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"Giddens argues that ontological security is a deep psychological need for individuals in all societies. It has to do with “… ‘being’ or, in the terms of phenomenology, ‘being-in-the-world.’ But it is an emotional, rather than a cognitive, phenomenon, and it is rooted in the unconscious” (Giddens, 1990: 92). It is a feeling of security that is based on a trust in the constancy of surroundings, the continuity of self-identity, and in the functional reliability of material objects used in the practice of the routines of daily life, and the pervasive and stable nature of habit. Giddens claims that ontological security develops from the trust relationships established in early childhood which act as an “emotional inoculation which protects against the ontological anxieties to which all human beings are potentially subject” (Giddens, 1990: 94)." (Giddens, cited in Dupuis, 2012)

Dupuis, A. (2012). Ontological Security. In International Encyclopedia of Housing and Home (pp. 156-160).

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Post-Apocalyptic Tower Cities from Dredd (2012 Movie)

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Post-Apocalyptic Tower Cities from Dredd (2012 Movie)

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The ideal city that I personally picture is ultra density. In the physical realm, this would represent large, vertical towers that would house whole cities. As the population rises and land becomes scarce, the need to build upward becomes more and more prominent.

These 'Tower Cities' would typically house all the basic needs for human living and interaction that any cities would have. These include all the features that Catherine has listed above.

A variety of living choices that are compact in nature would be the gold standard for living. Commercial and retail spaces that keep the economy running would also be vital in keeping these towers alive and running. Environmentally, efforts can be made to keep  the towers as environmentally friendly as possible.

One of the important aspects to consider is how social interaction would take place in such ultra densities. The feeling of alienation and closeness to neighbours may feel jarring at first, but may create unique opportunities for interaction.

However, if any of these three aspects fail, what we may be left with is an apocalyptic future that wastes the potential of the human population. If the environment fails, we are left with a desolate wasteland. If our economy fails, we are left with a ruined city that cannot sustain itself. If our social interactions diminish, we are left with a socially 'dead' city that has no vibrance or life.

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When considering what the future will entail, it’s quite different to picture because of course the way we perceive and value things now is always subject to change. As the world’s population continues to grow and find a permanent place to stay in urban environments, the future of cities or urban landscapes is an topic which consistently appears in local council, private sector organisations, i.e. urban planning firms and state-federal government development considerations. Personally when I consider what our future cities might be like, I instantly think of the postmodern city of Chicago presented in the move I, Robot. This interpretation of Chicago city and therein the rest of the world’s cities by Issac Asimov, seems very relatable and is likely the possibility for the near future, particularly when taking into consideration that the story is set in 2035.

The portrayed city contains humanoid robots who serve humanity unconditionally. The use of robots and therefore advanced technology as a household and workplace element in our everyday lives is something which is likely to occur considering recent research in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. However, with this comes the issue of privacy and surveillance. In the movie, the Robots can be controlled by an external supercomputer, named VIKI, that is constantly surveying the city. This could be considered to be an extreme violation of privacy since the Robots can physically interfere with one’s personal space and safety if manipulated to do so; just like in the movie where the robots were manipulated to maintain the survival of humanity by stripping them of their free will/independence.

So, in relation to how our future cities will look like, i.e. in the next two decades….I think, to an extent we might have advanced technology for transport and retail activities, however the possibility of introducing robots into our lives is yet to come to fruition. I do strongly believe though, that the issue of surveillance and privacy with technological advancement will push us to be more aware of human rights violation and our need of private space.

Key video section: 0:00-0:20

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Working is one of the important aspects in our lives. In the future, the demand for work force would reduce as industries would become more and more mechanised and automated. We can foresee that knowledge based- economy would become the trend for work in the future. Innovation and creativity would become the key criteria for workers.

However, as most of the works rely more on human creativity and machines, working can become more stressful and inhuman for us. The alienation of production might become worse in the future.

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When we are talking about the future world and the future city, the first thing that comes to our mind would probably be technology. A.I., development of the space, spacecraft and so on. We always dream about the objectives of an ideal city, which is important, However, we always overlook the construction of communities. Communities are about people and their interaction within or even outside the city. The key functions of a community are services and help. As we can imagine, the future city would become mechanized and automated, most of the work would be done by A.I. and machines. The need for help and services from the community would become less important.

Moreover, as people can keep in touch with their friends much easier with the information technologies, people would spend more time on social media and long distance relationships, instead of interacting with the strangers who live nearby.

As a result, the interaction between neighbourhoods and residents who are living in the same area will be minimized. The future community might just for social experiences.

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A glimpse into the future

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This is a question which everyone thinks about and we are curious about the future. The truth is that we don't know what to expect. However, one way humans express their predictions of the future world is through film and television. Will we ride around the city on hover-boards and floating cars or will we even need cars to drive? The OECD has compiled a report on urban development in the 35 member countries. The plan proposed greater connections between rural and urban areas with increased services such as transportation. From a policy perspective, these initiatives are examples of what our future cities will evolve into.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2016). OECD Regional Outlook 2016: Productive Regions for Inclusive Societies. Paris: OECD Publishing.

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CONSPIRACY:  SIMS HOLDS THE SECRETS TO THE IDEAL CITY & FUNCTIONALITY

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CONSPIRACY:  SIMS HOLDS THE SECRETS TO THE IDEAL CITY & FUNCTIONALITY

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Time for some fun.

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https://assets.fastcompany.com/image/upload/w_596,c_limit,q_auto:best,f_auto,fl_lossy/fc/1681515-inline-simcity-inline-3.jpg

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https://www.thesims.com/media/cache/full/content/dam/www-thesims/2017/06/sims4-1st-anniversary_header.jpg

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Diversity, Economic, Variety, Local Business

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Diversity, Economic, Variety, Local Business

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http://dotageeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/The-Sims-Freeplay-4.jpg

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the-sims-4-city-living-dlc_pdp_3840x2160_en_WW.jpg

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Clearly, people prefer their cities having distinct, unique characters amongst other cities. This character is formed by various factors, some of which being climate, culture, history and resources.

One way to make a city local is to use local materials and styles in the construction of buildings. Not only does this lend to the identity of the city, but those who live there too. People can become more proud of their homes and cultural selves. Furthermore, this type of construction can invigorate local economies by relying on local businesses and invigorating tourism by fascinating visitors.

The School of Life refers to acclaimed Australian architect, Glen Murcutt, to demonstrate this point (2015). His designs often integrate Australian ways of living. If we looking at one of his most famous pieces, the Simpson-Lee House, Murcutt makes use of the landscape to shape the design and integrate the house with the environment. Its connection to Australian nature and acknowledgement of an Aboriginal path frames the design as distinctive and local (Heneghan, Gusheh, Lassen, & Seyama, 2008).
Heneghan, T., Gusheh, M., Lassen, C., & Seyama, S. (2008). Simpson-Lee House. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from http://www.ozetecture.org/2012/simpson-lee-house/
The School of Life. (2015, January 26). How to Make an Attractive City. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy4QjmKzF1c

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Cities such as New York can be truly awe-inspiring due to the scale of the buildings. However, the anonymity of the global and capitalist processes occurring in the buildings can also make one feel insignificant.

Furthermore, the largest buildings are often owned by multi-national corporations, such as banks and pharmaceuticals. But does society actually want these corporations to be portrayed as the most significant and powerful institutions of the city? As The School of Life says, "we don't mind things being big per se. We don't mind being humbled, so long as the things we're bowing to deserve homage" (2015). Cities have become hijacked by commercial interests, when the city's most significant buildings should actually be committed to the city's culture.

Additionally, architecture and public spaces need to become more intimate and human-scale. The School of Life suggests that the ideal building height is no more than 5 storeys (2015). Otherwise, people being to again feel small and disconnected from any processes occurring in the building.

For example, although Paris has corporate skyscrapers, the most significant and symbolic architecture in the region are culturally-based. To list a few: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and The Louvre. Additionally, the city restricted building heights to 37m after one of its most disliked buildings, Montparnasse Tower, was met with extreme criticism. To many Parisians, this 209m building ruined views and has an imposing exterior (Karmelek, 2016). In recognizing this and restricting building heights, Paris will continue being a human-scaled city romanticised world-wide.
Karmelek, M. (2016, April 09). Will Skyscrapers Ruin Paris? Retrieved October 14, 2017, from http://www.newsweek.com/will-skyscrapers-ruin-paris-356206
The School of Life. (2015, January 26). How to Make an Attractive City. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy4QjmKzF1c

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When walking through a beautiful city, it is always intriguing to get a little lost in the small lanes and spaces hidden from the mainstream areas. Yet, if a city was constructed of just these types of spaces, it would be incredibly disorientating.

Thus, a good city structure requires that small lanes should be near larger ones so that people may maintain a sense of direction and place.

Again, the Melbourne CBD area manages to satisfy this criteria well. Its famous laneways are next to busy main streets, and so you can easily get lost and amazed within the laneways without losing track of where you are. This allows for a balance between the intimacy of space and the extensions of the city - after all, cities are often incredibly large.

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Contrary to the Great Australian Dream for a spacious suburban home with a garden, the beauty of cities requires that our homes become more compact.  Although this requires individuals to sacrifice living space and, to some extent, privacy, this move has excellent implications.

By increasing density, our cities will decrease their ecological impact. Suburbs have always been infamous for their extremely high impact on the environment. They require extensive land clearing and construction materials, and then set a precedent for environmentally-wasteful living styles and increasingly private lives. By converting to more compact homes, environmental impacts are lessened.

There are social advantages to converting to these types of homes too. Living closer together, neighbours become more interactive and pleasant. This can decrease the sense of social exclusion many urbanites currently experience. Furthermore, people will have lower travel distances/times, and may be encouraged to walk/cycle to improve general fitness.

The Japanese culture of politeness and conservative actions illustrates this effect of dense living. Having been to Japan myself, the people there are often very understanding and non-invasive due to the incredibly high presence of other people. Although some may argue this is actually a form of 'group-think' that disadvantages life within dense populations, at least some extent of this social pleasantry is required for a functioning society.

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Living in such large cites, humans naturally long for social interaction and presence. People in spaces can make places noticeably more pleasant and lively - this is why there is such an emphasis on public space to be 'rediscovered' in cities. Generally, spaces like parks, markets and food/entertainment districts satisfy this desire for visible life.

A good example would be the Melbourne laneways brought about by the city's regeneration process throughout a period of 30 years. By changing the alleyways between shops from dangerous and unwelcoming places to ones with bustling activity, these laneways have become famous throughout the world.  But these laneways could not exist without the initiative of people to put their livelihoods on display and instigate a sense of community (Gemmola & Moore, 2016).
Gemmola, P. M., & Moore, T. (2016, June 09). How Melbourne Found its Laneways. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/art-and-design/article/melbourne-laneways-bars-cafes-restaurants-six-degrees#gallery-4

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When a city has not been designed in an orderly fashion, it is very obvious. Looking at Brisbane, suburbs created throughout modernity quite clearly have houses and businesses that can look completely different to each other. This urban chaos can be unattractive, and one loses their sense of appreciation for place. However, many recently built suburbs are also too orderly in the sense that they are monotonic. One can feel alienated and bored by this mass production of homes.

What we crave is a balance of variety and order that satisfies our instinctual love for diversity, but also organisation. An example would be at Bruges in Belgium in the image below. Each building is straight and have approximately the same dimensions, yet they are creative with their styles and colours.

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I personally do not enjoy the appearance of Brisbane. It has become one of the symbols of Australian urban sprawl, where families spend most of their time in private spaces, the so-called 'public spaces' are hardly used and suburbia drains environmental resources. For the sake of resident happiness, local pride and lessening environmental impact, we need to make our cities more condensed and beautiful. This wil have ripple effects to also improve the sense of community, place and fulfillment of urbanites.

The School of Life on youtube constructs a very reasonable 6 criteria cities must fulfill to be attractive. Although some may claim that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' for cities, this has given an excuse to institutions to create truly distasteful urban forms. There is a general consensus as to what makes a beautiful city, and the criteria can be observed in some of the most famous and liveable cities in the world. These criteria have been explained in the connected padlets.
The School of Life. (2015, January 26). How to Make an Attractive City. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy4QjmKzF1c