THE CITIES
URBAN RENEWAL
· Berlin Wall to become
new entertainment center
The former wasteland that divided East and West Berlin, Germany, is being completely rebuilt as a commercial and entertainment centre. The Reichstag is being revamped, the largest part of the Potsdammer Platz is being replanned and office complex is planned for Sony.
· Acclaimed architects design
a Eurolille complex
The first phase of building at Lille, France was recently finished. The vast urban complex includes conference and concert halls, an office tower, a mall and a hotel. Acclaimed architects Jean Novel, Claude Vasconi and Christian de Portzamparc have all contributed to the designs.
ECO CITIES
· Curitiba Brazil is one of
the world’s sustainable cities
Curitiba, Brazil, is one of the world’s best examples of a sustainable city. Every day, buses carry 900,000 passengers, about two thirds of the city’s population. Recycling is encouraged through residents being able to trade every six bags of refuse for one bag of food. In addition, about 1,000 ‘cart people’ go from door to door picking up rubbish which can be sold at recycling centers.
· The Australian ecocity
with underground malls
The PEOPL Group has planned an environmental city of the future in New South Wales, Australia. A collection of ecovillages will be built on the Pacific coast within easy reach of each other and a Central Business District (CBD) accessible by bicycle. Private amphibious vehicles will be able to get to underground malls via traffic conduits and a street canal system. Electricity will be generated from a hydro dam.
· The Mirage City project
by the South China seas
Off the Southern coast of China lies a 400 hectare (988 acres) island created by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki that will host Haisha, the Mirage City. Designed to incorporate innovative technologies, it is due to be completed before 2010.
VISIONARY CITIES
· Japan’s Aerial City is
linked by colossal curves
Japanese architect Shei Yoh has designed plans for the Daikoku Pier at Aerial City in Yokohama, Japan, which include a road 5 m above the four buildings themselves, in the shape of a cube, a cylinder, an upside down pyramid and a tripod, while elevated transport grids will eliminate the need for roads so that the natural environment can re-emerge at ground level.
· Singapore is set to
win the Asian info race
The race between Singapore, KualaLumpur, Malaysia, and, to a lesser extent, Bangalore, India, to create the new info hub of Asia looks as if it will be won by Singapore which is luring many new technology and information companies with its Singapore One Project. Aiming to be the world’s first intelligent island by 2000, the government plans to connect every home and business to a high speed network which will provide home banking, legal and telemedicine services.
