0
Urbanism of Tomorrow
How Forest-Floor Comfort and Edgeless Modular Pathways Can Shape the Cities of the Future
15-Minute Cities and New Environmental Requirements
Modern urban planning increasingly aims to shorten and optimize everyday travel routes. The idea behind the 15-minute city is simple: all essential destinations—work, school, shopping, healthcare, recreation—should be reachable within 15 minutes, ideally by walking, cycling, or public transit. Yet many recreational and wellness-oriented spaces are still difficult to access in dense urban areas.
Another defining factor for tomorrow’s cities is the growing regulatory focus on reducing soil sealing. Sealed surfaces prevent rainwater from infiltrating the ground, undermining the soil’s natural ability to filter and store water. Recent research shows that reduced infiltration contributes significantly to urban overheating and climate stress.
Forest-Floor Effect and Permeability
Recycled rubber manufacturing has long been a low-margin industry, largely because virgin-material alternatives dominated the market and were seen as “higher quality.” Recycled products were considered niche and were rarely prioritized in public or private projects.
A major shift occurred with the EU’s 2018 waste framework revisions, pushing the construction sector toward circular-economy practices. At Gum-tech®, we saw this transition not only through EU policy but also through rapidly increasing customer interest in sustainable surfaces. Today, both the safety-surfacing and fitness markets are actively seeking environmentally responsible, high-performance alternatives with added health benefits.
Pathways and Complex Urban Layouts
Innovative solutions like the Puzzle Mat 3D® Healthy Tile made with 90% recycled material, are typically difficult to source or complicated to install—but Healthy Tile is the exception. Manufactured in our fully automated, solar-powered production line, the system is consistently in stock and competitively priced.
Installation is similar to assembling a modular toy set. The tiles lock together through a patented 3D interlocking design, eliminating the need for edging while preventing shifting. Positive and negative corner elements allow users to create branching paths, winding layouts, islands, or U-shaped walkway systems without cutting or special tools. Whether used for jogging routes, wellness paths, or pedestrian shortcuts, the system produces clean, cohesive layouts—fully edgeless and extremely stable. And if root growth or local subsidence occurs, individual tiles can be replaced easily without disturbing the surrounding surface.
The Complete Planning Package: The Surface Calculator
The Puzzle Mat 3D® Healthy Tile 3D has one challenge: its unique dimensions—55×55 cm tiles and 55×25 cm edging tiles—can be difficult to visualize during early planning phases. To solve this, we developed the Surface Calculator, an online tool for creating layout drawings that can be exported as PDFs.
It functions like a simplified professional planning program but is accessible to anyone—planners, municipalities, landscape architects, or community groups. Even complex shapes and long pathways can be mapped quickly. A built-in CO₂ calculator also estimates emissions savings based on the material volume used.
