Metropolis: Darwinism of Urbanism
Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. The 4 basic tenets of evolution by natural selection as defined by Darwin have been listed below:
1. More individuals are produced each generation that can survive.
2. Phenotypic variation exists among individuals and the variation is heritable.
3. Those individuals with heritable traits better suited to the environment will survive.
4. When reproductive isolation occurs new species will form.
These 4 tenets interpret the main idea of understanding of Evolution of Darwin - for himself, these are only suited for a biological domain. In simple words, all the living beings, according to his theory, are unceasingly implementing 2 principles by producing new generations: heredity and variation. No creature is "designed" by anyone, or perfectly accommodates to its surrounding environment without any flaw, especially the circumstance varies frequently and unpredictably. Through thousands of millions of generations with heredity and variation, the "nature" guide us and all living beings such a way to survive and utilize as much as possible resources to pursue a "pleasant" life, which may possibly be programmed as the most fundamental motivation in our gene.
This progress seemed to happen interdisciplinarily to the urbanism and architecture in Manhattan in the second half of the 20th century. Or more precisely, this progress happened to Manhattan much more intensely than all other regions and all other periods in the history so that it had been noticed by architects. To understand the evolution, at first, we need to find the variations of the surrounding environment.
1. Huge immigration, which indicates the provided resources in this area - lands, forests, grasses, beaches, etc.- would be suddenly in shortage.
2. Technical bloom, which was able to realize what were only the illusions of people.
3. Infinite capital and investment. If we say the previous 2 changes differentiated the second half of the 20th century from other historical periods, the third change limited this progress could only happen to Manhattan.
With such few constraints of general planning and management and the stimulation of the infinite capital and investment, the architectures have iterated themselves rapidly beyond everyone's mind. Everytime it repeated itself, there was a variation of the previous version. Innumerable generations were born to this new environment and inspected by innumerable consumers. "Steeplechase", "love barrels", "illuminated beaches" which mentioned in the reading were the survivors, the winners. Most of their peers were defeated by the practice and eternally buried in the history.
Downtown Athletic Club is also a winner of the cruel competition. It defined a new lifestyle for the residents who lived in a Metropolis. As the following section shows, different floors may be demonstrated in totally different atmospheres.
Similarly in principle, but extremely dissimilarly in appearance, Kowloon Walled City revolved itself to a new lifestyle. Kowloon Walled City was a largely ungoverned, densely populated settlement in Kowloon City in Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the Walled City became an enclave after the New Territories were leased to Britain by China in 1898. Its population increased dramatically following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. By 1990, the Walled City contained 50,000 residents within its 2.6-hectare (6.4-acre) borders. From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was controlled by local triads and had high rates of prostitution, gambling and drug abuse.
As the following section shows, with the revolution of generations of the users, functions in different blocks inside the Kowloon Walled City are very different - residences, gambling spaces, medicine stores, prostitution rooms, etc. The residents lived inside could rarely see the sunlight. Some of them never step outside of this complex of "metropolis".
The scenario "Taking drugs with flashlight, naked, on the floor which cannot be clearly defined" happened every day in this big monster.
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This is another appearance of "culture of congestion" but with the same fundamental principles. It is hard for people to believe that this is also the survivor of the revolution. But there were still shared spaces even at some most crowded spaces. Buffer rooms existed at the junction where several disparate programs collided together. Although poverty and the low technology limited the
(to be continued (maybe) )
1. More individuals are produced each generation that can survive.
2. Phenotypic variation exists among individuals and the variation is heritable.
3. Those individuals with heritable traits better suited to the environment will survive.
4. When reproductive isolation occurs new species will form.
These 4 tenets interpret the main idea of understanding of Evolution of Darwin - for himself, these are only suited for a biological domain. In simple words, all the living beings, according to his theory, are unceasingly implementing 2 principles by producing new generations: heredity and variation. No creature is "designed" by anyone, or perfectly accommodates to its surrounding environment without any flaw, especially the circumstance varies frequently and unpredictably. Through thousands of millions of generations with heredity and variation, the "nature" guide us and all living beings such a way to survive and utilize as much as possible resources to pursue a "pleasant" life, which may possibly be programmed as the most fundamental motivation in our gene.
This progress seemed to happen interdisciplinarily to the urbanism and architecture in Manhattan in the second half of the 20th century. Or more precisely, this progress happened to Manhattan much more intensely than all other regions and all other periods in the history so that it had been noticed by architects. To understand the evolution, at first, we need to find the variations of the surrounding environment.
1. Huge immigration, which indicates the provided resources in this area - lands, forests, grasses, beaches, etc.- would be suddenly in shortage.
2. Technical bloom, which was able to realize what were only the illusions of people.
3. Infinite capital and investment. If we say the previous 2 changes differentiated the second half of the 20th century from other historical periods, the third change limited this progress could only happen to Manhattan.
With such few constraints of general planning and management and the stimulation of the infinite capital and investment, the architectures have iterated themselves rapidly beyond everyone's mind. Everytime it repeated itself, there was a variation of the previous version. Innumerable generations were born to this new environment and inspected by innumerable consumers. "Steeplechase", "love barrels", "illuminated beaches" which mentioned in the reading were the survivors, the winners. Most of their peers were defeated by the practice and eternally buried in the history.
Downtown Athletic Club is also a winner of the cruel competition. It defined a new lifestyle for the residents who lived in a Metropolis. As the following section shows, different floors may be demonstrated in totally different atmospheres.
As the following section shows, with the revolution of generations of the users, functions in different blocks inside the Kowloon Walled City are very different - residences, gambling spaces, medicine stores, prostitution rooms, etc. The residents lived inside could rarely see the sunlight. Some of them never step outside of this complex of "metropolis".
The scenario "Taking drugs with flashlight, naked, on the floor which cannot be clearly defined" happened every day in this big monster.
This is another appearance of "culture of congestion" but with the same fundamental principles. It is hard for people to believe that this is also the survivor of the revolution. But there were still shared spaces even at some most crowded spaces. Buffer rooms existed at the junction where several disparate programs collided together. Although poverty and the low technology limited the
(to be continued (maybe) )
Interesting comparison and concept!
ReplyDeleteUrban density provides the necessary energy for quick innovation where the fittest ideas survive. What happened at Kowloon was a mutation, but one that lead to a cancerous growth that eventually wasn't sustainable.
Is the "fittest" model of urban growth one that is the most sustainable (environmentally, economically and equitably)? What can we do as architects to promote positive mutations and avoid cancerous ones?
bruh, I understand you only had thirteen minutes until class started but you need to complete that last sentence...
ReplyDelete