How does the built world relate to the automobile? Alien to an urban fabric conceived for transportation vehicles of very different size, speed, noise and numbers, the motorcar thrust itself upon the city in the early 20th century, increasingly invading spaces not designed for it. With time it became a key consideration when designing buildings and whole city districts. Indeed the advent of the automobile changed the very concept of distance, services distribution and how open spaces are used. Architecture and cities adapted to the invasion of the car. Yet in bending to the needs of the motor vehicle, both often found themselves suffocated. For its part, the automotive industry relentlessly pursued its own development ends for decades with little care for the impact on urbanized environments.
Recent years have, however, seen a growing awareness that the mobility development model can no longer be posited just in terms of quantity but must also include concepts like quality, liveability and environmental sustainability. This has induced cities to rethink how the motor vehicle is to be accommodated in their midst.
Likewise it has led the automobile industry to seek out “cleaner”, less environmentally impactful cars better suited to urban living. Today sustainability is a full-fledged variable of the automotive world, a key research requirement on a par with design evolution. A car must no longer be just beautiful and powerful. It must also have a series of “positive” features like safety, comfort, energy saving, respect for the environment, versatility and simplicity of use - very similar to the characteristics now generally required of a building or urban quarter. Car design is no longer an independent disciple. The automobile is now conceived as being at the service of environment and the city. Dialogue between car developers and the world of architecture is a must since the objectives of both increasingly converge.
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