Superblock: The modern urban traffic concept of sustainable city development

Abstract

According to current forecasts, it is predicted that by 2050, about 70% of the population will live in urban areas. It is certain that this trend will also bring changes in traffic and transport systems and their environment. In most modern cities in the world, public space is designed to enable efficient movement, primarily of motor vehicles. This traditional design approach has the effect of reducing the available urban space for sustainable transport options and has a negative impact on the environment and the health of residents. With the expansion of cities and increasing urbanization, experts agree that it is necessary to focus on modern design principles and human design, in order to improve the quality of life and preserve the environment. One of the examples of human, green engineering that has found its application in various cities such as: Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen, New York, etc., is the concept of "superblocks". The key principle of this concept is the redefining of organization and priorities in the traffic-urban solution of certain units - blocks, with the aim of prioritizing active mobility and non-motorized traffic, as well as social interaction within these areas. Accordingly, this paper presents the idea of superblocks, their characteristics and design principles. In the first part of the paper, a short analysis of the superblock as a concept, and as a potential solution for treating contemporary problems of the urban environment, was performed, while in the second part were given general guidelines for designing and their implementation in cities. The last part of this paper presents the practical application and analysis of the considered concept through the redesign of an urban unit - a block in Belgrade.