Author(s)

A. van Nes

Abstract

How can urban sustainability be described scientifically? Or can it be described at all? So far, it is problematic due to the lack of well-defined concepts. This lack is one of the problems many authors face when making proposals on how sustainable development in cities can be understood and achieved. The compact city model is proposed in order to encourage sustainable ways of living. It will conclude that urban compactness can best be approached from a configurable point of view, due to the fact that compactness is a topological term. The answers might result in an understanding of the manner in which the configuration of an urban grid generates movement and visibility, and of how it influences a balanced dispersal of economic and social activities. Keywords: urban sustainability, compact cities, street grid, spatial configuration, loc

Keywords