C.) Side-effects:
Environment
The publication LIMITS TO GROWTH and BLUEPRINT FOR SURVIVAL,
along with the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in
Stockholm (we presented our Borealis Program there), heralded world-wide
attention to the environmental crisis. Whether or not we accept the imminent
danger to mankind's existence which many authorities forecast, we still cannot
escape the realization that our planet is finite, having limited land and
resources, nor the change in priorities that such a realization demands Though
we may see ourselves as the pinnacle of creation, we are still a part of the
world and we depend on it for our life. Therefore we, along with other living
creatures, must respect the laws governing all members of an ecosystem and must
seek an urban ecology which is in balance with the natural environment.
The idea of an Urban Ecology is relatively new and we have
not yet reached the full extent of its meaning in our lives. We know that the
city must have a determined limit of growth which we must respect, that
recycling (both internal and external) must be an integral part of our life
systems, and that we must consider the impact on the environment before acting.
Research along these lines needs to be brought together and applied in all urban
development, for no new city or development must be initiated without regard for
ecological principles. It is the basic approach which directs every study and
program of our projects.
Urban Life
If we are to understand or define the experiences of urban
humans, we must agree first of all on what is intrinsic about urban life. In
considering the historical role of the city, we see it as the medium and
catalyst of all the transformations and adaptations of humankind, outside of
which cultural context we can hardly imagine such an evolution taking place at
such a pace, if even at all. From this we conclude that the city is the place
"par excellence" where man meets man. This experience of man meeting
man takes place in three main areas: service areas (shops, cultural centres,
etc.) , net-works of circulation (streets, walk-ways, etc.), and open places
(plazas, terraces, parks, etc.). It is the latter two of these experiences which
has been neglected in our present cities and requires careful attention if our
cities · shall remain viable centres of community
interaction and creative expression.
We are all so accustomed to North American cities that few of
us realize the great extent of our poverty of kinesthetic experience of the
urban space. We leave our homes to be constantly threatened by ubiquitous
aggressors - the automobile. The noise and smell emitted from trucks, cars, or
street repair render the experience of walking in our streets most unpleasant,
if not sometimes impossible. We are forced to seek refuge in our own automobiles
and drive them through streets we don't even see. Indeed, empty lots, abandoned
cars and dumped trash, factories with their accompanying wastes, a plethora of
neon signs, parking lots - these familiar sights are hardly worth noticing.
As Canadians look again for a quality of life, they flock
into streets and malls which have no cars, which allow them to walk at ease, to
see people, to chat with friends, to enjoy the scene. This is yet a long way
from the total kinesthetic experience which is possible in city streets: the
evolvement of sight, sound, smell, and touch. The Latin Quarter in Paris where
cars are blocked off, as well as hundreds of smaller Southern European towns and
villages, exemplifies such a total experience. Through sound and smell alone a
blind person could give an amazingly accurate description of the happenings and
places he passes along the street: the cafes, the patisserie, ethnic
restaurants, open-markets -- all have distinctive smells and sounds, as well as
sights. The overwhelming popularity of these places by North American tourists
makes a strong case for the value of such a total kinesthetic experience and the
richness it gives to city life.
In 1971 the Vincent Massey Awards for Excellence in the Urban
Environment identified one category worthy of award as "Central
Places", which they described as "places that give shape and focus and
purpose to the environment." One such award was made to Nathan Phillips
Square in Toronto, with the following among the jury comments: "Toronto
could not have claimed a place among the great cities of the world until it
possessed a public gathering-place of such noble scale. It compares with the
Agora or Forum of an ancient classical city, or with a European Piazza or Grande
Place." Intrinsic within urban life therefore in not only the experience of
people in daily affairs in their own streets, but also the open places which
give focus to the city and offer central places of meeting, activity, or simply
casual enjoyment of the flow of life.
The role of technology in achieving these goals is extremely
important. In order to give the streets of a city back to man, sophisticated
transit systems must be installed to ensure the optimum automobility while at
the same time removing the pollution, annoyance, congestion, and dangers to our
present systems. In order to make these streets and central places viable
throughout the year, protection devices must be utilized which cover these areas
from rain or snow, yet allow them to be open in fine weather. Such technologies
exist, but they must be brought together and used. In using them we can open the
way to a more total urban experience.
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