Five actions to rethink the cultures of planning and architecture
We all know them: The lifeless, somehow antiseptic neighbourhoods. The touristy city centre without a pulse and with standardised shopping streets. We also know the places that matter to us: The quaint square with the bar where locals actually meet. The real feel of a neighbourhood. How can we become better at making places we love?
Reading time:
It is really quite obvious when places fail. At least if the benchmark is: Is this place accommodating, friendly, considerate? Is that too much to ask? Nevertheless, we keep producing an immense amount of not only soulless, but also inefficient and even plain stupid buildings and spaces. The indoors spaces are not much better. Even in this so-called age of creativity and work/life balance, we don’t stop building offices with very little heart or vision. And when it comes to how we live, we keep building the exact same apartments for the same families with 1,7 kids.
We might be painting a dark picture, but the challenges are serious. Not only in terms of sustainability where it is obvious that we need to build differently, but also in terms of creating places we actually relate to. The seemingly abstract problem of bad urbanity becomes a very concrete problem for people. The layouts of most modern cities with long commuting, small cubicle offices and identical apartments are costly on many parameters — also on the fundamental level of happiness and well-being.
It should be obvious that sustainability and the human experience are very closely intertwined. When trying to reduce the carbon footprint, it is essential to consider how to use or not use the buildings we already have.
How do we (re)design buildings so that we can use and share them more efficiently? How do we design and build buildings that last or may be retrofitted to new use? In both cases, the key is understanding and creating spaces that people care for — and continue to care to use. That is a real premise for sustainability.
There are of course good planners, architects, politicians, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts that work hard on creating more social and sustainable places. Having been a part of a variety of urban planning processes, competitions and architectural projects, we have come to form a few informed opinions of our own about the processes, cultures and formats for planning.
Consider urban and spatial planning as an innovation process
We believe it is time to revisit the processes of planning on several levels, using many of the tools we already know from the world of culture and design. As we see it, we need to strengthen both the ability to understand the cultures of everyday life — and the ways we carve out potential futures.
The discussions on how we want to live — and live together — should involve a more open-ended and experimental approach where you consider the urban planning process an innovation process more than just a matter of executing a plan.
What is a relevant process design that activates resources and people to (co-)create places of value? There are certain trademarks of the processes of planning and architecture — though obviously differences can be enormous, depending on where in the world you are, whether the client is public or private, capable or incapable of creative thinking.
We argue that it is urgent to ask more informed questions, build visions, consider the culture of infrastructure, develop the culture of planning, and finally, to consider the fourth dimension: time.
1. Ask informed questions
The more informed the question, the better the answer. Considering the relevant program is at the heart of the art of placemaking — the content, functions and activities to design for. A common problem is that the question (program) is often based on limited perceptions of what can be build and how. Too many tenders tend to be heavy on formalities and detailing instead of on matters that really need to be discussed: The assignment that architects, planners, engineers and culture designers etc. are asked to solve. We need to improve on the pre-design phase by integrating a design perspective and by considering how to enable creative answers.
2. Build an Engaging Vision
The power of an engaging vision is the ability to remind us why we are doing what we are doing — and why we might need to do things differently. The greatest urban visions allow for people — even future generations — to be a part of them, while still having character and direction. Like the famous Fingerplan for Copenhagen or BIG’s dryline. It is all about striking a balance and foster concepts that are both stringent enough to mean something — and yet open enough to encourage interpretation and creativity. The challenge, of course, remains: How to turn the vision into useful and friendly design and construction. But a real and engaging vision is a great place to start.
A vision to remember: A vision that strikes the balance between clarity and openness is the Dryline developed by BIG with One Architecture & Urbanism. The project is an answer to Manhattan’s geographical vulnerability to coastal flooding. The vision turns the infrastructural need for water protection into a public asset, creating a rich catalogue of public spaces, parks, civic activities, pavilions, commercial program and more. As such, the Dryline is a clear vision, yet the actualisation of it will include a variety of subdesigns, engaging local communities, stakeholders and public offices. A clear vision, yes, but not a monolithic, monotheistic designer’s dream. Rather an assemblage of ideas, woven together in a massive co-creation of parts that will eventually constitute southern Manhattan’s full coastal protection.
3. Consider the culture of infrastructure
We have to explore the relations between culture and movement! An essential element in the art of planning is considering how the infrastructural nodes in a city or a building influence our lives. The public transportation hubs, the schools and shopping opportunities define the flows and thereby the culture of everyday life. That is why we need to adress how we knit cultural quality into places of daily transportation or movement. The train stations, the bus, the supermarket — and soon the EV charging stations and driverless vehicles — are all crucial sites for human activity. Let’s explore ambitious designs to make these essential sites more human and visionary.
Infrastructure to empower culture: Caracas, Venezuela, is the home of an inspiring case of infrastructure building. The informal settlements around the city are generally very poorly connected with the center. In the area of San Augustin a cable car was introduced by Urban Think-Tank and in 2010 it was constructed as an alternative to building roads that would have destroyed up till 30% of the local housing. The stations were proposed as home for different social functions in the community. An great example of an infrastructural intervention designed to fit and empower the cultural context.
4. Develop the Culture of Planning
The agents that form our cities and public spaces need to be creative and capable of seeking synergies and considering quality — rather than just acting based on automatism, legal frameworks or commercial structures. The interaction between public administration and other stakeholders — developers, associations, institutions — needs to be staged in a more inspirational and efficient way. The role of bureaucracy in this context must change accordingly. Rather than just being perceived as law-enforcers, the bureaucrats should be seen as a creative force. What we build is never better than the people and cultures around the table.
5. Consider the Fourth Dimension
Time and temporality needs to be considered carefully in planning! The precious art of planning and architecture is mostly handled by people who engage with the world through two or three dimensions. We need to consider the use of space in time much more seriously. Both in terms of intensifying the use of already existing buildings — sharing more, using spaces smartly, reusing infrastructure. And in the long run: We need to consider how urbanity matures and how capable we are of transforming rather than destroying existing built fabric. Not only is this key to minimizing our carbon footprint, it’s also essential to the development of cities with textures that testify to previous experiences and lives that precede the bubble of the present.
Five actions to rethink the cultures of planning and architecture
We all know them: The lifeless, somehow antiseptic neighbourhoods. The touristy city centre without a pulse and with standardised shopping streets. We also know the places that matter to us: The quaint square with the bar where locals actually meet. The real feel of a neighbourhood. How can we become better at making places we love?
Reading time:
It is really quite obvious when places fail. At least if the benchmark is: Is this place accommodating, friendly, considerate? Is that too much to ask? Nevertheless, we keep producing an immense amount of not only soulless, but also inefficient and even plain stupid buildings and spaces. The indoors spaces are not much better. Even in this so-called age of creativity and work/life balance, we don’t stop building offices with very little heart or vision. And when it comes to how we live, we keep building the exact same apartments for the same families with 1,7 kids.
We might be painting a dark picture, but the challenges are serious. Not only in terms of sustainability where it is obvious that we need to build differently, but also in terms of creating places we actually relate to. The seemingly abstract problem of bad urbanity becomes a very concrete problem for people. The layouts of most modern cities with long commuting, small cubicle offices and identical apartments are costly on many parameters — also on the fundamental level of happiness and well-being.
It should be obvious that sustainability and the human experience are very closely intertwined. When trying to reduce the carbon footprint, it is essential to consider how to use or not use the buildings we already have.
How do we (re)design buildings so that we can use and share them more efficiently? How do we design and build buildings that last or may be retrofitted to new use? In both cases, the key is understanding and creating spaces that people care for — and continue to care to use. That is a real premise for sustainability.
There are of course good planners, architects, politicians, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts that work hard on creating more social and sustainable places. Having been a part of a variety of urban planning processes, competitions and architectural projects, we have come to form a few informed opinions of our own about the processes, cultures and formats for planning.
Consider urban and spatial planning as an innovation process
We believe it is time to revisit the processes of planning on several levels, using many of the tools we already know from the world of culture and design. As we see it, we need to strengthen both the ability to understand the cultures of everyday life — and the ways we carve out potential futures.
The discussions on how we want to live — and live together — should involve a more open-ended and experimental approach where you consider the urban planning process an innovation process more than just a matter of executing a plan.
What is a relevant process design that activates resources and people to (co-)create places of value? There are certain trademarks of the processes of planning and architecture — though obviously differences can be enormous, depending on where in the world you are, whether the client is public or private, capable or incapable of creative thinking.
We argue that it is urgent to ask more informed questions, build visions, consider the culture of infrastructure, develop the culture of planning, and finally, to consider the fourth dimension: time.
1. Ask informed questions
The more informed the question, the better the answer. Considering the relevant program is at the heart of the art of placemaking — the content, functions and activities to design for. A common problem is that the question (program) is often based on limited perceptions of what can be build and how. Too many tenders tend to be heavy on formalities and detailing instead of on matters that really need to be discussed: The assignment that architects, planners, engineers and culture designers etc. are asked to solve. We need to improve on the pre-design phase by integrating a design perspective and by considering how to enable creative answers.
2. Build an Engaging Vision
The power of an engaging vision is the ability to remind us why we are doing what we are doing — and why we might need to do things differently. The greatest urban visions allow for people — even future generations — to be a part of them, while still having character and direction. Like the famous Fingerplan for Copenhagen or BIG’s dryline. It is all about striking a balance and foster concepts that are both stringent enough to mean something — and yet open enough to encourage interpretation and creativity. The challenge, of course, remains: How to turn the vision into useful and friendly design and construction. But a real and engaging vision is a great place to start.
A vision to remember: A vision that strikes the balance between clarity and openness is the Dryline developed by BIG with One Architecture & Urbanism. The project is an answer to Manhattan’s geographical vulnerability to coastal flooding. The vision turns the infrastructural need for water protection into a public asset, creating a rich catalogue of public spaces, parks, civic activities, pavilions, commercial program and more. As such, the Dryline is a clear vision, yet the actualisation of it will include a variety of subdesigns, engaging local communities, stakeholders and public offices. A clear vision, yes, but not a monolithic, monotheistic designer’s dream. Rather an assemblage of ideas, woven together in a massive co-creation of parts that will eventually constitute southern Manhattan’s full coastal protection.
3. Consider the culture of infrastructure
We have to explore the relations between culture and movement! An essential element in the art of planning is considering how the infrastructural nodes in a city or a building influence our lives. The public transportation hubs, the schools and shopping opportunities define the flows and thereby the culture of everyday life. That is why we need to adress how we knit cultural quality into places of daily transportation or movement. The train stations, the bus, the supermarket — and soon the EV charging stations and driverless vehicles — are all crucial sites for human activity. Let’s explore ambitious designs to make these essential sites more human and visionary.
Infrastructure to empower culture: Caracas, Venezuela, is the home of an inspiring case of infrastructure building. The informal settlements around the city are generally very poorly connected with the center. In the area of San Augustin a cable car was introduced by Urban Think-Tank and in 2010 it was constructed as an alternative to building roads that would have destroyed up till 30% of the local housing. The stations were proposed as home for different social functions in the community. An great example of an infrastructural intervention designed to fit and empower the cultural context.
4. Develop the Culture of Planning
The agents that form our cities and public spaces need to be creative and capable of seeking synergies and considering quality — rather than just acting based on automatism, legal frameworks or commercial structures. The interaction between public administration and other stakeholders — developers, associations, institutions — needs to be staged in a more inspirational and efficient way. The role of bureaucracy in this context must change accordingly. Rather than just being perceived as law-enforcers, the bureaucrats should be seen as a creative force. What we build is never better than the people and cultures around the table.
5. Consider the Fourth Dimension
Time and temporality needs to be considered carefully in planning! The precious art of planning and architecture is mostly handled by people who engage with the world through two or three dimensions. We need to consider the use of space in time much more seriously. Both in terms of intensifying the use of already existing buildings — sharing more, using spaces smartly, reusing infrastructure. And in the long run: We need to consider how urbanity matures and how capable we are of transforming rather than destroying existing built fabric. Not only is this key to minimizing our carbon footprint, it’s also essential to the development of cities with textures that testify to previous experiences and lives that precede the bubble of the present.