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Today’s cities are
threatened by processes of fragmentation and privatization. Its growth
is the result of partial vision and peacemeal strategies that compose
arbitrary patterns of vitality and decay: suffocating traffic,
uncontrolled pollution, sprawl, speculation, inefficiency in services,
and the disappearance of public space. In short, what qualifies the
current city is increased social marginalization and decreased
governability. The moral imperative of a city
should not seek to annul these qualifying factors, most of which are
inherent in the growth of any city. Yet the just goal of any society
should be found in its efforts in planning the infrastructure and
institutions that prevail and stabilize the city
despite these conditions. This requires a broader “long term” vision
with more integrated management processes. In a word, the city must be
planned as a series of systems. Cities, as a collection of systems, as
well as the city
as an individual system integrates models of sustainability based on
community participation, economic competitiveness, in identity, in land
use and environmental valuation. All the complexities of urban
development should be stitched into reflexive planning strategies that
benefit communities. No one project can be disengaged from the greater
planning process, and citizens should not be isolated from
participation platforms that inform the design of cities.
COM:PLOT 2009 Cities(are)Systems
is an open forum for public discusión and analysis that seeks to
facilitate the working relationship between public actors, and
government, to define the emerging solutions that will condition the
city’s evolution. This year’s event we will focus on “systems” of
action, development, community participation, economy, and planning in
Guadalajara Metropolitan Region, as we further explore the alliances
and commitments necessary in creating the city citizens desire. |
