Streetscapes and Street Livability: Advancing Sustainable and Human-Centered Urban Environments

Street livability is widely recognized as a fundamental indicator of urban livability. Despite growing global agendas advocating human-centered, sustainable, and smart cities, the microscale implementation of streetscape interventions remains limited and non-integrated. This gap is particularly evident in developing cities’ contexts where policy-level frameworks fail to translate into tangible street-level transformations. Responding to this challenge, this paper investigates how streetscape components can enhance everyday street livability. The study aims to explore opportunities for improving street livability through the utilization of three core streetscape components: vegetation, street furniture, and lighting. The discourse on street livability identifies vegetation, street furniture, and lighting as the primary drivers of high-quality urban spaces. Scholarly research suggests that these micro-interventions are most effective when viewed through the combined lenses of human-centered design, environmental sustainability, and smart city technology. While the literature indicates that integrating climate-responsive greenery and renewable energy systems can enhance social interaction and safety, it also highlights significant implementation hurdles. Specifically, researchers point to policy limitations, technical feasibility in developing nations, and the socio-economic threat of green gentrification. Despite these complexities, microscale streetscape improvements remain a vital strategy for fostering inclusive and resilient cities.