Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities pps

Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities... The University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR People’s Republic of China Raymond Joseph Green Vice-President Town and Country Planning Associ

Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities

Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities

Mike Jenks and Nicola Dempsey

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Mike Jenks and Nicola Dempsey

1 Back to the City: A Route to Urban Sustainability 13

Bob Giddings, Bill Hopwood, Mary Mellor and Geoff O’Brien

2 The Intelligent City: Ubiquitous Network or Humane Environment? 31

Guy Briggs

3 Towards the Spatial Sustainability of City-regions: A Comparative

Akiko Okabe

4 The Multi-modal Urban Region: A Concept to Combine

Section Two – Designing for Sustainable Urban Form at

Justyna Karakiewicz

8 High-density, High-rise and Multiple and Intensive Land Use in

Hong Kong: A Future City Form for the New Millennium 153

Stephen Lau, Jun Wang, R Giridharan and S Ganesan

9 From Central Business District to New Downtown: Designing

Future Sustainable Urban Forms in Singapore 167

Perry Pei-Ju Yang

10 Towards a Sustainable City: Rebuilding Lower Manhattan 185

Beverly Willis

11 Upper City Transformations: A New Strategy for

Ineke Hulshof

12 Sustainable Cells of Urbanism: Regenerative Theory and Practice 221

Tom J Bartuska and Bashir A Kazimee

13 Sustainable Urbanity in a Powerful but Fragile Landscape 245

Ferdinand S Johns

14 Envisioning the Future: Sustainable Models for Rural Communities 263

Helena Webster and Peter Williams

Mike Jenks and Nicola Dempsey

16 Urban Densities, Quality of Life and Local Facility Accessibility in

Kiyonobu Kaido

17 Emerging Work Patterns and Their Implication on the Strategy and

Nicola Gillen

Susan Roaf, Manuel Fuentes and Rajat Gupta

John Mardaljevic

20 A Comparative Sustainability Assessment and Indication of Future

Alex Amato, Richard Frewer and Steven Humphrey

Nicola Dempsey and Mike Jenks

Alex Amato

Assistant Professor

Department of Architecture

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

School of the Built Environment

Oxford Brookes University

Richard Frewer

Chair ProfessorDepartment of Architecture The University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

Manuel Fuentes

Research AssociateOxford Institute for SustainableDevelopment

School of the Built EnvironmentOxford Brookes UniversityOxford, UK

S Ganesan

ProfessorDepartment of Architecture The University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

Bob Giddings

Principal LecturerSchool of the Built EnvironmentNorthumbria University

Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK

Contributors

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

Raymond Joseph Green

Vice-President

Town and Country Planning Association

London, UK

Rajat Gupta

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Oxford Institute for Sustainable

Development

School of the Built Environment

Oxford Brookes University

Davis Langdon and Seah Management

Ltd (Hong Kong Office)

Hong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

Mike Jenks

Professor Emeritus and Co-Director of theOxford Institute for Sustainable

DevelopmentOxford Brookes UniversityOxford, UK

Ferdinand S Johns

Professor of ArchitectureSchool of ArchitectureMontana State UniversityMontana, USA

Kiyonobu Kaido

ProfessorFaculty of Urban ScienceMeijo University

Japan

Justyna Karakiewicz

Associate ProfessorDepartment of ArchitectureThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

Bashir A Kazimee

Professor of ArchitectureSchool of ArchitectureWashington State UniversityWashington DC, USA

Stephen Siu Yu Lau

Associate Professor, Hon DirectorCenter for Architecture and Urban Design for China and Hong Kong

Department of ArchitectureThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

John Mardaljevic

Senior Research FellowInstitute of Energy and SustainableDevelopment De Montfort UniversityLeicester, UK

Mary Mellor

Professor and Lecturer

Sustainable Cities Research Institute

Northumbria University

Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK

Geoff O’Brien

Senior Lecturer in Environmental

Management and Planning

School of Applied and Molecular

School of Design and Environment

National University of Singapore

School of the Built Environment

Oxford Brookes University

Oxford, UK

Jun Wang

MPhil ResearcherDepartment of ArchitectureThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR

People’s Republic of China

Helena Webster

Reader in ArchitectureDepartment of ArchitectureSchool of the Built EnvironmentOxford Brookes UniversityOxford, UK

Peter Williams

Architectural AssistantPRP Architects

Surrey, UK

Beverly Willis

ArchitectPresident, Beverly Willis ArchitectureFoundation

President, Architecture ResearchInstitute, Inc

New York, NY, USA

Captions for photos on reverse of section inter-leafs

Figure Section 1: Urban networks, the Randstadt, Netherlands (Source: Ministry of

Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (2001) Summary: Making Space: Sharing Space, Fifth National policy Document on Spatial Planning 2000–2020, The

Hague, Netherlands, p32.)

Figure Section 2: Innovative housing design, Java Island, Amsterdam (Source: MikeJenks)

Figure Section 3: High density cycle park! (Source: Mike Jenks)

Figure Conclusion: Mass Rapid transit – the Skytrain, Bangkok (Source: Mike Jenks)

Our thanks go to all those involved in the writing and production of this book We owe

a debt of gratitude to all the contributors for their chapters and for their forbearance inthe long time it has taken to be finally published Our thanks go to Dan Saunders whoproduced the cover image and to Shibu Raman for producing the drawings for Chapter 5

We thank the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment forsupporting the preparation of this book, in particular Japp van Staalduine Ourappreciation goes to IUPEA colleagues and our colleagues at the Oxford Institute forSustainable Development And finally, we would like to give our warmest thanks toMargaret Jenks and Dan Saunders for all their support and patience over the weekendslost to editorial tasks

The future for our cities is dependent on the actions of today Inparticular, achieving cities that are sustainable is an imperative

in our rapidly urbanizing world In 1950 30% of the world’spopulation lived in urban areas By 2003 that proportion hadrisen to 48%, and it is very likely that the watershed of over halfwill be reached when this book is published The predictions arethat by 2030, 61% of the population will be urban (UnitedNations, 2004) Envisioning such a future is no easy matter One

of the conclusions reached by Williams et al as to how a

sustainable urban form can be achieved was the need for thedevelopment of ‘new ways of conceiving the future builtenvironment’ (2000, p 354)

The aim of this book is to present the reader with examples of thelatest research into different urban forms and the ways in whichthey can be designed to be more sustainable The pursuit ofsustainability has been placed on the agenda of governments andnon-governmental organizations after the 1972 UN Conference

on the Human Environment, and more recently by the WorldCommission on Environment and Development (1987) and the

1992 Earth Summit in Rio It has been stated by these, and other,bodies that cities must be economically viable, socially equitableand contribute to environmental protection of all species:

adhering to the concept of the Three Pillars of Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2002) In many countries, policy

has been adopted with long-term urban sustainability as its focus,

Introduction

Mike Jenks and Nicola Dempsey

and there are many examples of this translated into practice(Edwards, 1999; Beatley, 2000; European Commission, 2001;

Sorensen et al., 2004).

This book presents some of the diverse aspects that areinextricably bound up with, and strongly influence, the scope ofsustainable urban planning and design A great deal has beenwritten about the influences that can be said to affect the urbanform, such as the technological, social, economic, institutional,

geographical and physical (e.g Norgaard, 1994; Jenks et al., 1996; Jenks and Burgess, 2000; Williams et al., 2000; Wheeler,

2003) These aspects are inter-related and interdependent asthey all facilitate and influence sustainable urban planning anddesign in varying degrees The chapters that follow add to thedebate, examining ideas drawn from research and practice atdifferent scales of the built environment from the urban region

to the neighbourhood level in a number of different countries.The different scales at which sustainable ideas are discussed arereflected in the three major sections of the book.1

Section One

The chapters in Section One of this book discuss different(spatial) urban concepts, with particular reference to the cityregion The chapters draw on research to assess how emergingconceptual ideas work when put into practice through a range

of policy and planning strategies, with the ultimate objective ofachieving urban sustainability

The first chapter by Giddings et al outlines the important role

that the city’s character and content have to play in establishingthat city as a viable, sustainable, urban form While cities havealways experienced varying degrees of indiscriminate andunregulated change, it is suggested that a concerted effort should

be made to incorporate the city’s distinctiveness and evolvingnature into a strategy of urban sustainability They suggest thatestablishing the social, economic and environmental dimensions

of sustainability can contribute to the recovery of a city’s urbanspirit and the re-emergence of a clear delineation between thecurrently blurred boundaries of the rural and the urban One ofthe ways in which this is possible is by considering the city aspart of a wider urban region: a concept that is discussed inseveral chapters in this section

The second chapter by Briggs also considers the intangiblenature of the city in his discussion of the concept of the

intelligent city; that is, how the form of cities, the culture andhabits of its citizens may be affected by advances incommunication technology He draws together the discussions

of city intelligence and urban sustainability, illustrating how onecannot exist without the other According to Briggs, theintelligent city has ‘social equity as its focus’, putting ‘people back

at the centre of the urban agenda’, mirroring the Brundtland

definition of sustainability He suggests that adaptability is key

to the intelligent, sustainable city and highlights the need forindicators to measure and monitor change, in an effort to helpensure the city’s long-term sustainability

Okabe notes in the following chapter that the reality of currentliving spheres has already extended beyond the city limits.Recognizing that the sustainable city limits itself spatially, Okabelooks at the monocentric and polycentric configurations of twoestablished urban regions, Tokyo in Japan and the Randstad

in the Netherlands Like Giddings et al she discusses the

importance of the spatial form of the city, in terms of thedistinction between the urban and the rural, which, it is argued,allows for a more inclusive analysis of the phenomena ofcounter-urbanization and re-urbanization Okabe suggests thatthe polycentric urban system is a more sustainable form than themonocentric

Bertolini also discusses the Randstad region, examining thetransport planning policy and design in relation to a keydimension of sustainability – the integration of environmentaland economic goals He concentrates on how to design forgood accessibility and efficient transportation with minimalenvironmental damage The future policy plan alternatives forthe Randstad region that have been proposed by the DutchGovernment are evaluated to illustrate the scope for policydevelopment within a conceptual framework Bertolini suggeststhat a scenario which radically improves the performance ofpublic transport, improves mobility and increases access toemployment whilst reducing carbon dioxide emissions, bestfulfils the goal of minimizing environmental damage andmaximizing accessibility

Green considers the city region in the context of the UK Hediscusses the unsustainable nature of city regions in their currentstate with specific reference to dispersal and urban sprawl,

a need for meaningful urban regeneration and the growingenvironmental footprint of cities By widening the planningcanvas from city to region, a more sustainable urbanenvironment might be achieved Focussing on two UK cities,

Sheffield and Bristol, Green presents a five-stage guide toimproving transport and accessibility in the city region Heconcludes that achieving a successful, sustainable city region canonly be achieved with a shift of focus in policy from the compactcity to the wider regional scale.

The final chapter in this section addresses the measurement ofprediction of sustainability in alternative plans Echeniquedemonstrates how is it possible to measure the three necessarypillars of sustainability – environmental, social and economic –

with reference to the Cambridge Futures Project Seven

alternative plans for the city and surroundings area are modelled,discussed and assessed predictively in relation to sustainabilityindicators The discussion illustrates how the model is a powerful tool for decision-making and a means of engenderingmeaningful public debate and consultation

The depth of discussion given to the urban region highlights thechanging spatial form of the urban environment and illustratesthat there is a range of strategies through which urbansustainability can be achieved

Section Two

The issue of density is central to the design of the sustainableurban form Where sustainable objectives include the efficientuse of land, good accessibility to employment, and key servicesand facilities through public transport use, walking and cycling,high density would seem to be a fundamental prerequisite ( Jenks

et al., 1996) However, the design of the sustainable urban form

cannot be restricted to high-density development alone Lowerdensities are a reality in many places and it is suggested that theywill continue to be (Breheny, 1997) Sustainable design must then

be adaptable to the specific requirements of a particular urbanform, be it high or low density

The first five chapters in this section discuss, and give examples

of, design in high (or ‘higher’) density urban areas Karakiewiczdiscusses Hong Kong and characterizes the high-densitydevelopments as megastructures The megastructure is defined

as any development that can exist as a self-contained communitywith all the necessary functions of the city available Karakiewiczdiscusses how Hong Kong’s megastructures are not the result ofurban theory, but rather have developed out of necessaryprovision for a growing population In this way, they can adapt

to the needs of residents and of the wider city to which they

must remain connected to be a significant sustainable urbanform.

Lau et al examine high-rise and multiple intensive land use (MILU)

in Hong Kong MILU maximizes land resources in a compacturban form through the mixing of land uses, intensification andconnection to an efficient public transport system and pedestrianinfrastructure Vertical intensification, illustrated by towers over

200 m high, and the ‘sky city’, exemplified by the multi-layering ofvehicular and pedestrian movement, are two design conceptsmaking use of the third and fourth dimensions (space above and

below ground, and time, respectively) Lau et al conclude that

they are socially acceptable sustainable urban forms in HongKong which, as proponents of high-density lifestyle, correspond

to cultural needs

The concept of the 24-hour city is discussed in the next chapter

by Yang In Singapore, the central business district (CBD) shutsdown after working hours, rendering it unsustainable Yangexplores design ideas for future downtown urban forms inresponse to the challenges of competitive urban revitalization.Three sustainable proposals are presented which comprisemixed uses, new homes, urban parks and university campuses,achieved through an ‘urban design studio’ workshop process.Yang underlines the need for rethinking urbanism in relation tothe wider social and economic context as well as integratingthe needs of the user into the design solution

The business district of Lower Manhattan, New York is the subject

of the chapter by Willis The damage caused by the disaster ofSeptember 11 extended well beyond the destruction of the WorldTrade Centre This chapter considers the surrounding area andprovides guiding principles for its rebuilding, prompted by thework of the coalition, Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown NewYork It is suggested that this rebuilding requires consideration

as to how Lower Manhattan should function physically,economically and socially in a 21st century context, and how itcould be rebuilt in a sustainable manner Willis argues thatsustainable design must take into account the need for asupportive infrastructure for New Yorkers, their daily activitiesand the underlying character of the area, as well as the economicdimension in terms of the expansion of knowledge-basedindustries and tourism

Hulshof concentrates on a sustainable design concept whichmakes use of existing urban roofspace to intensify developmentwithout creating a need for further space, helping to reduce

urban sprawl and preserve open space This research was inspired

by the installation of a functional sculpture in Rotterdam, the

Bamboo Summit City Hulshof outlines design proposals for

high-density Dutch cities which have a considerable amount ofunused roof space These proposals show how existing urbanroof-top areas can be transformed to incorporate workable

‘uppercities’

The final three chapters consider how sustainable developmentcan be achieved within a low-density context Bartuska andKazimee discuss how principles of sustainable planning anddesign have been applied to the small town of Pullman in theUSA The study models the ecological (or biological) variablesincluding air, water, food, energy and human ecology as primaryindicators of sustainable community development Strategieswere established at different spatial scales, corresponding to thediffering needs of the region, the city, the district andneighbourhood, down to the design of the dwelling unit Theauthors suggest that as this regenerative proposal is based upon

an holistic model of sustainability, the principles demonstrated inPullman can be applied to other larger urban areas

The following chapter concentrates on sustainable development

in the low-density town of Bozeman in the USA Johns presentsstrategies and design prototypes, which, he suggests, illustratehow a low-density town within fragile environmentalsurroundings can be made more sustainable Bozeman is located

in the Gallatin valley where, because of the fragility of the naturalenvironment, the majority of future development will be limited

to existing settlement areas Johns admits that the proposals putforward are quite modest, and correspond to Americanindividualism and the consumer-driven market-based system.Some of the proposals discussed by Johns include a pedestrian-oriented neighbourhood centre, commercial area infill and thedevelopment of low-density residential clusters

The final chapter in this section, by Webster and Williams,reports on a design project undertaken by staff and students

of Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, called the Cambridge Futures Project Through a

design case study process, issues raised by the creation ofsustainable rural communities in the Cambridge region wereclosely scrutinized The aim of the project was to examinewhether innovative change in public policy and spatial designcould create sustainable environments The authors examinesome of those changes including the establishment of acharitable trust as opposed to developer-led action The result

provides a clear vision for a future sustainable settlementaccording to Webster and Williams, who highlight how thedesign of the physical infrastructure can make an importantcontribution to long-term environmental sustainability as well

as providing a sense of place for residents

Section Three

The previous sections offer some holistic arguments for achievingsustainable development, and illustrate how different urban formshave particular requirements that must be taken into account forsustainability to occur There are, however, other aspects whichcan have an impact on the design of the sustainable urban form.This section considers some of these aspects which includechanging work patterns, renewable energy use and assessment ofthe sustainability of high-rise buildings

Despite being a ubiquitous term often used in definitions of the

‘compact city’, the term ‘density’ is surprisingly little understood.The chapter by Jenks and Dempsey attempts to demystify themeaning of density by tracing some of the ideas behind housingdensity standards in the UK The authors highlight the difficulties

in measuring density, due to the fact that there being nocommon methodology or definition When analysed over time,the key government documentation provides density standards,especially for ‘high’ densities, that have remarkable similarities,and yet the recommended urban forms associated with thestandards vary enormously An explanation for this variety issuggested: density is a relative concept that is culturallydetermined, depending on the dominant contemporaneousideas of the time

The next chapter by Kaido continues the discussion

of density, with regard to research conducted into high-densityliving and the relationship it has with accessibility One of the claimed advantages of compact, high-density development isthat facilities are more accessible, thus reducing the need totravel This chapter draws on research from Japan whichcompares densely inhabited districts in 49 cities The resultsshow that there is an inherent danger associated with relying onsimple theories when applied to the complexities of real urbanenvironments It is not enough to make the assumption that highdensity will, by default, lead to high levels of accessibility Kaidoargues that there are other variables that need to be taken intoaccount, such as planning policies and car ownership, as they

can also have a significant impact on the success of the compact,sustainable urban form.

The chapter by Gillen also examines accessibility in cities, inrelation to the workplace Work patterns are changing and,with them, demands on good work environment Gillen arguesthat the main requirement that workers have is for increasedcommunication connections to one another This chapterexplores the impact of communications on the workplace andhow new technology can be extrapolated to guide the design ofthe city Gillen suggests that virtual and physical space havedistinct yet complementary roles to play in the city; and as such,aspects including accessibility, public space and privacyencompass a further dimension for sustainable urban design

Roaf et al consider the application of strategies and technologies

for the use of renewable energies in a community-wideframework in the UK The scope for the building industry toreduce current levels of carbon dioxide emissions is considerableand the authors suggest that significant emission reductions areachievable with relative ease The reported research involves twopilot studies in Oxford: equipping a small area of houses withphotovoltaics with a single connection to the grid, and plans for

a solar suburb The research also involves the testing of publicopinion towards the implementation of the two initiatives: part

of the collaborative approach adopted by the Oxford Solar Initiative.

The next chapter by Mardaljevic also considers solar energy, interms of solar access and social sustainability The quality of life

in dense urban areas can be affected by the amount of daylightand sunlight that one has access to, particularly in publicspaces Mardaljevic suggests that solar access can influencepeople’s perceptions of the city: gloomy and unattractive asopposed to well lit and bright Traditional methods ofestimating solar access in urban areas are critically examined,and a new schema is proposed to quantify urban solar accesswith examples demonstrating the application Solar accessprediction represents an important advance for sustainabledesign in a climate where policies are calling for higherdensities and public open space is at a premium

The final chapter in this section discusses the sustainability ofbuildings In the context of urban sustainability, having theability to assess the sustainability of buildings is imperative This chapter uses the extreme case of high-density, high-rise housing in Hong Kong as a case study Three housing

blocks are compared: one private, one social and one at the conceptual design stage (the Integer Concept tower).Embodied and operational energy, construction waste andcosts, as well as recycling are modelled to give an analysis ofthe sustainability of the building’s full life cycle Although in its

early stages, Amato et al suggest that this model has the

potential to help the construction industry and designers makesustainable decisions when building in urban areas

The chapters in this section present different aspects that have

a direct or indirect impact on the sustainability of the urbanform Ensuring that similar aspects (such as changing travelpatterns or changes in policy) are adequately accounted for inurban design now and in the future is fundamental to theachievement of urban sustainability

Conclusion: future forms for city living

The conclusion briefly draws together the research and practicediscussed in the book Together with reference to additionalschemes and proposals, it adds to the research in the chapterswith examples of large-scale designs proposed and/orimplemented over the past decade or so This offers someindication to planners and designers of sustainable urban formsthat might be achievable in the future

Note

1 The chapters in this book have been adapted from a selection of papers drawn from a major

international symposium held in September 2002 in Oxford, UK This was the fifth symposium of the

International Urban Planning and Environment Association, entitled Achieving Sustainable Urban

Environments: Future Forms for City Living These chapters were selected from the ‘futures’ theme,

one of the six themes in the symposium.

References

Beatley, T (2000) Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities, Island Press, Washington D.C.

Breheny, M (1997) Urban Compaction: Feasible and Acceptable? Cities 14(4): 209–217.

Edwards, B (1999) Sustainable Architecture: European Directives and Building Design, 2nd edition,

Architectural Press, Oxford.

European Commission (2001) Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice: the Sixth EU Environmental

Action Programme 2001–2010, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities,

Luxembourg.

Jenks, M and Burgess, R (2000) Compact Cities: Sustainable Urban Forms for Developing Countries, Spon

Press, London.

Jenks, M., Burton, E and Williams, K (1996) The Compact City: A Sustainable Urban Form?, E & FN

Spon, London.

Norgaard, RB (1994) Development Betrayed: The End of Progress and a Coevolutionary Revisioning of

the Future, Routledge, London.

Sorensen, A., Marcotullio, PJ and Grant, J., eds (2004) Towards Sustainable Cities: East Asian, North

American and European Perspectives on Managing Urban Regions, Ashgate, Aldershot.

United Nations (2002) Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development: Johannesburg, South

Africa, 26 August–4 September, United Nations, New York.

United Nations (2004) World Urbanization Prospects: The 2003 Revision, UN Department of Economic

and Social Affairs, New York.

Wheeler, SM (2003) The evolution of Urban Form in Portland and Toronto: Implications for

Sustainability Planning Local Environment, 8(3): 317–336.

Williams, K., Burton, E and Jenks, M (2000) Achieving Sustainable Urban Form: Conclusions In:

Achieving Sustainable Urban Form (eds Williams, K., Burton, E and Jenks, M.), E & FN Spon, London.

World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) (1987) Our Common Future, Oxford

University Press, Oxford.

Section One

The Big Picture: Cities and

Regions

The character of the city has been changing for as long as peoplehave been urban dwellers Its diverse functions have includedmarketplace, theatrical stage, place of execution and the city has been the setting for revolutions, uprisings, coronations,massacres, celebrations the list is long Whether or not onehas an over-romantic notion of the city, unquestionably the cityhas long been the backdrop for much human activity In the pastfew decades, the environmental and social consequences of the concentrated patterns of human activity in the urbanenvironment have been highlighted and debated, with thesuggestion that present living arrangements in Western cities areunsustainable This chapter offers some insight into the ways thatthe city and its form have changed over the years It also outlineshow the power over, and responsibility for, the changes in thecity has shifted as the functions of the city also shift The cityshould not be dismissed in the search for another moresustainable, alternative form On the contrary, the characteristics

of the city should be recognized, capitalized and built upon.Cities convey something special about civilization itself thatshould not be spread too thinly and reduced to banal, lifeless,endless sprawl This chapter suggests that it is important torecognize and support the character, content and distinctiveness

Back to the City: A Route to Urban Sustainability

1

Bob Giddings, Bill Hopwood, Mary Mellor and

Geoff O’Brien

of cities before modern economic and political trends destroytheir essence through commodification and standardization.

The changing character of the city

Cities and society have developed and flourished in an almost

symbiotic manner The latin word for city is civitas, from which the words civilization and citizenship are derived Take, for

example, British cities prior to the Industrial Revolution Despitebeing home to the minority of the population, these cities oftenphysically dominated their surroundings and exerted immenseinfluence over all spheres of human endeavour From theirbeginnings, cities were places of manufacture and commerce,often developing in locations suited to a particular economicactivity such as on trade routes or near useful resources such ascoal There was a tension in the division of wealth and powerbetween the country landowners, and the city-based merchantsand rulers, but over time the latter prevailed, as cities grew physically larger and, thanks to additions to the workforce, alsoeconomically more powerful The British Census of 1851showed that, for the first time, more people were living in urbanareas than rural, at 54% of the population (Best, 1979)

Today, globally about 2.6 billion people live in cities of up to

5 million inhabitants with an additional 400 million living in some

40 large urban areas, often called mega-cities, of over 5 millioninhabitants (Angotti, 1993; Sassen, 2000) Two-thirds of thepopulation of Europe lives in cities and urban areas thatoccupy about 1% of the land area (Stanners and Bordeau,1995) With their concentrated population, diversity of skillsand growing demands, cities stimulated economic growth.Often this was led by the consumption patterns of a privilegedstratum, made up of the few new rich, who often lived in closeproximity to the many in abject poverty (Best, 1979) Somewould argue that this wide gulf between the rich and the poorhas never disappeared

The social role of the city

As well as being the seats of power, wealth and knowledge, citieshave also been catalysts for social change and revolution Theyhave been the source of most of the enduring changes thatunderpin human freedoms including the development of politics

(from the Greek word polis meaning city), the centre of

revolutions that have helped to shape the modern world and the struggles for human rights Arguably cities are the birthplace

of democracy which, we would argue, is a vital feature ofsustainability

The essence of cities is that they have always contained a myriad

of diverse and intense connections and activities; where peoplelive, work, shop and play, meeting the needs of economicproduction and social reproduction (Smith, 2002) They bringtogether people from many different backgrounds and cultures.This can be purely in terms of physical proximity but also in thecreation of space for fusing ideas, styles and activities They arecentres for many cultural forms Without romanticizing theirhistory, which has its grim share of oppression, hunger, crimeand pollution, cities have been the driving force for innovation,social improvement, cultural activity and diversity (Figure 1.1).Urban space has always been a place for the community ratherthan the individual, and public buildings, such as those forgovernment, education, culture and commerce, play animportant role in providing a focus for citizens and communities.They provide emotional attraction for both citizens and visitors,embodying political and cultural activities, giving significanceand providing landmarks in time and space They link the past,present and future, become reassuringly familiar to local peopleand stimulating for visitors Lozano (1990) argues that the city is

a realm with a high level of culture linked with the most civilizedexpression of social behaviour Mumford (1970) described thecity as the most advanced work of art of human civilization

The changing form of the city

Historically, cities have had complex spatial layouts reflecting themultiplicity of human exchanges They have been alive with therichness of patterns and symbols that fulfil many psychologicaland spiritual needs For example, the sense of enclosure andspatial definition provided by medieval walls satisfied more thanjust a need for defensive protection; they also providedpsychological stimulation and physical comfort (Lozano, 1990).The need to pattern human surroundings is as valid today as itwas in medieval times, and this is particularly recognized by

Alexander and Lynch (Lynch, 1960; Alexander et al., 1977;

Alexander, 1987) Their ideas about legibility are based on avivid and integrated physical setting that can provide the raw

material for a symbolic and collective community memory The

layouts, landmarks and public spaces all contribute to each city’s

distinctive sense of identity (Figures 1.2 and 1.3)

From cities to urban sprawl

The last two centuries have seen a transformation in cities from

being relatively contained, to widespread urban sprawl This

has been a worldwide phenomenon The strengthening of

international capital has led to the concentration of economic

power in a number of global centres of finance and highly

Figure 1.1

The city as a myriad of diverse and intense activities – the driving force for cultural activity:

Venice, 2002

(Source: Bob Giddings.)

specialized services, such as London, Frankfurt and New York(Sassen, 2001; Smith, 2002) The decisions taken in these globalcities, as seats of government, international markets and thelocations of many corporate headquarters, are often of greatersignificance than decisions taken by governments at a regional

or even national level At the same time some older industrialcities such as Detroit and Manchester have seen their influencedwindle as manufacturing becomes less important (Sassen, 2001;Smith, 2002) As production has moved location or closed down,there has been a trend of population migration away from thecities to the suburbs, smaller towns and semi-rural areas (Turok,1999)

The combined actions of economic power and planning haveundermined the importance of distinct spaces and landmarksthat originally contributed to the establishment of the characterand spaces of cities Many urban patterns and traditionalconnections have been weakened or lost, slashed by megaredesigns that ignored centuries of evolution Cities have beenscarred by major road networks, which occupy large areas ofland, fragment and blight neighbourhoods destroying local

Figure 1.2

The city as a layout of

landmarks and public

spaces – the symbols of local

governance, sustenance,

spiritual fulfilment, justice and

permanence – each with

interconnecting squares:

Stuttgart, 1990

(Source: City of Stuttgart.)

(Source: Bob Giddings.)

social interchange and disconnecting travellers from their

surroundings (Appleyard, 1981) Sprawl, car traffic, zoning and

major redevelopments have destroyed the fabric of streets,

buildings and spaces, often replacing diversity with large

single-use structures which can have a hostile or imposing presence

In the process of modernization, urban communities have

lost the richness of patterns and symbols that made each city

distinct Lozano’s concept of cities (1990), as the setting of

culture and civilized behaviour, is becoming increasingly fragile

Suburban sprawl has meant that the edge of cities is oftenblurred with miles of semi-suburban semi-rural hinterland ofshopping malls, office parks and housing developments thatconstitutes neither city nor countryside In many cases hugeconurbations have obliterated any notion of the city (Bookchin,1995) People often live miles from where they work, shop or gofor leisure activities The traditional connection of the exchange

of goods between cities and their neighbouring countryside isalso lost with resources being shipped from all parts of theworld to service the undifferentiated urbanized communities

Commodifying cities

Today’s modern landmarks reflect the values ofcommercialism, where offices and retail units have replaced thelibrary and the town hall, often in physical stature as well asimportance to the city (nowadays expressed in terms offinancial returns) These bland new buildings neither connectwith the city’s public, social or physical fabric nor reflect itsidentity or individuality Bookchin (1995) has argued that whenthere is a physical loss of ‘city-ness’ in favour of huge, blandconurbations there is a parallel loss of citizenship Activecitizenship is discouraged and replaced by the role ofconsumer or, at best, passive voter Power is concentrated inthe hands of large companies, and government largely acts intheir favour

Recent trends in global economics and telecommunicationshave led to the assertion that place no longer matters With noapparent need for a physical focal point for activities, it wouldseem that cities could suffer dramatically The possibilities ofteleworking and Internet-based consuming would appear tomake it possible to return to a more rural lifestyle However, thisruns counter to the international trend of increased urban living.Urban areas continue to grow and there is strong evidence that

at least some cities are still as important as ever because theyprovide rich social connections, high densities of people andskills, as well as being centres of power, decisions andinfrastructure Gillen, for example, discusses the significance of

city as a necessary physical hub for people whose work patterns

are becoming increasingly more oriented around based networks.1

technology-The last few years have seen a growing emphasis on theimportance of cities with policies, for example in the UK, to

encourage city living through calls for improvements to thequality of urban design and support for public space (UrbanTask Force, 1999; DETR, 2000a, 2000b) However, many ofthese proposals do not tackle the deep-rooted trends thatundermine the socio-economic quality or environmentalsustainability of urban life Much of the emphasis is on externalappearance with less consideration for the content and use ofbuildings and spaces The pace and scope of development hasoften been driven by property developers, with no interestswithin the city, so that the urban scale and appearance

is defined more by the needs of capital (Smith, 2002) Asgovernments have abandoned Keynesian or social-democraticpolicy in favour of neo-liberalism, the priority of policy hasmoved from meeting social needs to attracting and meeting theneeds of capital (ibid) Privatization and budget cuts havelimited the role for public planning and construction leaving theprivate sector as the main initiator and producer therebydetermining the character and priorities of developments Therole of city authorities is mainly in support of the private sector,striving to attract investors, to support property developmentand increasingly to encourage the private provision of services.Instead of concentrating on the needs of the existingpopulations of cities the emphasis has been on place marketingand gentrification (Borja and Castells, 1997) Almostuniversally, the policy aim of cities is to attract internationalcapital to invest, higher-paid executives and professionals

to settle and tourists to visit The main benefit for some cityauthorities has been an increase in property tax income(Hackworth and Smith, 2001) Almost all cities now have majormarketing strategies For many, this includes the widespreadtransformation of former docks from places of work intoexclusive islands of leisure with expensive flats, bars andrestaurants Cities are now being sold as a commodity to beconsumed, rather than a place where production, living andconsumption take place (Philo and Kearns, 1993) The notion

of cities as a complex cultural expression and as a set ofbuildings and spaces in which a range of activities occur isbeing superseded as cities theme themselves

Ironically the drive for image in city redevelopment oftenignores or undermines what is distinct about each city,including its social character, urban landscape and economicfocus The global reach of retail chains and trends ofinternational style also diminish the rooted distinctiveness ofplace The result is urban theme parks rather than real living

and working places These trends undermine diversity,increase social divisions, diminish culture and close off spacesfor genuinely local businesses.

Bianchini (1991) and Worpole (1992) criticize the decliningquality of life and public space in British cities due to theomnipresence of retail superstores, the domination of cars andthe privatization of services They identified art and culture

as the primary factors in improving the quality of city life.However, far from their proposals for local art set in, and usedfor, the community, culture and the arts are instead being used

to create images in the marketing of cities Instead of beingrooted in the vernacular, art and culture are offered primarily

as commercialized leisure and an incentive for tourists to visit Inthe process, urban history has been transformed into heritage

An image of historic cityscapes and workplaces may be

recreated but the real function and roots of community andindustry have been lost (Figure 1.4) Behind the glossy image is

a remaindered population living in poverty and largely ignored(Holcom, 1993)

This disjointed glossy imaging is illustrated in urbanregeneration and large-scale redevelopment which is oftenbased on retail and commercialized leisure and culture –hotels, multiplex cinemas, entertainment complexes, sports stadiums, art galleries and conference centres It is claimed that such developments will strengthen the local economy and make it more attractive to visitors The architecture of such

Figure 1.4

The commodification of

heritage, with open-topped bus

and recreated history

pre-packaged for tourists: Oxford,

2004 (Source: Mike Jenks.)

(Source: Bob Giddings.)

buildings is often grandiose and disrupts the existing urban

fabric (Figure 1.5) These buildings seldom connect to the

actual needs and character of an area nor strengthen its

legibility Economically they usually do not develop the local

economy They may draw in visitors; however, they often only

pass through local neighbourhoods that have been blighted or

socially changed (Gratz and Mintz, 1998) What is being done

to establish the viability of the wider community?

The economic trends of neo-liberalism have increased social

polarization and inequality (Hamnett, 1996; Borja and Castells,

1997; Sassen, 2001) While elites need people willing to work for

low wages, they do not want them living nearby Gentrification

intensifies polarization and feeds antagonism The existing

population of working class, and sometimes minority ethnic

communities, are either alienated as a remainder communitysurrounded by affluence or pushed out to somewhere else Newcentral or prestige area housing does not cater for families or for lower-paid workers In some cases, tenants of social housinglive in estates starved of repairs and investment next door toexpensive new flats Often the new housing is not part of thewider community but is exclusive, in gated developments,which cut existing connections and restrict access to residents(Figure 1.6) City-centre housing should be neither a dormitoryfor the rich and childless nor an isolated enclave for theprivileged Successful cities should provide a diversity of

Figure 1.6

Gated housing developments

are on the increase not only in

the UK, but also worldwide:

Newcastle and Shanghai.

(Sources: Bob Giddings and

Pacific Productions.)

housing, all with good quality surroundings, including homesfor families, affordable properties to rent and buy.

Sustaining cities in the face of change

The future form of cities and the strategies that they should adopt

in a global economy and information age is still being debated(Graham and Marvin, 1996; Borja and Castells, 1997) A highlyattractive alternative for cities to the current unregulated,indiscriminate change taking place is urban sustainability(Wackernagel and Rees, 1996), based on the principles of allowingpresent generations to meet their needs without compromisingthe ability of future generations to meet theirs (WCED, 1987).Within the present economic framework there is no incentive forcities to take responsibility for the externalized damage of theiractivities Redevelopments that only address a superficial image

do not provide any socio-economic or environmental solutions

In contrast to the strategy of city-image enhancement, sustainabledevelopment offers a very different approach

A foundation to urban sustainability is the overriding objective toachieve a high quality of life for the whole community within asocio-economic framework that minimizes the impact of the city

on the local and global environment For it to be successfullyrealized, the city must tackle the dimensions of sustainability:social, ecological, as well as economic Sustainable cities ensure well-being and a good quality of life for citizens, areenvironmentally friendly, and socially integrated and just

There is no shortage of ideas for how environmental sustainabilitycan be achieved:

● use of renewable energy and a dramatic increase in energy efficiency

● recycling and reuse of materials

● food production within cities

● an end to edge-of-town retail, leisure and business development to protect the countryside and retaining jobs in cities

Urban density is cited as a potential proponent of sustainability,offering opportunities for increased energy savings and reducingthe need for travel What is missing is the political question ofhow such a strategy could be implemented (assuming thatsustainability as a strategy will be imposed on the city) In thiscontext there has been much less consideration of the social,economic, political and cultural policies that underlie the process

by which urban sustainability could be attained

Achieving urban sustainability

Fundamental to achieving progress towards sustainability is aneconomy that concentrates on well-being and quality of life for all.Essentially, the economy should be regarded as being inextricablylinked to the livelihoods of its residents, rather than simply as the production, consumption and possession of commodities Therelationship between the economy, society and the environmentneeds addressing with the recognition that one cannot existwithout the others Human life, activity and culture depend on

their wider environment (Davidson, 2000; Giddings et al., 2002).

At present most economic policy concentrates on the production

of greater wealth often measured in terms of monetary value Thisignores the wealth created by the non-market economy of familyand community (the social capital) and prioritizes profit ratherthan meeting the human needs through the production of goods

and services (Hutchinson et al., 2002) (Figure 1.7).

From an ecological perspective it is also important that theeconomy is local If city economies do not connect with theirlocal region, it is inevitable that they will have ecologicalfootprints far greater than their area If there is much greaterlocal sourcing of resources and materials from within cityregions rather than from undifferentiated global markets and adramatic reduction in the waste and pollution exports, then theconnections between cities and their surroundings will bestrengthened As cities reclaim their clear and distinct character

of dense activities, population and connections, with a built

Figure 1.7

The local economy as livelihood,

community, sociability and

meeting human needs: Naples,

1994 and farmers’ market in

Oxford, 2004 (Sources: Bob

Giddings and Mike Jenks.)