Cities Gone Wild!

Architects form the University of British Columbia are calling on cities to "go wild" -- mainly by integrating ecological features into the cityscape to make it more self-contained. The result would be both sustainable and exciting, they say.

1 minute read

January 24, 2009, 7:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg

"Their proposal is based on seven tenets that run the gamut from buildings that multitask as homes, offices, farms and reefs to facades reshaped with warps, folds and hollows."

"The hypothetical result of this schematic approach, say Fujita and Soules, is a future city that's not only ecologically self-contained, but also much more exciting to live in."

"The EcoMet tenets can be applied to any generic modern metropolis, but use Vancouver as a laboratory and inspiration, partly because Fujita and Soules live and work here. The city also has plenty of raw material close by, what with all the stray coyotes and nearby marine life."

"What's more -- and there's no polite way to put this -- Vancouver could really use the help: it has become an architectural monoculture, the urban equivalent of a tree farm."

FULL STORY: Is Your City Boring? Make It Wild

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 in The Tyee

Architecture Environment Landscape Architecture World Cities Agriculture Ecology View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.