Livenarch 2001 / Liveable Environments and Architecture and Sustainable Development
4- 7 July 2001 / KTU - TRABZON - TURKEY

Nature, Cities, Architecture and Sustainable Development
Dear Colleague,

It can be suggessted that the time of grand narratives, whether of great religions or powerful monarchs with their “ fundemental” rules of the good, the right or the beautiful, is over. Parallel with this, societies identified by geography, belief systems or racial charecteristics are largely becoming a thing of the past.

As we enter the 21st Century, population growth, urbanization, production-for-production-sake, conspicuous consumption and information and communication technologies constitute the main parameters militating against ecological balance. Energy resources are fast diminishing while environmental pollution and degradation is reaching intolerable levels.

Globalization is eradicating cultural differences. Metropolitan centers are deciding in the name of ‘humankind' . New housing areas are largely failing to provide the much-needed habitats. Functional imperatives are destroying the integrity of cities while big capital mercilessly hastens the deterioration of what lies behind the shiny facades of the main street. The plunder of the coasts is almost competing with the disappearance of the agricultural land. In short, the future prospects of humanity is at risk as it has never been before.

Architecture is an inevitable part of this process. Rapidity of the growth of certain commercial centers (shopping malls, trade centers, fast food restaurants, leisure complexes) is taking over the development of cities.

Planning too is loosing its moderating role and paradoxically, is becoming the management of unplanned growth. The scope of architectural practice too is getting narrower and more fragmented. Various building trades, i.e., construction professions, quasi-social sciences, business administration- are taking over the core of building design and production. Traditional art-based design practice is becoming a thing of the past.

With these developments in mind, architectural research, practice and decision making have to reconsider their responsibilities. In this endeavor, ‘scientific' knowledge and approaches could lend a helping hand.

The key to understanding environmental quality and appropriateness lies in an understanding of human purpose, action and roles. All architectural elements have their own places in the integrity of architectural whole. Dynamic or static aspects, continuity and change, tradition and evolution are inseparable dimensions of the quality of the built form. What, on the other hand, ensures the livability of cities is to do with the degree to which cities cater for all sections of the urban population (old,young, children, disabled, women,etc.,). Their inalienable right to proper living environments is the main dimension on which a sustainable future can be constructed.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS