OIKONET - COTTBUS WORKSHOP 2015

 These are some ideas derived from the presentations from Monday morning:

1. “Growing” and “Shrinking” seem to be terms coming from the field of economy which convey quantitative values – assets, shares, benefits, production, all of these grow and shrink as a result of the activity the financial/economic system. Cities reflect these fluctuations of the economic system, sometimes in a very visible way: as investors focus in one area, the building stock grows accordingly (e.g. more and taller buildings quickly arise in the in the skyline of the cities; new cities emerge). But, should architecture and urban planning be guided by these quantitative indicators? Are there other values which are not amenable to quantification? How do we measure “better” architecture or “better” planned cities?

2. Growing and shrinking are two simultaneous phenomena which take place at the global scale: the growth in a local area might give rise to the shrinkage in another one. The fact that one has an effect on another makes creates a relationship between both. Growth/Shrinkage is a global phenomenon by which urban areas come into relationship, making a network of interrelated flows (of people, goods, and ideas). Also, growing and shrinking can take place simultaneously within a city which is growing or shrinking. There are parts of so-called “growing” cities which are receding; and there are parts of “shrinking” cities which are actually growing. Growth/Shrinkage is, therefore, a recursive pattern.

3. Growing and shrinking is a multidimensional phenomenon, of multiple dimensions: economic and cultural; architectural and urban. Therefore, it cannot be reduced to an “architectural” or “urban” problem; it is not just a matter of giving form to public spaces, or providing flexible and adaptable floor plan layouts. It also involves multiple scales, from the domestic to the public, from building design to regional planning.

4. What is the role of the architect/planner in front of this phenomena? Which other actors should participate in the process of guiding a growth/shrinkage process towards certain goals? Who is defining those goals? Which skills should the architect/planner develop to interact with other stakeholders in this collaborative process?