Revitalizing City Centers

Rising living standards and the spread of automobile ownership in emerging economies have often resulted in the flight of the middle classes to car-oriented, and indeed car-dependent, living and working environments – vast expanses of expressways, interchanges, wide roads and parking lots, interspersed with freestanding commercial and residential buildings.

As a result, traditional city centers tend to falter and fall into a long cycle of disinvestment and decline. With them, a form of human habitat adapted to walking and bicycling, and often already equipped with a mass transit system, gradually goes to waste.

Reinforcing the traditional urban centers in emerging economies, keeping them strong and diverse, and reversing the exodus of well-off residents and higher-status economic activities to car-dependent suburbs are crucial battles in the fight for sustainable transport and development. In an era of globalization, projecting a strong, distinctive image and a higher quality of life are also increasingly recognized as a competitive advantage for cities seeking investment capital and a talented workforce.

ITDP assists city governments and civil society organizations in rejuvenating declining city centers by:

• Managing car traffic and improving access by public transportation
• Designing state-of-the-art environments for walking and cycling
• Crafting policies that turn physical and cultural aspects of historic centers into economic assets