News

Urban design is key to shaping the way we use our 'shared public space' - the current theme of this year's European Mobility Week campaign. As we celebrate and promote awareness this week around the importance of greener, safer and more inclusive streets and public spaces, the research team from REALLOCATE's coordinating partner, University College Dublin (UCD), is providing some insights into how it has been meticulously analysing the functional diversity and street vitality of the urban spaces of two vibrant cities: Barcelona (Spain) and Budapest (Hungary).

The maps here illustrate the density of unique functions across these cities. By leveraging Points of Interest (POI) data from OpenStreetMap (OSM), the team has been able to rank streets based on their functional diversity. This means that the redder the streets, the higher the concentration of diverse functions such as shops, restaurants, cultural sites, and more.

In Barcelona, you can see the Gothic Quarter and quarters of Gracia lighting up, highlighting its rich mix of amenities and services. Similarly, in Budapest, the areas along the Danube River show significant functional diversity, underscoring the vitality of these neighbourhoods.

Why does this matter? Accorrding to Anastasiia Galaktionova and Dr. Aura-Luciana Istrate, UCD, understanding the functional diversity of urban areas is crucial for city planners, policymakers, and communities. It informs decisions about resource allocation, helps identify areas in need of development, and enhances our overall understanding of what makes cities thrive, i.e., urban vitality. Ultimately, this research contributes to creating more liveable, equitable, and sustainable urban environments so that all can enjoy our shared public space in towns and cities across Europe.