During the World Architecture Festival’s closing keynote speech, Canadian-Israeli architect Moshe Safdie criticized today’s urban planning and invited attendees and the larger community to “reflect that our planning tools are no longer adequate, that the way we have planned in the past is no longer effective,” Dezeen reported.
The festival took place in Singapore's Marina Bay Sands, which Safdie designed.
“The profession needs reorientation. I also think that our understanding of what urban design is all about [needs] reorientation,” Safdie added.
The 76-year-old sees skyscrapers and the privatization of public space to be the most problematic parts of modern city design. This privatization of the public realm leads to an erosion of urban connectivity, Dezeen wrote.
“The new typology is the superblock: a cluster of high-rise buildings of mixed use, sitting on a podium which is a retail mall. That’s the dominant typology of the mixed-use downtown area across Asia, across Latin America and emerging now in every part of the world.”
Dezeen has the full story.
Related Stories
Architects | Nov 28, 2017
Adding value through integrated technology requires a human touch
To help strike that delicate balance between the human and the high-tech, we must first have an in-depth understanding of our client’s needs as well as a manufacturer’s capabilities.
Architects | Nov 17, 2017
How to leverage historic tax credits
About 90% of the time prospective clients are not aware of historic tax credits.
Sponsored | Architects | Nov 16, 2017
Growing your AEC firm through an exceptional client experience
Many small AEC firms don’t feel they have the time to focus and create clear marketing messages.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 15, 2017
6 noteworthy multifamily developments: artists housing, tech lofts, resort-style senior living
These recently completed projects represent emerging trends and design innovations in the multifamily sector.
Architects | Nov 9, 2017
AECOM and Van Alen Institute announce four Urban SOS® 2017 finalists with bold ideas for creating more equitable cities
Multidisciplinary student teams were challenged to redefine the traditional “hour city” radius, providing broader access to opportunity.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 8, 2017
No place like home: LA’s The Six provides permanent supportive housing for veterans
The 52-unit development gives hope and dignity to homeless or disabled veterans and others in need.
Healthcare Facilities | Nov 6, 2017
Design isn’t enough to foster collaboration in healthcare and research spaces
A new Perkins Eastman white paper finds limited employee interaction at NYU Winthrop Hospital, a year after it opened.
Architects | Nov 6, 2017
How to start a negotiation: Begin as you mean to continue
How you start a negotiation often will determine where you end up, writes negotiation and mediation expert Brenda Radmacher.
Giants 400 | Nov 3, 2017
Top 25 military architecture firms
Jacobs, Michael Baker Intl., and HDR top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest military sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Engineers | Nov 2, 2017
CannonDesign expands its presence in Colorado with BWG acquisition
Future mergers could be in the offing.