Architecture Urban Space and Architecture Essay

Ecological urbanism is, as Mostafavi describes it, a "sense of sensibilities' that specifically influence urban design and development in a way that will more effectively address the growing number and diversity of urban community needs.

Ecological urbanism is thus a conscious architectural and design trend that addresses the issues exposed more spontaneously by practices classified as everyday urbanism.

Le Parc de la Villette

The Parc de la Villette in Paris, France was designed by Bernard Tschumi and constructed in the 1980s and early 1990s, and can in many ways be seen as an early example of the trends of ecological urbanism and even everyday urbanism to various degrees.

Located at the edge of the city on land that was formerly occupied by slaughterhouses and other industrial structures, the park was part of a very deliberately designed urban renewal project meant to provide public space that was culturally relevant and accessible while also serving a great deal of practical utility for the people of the neighborhood.

The red industrial-looking "follies" -- structures that originally had no truly functional purpose but that served as both landmarks for navigating the park and diversions for the more playfully minded -- are one of its most striking features, and show the definite conscious blend of the urban environment with the need for open spaces and multiple levels of usefulness.

In recent years, however, certain follies have been renovated, redesigned, and/or expanded in order to accommodate a variety of amenities including restaurants and other businesses as well as public services, and though these conscious design changes have been very much planned and approved by official bodies they are still somewhat representative of the appropriation of urban landscapes that Crawford discusses in "Everyday Urbanism."

Conclusion

The aesthetics and the utilitarian needs of urban communities will continue to evolve in response to current design trends as well as cultural and societal changes. The principles of ecological urbanism and everyday urbanism are not really specific to any design aesthetic or even any particular use, and are in fact by definition adaptive and evolving frameworks meant to enable reactions to such changes. It will be quite exciting to see where these emerging and evolving trends take urban landscapes over the next decades.

M. Crawford. (Year). "Everyday Urbanism." pg. 19.

M. Crawford. (Year). "Everyday Urbanism." pg. 19.

M. Crawford. (Year). "Everyday Urbanism." pg. 24

M. Crawford. (Year). "Everyday Urbanism."

M. Mostafavi. (Year). Ecological Urbanism, pg. 24.

M. Mostafavi. (Year). Ecological Urbanism.

M. Mostafavi. (Year). Ecological Urbanism, pg. 24.

Galinsky. (2006). "Le Parc de la Villette." http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/villette/

Galinsky. (2006). "Le Parc de la Villette." http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/villette/

Galinsky. (2006). "Le Parc de la Villette." http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/villette/

Galinsky. (2006). "Le Parc de la Villette." http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/villette/

M. Crawford. (Year). "Everyday Urbanism.".....