euobserver EDITORIAL
euobserver EDITORIAL ADDRESS EUobserver Magazine Rue Montoyer 18B 1000 Brussels Belgium contact@euobs.com Future Cities As leaders focus on strategic issues, the other EU, the EU of city-states, is evolving and shaping Europe's future from the bottom up. Editor Editor: Lisbeth Kirk ARTICLE LAYOUT Art director: Tobias Andreasen EUobserver Magazine Rue Montoyer 18B 1000 Brussels Belgium advertising@euobserver.com EUobserver Magazine Rue Montoyer 18B 1000 Brussels Belgium Meg Chang mc@euobs.com PUBLISHER EUobserver.com ASBL www.euobserver.com information they need to hold the EU establishment to account. - our sources. By 2050 over 80 percent of Europeans are projected to live in towns or cities. If I live long enough, I'll be one of them, and most likely you will be too. But what will those cities look like in the future? Who will get it right and who will lag behind? for future cities and learns lessons from the past. identity. the economy to name a few - but despite the gloomy pall over EU affairs, lots of European cities are investing and reinventing themselves. well. They compete, but they also inspire each other. They are mini-states, where people get more involved in politics new buildings, or about garbage collection. They share cars, create new businesses, and plan utopias. As EU leaders focus on strategic issues, the other Europe, of citystates, is evolving in its own way. It's a good story that should be told. Lisbeth Kirk lk@euobserver.com © Lisbeth Kirk 02 — FUTURE CITIES OCTOBER 2016
STUDENT VILLAGES ON THE WATER Students will soon be able to move into converted shipping containers in Gothenburg. The architects hope to spread their idea of cheap, waterside living across Europe. By Lisbeth Kirk student beds by 2025, governments across Europe are scrambling for a solution. Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city, might be an inspiration. containers that have been converted into homes. They are heated by solar power and cooled using sea water. They offer a central location, a village-type community, and low cost. CREATING NEW HOUSING AREAS Loudrup. Their idea could potentially turn thousands of kilometres of untapped harbours, rivers and canals into new housing areas. By stacking nine container units in a circle, 15 studios are created that frame a centralised common green courtyard. There is a kayak landing, bathing platform, barbecue area and a roof terrace. where we are going to build 24 of these [riggers] to form sort The housing is also buoyant like a boat, so that can be replicated in other harbour cities where affordable housing is needed but space is limited. “We can actually use these containers as building blocks to create incredibly affordable apartments that have almost Below water, there are storage rooms, a utility room and a laundry. The whole thing weighs 6 tonnes and sits 2.5m deep in the water, making it stable even when a storm passes over. Manhattan's waterfront. Photo: Lisbeth Kirk FUTURE CITIES OCTOBER 2016 — 03
