Title: Marat-Mendes, T.(2017), Mapping the actuality of the theorectical foundations of contemporary urban form thinkers, AESOP 2017 - Spaces of Dialog for Places of Dignity, Lisboa, JUL 11-14, 2017.

Date: 2017

Publisher: AESOP 2017 - Spaces of Dialog for Places of Dignity

Link: N.A.

Publication type: Publication in conference proceedings

Research Project: N.A.

Abstract: Over the past two decades, a number of researches has conducted several studies about the effects of the changing environments and ecosystems, while revealing that many of the environmental problems that affect society are directly or indirectly related to issues of urban lifestyles and consumption patterns (WCED, 1987, Echenique et al. ,2012). Furthermore, these are seen to have far-reaching and long-term effects, not only within the urban areas, but also on their entire surrounding regions (Rees, 1994; Kennedy et al., 2011; and Niza et al., 2016). The relationship between urban form and lifestyles appears to be central to both the field of knowledge of urban design, urban culture and the topic of sustainability. If one accepts that changes of lifestyles are crucial to the achievement of sustainability, and that sustainability is as germane to the control of environmental disorders as is suggested in various European and other international directives (UN-HABITAT, 2012; WCED, 1987, the EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020), it is important that all those that embrace the field of urban design should reflect on how to pursue their role in the search for sustainability. This presentation aims to contribute to a reflection on how urban design can contribute in an effective manner to a sustainable urban environment, while exposing the results of an ongoing research that seeks to identify the actuality of the seminal foundations that have guided the urban designers that are today engaged with the study of urban form. The results of a selected number of interviews has allowed organizing a first systematization of such identified theoretical foundations, and therefore provides a first analysis about their current relevance, having in mind the environmental, economical and social changes that have affect the contemporary world. The results of this research aim to contribute with an identification of the current approaches to urban design, mostly in Europe, while identifying their limitations and opportunities, under the light of a sustainable urban future.