About Us

Why we want to build the Just City

Friendly Urbanism is a concept born as much from idealism as from need.

Observing the urban reality from an early age, we always had the impulse to ask

the question "How can this be made better?". This fundamental question led us

to explore the world in search of potential answers.

Starting from Montréal, Canada, a UNESCO Design City, our search led us to Cambridge and London in the United Kingdom and Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. Each of these unique and inspiring places contributed to the development of our principal philosophy, Friendly Urbanism, as a vessel with which to build the mythical Just City.

Friendly Urbanism is, in a way, an answer to the fundamental question and a framework with which to shape the thoughts and policies of the future.
Welcome to Friendly Urbanism!

Our Story

In 2006, Shant Karabajak had an idea that cities need to not only serve the material needs of their residents, but also foster a sense of community and civic pride, effectively serving their collective and individual well-being. Extensive study and research led him to an interesting conclusion: Cities shape their people as much as the people shape their city.

Embarking on a decades long quest to accumulate knowledge and experiences in the subject, Shant has finally decided to put his ideas to paper and share his viewpoint with the world. The Friendly Urbanist was born.

The Friendly Urbanist

Shant Karabajak

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Proactive Disclosures

Affiliations and Funding

Although they may take an ideological stance on certain issues, the authors of our content have no affiliations or conflicting financial interests that may influence the content we produce.
In the case of potential conflict, authors are required to disclose the source of the potential conflict in the article prior to submitting it.
The Friendly Urbanist's only source of funding is through Patreon subscriptions.

Editorial Policy

All content is verified and if appropriate translated by the editorial staff before being published on the website.
Any corrections or retractions will be posted for a minimum of 7 days on the offending post.

Accessibility Statement

We are committed to making sure our content is as accessible as possible to people living with disabilities. If you encounter any obstacles while using our site, please use the contact form to let us know.

Copyright Notice

You may view, download, and print pages from this website for your own personal use, subject to the restrictions set out below and elsewhere in these terms of use.
You must not republish material from this website (including republication on another website), sell, rent or sub-license material from the website, show any material from the website in public, reproduce, duplicate, copy or otherwise exploit material on our website for a commercial purpose.
You must not remove, obscure, or alter any legal notices displayed in or along with the content. When sharing or referencing content from this website, you must attribute it appropriately.
To request permission for any use beyond what is explicitly permitted, please use the contact form on this website.
Disclaimer: Copyright and licensing disclosure does not constitute legal advice. Users should seek professional advice if they have questions about copyright law.

Privacy Policy

Please review out privacy policy here.