sa_partners
Designing Resilient and Green Cities of the Future

When sa_partners unveiled its book, “12 Steps to a City of People,” last year, it sparked a wave of innovative ideas for reimagining urban planning. Questions like ‘What makes a city liveable?’ or ‘How do we make cities more resilient?’ made readers think hard about the big picture as holistically as sa_partners does.

The publication didn’t just stir curiosity amongst cohorts; it was acclaimed by numerous global organisations. It was honoured with the Gerd Albers Best Book of 2023 award by the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).

This begs the question, how is sa_partners making its vision of a healthy and vibrant city of the future a reality?

“Human-centric and green development,” states Founding Partner Dunja Kovari-Binggeli.

Two important pillars underpin this vision; the super-engagement of its multidisciplinary expert team and an in-house R&D unit, Spacelab. Together, they create cities that are context-specific, adaptable and flexible, yet robust.

Here’s a closer look at its design philosophy.

First is the team’s take on context-specific strategies, which is refreshingly different because it bridges architecture with urban design and planning. By leveraging the leadership team’s strong background in urban planning, which encompasses social, economic and cultural aspects, combined with architectural elements like typology and morphology, sa_partners is able to plan and actually build cities at a more granular level and include integrated solutions.

Applied research is the second part of sa_partners’ DNA, helping it offer adaptable solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s living environments. Its Spacelab team anticipates changes and understands how trends impact urban development. Blending these insights, sa_partners ensures cities not only stand the test of time but grow sustainably.

Macro Urban Designs with Micro Community Planning

From climate-adaptive strategies for entire cities to the nuanced architectural details of liveable neighbourhoods, a comprehensive approach ensures no aspect is overlooked.

Take, for example, sa_partners’ implemented 15-Minute City concept—a city where all essential services, goods and public spaces are within a short walk from home. Unlike traditional monocentric designs, this framework decentralises urban living, promoting inclusive neighbourhoods while fostering small-scale businesses.

Another impressive concept is the Fitness City, where urban streets and spaces are transformed into vibrant fitness hubs. From stylish bike lanes and walking trails to illuminated basketball courts, Fitness City reinterprets the urban environment by turning it into a creative community experience in the spirit of exercise culture with the goal of promoting sustainable mobility as a lifestyle concept.

These interesting concepts form just one layer of planning. With inclusivity shining through its DiverCity concept, sa_partners expands a city planner’s perspective to acknowledge the varying lifestyles of today’s society. Whether catering to a young or ageing population, digital nomads or someone who prefers a close-to-nature rural life, inclusivity is at the heart of its development process.

Adding a layer of digital transformation, or Digital Boost, sa_partners facilitates urban planning beyond traditional limits. Smart solutions always enable new ways to reclaim city spaces. By incorporating cutting-edge technology, it continuously upgrades city plans to pave the way for future innovations.

From the Superblocks of Barcelona to the Blue-Green Cities of Central Eurasia

When it comes to success stories, sa_partners’ projects are nothing short of spectacular.

In many scenarios around the world, its concept of Superblocks is setting a precedent for urban planning. Using the same infrastructure differently throughout the day maximises existing resources, enhances the quality of life and creates a more vibrant neighbourhood. For context, look at the streets of Barcelona. One of the innovative aspects of Barcelona’s superblocks is their flexibility in repurposing streets based on time and need. During peak hours, the streets are used by vehicles and essential services. In the evening, the same streets are converted into pedestrian zones, open-air markets or community hotspots.

sa_partners’ design concepts redefine climate adaptation and biodiversity as well with its Blue-Green infrastructure outlook, unlocking new doors for a net-zero strategy. In Central Eurasia, this concept helped the firm win several international pitches for city reconstruction. Instead of a top-down approach, where green spaces are an afterthought, the team integrated the built environment into the existing green infrastructure from the outset. This innovative strategy focused more on nature-based solutions like green parks and other natural elements, creating a new discourse for sustainable urban planning.

“We are always looking at ways to build back better,” says Kovari-Binggeli. “I was at COP28 in Dubai last year, presenting our projects with a focus on urban revival and green recovery after a crisis. The way we leverage our knowledge for green and blue transformation and integrate urban reconstruction with climate adaptation and green recovery is quite distinct, and we specialise in it.”

All this highlights how forward-looking sa_partners’ is. Its pioneering efforts in reconceptualising city planning are not just shaping the future of urban living but setting a global standard, inspiring cities from the Global North to the Global South to embrace and implement sa_partners’ take on creating liveable, resilient and sustainable urban cities.