[Deutschlandfunk] What do you consider to be part of a liveable city?

Demography, climate change, digitalisation, Corona - these are just some of the challenges we are currently facing. They also determine how we will live and work in the future, how our cities and villages - and thus our coexistence - will develop. This poses problems, but also opportunities to actively shape this change. What should the places we like to live in look like? What needs to change - and how?

Not only affordable, but also sustainable

"A liveable city offers quality public spaces that are accessible to everyone," says Prof. Christa Reicher, head of the Institute for Urban Design and European Urban Studies at RWTH Aachen University. "It offers a good balance between built space and open spaces and as many uses as possible: Living, working, education and culture."
Many city centres are still focused on shopping and car traffic - a discontinued model. The architect also sees a need for discussion on the topic of housing, for example when it comes to new neighbourhoods:

"What I find bad is that the social issue is played off against the ecological issue. It's only about the number of flats, not the quality. But you can only build once for the next 40 to 50 years. And it has to be of high quality. We have to provide housing that is affordable, but it is also about keeping space free, about meeting spaces, about sustainability."