University–Real Estate Industry Cooperation in Open Innovation in the Topic of Walkability ( breakout presentation )

Abstract

Background It is known that high quality of public spaces and walkable environments are a key to sustainable urban development. They can connect people and communities, have environmental impact and boost local businesses. A broad research on what influences walkability and makes good public spaces already exists. However, un-walkable and unattractive new city quarters are still being built all over the world. One of the important stakeholders in the process of designing cities are real estate industries. They do consider sustainability but predominantly only on economic and environmental level, e.g. through implementing energy efficient building technologies. The comprehensive idea of empowering walkability and enhancing strong communities in new developments does not seem yet present among these. The reason for that is quite obvious – high walkability and good quality of urban spaces does not bring an immediate and evident monetary profit. Aim On one side, research institutes have gathered broad knowledge about evidence-based findings on public spaces, on the other side, industries often do not have a motivation to adequately include issues like creating walkable neighborhoods. It is suggested here that walkability could be an interface for those two sectors to collaborate in an open innovation. With this approach, they can together develop tools and methodologies that are based on principles of walkability, at the same creating possibilities for economic profit for companies and decision makers. Method Currently on the basis of innovative and transdisciplinary walkability research such a tool is in the development phase at Drees & Sommer. It will be embedded into the approach Blue City – Integrated Urban Solutions. The background of the tool are criteria for good public spaces of Gehl, but also based on a wide range of research studies dealing with the social, spatial and urban criteria of walkability. The tool is still in its initial stage but already shows potential to join academic knowledge on walkability and real estate industry. This will result in a new application-oriented tool which can be well justified by research and when consequently applied will result in better and more walkable neighborhoods. This will pay off for all participants of this rare collaboration.