VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

“When we look at the most beautiful towns and cities of the past, we are always impressed by a feeling that they are somehow organic” (Alexander, 1987)
Old cities possess an inherent organic quality that imbues them with a distinct character, rendering each space inimitable from the other. This quality seems to be lacking in today’s cities thereby creating a series of monotonous spaces that is devoid of any identity. Through this study we try to understand what parameters define the identity of a space, what gives it a sense of character and how this can be integrated in future city designs. According to David Canter, the identity obtained by a space is not merely the outcome of its physical attributes but rather the result of the activities revolving around the space and thus the conception of the place embedded into the minds of people. Once this relationship is established, the paper explores on how these places interrelate to one another on a macro level to form a series of patterns. These patterns further grow in an organic manner that cannot be purely defined by its physical attributes but rather by social interactions and participative process. This brings about the concept of ‘Socially Restorative Urbanism’ which places human experience at the forefront of how urban places are designed. It emphasises the importance of local communities in the process of urban place making by using participative process to address the imbalance in territorial relationships along transitional edges giving rise to a more human-oriented framework for designing urban spaces.