Flying Carpets and Urban Development Trajectories

Abstract

Generalised costs of transport and communication have decreased in many domains during the past centuries. Some cities have strongly benefitted from these developments. The more recent development is that passenger transport has become the leading driving force, as opposed to freight transport in earlier logistical revolutions. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a substitute for some forms of physical transport but certainly not for all; cities continue to depend on high quality transport networks. An underestimated component of transport networks is vertical transport in high rise buildings. This played a key role in urban developments in the 20th century and it may be expected to continue its role in the next century. Probably, the ‘flying carpet’ notion is most clearly visible in the vertical movements in high-rise buildings.