Conscious Coastal Cities: Sustainability, Blue Green Growth, and The Politics of Imagination PDF
Preview Conscious Coastal Cities: Sustainability, Blue Green Growth, and The Politics of Imagination
Voula P. Mega Conscious Coastal Cities Sustainability, Blue Green Growth, and the Politics of Imagination Conscious Coastal Cities Voula P. Mega Conscious Coastal Cities Sustainability, Blue Green Growth, and the Politics of Imagination after a special authorisation by the European Commission Voula P. Mega PhD in City and Regional Planning and Policy Brussels , Belgium [email protected] The author retains the copyright to all Watercolour illustrations. ISBN 978-3-319-20217-4 ISBN 978-3-319-20218-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-20218-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015953832 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 T his work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. T he publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www. springer.com) In memoriam Professor Sir Peter Hall Disclaimer : “The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an offi cial position of the European Commission. The European Commission cannot be held liable for any use of the information contained in this document.” I magination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand Albert Einstein Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong, these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history Winston Churchill T he greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and fall- ing short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark Michelangelo With every drop of water you drink every breath you take, you ‘reconnected to the sea. Health to the ocean means health for us. Sylvia Earle All things move and nothing remains still … Heraclitus vii Pref ace T ry to imagine the world without cities. It would be like a world without sea, with- out excitement. As humanity progressively and irreversibly becomes urban, the future of the planet is more and more decided in cities. It seems that, in the noblest adventures of the century, cities will lead and countries will follow. Most of the globe’s economic activity is funnelled through cities and especially coastal and maritime cities. They have the opportunity and the responsibility to lead the world towards sustainable development. T he sheer size of cities is crucial, but also their potential to generate and capture positive synergies, their capacity for creativity and innovations and the intercon- nected local political leadership which heralded the era of urban geopolitics. Urban democracies, advocating for citizens to be at the heart of policies, could bring an extraordinary momentum in times of global democratic and trust defi cit. T his book sheds particular light on coastal cities, places of exceptional opportu- nities and tensions at the junction of marine, land, air and human ecosystems. From seaside resorts and delta cities to maritime hubs, the spectrum of coastal cities includes very diverse typologies. They can all generate very diverse exceptional synergies, out of the interacting strengths and weaknesses of both cities and coasts. The book highlights particular threats and opportunities, and underlines effective imaginative responses that can inspire cities to address the challenges of the future in harmonious symbiosis with the sea. Humanity owes much of its prosperity to seas and oceans. Oceans are the ulti- mate life support system. Water has not only been a precondition for life on earth but it has provided vital resources to society and endowed some cities with special assets, from fi sheries and sea transport to recreational activities, raw materials and energy. Since the age of ancient metropolises on the sea, many port cities concen- trated not only commercial and economic wealth, but also political and even cul- tural power. Privileged access to the sea has often invited economies to exchange, trade and expand. The proximity of the sea and, through maritime routes, of the shores of the world, makes coastal cities more open and inventive, rich in experi- ences that can be offered to both citizens and visitors. ix
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