''Más de la mitad de la población mundial vive en ciudades y la tendencia crecerá en las próximas décadas''
''More than half of the world's population lives in cities and the trend will grow in the next decades''
Gonçalo Byrne claimed at the University of Navarra the role of the historic center as the center of the metropolis due to its connection with the local identity.
More than half of the world's population lives in cities and the trend will continue to grow in the coming years, as recalled by Portuguese architect Gonçalo Byrne, who gave a course at Master's Degree in design Architectural of the University of Navarra."In recent decades, the Economics, leisure activities and culture are increasingly concentrated in cities, which have become territories in which historic centers compete with other new centers," he said.
In this sense, the Portuguese architect vindicated the protagonism of the former within this 'polycentrism', due to the relevance of their role in the identity of the metropolis and the connection with the inhabitants, especially in Europe. He also insisted on the need for them, as with the rest of the city, to be dynamic:"If the historic center becomes a museum, it dies. To develop its role as a 'center of centers' it has to transform itself in dialogue, in relation to the past; it is a matter of taking the heritage we have received and adding new things".
Pamplona, example of good urban planning development
With respect to architecture, Gonçalo Byrne pointed out that "it must improve the quality of life of citizens" and move away from the "spectacle" that has predominated in recent years. He added that architects"design and build containers of life, so the relationship between building, urban space and the life that develops in them is fundamental".
Precisely, he indicated that quality of life takes on special relevance in the context of globalization, in which he considered that the "economicskill makes cities compete among themselves to be more attractive for inhabitants and tourism, creating work, improving environmental and coexistence conditions, increasing green spaces...". To this end, he stressed the need for a "political convergence with the long-term urban strategy deadline".
As an example of good urban planning development , he cited Pamplona: "When one flies over it by plane, one notices that the urban perimeter is very well defined. One can distinguish the expansions around the Citadel and the more recent extensions, which constitute well-defined mosaics. The urban limits are very precise, and this provides quality of life. Although the capital will continue to grow, it will continue to renew its interior and improve its space".