Architecture and Urbanism
August 2021
The invention of the stream engine heralded the dawn of the (First) Industrial Revolution which subsequently transformed agriculture-based societies in the 18th century into industrial base societies.
Manufacturing of goods moved from small shops and homes into factories. This shift brought about profound changes in the way society was organised; in particular, the movement of large numbers of people from villages to towns and cities. This subsequently laid the foundation for a distinction in the spatial paradigm of living, working and recreation. The notion of urbanity and mobility consequently emerged.
In the twenty-first century, the dual trend of rapid urbanisation and advanced technological innovation defined new characteristics in cities. Noteworthy is the diversity and constant shift in the dynamic equilibrium. They transformed all existing conditions of living (stay), production (creating, making, manufacturing), knowledge, consumption, distribution and movement (mobility and transportation).
The transformation is a contest between the new and existing orders, new and ever newer orders. Present paradigms are no longer suited. They can no longer operate in the emergent order. This leads to disruption and chaos in the day-to-day functions of the economy.
Undoubtedly, no discussion of urbanism is complete without a discourse on the changing landscape of “live work play” in the emergent order. Monica Parker, in her contribution to The Guardian (25 Jun 2014), described five forces shaping the future of workplace and landscape, namely: Place, People, Transport, Technology and Culture. Each has a spatial-time dimension. Their interactions give meaning to physical forms and urban fabric. Unlike the past, contemporary physical forms are constantly adapting to changes as new orders seek dynamic equilibrium.
Place
The notion of ‘workplace’ has evolved. It is no longer just the traditional office. Places of work are everywhere from train stations, airport lounges, cafés, parks, homes, and anywhere one has wifi connection. The rigidity of formal physical office spaces has given way to informal social spaces where spontaneity is valued. Organic and fluid spaces are often associated with creativity, efficacy and productivity.
People
Changing characteristics of the workforce from permanent employment to short tenure employment have redefined the size and composition of a company workforce. Working in a congenial working environment is a major consideration in particular with the millennial generation.
Transportation
A major peeve for people living in the city is overcoming the commute between different places as they go about their day. A city must be able to best condense and densify all of the above needs, yet do so in a conducive and humane manner.
Technology
Technology is an enabler of greater mobility in the city to a great extent. Artificial Intelligence allows the collection, analysis and deployment of mass data to predict needs and model conditions. AI also refines transportation through analysing the movement of millions of commuters.
Culture (office practice)
The rise of flexible working and blending of home and work lives has turned the conventional idea of “culture of presenteeism” on its head in the workplace. The rise of co-working spaces and collaborative spaces with the ‘work anywhere’ phenomenon is remapping spatial practices and conditions.
The above forces are deeply interwoven and often manifest in varying forms and contexts.
The emergence of discourse on Smart City, Sustainable City, Environmental Consciousness, Future Proofing the world ecology leads to questions of “What is a City?” and “What is the Future City?”. Framing the questions of ‘city’ appropriately will undoubtedly require us to abandon the two-dimensional physical urban planning principles and architecture responses.
How then should we view the City in a different light? Is a city a speculative and ecological construction, formed by networks, layers of matrices, and network of nodes connected vertically (air space and subterranean space) and horizontally (traditionally termed urban, suburban and rural)? Is smartness only a function of logarithm (big data)? Or is there an underlying missing matrix of humanity that underscores the current state of disruption and chaos?
Defining and mapping urbanity requires both the tangible (urban fabrics) and intangible (social behaviour and cultural practices). At present, architectural discourse and stylistic focus tend to place too much emphasis on architecture as an iconic object to be celebrated and viewed from a distance. This results in buildings of the public realm becoming mere objects in space existing in silo, devoid of humanity and context. Buildings should be designed with consideration to its surroundings and to the larger urban context - after all, the city is an entire system. The outdoor spaces such as parks and streets that weave about the buildings form the circulation, creating movement and defining the character of the city. These are points of interactions - places that have hives of activity and human vagaries which bring vibrancy and life to any city.
I propose that present and future urban systems be envisioned under four themes:
The concept of statehood defined by urban planning and design, land use, mobility, social contract, community, and identity.
The City as a function of the new economy, technological advancement, and impact in the form of artificial intelligence. The enabling of a highly compact city in land utilisation and spatial optimization. Air rights, land rights, sea rights, and subterranean rights are interconnected rather than separated.
The impact of new sciences (materials and construction methods), information technology, and artificial intelligence on the urban fabric. This in turn leads to the transformation of social mobility, movement systems, and connectivity.
The City as an organism that grows and shrinks: an economy that expands with the young and growing population, and shrinks and hollows out due to an ageing population. Density, relevance and efficacy (stay), know-how and knowledge (production), cohesion and difference (tolerance and intolerance in community, ageing and well-being (living).