"Urban design is the language of our cities"- Urbanized: A Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit
This trailer casts an interesting view on cities. There is always a fascination to understand two things about cities - what made the city? and what can make the city?
Strangely and unfortunately, the answer to both the questions have not been the same. We have definitely understood this the hard way, and we are still struggling to accept and digest this hard truth.As this trailer speaks, cities are physical manifestations of stronger forces namely the social, economical,& environmental...Accepting this, there is a even stronger force that makes up a city and gives it a flavour and colour - the emotional force. Devoid of this force a city cannot come into existence, and this emotional force is possibly the reason for some cities to grow and causing others to shrink.
The fascinating idea of looking at urban design as a language of our cities, can give clarity to what the (some!) urban designers have done to the cities. Urban design remains as a 'language' spoken and practiced by the qualified elite, the language is made into a highly sophisticated piece of art like a complicated poetry which needs an explanation summary for the everyday common man to understand. History has taught us that languages become extinct when they are used in special contexts only.In this case, by using over-complicated language we can expect to see the death of the urban area in concern.
The cities on the growing trend are ones where the emotional force can communicate and connect with the urban design language. So, can establishing or rather re-establishing this link be the key to regenerating cities that are under going urban depletion?.....May be!...This is an avenue to be explored.
