A city is crooked because it is diverse, full of migrants speaking dozens of languages; because its inequalities are so glaring, svelte ladies lunching a few blocks away from exhausted transport cleaners; because of its stresses, as in concentrating too many young graduates chasing too few jobs … Can the physical ville [city] straighten out such difficulties? Will plans to pedestrianize a street do anything about the housing crisis? Will the use of sodium borosilicate glass in buildings make people more tolerant of immigrants?
Richard Sennett, Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the City, 2018 # 4
Crooked city planning
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- More than ever today, nature has become inseparable from culture; and if we are to understand the interactions between ecosystems, the mechanosphere, and the social and individual universes of reference, we have to learn to think ‘transversaly’. As the waters of Venice are invaded by monstrous, mut …
What captured our attention
The concept of crookedness introduces an intriguing counterpoint to the structured, often rigid ideals of urban planning. Historically, city designs, such as Haussmann’s Paris with its grand boulevards or the grid systems of 20th-century cities, reflect a desire for order, uniformity, and control. Straight lines were seen as progressive, reflecting ideals of clarity, modernity, and efficiency.
However, the appeal of crookedness lies in the unpredictability of ways of living and moving and the mutual affection of each other with ideas or points of views. Could crookedness lead to urban spaces that are more inclusive embracing the diverse, layered relationships that make city life vibrant?
Meike Gleim and Loretta Mesitiof our Imagination
