Breaking up blocks by adding in public squares, pedestrian alleys, cycle paths and biodiversity corridors creates better access within previously dense sections of the city, while less traffic helps improve air quality.

In the U.K., the £500 million ($634 million) Birmingham Smithfield redevelopment will create public spaces and commercial developments, plus 2,000 new homes, all linked by new green streets that give priority to pedestrians and cyclists. To do this, it will have to progressively implement a new street grid over what was once the site of a large wholesale market with no connections from one side to another. This will also enable the site to be developed in four phases, providing additional financial and logistical flexibility.

“Promoting active commutes improves wellbeing, while local businesses benefit from increased footfall,” says Walid Goudiard, JLL’s Head of Project and Development Services for EMEA Work Dynamics. “Having greener, more attractive outdoor spaces also creates opportunities for enhanced street level interaction, such as open-air dining.”

West Side Place in Melbourne has used this strategy to great effect, demolishing a brutalist former newspaper headquarters spanning an entire city block. The new precinct features four towers home to two landmark hotels, a business center and almost 3,000 apartments. Recreation and leisure spaces include parkland and gardens, all connected by new central shopping “laneway.”