Kapern

How do resilient structures of future cities look like? In my article I discuss ways to reframe those structures. The German city of Freiburg is an enlightening case study, because it has accomplished a turn-around: After years of focussing on developing new neighbourhoods like world-famous Vauban, it started a process of rethinking the structures of the whole urban landscape, including inner city areas, neighbourhoods and villages, infrastructures and forests. The goal was not to turn the whole city upside down but to find a spatial vision, hotspots for restructuring and spatial strategies all striving to operate as inspiring guidelines for the process of transformation. For the success of such an endeavour it is crucial to develop new housing areas and new open spaces in one go. Each new building project has to be associated with a new park, an improved public square or a new sports ground. This might seem impossible in an urban landscape that becomes denser, but the restructuring of a city generates new spaces: Former parking lots can become a park if the new houses incorporate the carports. Unused roadside greenery can become open green spaces if new sound-proof buildings are added along the street.

ZukunftStadt_HenrikSchultz