Dense + Green Cities (2020) by
Thomas Schröpfer at Birkhäuser
The topic is global, cities all over
the world are affected, participate from the start to the green
lung. Interplay between the built-up area and the natural zone,
concepts of greening are required as well as city planners
willing to plan, who understand meaningfully and to green more
despite all the economy. The consequence is that more and more
people live in cities. But which cities are growing exactly and
how strongly - that is hardly predictable. To exert influence,
this is the task of the experts. A question of the quality of
life when there is an increasing need for compensation zones to
counterbalance the built-up, hard world. The way cities expand
is very different. A dialogue is therefore required in order to
interact between buildings, built-up surroundings and a city as
a functioning ecological system. Finding feasible ideas and
concepts are the premises of the present. With planning,
questions of design and technologies are conceived in more
detail. Last but not least, human experience counts when
international experts discuss, analyze and arrive at results in
case studies. Diagrams provide abstract images of what is
happening and allow conclusions to be drawn in order to create
new standards. Every step that has been taken is followed by
another step towards increasing urban ecology. The scientific
environment provides the selected contributions to sharpen the
background knowledge of those involved.
Of the 19 cases examined, seven come from Asia, predominantly
from Singapore, six from Europe and six from America. From this
it can be concluded that the ecology of the tropical zones is
the most underdeveloped in contrast to ecological zones with
higher temperatures. Thomas Schröpfer's publication is based on
works from the Singapore ETH Center for the Future Cities
Laboratory, ETH Zurich and Schröpfer's academic foundations at
the Singapore University of Technology and Design. It is about
the broad question of the extent to which buildings and their
architecture can actively and positively contribute to a better
functioning urban ecosystem and for the benefit of all involved.
This is clearly a topical issue that affects society and its
individuals, especially at a time when the balance of humanity
with nature seems to be becoming increasingly precarious and
threatening. 'Dense + Green Cities' offers solutions on an
international basis.
The main components of the ecosystem under study are
biodiversity, particularly through the representatives of plant
and bird life, due to the important ecological services,
including reducing the effects of urban heat islands, improving
rainwater management and air pollution. As the book warns, the
loss of biodiversity, even in the rich region, is likely due to
further population expansion and urbanization that is destroying
the habitat, and this inevitably seems to be equally important
for the spread of the ecosystem. If buildings are adequately
landscaped, the network and other green spaces, such as forest
reserves, parks, road links and the like, will significantly
expand into an expansive and vibrant urban ecosystem.
Apart from the possible combinatorics of how buildings fit into
such a scenario, this book offers an excellent starting point
for asking necessary questions: How can greening support the
abundance and connection of biological diversity? Do dense and
green buildings actually cool surroundings? What do property
owners spend on the nearby vegetation? What are the operating
and maintenance costs for integrated green spaces and buildings?
The documentation and analysis of suitable green architectural
components comprises five types: gardens, sky gardens, roof
gardens, green walls and landscaped decks. In particular, it
takes into account the progress made in Singapore in the
groundbreaking planning of 'blue and green'. Suitable metrics
are used to compare areas over 200 hectares, which include
vegetation surveys, econometric data and models as well as
drawings and precise readings of the location and the associated
conditions.
Overall, the results of the book come with few surprises. Soil
gardens are best suited for alternatives, with green walks
taking place in a confined space and sky gardens with a
relatively low vegetation density. According to albedo effects,
shading is useful to lower surface temperatures. Albedo
indicates the retroreflectivity of diffusely reflecting, i.e.
not self-illuminating surfaces. Residents seem to prefer living
near parks. Interestingly, construction and maintenance costs
are quite variable, but generally affordable. In short, dense
and green, as defined and illustrated in the book, has positive
net results. However, the more significant contributions are
derived from the rational, which relates to empirical findings
and the level of detail of the results themselves. Albedo
effects are complicated, but well explained and analyzed in
terms of surface temperature. An overview of the actual costs
offers customers, such as regulators and designers, useful
information. The same applies to the perception of value facets
by property owners in their apartments and residential areas.
The examples within the book are abundant and have been
carefully selected. At least within the immediate geographical
area and in what is dense and green there are many images, which
was supplemented by accompanying text. In short, it is a
respectable publication and a worthwhile reference. Of course,
networking is an important way to promote the wealth and
performance of ecosystems in urban areas. Landscape ecologists
like Richard Forman from Harvard have clarified this in great
detail. The next step, based on this publication, will be to
advance networking more fully and to expand it in an attractive
and visionary way. Part of the success will be being able to
convince so far and to bring the network concept to a broader
and sometimes more skeptical public.
Dense + Green Cities
Architecture as Urban Ecosystem
by Thomas Schröpfer
1st edition, 2020
Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel
Language: English
Format: 30.0 x 23.0 cm
bound, 320 pages
ISBN: 978-3-0356-1531-9
ebook
ISBN: 978-3-0356-1511-1