Lessons for future cities and architecture: Ecology, culture, sustainability

Abstract

In the era of globalisation, in which serious environmental problems are threatening cities and their inhabitants, as cultural integrity is constantly under attack and many cities lack socially inclusive and responsive environments, there is an urgent need for a radical shift towards a holistic strategy for sustainable urbanism combining ecological sustainability and sociocultural sustainability. This calls for sensitivity to traditional urbanism and impact of global ideas, practices and technologies on local social and cultural practices, both on the city scale and architectural scale. In line with these considerations, this chapter aims to establish an environmentally sound and human-friendly framework for sustainable urbanism in future cities. In this context, the study first provides a conceptual understanding of sustainable urbanism and a critical review of its philosophical and practical framework; secondly, it provides a critical assessment of contemporary approaches to sustainable urbanism and architecture; thirdly, the chapter analyses the traditional Turkish (Ottoman) city which provides valuable clues for sustainable development and discusses possible research directions that could help promote the concept of sustainability in the urban and architectural environments of future cities.