Designing for Climate Change

Abstract

The Urban Fabric is a dynamic organism, constantly growing, breathing and changing. Rapidly
expanding cities and fast paced developments are becoming the norm in our cities today. The ability of architecture and urbanity to be able to adapt to unforeseeable changes is currently one of the most significant issues in the built environment today. The true realization of our civilization’s urban consciousness is the capability of individual units to be able adapt to different uses and different users over time and allow for innovation within the complex city system. Even though it is timeless, this issue is gaining importance as things are moving faster than ever in the current urban fabric. The essay focuses on the issue of the effects of climate change in our cities today. The link between the theoretical ideas of city structure and the adaptability of spatial form is explored. The viability and diversity of corridors in the city structure is recognized. Corridors form the backbone of the urban structure that connects other spatial elements in the overarching urban environment. The conclusion highlights design guidelines for the spatial framework of corridors in a city to be able to adapt to vivaciously changing urban environments today. The geographical context of the analysis and consequent conclusion lies within Tilburg, Netherlands. It
should be noted that the theoretical background and the suggested design guidelines can break out of the geographical barrier and be migrated to cities that are of a similar size and climatic conditions.