DOWNTOWN

New Ideas for Working Living and Sharing in the Inner City.

This theme explores new strategies and re-thought models for the future of the inner city.

Concept

DOWNTOWN questions the dated model of mono-functional streetscapes and pedestrian zones with its empty and deserted office and retail spaces. The future of shopping malls but also of small independent stores is in doubt since online shopping became the new norm and rents continued to increase. Thus, cities all over the world are desperately trying to seek out alternative strategies for their centres.

The pandemic situation accelerated the already progressing desolation of our city centres. Within this challenge lies the chance to develop a new mixed-use, creative and integrative place for all at the core of our urban environment. To address local issues and invent new concepts, it is worth examining new instruments and positions such as inner-city coordinators or teams. Stores focused on particular items or specialties might still shine bright in the future, while events and culture have the opportunity to fill the widening gap by reaching out to the public. Beyond the conventional models lies a chance to bring back specific types of production as well as weaving affordable housing structures back into the city. Connected to these concepts are the questions of a future mobility and infrastructure.

Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory aims to develop visionary ideas and new models for high urban quality, integrative, social, creative and co-produced city centres with different partners. How does the city centre of the future look like? How can we adapt the configuration of (historic) centres to make it work today and tomorrow? What are the development potentials for the inner city real estate and who are the stakeholders? Can production, even agriculture, be brought back into the heart of the city? Can we make room for housing again in the city centres?