The Flexible City - Sustainable Solutions for a Europe in Transition

Compared to urban areas elsewhere in the world, the Northern European cities are at a turning point. After a tremendous expansion in the 20th century, the physical growth came to an end. To remain vital, the urban fabric should be made sustainable. Facing this new assignment, there are various challenges. European cities are coping with demographic, economic and social transition. This book publication analyzes this development and describes a toolbox that is able to turn this new assignment into a success.

In Europe, the period of great economic and demographic growth is largely over. The physical growth of our urban agglomerations has come to an end. Unlike in Latin America, Asia or Africa, the boundaries of European cities are no longer moving away, but have come to a halt. Therefore, the spatial assignment of the future European city will be fundamentally different. Building new space outside the city-boundaries is no longer needed. Instead, the existing should be made sustainable. The new spatial assignment involves maintaining, restructuring, densifying or diluting the existing.

This book publication analyzes this development and describes a toolbox that is able to turn this new assignment into a success. European cities are compared, similarities and trends are identified and concrete examples are described in detail. This creates an inspiring handbook for anyone working on the future of the European city: from administrators and policy makers to developers, designers, builders and users.

Publisher: NAi010 Publishers
Status: published 2016

This book was made possible thanks to financial support from the following

Dutch Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations
Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
Space Flanders,
Spatial Development Department Flanders
Brussels Urban Development,
Ministry of Brussels-Capital Region
Province of Groningen
Province of Friesland
Province of Drenthe
Province of Utrecht
City of Charleroi, Charleroi Architect
City of Antwerp
Duco Still & Leon Ramakers