INDUSTRY FOCUS
URBAN
A playful approach to addressing urban challenges
TINKERING
We are in the midst of a rapid rise in urbanism . Since 1900 , the global urban population has increased from 200 million to 3.9 billion in 2014 . In 2050 , this figure is expected to reach 6.4 billion . Cities are experiencing the impacts of climate change more frequently and more intensely . Conventional urban infrastructure and landscape design emphasised single-use structures and facilities . However , this approach creates lock-in situations in which urban infrastructure and landscapes persist across decades and centuries . The current urban infrastructure and landscape are not able to withstand the pressures of a rapidly changing social , technical and ecological environment . We need to rethink our approach towards designing our cities . An urban tinkering approach may be a key component in the solution towards designing more resilient and sustainable cities .
WHAT IS URBAN TINKERING ? Urban ( loosely defined here as town / city ) tinkering ( loosely defined here as the attempt to repair or improve something in a casual manner ) is a conceptual framework that facilitates the collaboration between multiple stakeholders in the planning , implementing , monitoring and adjustment of urban infrastructure and landscape projects . The framework ‘ seeks to transform the use of existing – and the design of new – urban systems in ways that diversify their functions , anticipate new uses , and enhance adaptability to better meet the social , economic and ecological needs of cities …’
One of the main strengths of an urban tinkering approach , as compared to the conventional approach to urban infrastructure and landscape design , is in its ability to produce adaptive and multi-functional solutions ( refer to Table 1 ).
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