Cities of Love

The following sections are included:

• Preface
• Contents
• Cities
  • A story about a world that is not as big as we thought.

The following sections are included:

• A Brief History
  • While we applaud the “heroes,” we fail to acknowledge the “failures” of development.
• Monumental Effort
  • Not least, Mankind is surprisingly very capable of planning when it applies to the subject of God and War.
• ‘Organic’ City has Problems
  • Boundary is sacred.
• Societal Changes
  • While wars are not to be celebrated, World War I and II did play a part in paving the way for city renewal.
• New Vision
• Voisin Plan by Le Corbusier
  • The plan has great promise.
• Today's Cities
• City: Solution or Problem?
  • Three and a half billion people currently inhabit cities.

The following sections are included:

• Facts about City Living
  • Few cities are able to manage well from the start.
• Lack of Quality Housing
  • Many developing economies struggle with urban migration.
• Lack of Infrastructure
  • 663 million people still do not have access to clean water.
• Destruction of Nature
  • Are cities and nature mutually exclusive and independent of each other?

The following sections are included:

• Change the World Today
  • Governing bodies alone cannot bring effective climate improvements.
• How to Change?
  • The people have colossal influence and this sector is our final missing hero.
• Vancouver Greenest City 2020
• What the Plan Entails
  • The city of Vancouver has reached out to members of the public to share their contributions.
• Obstacles to Change
  • We all have a blind spot.
• Collective Blind Spots
  • Do we care for the needs of our cities, their spaces and cleanliness?
• Twelve Ingredients

The following sections are included:

• Family–A Forgotten Word
  • Just how much are families considered in the planning of our cities?
• Family Torn Apart
  • Modern family unit cannot share hardship easily.
• Separation Is Good?
• Side Effects of Zoning
  • How does this add up?
• Family Oriented Planning
  • We often accept working in offices as a way of life.
• Housing and Employment
  • We can see no compelling reasons except for prestige and brand presence.
• Case 1: London
• Case 2: JianWai SOHO, Beijing
• Space for the Family
  • There should be a space allocated for families.
• Family Oriented City
  • There may be no room for us to love our cities if we are unable to exercise the simplest form of love for our families.

The following sections are included:

• Mobility: The Basis of Survival
  • The need for mobility stemmed from the need for survival.
• Mechanised Mobility
  • Shifts towards greener alternatives do not rid the roads of congestion, but merely reduced pollution levels.
• Love for Cars
  • Prestige is an unfortunate factor in the evolution of car design.
• Vicious Cycle
  • City dwellers must travel long distances to live, work and play exclusively.
• State of Public Transport
  • Is there any hope for the future of public transport?
• London: A Multi-modal City
• Japan: A Cultural Shift
  • We can choose to increase rail networks instead of road-based ones.
• Amsterdam: Tram City
  • There are a few things that we find beautiful about trams.
• A Car-less City
  • Many cities are caught between a rock and a hard place.
• Car-Free City
  • Cars may be kept for the occasional excursion to the country side.

The following sections are included:

• Man and Nature
  • Nature is deemed a lower value asset in comparison with real estate.
• Historical Perspective
  • Any perception of an ideal world is always associated with a natural setting.
• Gardens: An After Thought
  • If these plants could speak, we wonder if they would be screaming out for a decent life
• Man and Nature Relationship
  • Is there a golden ratio for this?
• Singapore: A City in a Garden
• No Man's Land
  • Not every green space must be a garden.
• Taking Ownership of Space
  • Building owners or dwellers see the spaces outside buildings as someone else's problem.
• Own the City Garden
  • New York City has gained another iconic living room for its people.
• Nature and the City
  • We cannot stop urbanisation but we can help prevent the destruction of nature.
• Basic Relationship
  • If we want to appreciate the gardens in our cities, we must learn to appreciate nature.
• True Garden City
  • If we love our cities, we will invest time and effort to make our cities more beautiful.

The following sections are included:

• City and Interaction
  • A city where people take the initiative to offer directions must be quite interactive and friendly.
• Virtual Interaction
  • Human contact has existed for millennia.
• What Makes People Interact
  • Walking frantically will not encourage people to interact.
• Interaction and Inventions
  • This could change the face of our city profoundly.
• Greatest Interaction of All
  • Every city has a story to tell of its foundation and founding fathers.

The following sections are included:

• Innovative Cities are Fun
  • From drinks to food to merchandise, you can almost buy everything from vending machines.
• Innovation Drives Economy
  • Citizens must be placed in an environment that encourages innovation.
• Citizens must be Innovative
  • Innovation is not always about great inventions.
• Innovation Starts at Home
  • One can imagine an entire floor of incubator spaces, encouraging neighbourly interaction and collaboration.
• Expanding the Idea to City
  • We are mistaken to believe that only a small number of people are innovative.
• Ambience of Innovation
  • We believe there is a close correlation with that of early childhood creative development.
• Create an Air of Creativity
  • Innovation does not need capital but capital certainly needs innovation.
• Involve the Community
  • It shows that nothing is impossible if a community wants to change its physical environment.
• Innovative Environment
  • We may end up with a next generation that is uninspired and less competitive.

The following sections are included:

• Shopping: The Essence of Life
  • It is probably one of the great divides between the sexes.
• Circular Economy
  • So by supporting our retail businesses, we are supporting our own economy.
• Shopping: Time for Family
  • Whether it is street shopping or mall shopping, this remains a relevant family activity for most.
• City and the Great Street
• Malls and Online Shopping
  • More shopping floors do not necessarily translate into better returns.
• Shopping is Not Everywhere
  • Shopping malls can also be incorporated into the city blocks behind the street shops.

The following sections are included:

• Health in a City
  • Prevention is better than cure.
• Prevention of CVD
  • We question the quality of such physical exercise.
• Patterns of Movement
  • There are plenty of opportunities to exercise in the city if we consider walking instead of driving.
• The Journey is Just as Important
• Quality of Paths
  • A good walking and jogging experience should be continuous and safe.
• Sports in the City
  • Sporting facilities have a manifold impact on cities.

The following sections are included:

• Why Food?
  • Today, we cannot imagine a city without food.
• Food and the City
  • Food must arrive daily to ensure the survival of millions.
• Obesity and the City
  • Health and wellness go hand in hand.
• Farm on the Ground
  • Typical roadside trees and shrubs usually yield very little economic value.
• Farm in the Air
  • Imagine the beauty of a city full of green roofs.
• Farm on the Wall
  • It is quite exciting just to think about fresh produce being easily available to all city households.
• Urban Farming Community
  • Growing an adequate vegetable supply will go a long way in meeting society's needs

The following sections are included:

• Smart Future
  • There has been little exchange between information technology and sustainability until now.
• Net Zero = Smart?
  • It will take further persuasion to influence society.
• Smart Infrastructure
• Smart City
  • Smart cities are intended to make our lives more efficient in creating a higher quality of life and increased connectivity.
• The Dark Side?
  • No one can tell.
• Smart Device
  • The mobile phone.
• Smart Home
  • If charity begins at home, then the smartness of the city could begin at home too.
• Smart Building
  • With each new technology, buildings are becoming more and more like IT products.
• Building as Smart Device
  • Is it possible for buildings to function much like an iPhone or iPad?
• Smart Town
  • There is even a booklet for residents to refer to.
• Smart People
  • It is time to act and educate our next generation.

The following sections are included:

• True Happiness
  • The reasons for happiness are not as clear cut as we imagine.
• Ingredients of Happiness
  • We are sure everyone can do something.
• A Place for Humour
  • How can cities be happy?
• A City of Refuge
  • We cannot think of a city that is happy but unsafe.
• A World of Colours
  • Almost all cities tend towards the banal in this department.
• A Sense of Direction
  • Grid network cities need not be boring
• A Place of Entertainment
  • When given the right platform, busking can contribute unique visual and auditory dimensions to a city.
• A Friendly Place
  • It would be difficult to have a happy city full of grumpy and angry citizens.
• A Place of Self Discovery
  • A place where people find their self-worth and meaning in life.

The following sections are included:

• Hope and Honour
  • There is more in society that we need to honour apart from our leaders.
• Hope of Livelihood
  • The market in this case is a symbol of hope.
• Hope of Sustenance
  • There should be a place where people can seek physical refuge whenever they are sick and down.
• Hope of Advancement
  • The idea of a city campus is increasingly popular.
• Hope of Protection
  • Law enforcement takes on a new meaning in light of modern security threats.
• Hope of Morality
  • Government buildings can be a visual beacon of hope for authority and morality.
• Honour our Founders
  • A built space does more than a sculpture and could serve to impart the founder's spirit more effectively.
• Honour our Heroes
  • Heroes need not always be people of national significance. They can also be ordinary citizens.
• Honour our Culture
  • Ethnic diversity is in itself a form of culture.
• Hope and Honour

The following sections are included:

• City of Romance
  • We suspect Hollywood has some part to play in this.
• Icon of Romanticism
  • It is impossible to miss.
• River of Romantic Life
  • Having a bad day? Stroll along River Seine and allow your peace of mind to return.
• Endless Whisper
  • Boulevards are well connected and provide opportunities for a long pleasant walk.
• Live in Fairytale
  • Today, there are no less than 16 palaces within Paris.
• Romance in the Night
  • Do you recall your first dates with your loved ones?
• Tests: Kyoto and Miami

The following sections are included:

• Love is …
• Cities of a Lifetime
  • These cities have also shown that they are cities that their people love.
• London
  • London actually feels greener than many other similar cities.
• Lyon
  • It feels like a more intimate version of Paris.
• Fukuoka
  • To pick Fukuoka over others may seem a bit unfair to the rest.
• Cities Worth Dying For
  • Let us act now and love our cities!

The following sections are included:

• Final Words…For Now
• Bibliography