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Economic forces persistently trump the social and human factors in favour of treating buildings solely as assets to be draped in billboards and neglected when times get tough. Political inconsistency undermines our ability to translate policies into long-term projects and to see these through to completion. Constant changes in focus within government inevitably alter the focus of the city and make it harder to deal with critical issues like restitution. A disregard for natural environmental considerations a nd oppor t u n it ies erodes t he ver y fou ndat ions of susta inable sett lement development. A reas such as Johannesburg and Soweto could capitalise and preserve their watercourses as ecological footprints which could form the sort of urban planning green areas that make the likes of Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens and New York’s Central Park such outstanding features. Instead, developers have been allowed to build right up to river banks, in spite of possible ecological concerns. There are other evolving considerations of which architects should also be aware, such as mankind’s growing technological addiction, which creates opportunities to re-think social congregation through interventions like free Wi-Fi coupled to public spaces. In Argentina, free Wi-Fi has resulted in city squares and parks filled with young people on their cellphones or interacting. It is impossible to ignore this new force shaping our society.
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Listen and learn While adaptation is critical, fundamental human needs continue to underpin the essence of good architecture – and that begins with a sense of belonging and community. This is
“While adaptation is critical, fundamental human needs continue to underpin the essence of good architecture – and that begins with a sense of belonging and community.”
