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
| Apr 8, 2014
Understanding value billing vs. conventional billing
Every company is a sum of the value it delivers to its clients. What differs from one company to the next is how that value is delivered and perceived. All too often, it is based solely on the fee you charge.
| Apr 8, 2014
Science, engineering find common ground on the Northeastern University campus [slideshow]
The new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building is designed to maximize potential of serendipitous meetings between researchers.
| Apr 8, 2014
40 Under 40 winners: Meet the contractors
Of the up-and-coming AEC professionals to be named to the class of 2014, nine make their living as contractors.
| Apr 7, 2014
40 Under 40 winners: Meet the architects
Of the up-and-coming AEC professionals to be named 40 Under 40 winners by the editors of Building Design+Construction, 21 make their living in the architecture profession.
| Apr 4, 2014
$25 million Orion Jet Center designed by SchenkelShultz now open
As the centerpiece of the 45-acre campus, which is its first phase of a planned 215-acre mixed-use development, the 18,000 square foot executive terminal facility offers spacious passenger areas, administrative space, an executive suite, rental car kiosk, catering and a cafe.
| Apr 3, 2014
Security, accountability, and cloud access: Can you really have it all?
I’ve heard countless stories of conversations between project engineers and IT professionals who can’t come to an agreement on the level of security needed to protect their data while making it more accessible—not only externally, but also internally.
| Apr 2, 2014
The new model of healthcare facility management
A growing number of healthcare organizations are moving to an integrated real estate model in an effort to better manage costs, respond to regulatory requirements, and support changes in patient care delivery.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Apr 2, 2014
Check out the stunning research facility just named 2014 Lab of the Year [slideshow]
NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility takes top honors in R&D Magazine's 48th annual lab design awards.
| Apr 1, 2014
The risks of mismatched fire-rated assemblies
Mismatched fire-rated glass and framing happens more often than you think. Failing to confirm that the tested and listed performance capabilities of the framing system match those of the glazing can create a financial nightmare for the entire building team.