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Lack of access to adequate housing in Mexico City's urban core and sprawling settlement patterns have led to numerous social and environmental issues. Current development patterns sharpen social fragmentation and segregation, create imbalances in the provision of infrastructure and services, and encourage human occupation of high-risk and environmentally susceptible areas. Furthermore, expansive urbanization has become increasingly expensive, both at the individual and collective level. This has happened because private interests often overshadow public ones; economic growth rather than equitable and sustainable development has been the mark of success. Thus, commercial uses have displaced residential uses, particularly low-income housing, to remote areas of the metropolitan region. Local government efforts, albeit significant in comparison to other parts of the country, have been unable to adequately address this issue. Government inefficiency, lack of inter-institutional coordination, corruption, and lack of resources, among other factors, have hindered the success of housing and densification projects. The present research evaluates recent densification efforts and their goals to increase housing access and repopulate the urban core. Some of the individual benefits enjoyed by residents of densification projects, such as access to infrastructure and services, as well as some of the difficulties experienced by them in the process of obtaining government credits and access to housing are also identified. The conclusion is that only the rigorous integration of environmental and social planning agendas and the renegotiation of concepts of spatial justice will lead to more effective policies and housing programs, and a just, accessible, and sustainable city, region and country. / text

The urban form undergoes a constant evolution process that transforms the urban experience. As it has been stated by urban morphologists, the design and planning principles as well as emerging social-economic forces shape the built environment. During the period of modernism, cities reformed their urban cores according to the fundamental elements of modernism, aiming to address the ongoing urban growth, the traffic increase and the emerging social issues. Thus, after that period, several urban cores were transformed from old districts to new modern and prestigious business and commercial centers were the former urban experience disappeared.  The center of Athens as well as the center of Stockholm constitute two representative examples of how modernism transformed completely the built environment during that period. Traffic oriented solutions prevailed against the traditional urban districts in both cases. Thus, by experiencing these two cases, common patterns were identified on the urban form of these two key public spaces of the cities. The current study is aiming to unfold the evolution of their urban form and the processes of change that took place in each case during the same time. An extended analysis is conducted, where formal and non-formal conditions are thoroughly examined. Through the analysis of the urban form, this work is aiming to reveal whether common elements that are identified in the built environment produce same implications on the urban life of the public space and consequently common urban experience to the users, despite cultural differences. In addition, the emerging unique formal and non-formal conditions, that generate vitality in each case, are selectively extracted in the last chapter, where crucial interventions are proposed.

Miestas - tai teritorija, suskaidyta į funkcines erdves: gyvenamuosius, pramoninius, paslaugų rajonus, senamiesčius ir naujamiesčius. Planuojant miestus reikia atsižvelgti ne tik į erdvę, kaip vietą, bet ir į specifinę, kiekvieną žmogų supančią individualią erdvę. Miestas – yra jo gyventojų „namai”, o miesto centras - branduolys, tai tarytum „svetainė”, reprezentatyviausia namų erdvė, erdvė, kurioje renkasi svečiai, rengiami susiėjimai, susitikimai su draugais. Šiame darbe kalbama apie miesto branduolį, kuris yra įsitvirtinęs pačioje seniausioje miesto dalyje, susidaręs per daugelį metų, turintis savo vystymosi raidos istoriją, užstatytas įvairių epochų statiniais. Kaip miesto branduolys, centrinis miesto taškas įvardijama - pagrindinė miesto aikštė, nuo kurios ir užsimezga miesto raida. Marijampolė, vienas jauniausių, gana sudėtingos praeities, šiuo metu besiplečiantis ir modernėjantis Lietuvos miestas, turintis savo raidos istoriją, bei jau susiformavusį miesto branduolį, su savo privalumais ir trūkumais išryškėjusiais per daugelį metų. Čia mes susipažinsime su miestų branduolių formavimosi tendencijomis, išsiaiškinsime priežastis darančias įtaką miestų raidai. Pirmoje darbo dalyje aptariama miesto branduolio sąvoka, jo reikšmė miestui, taip pat apžvelgiama miestų centrų raida, bei projektavimo kriterijai nuo antikos laikų iki šių dienų Lietuvoje ir užsienio šalyse. Antrojoje darbo dalyje atliekama užsienio šalių branduolių regeneracijos pavyzdžių paieška, bei analizė... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / A town is a territory, divided into functional spaces occupied by living, industry, and service, old and new parts of town. Specific, individual space surrounding each person must be taken into account when planning a city as well as the space itself. The city is home for the local citizenry, and the center of city is the space which can be compared to the sitting-room of the home where various celebrations are held and guests invited. The core of a town is the main topic of the master thesis. The core was built up during a long period of time, has its own development history (therefore buildings associated with different periods of architecture can be found here) and is located in the oldest part of the town. The town square which is the beginning of the development of the city is considered to be the core of the town. Marijampolė is a town of complex past nevertheless it is one of the youngest and currently developing compared to other similar towns in Lithuania. It has its own development history, a core with its advantages and disadvantages, and the core is formed during the years. We are going to get acquainted with the trends of formation of town cores and find out the reasons making influence to the development of towns. The first part of the master thesis is dedicated for the analysis of the term 'core of the town'. Also, the influence a core is making to the town is depicted as well as history of centers of towns, design criteria beginning from the antiquity and... [to full text]

The urban study deals with the design of the new city district in the area where the Tepna Náchod textile factory used to stand. The total area of the solved area (including the existing development) is 10.35 ha. My intention was to create a new neighborhood that will take advantage of the huge benefits of this area. These are the terrain configuration and the immediate proximity of the historic city center and the train and bus stations. Because the area is flat and it is one of the few in the city that is not on the slope, I decided to place a compact block of flats and make the most of the area. The aim was to design a new city district, basically a modern city center, but it will not compete with the historic one, but rather will support it. The newly designed public spaces are not critical in their size, but in their content and diversity. The main idea of the proposal was to use the proximity of the railway station, the historic center and the terrain and create a barrier-free city district for the inhabitants, which will connect the surrounding city districts and at the same time offer enough housing, places for business and also a leisure time environment. And everything is within walking distance of the station and the center.

Reconstruction in the central urban area. Design public urban space objects with new restaurant, the city market and a printer object conversion. Objects and area will contain all the necessary functions associated with the movement of visitors and movement of pasants. An important part of the solution will transform the river embankment. This is a broader vision of the future and possibilities of urban centers with the potential of finding the historical core.