieved if we understand, and assure, the fully open, porous and dynamic nature of public spaces-which is, in fact, the very essence of their publicness.

Unpacking the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods: disentangling “desired outcomes” from the “means” available for achieving them

“…Gehl noted (2010) that great effort has been expended on researching the connection between physical (spatial) form and human behaviour and the influence this has how cities, towns and neighbourhoods operate and function. Places, Tigran et al (2020) maintained, always affect human activities by providing resources and setting limits and by engendering psychological impacts that provoke relevant feelings and furnish a base for cognitive elaboration. 48,4 This relationship between physical form and human behaviour is, according to Tarbatt and Tarbatt, 2020, p. xxx), intertwinedas well as being shaped by a complex web of other economic, political, cultural, ethnic and other factors.…”

“…Oldenburg (1999Oldenburg ( , 2001 described such third places as social condensers, arguing that a well-functioning public realm with a richness of third places can build social capital by re-enforcing and melding social relations. According to Tigran et al (2020), this provides the gathering places which are of great importance for nourishing sociability and the vibrancy of a neighbourhood. Both Oldenburg (1999) and Tigran et al (2020) have described "successful communities" as requiring such gathering places, seen as essential to build social capital through informal contacts, provide respite from home and work and nurture social interactions.…”

“…According to Tigran et al (2020), this provides the gathering places which are of great importance for nourishing sociability and the vibrancy of a neighbourhood. Both Oldenburg (1999) and Tigran et al (2020) have described "successful communities" as requiring such gathering places, seen as essential to build social capital through informal contacts, provide respite from home and work and nurture social interactions. Oldenburg (1999) particularly stressed walkable streets as the physical basis for "community".…”

“…People quickly adapt their travel behaviour to suit the context of the street layouts and infrastructure that they encounter. Extreme versions of this position have been stated by Alexander (1987Alexander ( , 2002 and by Tigran et al (2020) who contended that, if urban or physical form does indeed influence or change social behaviour, then if a particular form does not afford a desirable behaviour, then that behaviour cannot take place.…”

Transitions for People: Locating Inequality in Sustainable Urban Mobility Transitions

“…In an urban planning context, Jan Gehl's Life Between Buildings was very influential amongst urban planners. Gehl (2011) also adopts a behavioral approach in his analysis, but he also focuses on the built environment and its influence on behavior (Tigran, Littke and Elahe, 2020).…”