"This publication, leaded by the National University of Singapore School of Design and Environment, presents the research by design results of four consecutive years in four different countries (China, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand) responding to the current challenge of building more resilient cities in front of impacts of climate change, such as coastal and river flooding, water and air pollution, water scarcity, urban heat island effect, aquifer depletion or subsidence. The book brings together the work of highly-reputed academics, professionals and scholars from 20 universities worldwide with the aim of serving as a guide for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change, and more specifically to reinstating the environmental qualities of our cities through carbon-neutral or carbon net-positive urban designs and plans.The book demonstrates ‘seven inspirations’ – seven ideas –and 80 design interventions that contribute to the debate on how to address urban resilience through design, planning, technology, management, policies or community involvement in uncertain, unpredictable and transient scenarios, while suggesting creative and innovative design solutions to anticipate, prevent and adapt to the effects of climate-change. The research and designs included in this publication, aim to be speculative visions and provocative reflections that might present alternatives or paradigm shifts for imagining anticipatory and preventive scenarios for our cities. With Contributions of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Bangladesh), CEPT University (India), Louisiana State University (USA), National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan), National University of Singapore (Singapore), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia), Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands), Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany), Université de Montréal (Canada)." -- Actar
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There has probably never been such an intense debate about the layout of the countryside as the one that is currently raging. There are serious concerns about the landscape, which is being rapidly transformed by urbanization and everything associated with this process, and not only in the Netherlands but also far beyond its borders. Everyone has something to say in this society-wide debate, from local to national governments, from environmental factions to the road-user's lobby, and from those who are professionally involved to concerned private parties. In many cases it is a battle between idealized images and economic models, between agricultural reality and urban park landscapes, between ecological concerns and mobility. This issue of OASE explores the potential significance of architectonic design for transformation processes on the regional scale. Besides considering the instruments that are available to the designer to fulfil this task, the authors also consider how the design can exercise a 'positive' influence on such processes. The various contributions shed light on the potential significance of territory in contemporary design practice and offer critical reflection on the topical discourse that has evolved over recent years.
