Exploring the urban enviroment and technological change in the discourse of urban design

Abstract

The intention of this exercise is to investigate a specific area in the growing field of urban design. while learning in the process. As urban design is one of the practices that are directly affected by the pressures resulting from the current fast changes in our environments, it will be useful and fascinating to explore this dimension in the discourse. The theme of the discourse is therefore to reflect on the different thoughts and deal with the continual change in the Urban Environment that is resulting from technological advancements.

Technology is generally discussed as the human mastery in perfecting the tools by which humans attempt to control their environments. Therefore the Urban Environment is presented to be the reflection of human level of technological success. The thesis hence revises the understanding of the Urban Environment. It emphasizes the fact that the Urban Environment is a continually transforming entity, whereby urban designers are expected to continually come to terms with the emerging new lifestyles, due to changing technology and its impact on the structures of urban environments.

While sharing the view that respects the values of the past (that have continued to shape human urban environments), this study advocates the maintenance of some sort of balance in design approaches, to also allow the accommodation of new technological environments. The study includes experimenting on reasonably bold but plausible design ideas. In doing so the exercise hopes to provide a stage for discussions and provoke innovative thinking by urban designers, that will be useful to the discourse of urban design.