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Marat-Mendes, T. (2017). Mapping the actuality of the theoretical foundations of contemporary urban form thinkers. AESOP 2017.

T. M. Marat-Mendes,  "Mapping the actuality of the theoretical foundations of contemporary urban form thinkers", in AESOP 2017, Lisboa, 2017

@misc{marat-mendes2017_1767000314293,
	author = "Marat-Mendes, T.",
	title = "Mapping the actuality of the theoretical foundations of contemporary urban form thinkers",
	year = "2017",
	howpublished = "Ambos (impresso e digital)",
	url = "http://aesop2017.pt/"
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - Mapping the actuality of the theoretical foundations of contemporary urban form thinkers
T2  - AESOP 2017
AU  - Marat-Mendes, T.
PY  - 2017
CY  - Lisboa
UR  - http://aesop2017.pt/
AB  - 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.

If one revisits the studies that contributed to the foundations of urban design, during the 1950’s and 1960’s, one can identify perspectives similar to those advocated by the United Nations report (UN-HABITAT, 2012), which includes the study of the human habitats and the processes that affect the on their evolution.  Such studies were grounded on substantial international and multidisciplinary approaches, greatly conducted in a desirable holistic approach, while combining in an equilibrium manner the social, the physical and the cultural dimensions of urban form (Marat-Mendes, 2016).  Indeed it had a good deal in common with the approach needed today towards sustainability.

However, as recalled by Karraholm (2016), in his analysis of public spaces in Sweden, not only the perception of space by users has changed over time, but also the elements of urban form perceived by those that are engaged with the design of the public realm seems to have been reassessed under the light of the predominant urban culture, for the past decades.

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.

ER  -