Urban design shapes city spaces at the intermediate scale between architecture and urban planning: streets, plazas, neighborhoods, and the vibrant ways people actually live in them.
The discipline was partly born in reaction to 20th-century functionalist urban planning, which designed cities from above, focusing on zones and flows. In 1961, Jane Jacobs (The Death and Life of Great American Cities) beautifully flipped this perspective: a thriving city cannot be planned like a machine; it emerges from everyday uses, bustling sidewalks, diversity, and "eyes on the street." Later, Jan Gehl (Cities for People) rightfully put the pedestrian, the body, and the human scale back at the center.
The foundational creative tension lies here: between the clean, orderly overview of a master plan and the messy, delightfully unpredictable life lived on the ground. A neighborhood that looks flawless on a scale model can feel lifeless once built, while a seemingly "cluttered" space can overflow with energy. Exceptional urban design shines when it designs for genuine human interaction rather than aerial aesthetics, leaving generous room for adaptation, the unexpected, and whatever unique stories the community will create.
Yet, the risk of superficial "placemaking" remains real: pretty street furniture or a highly photogenic terrace that fails to foster true diversity of use or address accessibility. Activating a square is only the beginning—true differentiation lies in understanding who actually feels welcome there.
Our approach is deeply systemic and anchored in real-world usage: we believe the city is a vibrant ecosystem of stakeholders and daily habits long before it is a blueprint. Designing urban spaces means observing how a place is truly experienced, then creating the sparks for a authentic community life that doesn't need a script to flourish.
What's happening elsewhere: environmental design, systemic design, habitability, ecosystem design, and co-design.
References: J. Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961); J. Gehl, Cities for People.
Rémi
Gréau
Director of Design
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