12th November, 2024 - 16:30
Stadscampus Mutsaard, s.C.1.03​
Ambtmanstraat 1, 2nd floor

Could the daunting problems of the contemporary city – the challenges of sustainability, equity, affordability, and inclusion – be addressed through the ancient concept of human-scale city design? How do the organizing principles of human-scale cities relate to comparable planning movements such as smart growth, compact development, and New Urbanism? 

This lecture seeks to define what it would mean to organize present-day cities in accordance with the principles of human-scale design. Louis also put forward a series of active hypotheses about the purported benefits of human-scale design that are meant to be discussed and challenged.

Specifically, it hypothesizes that organizing urban policies around the principle of human-scale design would align planners better with the public, garner more public support for planning initiatives, and reduce opposition to new development in urban areas.

The contrasting cases of American versus European-style cities form a fruitful comparison for this presentation and discussion, as does the relevance of the concept of human-scale planning to emerging global megacities.

About Louis Merlin

Louis A. Merlin, Ph.D., AICP, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Florida Atlantic University and the program coordinator for the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. Dr. Merlin draws upon a strong background in Mathematics and Operations Research and experience as a professional urban planner.
Dr. Merlin’s current research concerns how to better integrate transportation and land use planning through the development of accessibility-based performance measures and tools, as well as improved methods for analyzing pedestrian travel patterns and travel needs.