Theme city or gated community - images of future cities

Leena Helenius-Mäki ()

ERSA conference papers from European Regional Science Association

Abstract: The future of the cities has been under discussion since the first city. It has been typical in every civilisation and era to hope for a better city. Creek philosopher Platon created image of future city where all men were equal and the city was ruled by philosophers minds. Many philosopher or later social scientist have ended up to similar "hope to be city". The form and type of the better city has depended from creators of those future city images. The creators have had their future city images made through their own political, ideological, religious or other principles. In the recent discussion on the national or international level it has been common to have those images of the future cities divided in only two categories: "it''s gonna be either small or big city", "it''s gonna be either well balanced or polarising city development", "it''s gonna be either dying or competitive city", etc. The varying images of future cities are missed but yet still not noticed. The future of the cities is made by varying creators/factors/composers. Happening development is to be made by common evolution of societies, changing structures of infrastructure, public sector and work, international trades and markets, or natural catastrophes or wars. Or they are made by cities (their managers, developers, citizens, city marketing units, etc.) themselves. The images of future cities can be developed by many ways. These images are born in the minds of common people while they follow the ongoing evolution of the globe, nations, nature, cities etc. - both in international and local level. Or the images of future cities are made especially for some particular purpose. Movies such as "Matrix", "Blade Runner" and "12 Monkeys" present their writers and directors view to the possible future. City marketing units try to create fancy images of their city now and in the future - when all the aims of the city developers are to be full fill the needs of the most wanted citizens. The aim of the paper is to present six different type of possible future cities: "Theme city", "Urban village", "Gated community", "Multicultural city", "Network city" and "Ecological city". There are many more future images of the cities presented in studies of the cities and in other literature. These six different city types are introduced shortly - basic elements and features.

Date: 2002-08
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