Do We Really Need (New) Buildings in Our Cities?

architects Frédéric Druot, Anne Lacaton & Jean Philippe Vassal
project Transformation of Housing Tower Bois le Prêtre, Paris, France
written by María José Marcos, Gonzalo Herrero Delicado

 

Europe currently has a very low demographic growth rate, but, nevertheless there is still a tendency towards the exponential development of urban expansion based on American models that imply the urbanization of low density with little or nothing in common with the heritage and historical experience of European cities. This phenomenon arises primarily from the abandonment of city centres and creation of many new urban sub-cores, leading to the unnecessary doubling of the service industry, as well as the infrastructure.