makingit_18_pp20-21_ecocities_3-column 06/05/2015 10:27 Page 20
Eco-cities: creating a common language Jan Dictus considers the qualities that define an eco-city
Image: Zenata New City
20 MakingIt
Since the world woke up to the fact that the majority of the world’s population already lives in cities, it has been proclaimed that all cities should be built as eco-cities in order to improve the well-being and health of the whole world. In the past, cities have been planned, if at all, for all kinds of reasons: for military use, as marketplaces, for the glory of the rulers, or for the well-being of citizens. Now, with the concept of the ecocity, planners give priority to citizens’ quality of life, and that of future generations. Cities are held responsible for a major part of climate change, and they are also regarded as the main problem-solvers. That’s a big responsibility, especially when you realize that most cities have already been built. Most of the time, when city planners try to transform a city into an ecocity, they can only rearrange, restore and/or steer developments.