Architectural Association School of Architecture

In the past, urban masterplans have been all-encompassing fixed blueprints realized as physical form through conventional top down processes. These frequently disregarded existing social and cultural structures, while the old modernist planning model zoned space for home and work. At a time of global urbanisation, these models are being replaced by more adaptable, mixed-use plans dealing holistically with the physical, social and economic revival of districts, cities and regions. Through today’s public participative approaches, multidisciplinary research and use of technologically enabled tools, the generative strategies, feedback loops and seed project/network-driven functionality of contemporary masterplanning instruments can give cities a greater resilience and capacity for social integration and change in the future.

In her lecture, Lucy Bullivant, the author, critic and curator, will draw critically on her research findings for her new book, Masterplanning Futures (Routledge, July 2012), which analyses the ideals and conceptually advanced methodologies of different species of international masterplans, and their role in many different urban contexts in both the developed and developing world. These encompass landscape-driven imperatives; synergies in goals of social equity and urban expansion, for ecological systems and organic urban growth.

Illustration: inhabitants can create their own neighbourhoods at Almere Oosterwold, the Netherlands, MVRDV, 2012, as part of Almere 2.0, their masterplan for the Dutch new town.