"General to almost any Indian city is the issue of who owns the city."
"The new informality is part of the most advanced forms of contemporary capitalism."
"Planning and bold visions are back again."
"How can we do no harm in urban design?"
"We have to make forgiving infrastructure."
"The city here is not about grand design but about grand adjustment."
"Planning is becoming more reactive rather than being proactive."
"Charm is not enough. Buildings do not do anything on their own."
"What is the meaning of community or neighbourliness in a fluid society like this?"
The Urban Age project extends its interdisciplinary investigation to the process of urbanisation in South America with a conference in São Paulo to be held in December 2008 as the conclusion of a year-long period of research and analysis. Apart from addressing the significant structural changes affecting Brazil's largest city and major economic powerhouse - with a growing population of over 19 million it is today the 5th largest city in the world - the Urban Age will explore urban trends in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Bogotá and Lima offering a regional perspective on the key social, spatial and economic issues underlying urban growth in South America.
Compared to the unprecedented levels of urbanisation currently being experienced in Asia and Africa, many South American cities have consolidated their growth and settlement patterns over the last decades. From Bogota to Curitiba, a number of South American cities already have demonstrated leadership in addressing environmental and social sustainability in the developing world. Others like São Paulo, Rio and Buenos Aires are tackling social exclusion and the problems associated with the widening income gap with new policies and governance structures aimed at delivering more sustainable urban environments. While the barrios and favelas continue to grow, there are initiatives aimed a 'retrofitting' these informal settlements into more inclusive and stable places for people to live. more...
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01/08/2008
'Integrated City Making' press release
Endless Cities, Infinite Paradoxes by Aisha Motlani - Expressmilwaukee.com
From Busway to BRT by Dario Hidalgo - The City Flix
Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award, São Paulo - Call for Entries / Inscrições
Parallels in Mumbai by wcunite -Walking Classes Unite!
