The future city
Article / 13 pages / Free / The future city / March 2010
Urbanization is pre-dominant all over the world. Big cities become monster cities, medium sized cities become big cities, and small cities and villages face the risk of dying. Why is this so and what does it mean for the future? The city is the eternal promise of prosperity and development, the source for our hopes and desires. We dream of a better life, away from poverty and bigotry towards better living conditions, freedom, and individual fulfillment. During the 20th century, city planning was the key to success. Everywhere planners changed and reshaped the society, not least the urban society. The modernistic ideals of functional separation resulted in the urban sprawl, where living, working, and recreation were separated.
The American city was role model for the reshaping of many Swedish and European cities in the last century. Now, in the post-modern 21st century, we see a change in the minds of planners, architects, and not least the public. There is a shift to making cities denser and to once again integrate living, working, leisure, and free space. We are moving away from urban sprawl to green density – or Greendencity? Densification is the key word today. But what does it mean?
Shall we build more houses in present environments? Shall we add new houses (or floors) on top of existing buildings? Shall we build high-rise buildings? Or shall we create completely new city blocks in previous empty or green spaces? Is it possible for the new city to be a guide for sustainable development, where social, economic, and environmental sustainability go hand in hand?