Towards a Critical Urbanism

Abstract

Currently, there is a growing gap between theory and practice in urban and architecture fields, that requires dialogue on multiple fronts, scales, and new perspectives. Bridging this gap and achieving a successful transition to a new era. In which theory and practice must work together cohesively creating new methods, models, new points of interest, new forms of professional practice and a new vision. The concept of Open Society is chosen due to the similarities of the situation between today and then (1960s), such as: housing shortage, polarization of discourse and reduction of plurality, increase in social inequality and large global migrations. For this reason, it was decided to study this concept and its projects as the starting point and symbolic break of this long investigation of the modernist project and its attempt to bridge theory and practice. The concept of Open Society appeared in the field of urbanism between the 50-60s, the Welfare State, as an attempt to improve living conditions in the city so that society would prosper. These good intentions did not translate into many success stories and the consequences of these operations continue to cause problems today, as can be seen from the current multiple crises (social, economic, environmental, etc.).
Today there are new approaches to the built environment, which allow or offer us new possibilities to reinterpret the concept of Open Society, something of great importance still in contemporary urban discourse. For this reason, this study proposes to carry out a double investigation on the concept of Open Society (both empirical and conceptual) that will provide knowledge about this concept in two Western European countries. This will help to build a network of knowledge around topics of interest in urban matters. This research aims to investigate and analyze the discursive and projective validity of the concept of Open Society today, the relation between concepts-realities (places), and a critical methodology (open framework) that engages between theory and practice in a continuous dialogue as follows:
-Critically review the concept in the theoretical framework and contemporary global policy frameworks (new urban agenda, theoretical critiques, technical code, etc.).
-Empirically review two case studies that illustrate the implementation of this concept, the phenomena and patterns that have arisen in the friction between the place, the ideals (concept) and the resistance generated by the users.
This research uses a mixed methods approach to examine these two case studies and draw conclusions, and also reflect on the principles and possible unlocking mechanisms. In this way, we generate a discursive break towards a new vision of this concept, which advocates a diverse, inclusive, fair and cohesive ecological societies.