GAM 05
Urbanity not Energy
GAM 05
Guest Editor:
Ernst Hubeli
Urban forms of living will be dominant around the world in the near future – at the same time, settlement growth is reaching its own ecological and economical limits. Densification scenarios can no longer revolve around mere reductions in settlement growth as they did at the beginning of the 1970s. The present is about scaling back, which also includes renaturisation. Its timing follows a pragmatic rule: The later it is realised, the more expensive it becomes. Doing nothing is the most expensive way to react to the challenges of settlement growth and the known consequences of climate change. It is against this background that GAM.05 “Urbanity not Energy” investigates urban future scenarios with true sustainability. The contributions follow different intentions and approaches – pragmatic-practical proposals for densification of existing settlements are contrasted with visions in different scales – including the question of on which theoretical and political basis such expert discussions might ever become relevant.