The role of the architectural profession in delivering responsible design

Abstract

Europe is undergoing manifold changes, often happening together in a very short timespan. The recent economic downturn and the environmental imperative have had significant repercussions on the way urban societies are developing, with consequent implications in socio-cultural terms. This follows decades of economic growth and prosperity that have very often been prioritised over social and cultural specificities, manifesting themselves in design schemes that are insensitive to individuals. This is a timely publication. As we enter a new era of economic rebuilding and restructuring and new societal challenges, it would be opportune to re-evaluate our position as architectural professionals, and to remind ourselves of our central contribution in forming and establishing welldesigned societies that increase the well-being of individuals. As the complexities of our urban structures increase, as our cities become more and more urbanised, and as broad overarching objectives dominate urban and political agendas, we must not forget that at the heart of these phenomena lies the individual, living within the basic societal unit that is a home, which in turn comprises the elemental unit of a street, a neighbourhood, a city. We also need to be more aware of our responsibilities in terms of providing better urban environments. And better urban environments start from better streets. And better streets start from better homes. Well-designed places are designed around people. People must first be happy with their own individual spaces, their streets and their neighbourhoods. This is where the profession comes in, as architecture affects people’s feelings and behaviour. If we get these immediate environments right, we could then aim to achieve bigger objectives – such as strong community ties and community involvement and participation. We cannot simply assume that active communities or public participation form by default. Strictly speaking, these are not new ideas. We are aware of the fact that these basic principles have long been established, within a myriad of professional and academic literature as well as within some salient European charters and policies, briefly outlined in Part (3) of this document. We are not questioning the need for these principles – rather, we would like to address them within a renewed approach that translates these principles into tangible deliverables for our urban environments. We therefore feel that there is a need for the ACE to disseminate such a vision in order to help professionals understand better the EU policies that affect the urban environment, notably the EU’s Urban Agenda, and also in order to make the most effective use of the EU’s funding programmes, notably the ERDFs.