Performative Urban design: Introduction

Performative Urban Design seeks to identify emerging trends in urban design as they are reflected in urban architecture and spatial design. Northern European cities are no longer characterized by urban expansion. As factories and other industrial buildings closed or moved, many areas within our inner cities have been freed for new uses. This has created the basis for environmental improvements and a stronger, more diverse urban life. It is now possible to build new housing complexes and offices on the waterfront and in abandoned industrial areas; investments in cultural centers, cafes, and new urban spaces follow. Overall, there has been a ‘densification’ of urban structures. Private firms have moved in with big complexes, but there has also been ‘a cultural grafting’ of the inner city, which sets the stage for more experience-rich urban environments. On the one hand, this development has focused on massive investments in corporate architecture, where the architectural layout of the companies serves to ‘brand’ them. On the other hand, cities are also creating new architecture with urban branding in mind. In order to attract highly skilled and well-educated residents and tourists, cities have invested heavily in recent years in new cultural centers and performative urban spaces that can fulfill the growing desire for entertainment and culture.

Architecture and art will play a crucial and catalytic role in urban development. The anthology addresses these issues through three lenses: ‘Sense Architecture’, ’Place-Making,’ and ‘Urban Catalysts.’ The articles identify the relevant theoretical positions within architecture, art and urban strategies, and they demonstrate the concepts and methodological approaches drawn from practical experience.