The city reimagined: why in design, ecology matters
Cities across the world seem to buckle under the strain of the pandemic. Here are some takeaways from Asia, where designers grapple every day with ecological loss and risk, within a pressure cooker of density.
THERE is much talk these days of a post-pandemic city, one better prepared for future crises. Some say it needs more social space; others, new ways of working and commuting. There is great interest in health, understandably. Should we expand green space? Or make buildings work harder at keeping us safe? Each idea, up close, makes perfect sense.
Stepping back, however, it is clear just how invested we are in a particular way of thinking. We take a problem, break it down, focus on a part and make that better. In the process, we miss the forest for the trees - sometimes, literally. This really is a problem of how we define a problem.
Some 60 years ago, American author and activist Jane Jacobs, asked "(what) kind of problem the city is."
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