Why Modern Urban Planners And Architects Have No Clue What They're Doing

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Michael Diamant tells why contemporary urban planners and architects have no idea what they are doing in The Aesthetic City Podcast

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[Earth]

Most of the Urban Planners are already on board with the idea of the human scale and walkable urbanism. Only architects are still holding onto 'abstract' forms and their crazy ideas.

[leobethge]

Be a planner. Try it. Your creative hands are restrained by a zoning ordinance and a comprehensive plan, and a council that doesn't get the beauty of an urban environment.

[SA-xtgd]

Thank you for pointing this out. I have a masters in Urban Planning. If a random person ask about my expertise I will say “i have nooo idea.” Because we just studied about existing conditions without thinking of solutions. The “solutions” are public hearing and begging government funding. Other than that I am clueless.

[R.E.A.L.I.T.Y]

I’m an architect and after 40yrs of practice this is the truth. “History” starts at the last 5 yrs of other architects work. Junk Urban Design and junk Neo-Classical Economics both grew out of Harvard. Both designed to privatize public wealth & space to maximize profits

[IRGhost]

imagine this being done in any other field. where would mathematics be if we had to create mathematics from scratch every 5 years, and it couldn't be the same as the mathematics we already have. or literature, where you couldn't read old literature, just literature written in the past 10 years.

[GrootmanSipho]

I’ve watched countless vinyl collection videos. I think yours is the best one so far, you have everything in your collection.

[adriansoldevilla]

In architecture, we simply respond to the needs of clients shackled by building codes, budget while being considerate of climate. It is already understood that walkability, gentle density, transit oriented development, character and the like are the most pleasant and sustainable solutions. Knowledge is not the issue here. The issue however is control at least in my country. Government policies and these strict codes prohibit us from create what's ideal. Architects don't always run the show. Simply put responding to what is given. That is the job afterall. To translate the needs of clients, codes, budget, climate, function into something built. So what you see is the culmination of all those. I dont think insulting the proffession would help anyone. If any its just disrespectful given all the work and sacrifice put into all these. Its so easy to look at a building and say its ugly without actually seeing the work and thought and process in making them into fruition.

[MrReedling]

Another problem with contemporary architects is that they deliberately create problems when it’s not needed. For contemporary architects innovating by coming up with different forms and impracticle engineering limitations that makes their buildings look like they are defying physics is apparently more important than creating a building that is actually good and adapted for balanced living. The word balance in particular has no home in the minds of contemporary architects. Everything architectural element has to be expressed to the degree that it straight of irritates you because it’s so insubtle. Everything has to have as much contrast to it as humanly possible to make sure that you always pay attention to the architecture. Remember this, good architecture, is architecture that provides it’s function without us having to think about it doing its job.

[syedirtezahassan]

You are doing a great work, may the success be your future.

[coke]

Like most problems, it starts with the government. Most urbanist issues stem from unnecessarily strict building regulations and restrictive zoning ordinances.

[SONICking]

And at the bar what's consider an idiot? 99.99% seems ridiculous.

[vladtheimpalerofdrtypajee]

Good urban planning and architecture : *exists*

India: 'We don't do that here'

[desertbloomke]

Part 2 comment:
Not all schools of architecture are purely modernist. Some teach us to appreciate the old and consider what worked and whether it can work in the present so that we come up with more cohesive design solutions.
And there's a reason standard's are followed, because they have been seen to work REPEATEDLY. That's why it's hard for some things to change. It doesn't mean they can't change. That's why architects have to possess innovation and creativity and Train it, coz sometimes you'll have a new project and the standard may not necessarily apply.

I do agree that for the most part, having some schools of architecture that are solely focused on a particular style of architecture has proven to be a bad move. Because you're raising architects and urban planners whose thinking is SOOOO limited, that style of architecture is all they've ever known and so they think it holds superiority over the others unless they INTENTIONALLY expose themselves to the other styles.
But 99.99% ...eh! That's too much. I ask you to reason again.

[zu]

Budapest - I see brilliance everytime I go out - almost all from 80-200 years ago. 40 years under the SU saved much of it from being destroyed but had little upkeep . Much of the castle area that was bombed is being rebuilt from original plans to perfection using modern tools and material for structural work. The city gov downtown has no clue what they have. The bid exception - the newest metro is perfection for a fraction of the cost of the jubilee line in london but the same futurist feel that going on over 20 years ago.

[javierpacheco]

Architects do know what they are doing, it's just the way they design is not attractive and not in the vernacular look that we like. Architects also have different building codes and work with budgets where most clients for an average architect isn't like those higly expensive clients where they want something big becuase most people are poor and want a affordable house.

[viljanordgard]

Hey! I found this channel on youtube, and was looking around for more content from you, but nowhere do you have a link to your podcast on your youtube channel! Advertise it on the channel and make it easy to find!

[desertbloomke]

I don't think this applies to ALL urban planners and architects. Let me say that most of the time, we'll probably have fresh ideas in our minds. And having lived in the city or our beloved homeplaces, ofcourse we'll have experienced the positivity and negativity of its design as much as the other residents. And it being in our profession to be able to change the negative, OFCOURSE we would want to do so for a better living condition.

But then you have the fact that most cities are planned today by taking examples from developed cities, almost ALWAYS the ones with towering skyscrapers as they are the 'peak symbol of modernism and a bustling economy' which is also not necessarily the urban planners' fault but mostly turns out to be a fault on the government's priorities. THEN there's also the fact that in the rush to be seen as modern and prestigious, sight is often lost of what is actually important to deal with (The housing problem, the excess of 'modern looking highways that come up for cars and the lack of consideration of proper sewer systems, overall aesthetic and what IS ACTUALLY applicable to a city in that particular geographic region for the welfare and health of the residents and visitors). And this can genuinely be a fault on some money- loving or biased urban planners or architects. THEN there's other factors like the policies of a place restricting any kind of sensible development.
OH...AND ALSO the fact that most developers will not care what their buildings turn out like or if they are beneficial to the residents welfare as long as they look 'modern' enough to bring in money...because certain buildings are 'trending' now.
AND the FACT that most developers nowadays would rather hire engineers to do everything because they're cheaper to hire than architects and can get construction done, and most of them are trained technically...not much aesthetically. (I mean no harm to engineers🙏)

A lot of factors play into how cities turn out today, let's not blame all the urban planners and architects, neither should we blame JUST the urban planners and architects. It's a crazy system!

[bnieztx]

Man... You are the voice of reason in an ocean of madness and stupid fashions

[louiszhang]

But I wonder how much greater urban planning and architecture may be if we could actually draw back on our own creativity, thoughts, and wisdom, not just from the present age but in ages past. Unfortunately, this type of thinking is everywhere. We're told what to do and what works now works best, and believe that everything in the past is antiquated and stupid.

[crunchy_wahter]

Beautiful documentary about my birthplace. This is motivating me to take action the best I can. What are my options??