This essay series by URBAN STEPS is an invitation to rethink how we plan, remember, and navigate cities. It emerges from over two decades of cross-cultural practice—from postwar reconstruction in Kabul to research and consulting in Berlin. And it is driven by a simple but urgent question:

How can we plan and manage cities that are inclusive,

responsive, and culturally grounded—even in fragile, fast-

changing environments?

 

URBAN STEPS proposes to read the city not as a neutral space, but as a

layered site of memory, power, and negotiation between

GRIDS—regulatory structures, state frameworks, institutional agendas—and

GROUNDS—the lived, adaptive intelligence of neighborhoods, markets,

and cultural practices.

 

Posts are interconnected—referencing for the moment a growing glossary, visual material, and linked reflections—from our long-standing work in planning and urban research.

Each post in this series connects to a broader methodological frame developed through URBAN STEPS:

• U/S – Uncover / Study
  Tracing urban memory and historical layers as planning resources.
• R/T – Revitalize / Train
  Co-learning with communities to rebuild local planning capacity.
• A/P – Activate / Plan
  Making planning actionable, even under institutional constraints.
• B/E – Bridge / Evolve
  Translating knowledge across systems, disciplines, and contexts.
• N/S – Navigate / Strategize
  Developing adaptive, AI-enhanced tools to hold urban complexity.

Each axis is grounded in practice—from heritage mapping in Kabul to strategic planning across institutions. These are not just categories, but lenses through which we approach each theme.

Why This Now?

Because the planning tools of yesterday are struggling to respond to the cities of today.

Because fragile contexts are not voids—they are rich with alternative forms of order.

Because we believe that inclusive, responsive urban futures emerge where regulation meets self-organization—and where planners dare to listen before they design.

 

Dr.-Eng. Zahra Breshna is an architect, urban planner, and researcher with 20+ years of experience, specializing in developing innovative urban planning strategies for post-conflict and fragile contexts. Founder of URBAN STEPS, a cross-cultural urban learning and applied research program, and the Breshna Foundation for Culture, she bridges theory and practice, focusing on urban resilience, cultural heritage, and capacity-building for planners. Zahra has led strategic planning projects in Kabul, collaborated on architectural designs, and pioneered Afghanistan’s urban heritage safeguarding program. Her PhD and diploma in architecture from KIT focus on urban revival and transformation. Reach out to collaborate:

Email: info@urbansteps.org

Website: www.urbansteps.org

LinkedIn: @urbansteps

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