Project Brief
(fr)AGILE CITIES
A “code red on humanity” was declared by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General in August of last year as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its latest report highlighting the severe effects of human activity on the earth’s environment. The 2021 report detailed the unprecedented consequences of human-induced global warming, some irreversible, and emphasized the need for immediate action. (United Nations, 2021)
Climate change affects cities and vice versa. Seventy-five percent (75%) of global CO2 emissions contributing to global warming are generated by cities (UNEP, n.d.). At the same time, environmental phenomena linked to shifts in the climate, such as rising temperature, rising sea levels, the frequency of extreme weather events, and large volumes of rainfall, can adversely affect urban services, livelihoods, housing, and infrastructure (UNEP, n.d.; USAID, 2017). With 68% of the world’s population projected to inhabit urban areas by the year 2050 (UN DESA, 2018), it is clear that the growth and development of our cities today can and will determine the quality of our future on this planet. In this context, this year’s design theme looks at the role of cities, their networks, and architecture in shaping today’s fragile world.
Climate change exacerbates the vulnerability of fragile cities.
The outcomes of extreme weather events, such as the loss of livelihood, internal displacement, and unequal access to resources can lead to social tensions, economic pressures, and political conflicts that hinder a city’s capacity for resilience (The Fund for Peace, 2021). The Philippines, vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, ranks high worldwide in terms of disaster risk (UNDRR, 2019) and also has a ‘high warning’ score in terms of fragility (The Fund for Peace, 2021). This suggests that Philippine cities are susceptible to the erosion of core urban structures and functions in times of disaster.
By contrast, the agile city can readily adapt to shifts in the environment and people’s needs.
Combining innovations in physical, digital, and environmental infrastructure and processes, agility promotes qualities such as sustainability, diversity, and flexibility to address rapid changes in urbanized areas (World Economic Forum, 2018). These have applications in the design and function of buildings.
But is there a place for an agile building in the fragile city and its networks?
Recognizing the potential of architecture to transform our cities and effect positive change, these comprehensive design projects aim to:
Critically examine fragility in the Philippine setting against the broader scope of climate change;
Imagine ways in which agile principles can be applied to buildings in fragile cities and their networks; and
Effectively articulate fragile-agile interfaces through architectural design and discourse.