PART 1 Current issues and opportunities. Part 2 will address what should be done
Cities change and survive (most of the time)
Except for a few famous losses such as Atlantis, Babylon or Troy (the latter didn't believe Cassandra's predictions) cities have a good track record of survival, no matter that their primary functions shifted many times: from being a fortress to being marketplaces, centers of trade, industrial production or money trading. Each time shape and architecture changed but the city remained. Urbanization has been a global trend throughout time with ever larger cities and agglomerations as a result. In the 20th century the American citywith its downtown office skyline has become a global model.
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The North American Downtown, a skyline of office towers:
Denver, CO (Photo: Philipsen) |
And now this:
"The sad state of office buildings could cause something called the "doom loop." Yes, the doom loop". (Slate)
"Traditional downtowns are dead or dying in many US cities" (the Conversation)
The 'death of downtown' may have hit Middle America. Here's how remote work has not only hurt coastal cities - but places such as St. Louis and Cleveland, too (
Moneywise)
Is the time of the office dominated downtown made in the USA at the end of its bloom? Will the office tower mutate from being the READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
A personal note:
My last article about Transportation was taken down for allegedly "violating community standards". No specific explanation was given.
It may be a good time to express whether you see posting my urban design articles here as appropriate. I am dedicated to accurate information with links to all the sources I am using. Feedback to date in this space has been positive.
Klaus
Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects