Cover Image of the Principles of Good Urban Design, through the lens and snippet of all the principles acting together, forming a greater and stronger New York City. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​

Principle 1: Enhance People’s Daily Lives – Everyone should feel safe and comfortable moving around NYC and enjoying its many open spaces. Good design supports people by facilitating a more inclusive and enjoyable experience of everyday life in the city, fostering a sense of pride and belonging. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​

Principle 2: Care for a Neighborhood’s History, Culture, and Identity – People make our neighborhoods; the buildings, parks, and streets are their backdrop. Good design respects the histories, identities, and cultures that have shaped and continue to shape the city’s many diverse neighborhoods. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​

Principle 3: Embrace the City’s Dynamism – New York City is an unparalleled, dynamic, and vibrant world capital. Good urban design creates a welcoming environment that embraces the entrepreneurial spirit and rhythm that defines NYC. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​

Principle 4: Confront Society’s Greatest Challenges – New York City must secure its future against many challenges, from the climate crisis to social inequity. We must make design choices that help us build a safer, stronger, fairer, more resilient city for generations to come. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​

A thriving city invests in its people and the positive experiences it can bring to them. Good urban design makes people feel safe, comfortable, and engaged as they move around. NYC needs good urban design not only to enhance our quality of life, but also to address the present and future challenges. Common physical features of city block that are informed by urban design. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​

Each neighborhood has a different demographic, a unique set of challenges, distinct community needs, and varied opinions about potential change. We all have different opinions about the future of our neighborhoods, and it is valuable to hear all perspectives when talking about urban design. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​

The set of values and goals that inform how we approach the design of NYC looks, feels to live, work, come together, and move around. They describe how design can influence one’s daily experience of the city by making it more enjoyable and comfortable; how design can support quality of life, well-being, and health; and how design can help foster a sense of belonging and civic pride. Image credit: NYC Department of City Planning​