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Apr 11, 2013

Architecture of Density | Squeezing Bigness in The City

Over half of the Earth's population lives in cities. This number is exponentially growing too quickly. 

Megacities!!! Now that's a scary word, no?

To put things into perspective and to actually understand what it means, NPR shows some interesting insights. They all come with a warning sign though, because no matter how many graphs, predictions or refusals to accept reality and the fact that our lives have become so big, most of us will continue to do the same and strive for even more. A bi-product of a consumerist and spectacle-driven global society. 

" We're waiting for the doomsday, but still hoping to be saved by a miracle."

How much space do we need?
How much space can a city occupy?
How many people can fit in a city?
How dense can city life be in order to still have a degree of efficiency and still work?
Can cities save the planet if its population is squeezed into their territory?

Heights seem to be one solution:

photo credit Michael Wolf
photo credit Michael Wolf

For an aerial view of how global landscapes have been transformed by human activity check out the work of  David Thomas Smith.

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The above photos show density with a quality that merges fact with fiction, (mass) visibility with (individual) invisibility, (digital) activity information with (physical) formal patterns - a global order of things if you will.

What's your take on the subject?

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