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Urban Design presentation – Sanne Kassenberg

European Cities in Competition and the new ‘Uses’ of Urban DesignAspa Gospodini

Introduction

Globalisation causes the cities to be incapable of directing their economies and interaction with other economies.

This causes a rearranging of the distribution of opportunities and income.

“Europe is becoming a community of cities rather than a community of nations and/or countries.”

- Simioforidis, 1998, p. 114

Cities form a overlapping and flexible hierarchie.

This means a competition between cities is starting about who has the most influence.

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Potential of Urban Design for economic development of cities

Wealthy cities used to get better urban design after becoming wealthy.

Currently the cities get economical growth by good use of urban design.

There is a fight for capital investments because cities are interchangeable, location and physical infrastructure

have no influence anymore.

Urban governments need to makke cities attractive to possible firms and cities need tomake inducements to secure development.

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Potential of Urban Design for economic development of cities

A lot of cities use urban regeneration to change the appearance of their city.

Flexibility is the most important part to stay on top of the hierarchy.

To win the constant battle you either have to:1) Be fast with response to the market

(short gains by acting on the needs)2) Masterminding the market shifts

(long gains by manipulating the market)

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Classes and groups of european cities

There are 3 major groups according to CEC, divided by their population

Metropolitan cities

Larger citiesold core/expanded new coreperiphery

Smaller citiesold core/expanded new coreperipheryspecial characteristicswithout indigenous resources for development

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Metropolitan cities

1980 – 1990 was the economic renaissance for metropolitan cities.

Economic sectors moved and that caused reurbanisation.

Metropolitan cities constantly attract corporates because of their prodominance

Either manipulating the market or reacting to the market very quick works for these cities.

Prestigious and symbolic urban landscape are the fitting urban design.

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Larger cities

1950 – 1960 Growth in concentrated economy and extensive urbanisation

1970 – 1980 All went downhill because of spacial disadventages and diseconomiesThis made the larger cities less attractive, so the environment had to be updated

Regenerating the local economy had been done by producing new space for economy and lively uses by redevelopment, renewal, reconstruction and urban space

Larger cities make an effort to accomodate major international events, such as the olympic games. This is a catalyst for improving environment

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Smaller cities

1970 – 1980 Due to the counter urbanization the smaller cities flourished and grew rapidly.

The diseconomies the larger cities have were not there in the smaller cities, this caused a decentralization of some economic sectors.

Thanks to improvement in transport, telecommunication and computer technology therewas easier access to high-order services and the companies could spread

Maintenance and enhancement of the quality of urban space are keyfactors for smaller cities

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Future of specific smaller cities

Old core / expanded new core smaller citiesThey will be integrated in the urban system succesfully because of the location,

the maintenance of the quality is the most important to protect againstthe possible danger of rapid development.

Smaller cities with special characteristicsThese will continue to grow succesfully, the selling product is the environment so

the quality of the urban environment is keyActing to the market is good when it does not change the characteristics.

Smaller cities in the peripheryBecause of the structural weaknesses these have constraints for integration

With the right recourses a small city in the periphery can compete,but there are a lot of difficulties for these cities.

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Conclusion

Urban design has a significant impact on economic development of european cities in all classes

The key factor for most of these cities is avant-garde design and large scale inventions to control the cities future

Metropolitan cities can create ingenious landscapes and small peripherical cities can change intotourism resources to handle the problems

This brings up some issues such as how does this design fit with the ‘locale’ of the city anddoes it destroy the identity of the place

Visual artifacts and social structure represent a city and create new space for public structure, which could reinforce identity

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Conclusion

Reinforcing the identity creates strong images. This gives a strong place identity for a city and a

new space in public culture

Metroplitan cities should produce spaces for cultural hegemony and internationalize the city.

Small peripheral cities should transform urban space morphology into a tourist attraction

This could lead to an identity crisis because of the immigration of new people with their own cultures

But if everybody works on the reurbanization of a city it could work out in solidarity,pride and loyalty to the city.

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