Seeing Differently

This chapter advocates a fresh mindset that views urban challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles. Emphasis is placed on understanding cities as evolving entities shaped by past choices and current conditions. It illustrates how present urban forms are legacies of past priorities. Using energy and transportation policies as examples, it urges urban designers and planners to adopt a long-term, systems-based perspective. This chapter also suggests urban designers and planners intervene in urban settings as medical doctors would. This means diagnosing and helping undertake some appropriate mix of preserving, enhancing, and creating. In so doing, this narrative asks for a deeper appreciation of the untapped potential and the transformative impact of thoughtful, strategic investment in urban environments.