When traditional urban wisdom meets modern cities

Traditional Chinese urban planning offers valuable lessons for contemporary cities, particularly in creating people-centered spaces, a Spanish architecture professor said.

Reflecting on his first visit to Beijing in 2012, José M. Almodóvar of the University of Seville noted that despite the large scale of Chinese cities, many urban spaces can still be experienced at a pedestrian scale, allowing residents to carry out daily activities on foot.

He also highlighted traditional Chinese cities’ courtyards, green spaces and thoughtful orientation, as well as their division into coordinated districts that could function like small villages within a larger city.

As cities become increasingly interconnected, he said globalization should not mean uniformity. Rather, different cultures can learn from one another while adapting ideas to their own conditions.