Urban Design by Walking Around: Creating Cities That Work for People

What is 'urban design by walking around'?

Urban design by “walking around” is exactly what it sounds like — understanding and shaping cities by experiencing them on foot. It’s about seeing the world at street level, noticing how people move, how spaces feel, and how design influences daily life.

Rather than relying only on maps, models, or data, this approach encourages designers and planners to go outside, walk the streets, and look closely. How safe does it feel to cross that road? Is there shade on a hot day? Are there places where people naturally stop, talk, and spend time?

These small, everyday details tell us a lot about how successful a place really is.

Cities designed through walking around tend to put people first. They’re more human, more welcoming, and simply nicer to be in.

What Makes a City Walkable

At its heart, walkable design is about making walking the easiest, safest, and most pleasant way to get around. There are a few simple ingredients that help achieve that.

Connectivity. A walkable city has streets and pathways that connect easily, with plenty of options for getting from one place to another. Short blocks, safe crossings, and little cut-throughs or alleys make it easier — and often more enjoyable — to explore. When routes are well connected, people naturally walk more.

Mixed uses. When homes, shops, workplaces, cafés, and parks are close together, everything people need day-to-day is within reach. A quick walk to the shop or the bus stop becomes part of normal life, not an inconvenience. These kinds of mixed neighbourhoods feel alive at different times of day, because people use them for different reasons.

A human scale. Good design works best when it feels comfortable for someone on foot. Buildings that meet the street with windows, doors, and activity feel welcoming. Wide pavements, trees, and benches make walking feel pleasant and natural. A place should never make a person feel small or out of place — it should invite them in.

Safety and comfort. People walk when they feel safe. That means good lighting, clear visibility, and streets that protect walkers from fast-moving traffic. Greenery, shade, and places to rest all help too. Simple details like well-marked crossings and slower traffic speeds can completely change how people experience a space.

Destinations within reach. The best urban design makes sure that schools, shops, transport, and parks are all within walking distance. When the essentials are nearby, walking becomes the easiest option rather than the last resort.

Eye-level interest. When there’s something to look at — shop windows, art, planting, or café life spilling out onto the pavement — walking becomes more enjoyable. People slow down, notice their surroundings, and feel more connected to the place they’re in.

Why Walkable Design Matters

Making cities more walkable changes everything. For a start, it makes people healthier. When walking is built into daily life, people naturally move more, which helps reduce health problems linked to inactivity.

It also supports local businesses. A person walking down a high street is far more likely to stop, look in a window, and spend money than someone driving past. More foot traffic means more life and more trade.

Then there’s the social side. Walkable places bring people together. They make it easy to bump into friends, talk to neighbours, and feel part of a community. Public spaces fill with conversation, laughter, and activity — the signs of a place that’s thriving.

And, perhaps most importantly, designing for walking uses land more efficiently. Instead of spreading out endlessly in car-dependent suburbs, walkable neighbourhoods bring life and activity closer together, saving space and reducing pollution.

Seeing Cities with Fresh Eyes

The idea of “walking around” as a design method is as simple as it is powerful. By walking through a neighbourhood, you see how people actually use it — where they cross the road, where they sit, what they avoid, and what they enjoy.

There are a few things worth paying special attention to:

• Pavements and crossings: Are they continuous, safe, and easy to use for everyone, including people with prams or mobility aids?

• Street activity: Are the buildings lively at street level? Are people sitting outside cafés or walking dogs in the park, or is the street empty and uninviting?

• Safety: Does the area feel comfortable in the evening as well as during the day? Are there enough lights and clear lines of sight?

• Comfort: Are there trees, plants, and shade? Is there somewhere to sit or rest?

Taking photos, making sketches, or just jotting down quick notes can help capture what works well — and what doesn’t.

Turning Observation into Action

Walking around isn’t just about noticing; it’s about learning. The insights gathered from real-world observation can directly shape better design decisions.

You might notice a busy street that could use wider pavements, or a junction where people struggle to cross safely. You might see a quiet area that would come alive with a café terrace, some planting, or a piece of public art.

From there, you can start suggesting small but meaningful changes:

• Add more trees or benches to create comfort and shade.

• Design safer crossings and slower traffic speeds.

• Encourage “active” ground floors with shopfronts and cafés.

• Improve lighting to make streets feel safer at night.

Sharing these ideas with councils, designers, or local community groups can make a big difference. Real stories and observations often inspire stronger support for change than data alone.

Ideas That Inspire This Way of Thinking

Many leading urban thinkers have championed people-first design.

Architect and urbanist Jan Gehl famously argued that public life should shape public space — not the other way around. He encouraged designers to start with how people actually live and move, and then design the city to support those activities.

Urban planner Kevin Lynch introduced the idea that people understand cities through five key elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. Observing these while walking around helps reveal how people navigate and feel about a place.

And many planners use the “five Ds” to measure walkability: density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, and distance to public transport. Together, these make up the invisible framework that determines whether walking feels easy or difficult in any neighbourhood.

Designing Cities from the Ground Up

Urban design by walking around is a reminder that cities are for people first. When designers step out of the office and onto the street, they see things that can’t be captured in a drawing or spreadsheet — the smells, sounds, interactions, and emotions that make a place come alive.

The lesson is simple: good design starts at ground level. If a city feels right when you walk through it — if it’s safe, interesting, connected, and full of life — then it’s doing its job.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

• Design with people, not cars, in mind.

• Make walking safe, comfortable, and rewarding.

• Keep destinations close and streets connected.

• Pay attention to how spaces feel, not just how they look.

• Observe, listen, and keep improving.

Cities that embrace walking become healthier, happier, and more sustainable — and their communities grow stronger as a result.

If you’d like to explore more ideas about urban design and creating better cities for people, you can find other articles at www.GeorgeJamesConsulting.com