I had the honor to contribute a full chapter to the book "Usability for the World: Building Better Cities and Communities". This book shows how human-centered design is key to thriving, equitable urban spaces. "This isn't just another urban planning book; it's a practical guide to transforming cities, offering concrete strategies and real-world examples you can use today."

Authors from around the world contributed to this book. The editors Elizabeth Rosenzweig (she has also been at the SUX Podcast) and Amanda Davies put together a divers and super interesting line-up to take a look at the topic from many different perspectives and cultural contexts. The book is not only theory, but offers a broad spectrum of perspectives as well as practical insights and actionable strategies. This book is not only for designers, but also gives urban planners, policy makers and everyone who cares about the future of cities.

In my chapter I use the principles of Sustainable UX and adapt them to the physical space - our cities. And I make the connection to our pursuit for "perfection" which in urban design often leads to exclusion, injustice, and environmental harm. Drawing inspiration from natural ecosystems, which thrive on balance and interconnectedness, I propose a shift towards designing for imperfection. To do so, I introduces the 11 principles of Sustainable UX and shows how these principles that are originally created for digital design can be adapted as a framework for creating more humane cities. These principles emphasize designing for ecosystems instead of individual users, understanding the negative impacts of design choices, prioritizing equity and wellbeing, and fostering sustainable behaviors. By embracing imperfection, cities can become more balanced, resilient, and inclusive spaces that support the diverse needs of all residents. I conclude the chapter with a vision of the “imperfect city”—a place that prioritizes harmony, adaptability, and the wellbeing of all its inhabitants.

Link to the Book and Chapter: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-88326-2_6

Thorsten Jonas is the Founder of the SUX Network and Digital Sustainability, Sustainable UX and Responsible AI consultant, keynote speaker and author. He is guiding teams and companies in crafting sustainable, responsible and ethical digital products, advocating for a sustainable digital world and co-leads as invited expert the UX Chapter of the W3C Web Sustainability Guidelines.