The New Urbanist Principle of Quality of Life for Urban Regeneration

Quality of life (QOL) is a crucial but complex concept, determined by the insights of multiple disciplines. This paper applies the holistic approach to planning known as New Urbanism (NU) to the analysis of QOL, and argues that this movement should no longer be thought of simply as dedicated to halting urban sprawl, but also as providing guiding principles for the process of urban regeneration within the city. The study therefore aims to verify the relationship between NU principles and QOL, from the perspective of urban regeneration. A comparative study is made of two strategic zones in Roubaix (France) and Lodz (Poland). These serve as physical models in which spatial elements crucial for NU are analyzed. Ways of improving QOL through the application of NU guidelines for urban regeneration are also elaborated. The conclusions have possible practical applications, especially in the case of the site in Poland, Green Polesie, where urban regulations are still being elaborated and the whole process of urban regeneration is only just underway.