FUTURE VISIONS
Imagining what liveable and successful cities of the future should be is of course full of uncertainities. Changing economic, social, political and demographic circumstances can impact significantly on key elements of what makes a city vibrant, dynamic and desirable as a place to live. But in the short to medium term, despite these unknowns, there ARE already important aspects of the future.
With less than 1.5% of the built environment in Britain being new each year, by 2030 more than 80% of the existing built environment will continue to exist and be occupied, and by 2050 well over 50% will remain. Many of the people who currently reside in cities and communities in cities will continue to be part of that community for many years, actively shaping its character and attractiveness.
As part of the resilient and sustainable communities research, the team are exploring different dimensions of what the future of communities and cities might look like. Our first project, started in 2012, is exploring the ways in future visions of four contrasting communities in Scotland have been generated, represented and shared, and how these visions have themselves been re-defined through the process of realisation. Funded through the Gebbie Legacy to the University of Strathclyde, this research reveals the dynamic way in which communities and other stakeholders shape and reshape visions.
As cities change, understanding how some elements of the urban landscape are maintained and preserved into the future has become increasingly important both in terms of building community identities and cultural resonances, and urban economic base for tourism. The function such built heritage in helping to define the character of places has increasing relevance to contemporary and future cities. Funded by the AHRC in 2014, we are exploring how design SMEs can have a greater involvement in maintaining the built heritage, and how they can offer innovative perspectives to an 'industry' dominated by large commercial and public organisations in relation to architectural design, city planning and heritage management.
Imagining what liveable and successful cities of the future should be is of course full of uncertainities. Changing economic, social, political and demographic circumstances can impact significantly on key elements of what makes a city vibrant, dynamic and desirable as a place to live. But in the short to medium term, despite these unknowns, there ARE already important aspects of the future.
With less than 1.5% of the built environment in Britain being new each year, by 2030 more than 80% of the existing built environment will continue to exist and be occupied, and by 2050 well over 50% will remain. Many of the people who currently reside in cities and communities in cities will continue to be part of that community for many years, actively shaping its character and attractiveness.
As part of the resilient and sustainable communities research, the team are exploring different dimensions of what the future of communities and cities might look like. Our first project, started in 2012, is exploring the ways in future visions of four contrasting communities in Scotland have been generated, represented and shared, and how these visions have themselves been re-defined through the process of realisation. Funded through the Gebbie Legacy to the University of Strathclyde, this research reveals the dynamic way in which communities and other stakeholders shape and reshape visions.
As cities change, understanding how some elements of the urban landscape are maintained and preserved into the future has become increasingly important both in terms of building community identities and cultural resonances, and urban economic base for tourism. The function such built heritage in helping to define the character of places has increasing relevance to contemporary and future cities. Funded by the AHRC in 2014, we are exploring how design SMEs can have a greater involvement in maintaining the built heritage, and how they can offer innovative perspectives to an 'industry' dominated by large commercial and public organisations in relation to architectural design, city planning and heritage management.