IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

Cities of the 21st century are increasingly focused on transforming their urban landscapes for sustainability and resident well-being. This contemporary urban metamorphosis can diverge significantly from traditional cityscapes, thereby challenging public perceptions, reactions, and adaptability to innovative designs. In the context of engineering entirely new urban landscapes, it is therefore important to understand the factors that render a cityscape relevant to its inhabitants, understand how individuals engage with their environment, and anticipate the urban experience that will ultimately emerge. This study integrates urban perception into the design phase of urban development, highlighting its role in influencing social sustainability, using The Line in Saudi Arabia as a case study. Using a perception-cognition research framework and models and imagery presented at the Neom Zero Gravity Urbanism exhibition, 73 people responded on The Line’s key design elements (vertical living, urban density, walkability, high – speed rail). The results were analysed to uncover trends and provide literature-based insights into urban perception and placemaking. The findings suggest that perception exerts influence on place branding, place identity and place attachment. In the urban development context, this observation carries threefold implications: 1. People’s engagement with a place begins prior to their physical encounter with a city, thus indicating the pivotal role of perception in the design phase of urban placemaking; 2. The perception of urban fabric design possesses psychological potential in shaping the perception of urban experience; 3. Achieving an equilibrium between innovation and familiarity in urban fabric design is a prerequisite upon which individuals establish a relationship with the urban environment.