Urban Design and Quality of Life

Abstract

Architecture as a discipline is essentially integrative: connecting past, present and future, drawing on art, science and the social sciences, balancing qualitative with quantitative factors. Good architecture and urban design contribute to making cities both functional and attractive to residents and visitors. While architecture is about the design of buildings, urban design is about the relationships between the buildings, the roads and spaces that they front, and the people who make use of them. The outstanding building projects are those that are not only visually stimulating, but are also sensitive and respectful of their surrounding developments and environment. A well-designed city takes into consideration this important relationship between buildings and the beauty of the city as a whole. Socialization is the process that prepares humans to function in social life. It should be re-iterated here that socialization is culturally relative - people in different cultures are socialized differently. The process of socializing or sociability in a city means acquiring the model of style life of that city. The process of socializing includes every daily activities of citizens' life. People have mutual relationship in this place and actualize it through presenting the municipal cultural and social activities and resolving the needs of each other. The municipal cultural and social realm has to develop the way of acquiring the necessary life skills gradually among the citizens. These patterns can be taught through an effective and mutual relationship, this education should be presented to acquire the necessary abilities considering the cultural values and norms of a society continually and constantly.