Historic Central European Cities and Towns: Beauty + Superior Environmental Performance

As towns and cities grow, the pattern chosen for new urban development has a large impact on environmental footprint.

Over the past few years living in Central Europe, I’ve been fortunate to explore the historic cities and towns here in Hungary a good bit with my family. We’ve discovered that there are a number of really spectacular gems of urbanism and architecture worth study. 

Pécs, Hungary

Szeged, Hungary

Eger, Hungary

These places offer valuable lessons on how to build cities and towns that are not only charming and beautiful - but simultaneously provide superior environmental performance.  

Here's a brief video explaining reasons why the designs of these historic cities and towns often perform so well environmentally, compared to contemporary suburban patterns:

Though many of these places started as Roman or medieval settlements, most of them were greatly expanded and embellished relatively recently during Hungary’s equivalent of the Belle Époque in the late 1800s when Austria-Hungary experienced a prolonged period of prosperity. 

Below are Google Maps view links to some of our favorites places to visit. 

Note: When you click on a link to explore an example in Google Maps, I recommend looking at the urban pattern from above, and also using the "Street View" function to drop down and explore the beautiful character of the streets and spaces from the ground.

1. Budapest: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

Budapest set the tone for architecture and urbanism in Hungary during the late 1800s.  It’s grander in scale (4 to 6 stories tall) than the smaller cities and towns (usually 1 to 4 stories tall), but there are otherwise many similarities in the design language.  The most common building type is a mixed-use, attached type that features a central courtyard with open galleries at each floor level.  This building type facilitates a very efficient use of the land in a very pleasant low-rise format.

The architectural design of the façades usually reinforces the legibility of the urban structure while also giving each (otherwise relatively similar) building a unique and often very beautiful individual expression.

Next is a selection of smaller Hungarian cities and towns. I think the physical design of Hungary’s smaller cities and towns provides really wonderful design inspiration, and there are many examples of efficient use of mid-block areas frequently employing mid-block passages, or mews, of various configurations.  

2. Szentendre: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

3. Győr: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

4. Szekesfehervar: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

5. Pécs: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

6. Szeged: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

7. Eger: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

8. Sopron: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

9. Tihany: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

10. Keszthely: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

11. Debrecen: [Click to Explore in Google Maps]

I hope you find this brief tour helpful and enjoyable!

"We have bad weather - people won't walk here!"

This is one of the familiar refrains I often hear in car-oriented places where plans for the development of new walkable urbanism are being proposed.

It can often really be hard for people living in places designed around automobile dominance to imagine that, with the right built environment, traveling on foot could be possible (even pleasant!) in challenging weather.  

I want to share a reassuring typical winter snapshot from last week here in Budapest: 

This is the Szent István körút, one of Budapest's large ring avenues.  (4 lanes of traffic, plus dedicated center tram lines and outer bus / bike lanes).  

The temperature is 18 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees Celsius), and the sidewalk is covered with a layer of ice and snow:

Though the temperature is quite cold, all that is required for comfort are a few layers of winter clothing.  People (including my 4-year old son Benji in the red hat) are going about their normal daily routines and enjoying their stroll along the broad sidewalk.

The key is a built environment that is specifically designed to be comfortable for people on foot.  

The relatively simple but powerful ingredients are time-tested:  

• The street space is well-shaped by buildings to form an embracing "outdoor room".
• Plentiful front doors and windows face the street to add liveliness.
• Sidewalks are generous in width.
• Well-placed trees and bollards protect people on foot from moving cars.
• There are interesting shops, signs, architectural details and people to look at.
• A rich mix of uses helps provide places to occasionally step in out of the cold.

BTW: If you're interested in learning more about the design details of great streets, I highly recommend the book Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns by Dover, Kohl & Partners' own Victor Dover and his co-author John Massengale: