By 2030, a projected 28% of people around the world will live in cities of more than one million inhabitants, up from 23% in 2018. Globally, the number of megacities (with more than 10 million inhabitants), is projected to rise from 33 in 2018 to 43 in 2030. This trend is also being seen in the UK, where urban population growth is outstripping rural growth.

However, the speed of this urbanization brings challenges, including demand on housing, transport and services – particularly for the one billion urban poor. These challenges are further compounded by rising global temperatures and the associated sea level rise, extreme weather and spread of disease.

Yet cities such as Vienna, Melbourne and Vancouver, which regularly score highly on global quality of life indices, paint an altogether brighter picture of urban living. They offer a wealth of educational, employment and cultural opportunities along with safety and security, public transportation, access to healthcare, and a thriving natural environment.

As more of us live in cities, what can be done to improve the urban quality of life and how can standards play a role?

Urbanization and the quality-of-life challenge

Numerous factors contribute to the quality of life that a city offers. In terms of health and quality of life, the World Health Organization says that urbanization can present a ‘triple threat’:

• Noncommunicable diseases are made worse by unhealthy living and working conditions, inadequate green space, urban heat islands, lack of safe space to exercise, etc.

• Injuries (including road traffic injuries and interpersonal violence) often related to poor working conditions and a lack of safe transport and infrastructure.

• Infectious diseases like COVID-19 and tuberculosis thrive in poor and overcrowded environments (one European study found that COVID patients exposed to air pollution spent four days longer in hospital and suffered the same health impact as if they had been a decade older).

Environmental issues are also key to people’s wellbeing, health, and security. The UK is not immune to these threats. In the five years to 2021, over 570,000 new homes were built in areas not resilient to future high temperatures. And, just 35% of households with annual incomes below £10,000 are within a 10-minute walk of a publicly accessible natural green space.

 These challenges are just the tip of the iceberg. The EIU’s Global Liveability Index reviews stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure factors to determine its worldwide rankings for cities. The 2023 report reveals that although worldwide scores for liveability are generally improving, scores for stability are slipping backwards. This fall comes largely because of civil unrest, cost of living, and crime. A particularly notable shift is Western European cities slipping down the rankings at the expense of cities in Asia-Pacific.

What’s being done to address the problem?

Urban quality is a growing priority for the WHO, which is aiming to address the issue through a wide focus on everything from better air quality, water and sanitation, to healthy food systems and diets. The UN is also taking the issue seriously, with ‘Sustainable cities and communities’ featuring prominently in its Sustainable Development Goals.

In the UK, the government’s Levelling Up agenda sets out plans to regenerate 20 towns and cities, improve transport, cut crime, and raise living standards. And the Environment Agency’s ‘The state of the environment: the urban environment’ report explores ways of strengthening our urban areas’ climate resilience, as well as boosting residents’ health and wellbeing.

However, in terms of practical solutions, there doesn’t seem to yet be consensus. One radical idea gaining increasing traction is the concept of the ‘15 minute city’, where most essential daily services (work, shopping, education, healthcare, etc.) should be within a 15-minute walk or cycle from any point in the city.

Other ideas include:

• Circular economy models based on a healthy use of resources, including sharing, reusing and restoration.

• Smart and sustainable buildings and infrastructure that use data to optimize energy consumption and resource usage.

• City operations run through AI and automation.

• Green planning of public spaces, designed with people and society at their heart. 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving urban challenges, so we are likely to see a combination of approaches. Standards can provide relevant stakeholders with the tools to drive through reforms.

How standards can play a role

Liveability goes hand-in-hand with resilience. Building a resilient city involves tackling stress factors such as climate change, wealth inequality, resource scarcity, housing shortages and congestion – all of which also undermine people’s quality of life.

BSI has consulted more than 200 senior city stakeholders to produce an authoritative and practical guide to city resilience BS 67000:2019 City resilience – Guide. It’s intended for use by all stakeholders from the private, public or third sectors, and can be applied across communities, governance, the environment, and infrastructure.

Sustainability is also a key principle of quality of life. Through careful planning and building in harmony with the environment, urban areas become not only more environmentally friendly, but also more pleasant places to live. A range of standards contribute to improving sustainability and urban quality of life:

• BS ISO 37106:2021 Sustainable cities and communities — Guidance on establishing smart city operating models for sustainable communities

• BS ISO 37123:2019 Sustainable cities and communities. Indicators for resilient cities

• PD CEN/TS 14383-2:2022 Crime prevention through building design, urban planning and city maintenance - Principles and process

• BS 8680:2020 Water quality. Water safety plans. Code of practice

Together, these standards can help guide urban planners and others in designing, implementing and running the liveable cities of today and tomorrow.

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