Ciudades frente al presente

"Plan ahead, something will remain"
With this phrase from Professor Manuel Ribas Piera, I began my talk on November 8th, World Urbanism Day, at the headquarters of the Official College of Architects of Tenerife, La Gomera, and El Hierro in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

A phrase that makes us reflect, in part, on why urban planning has suffered a loss of prestige: the belief that it is not useful because it is slow, complex, and does not provide short-term solutions.

This is precisely one of the fundamental challenges of contemporary urbanism: to provide a vision for the future while also offering the capacity for short-term action.

Adapting cities and territories to climate and social challenges will undoubtedly require new urban plans that, on the one hand, overcome the predatory urbanism of the 20th century and prioritize urban rights and the reconciliation of cities with the planet, and on the other hand, are capable of providing new tools to demonstrate that they can indeed change reality in the short term.

References:

Conference video: https://youtu.be/dQw4wdWVadU?si=YaEljsv8fUxi6J3G