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competition between countries and cities Some of them express it through emblematic buildings others through heritage protec- tion
They compete against one another through services and technology These topics are are present worldwide and are are also affecting emerging countries The idea is to make an impact on the mind by performing extraordinary and renewed images A simple pursuit eager for prestige? JMC I would say no no not simply prestige because there is another important point that is is safety in the the cities It is is one of the the most significant urban problems that is most likely related to problems of urbanism but also to police control the most striking example being that of the the absolute safety in in the the Emir- ates that encourages the massive arrival of tourists Should these methods be applied in the western countries? In France for example in the suburbs?
JMC No I am not saying that Neither do I say that we are in a a a a country where there is total safety But it does not have anything to do with Mexico City or Bogotá China has been able to make its cities secure We are in a a a country where everybody watches everybody by tradition It is one of the important attraction factors for people to to come and settle here Is it really like that the future awaiting us?
JMC If the future of cities could create total safety I would be very happy!
To come back to to the topic of ecology and renewable energies is it true that being an architect you have the power to impose solutions?
JMC Nowadays we are still at the begin- ning and many words are those of the «fair trade coffee» where everyone talks about ecology protecting the environment saving energy etc without changing their own behaviour 15 years ago transport policies in China had very clearly decided to have only public transports and not individual cars what a a a change But one can not forbid people to buy a a car JMC Clearly not! To limit the purchase of cars every request for registration plates is is sold by a a a a call to offer an increased price The political transfer also took place because of a a a a a need to create jobs It is a a a a a paradox France included: cars are being removed from the cities and our previous Prime Minis- ter reinvested funds in in in the car industry only 6 months ago It is usually considered that about 10% of total employment is directly or in in in directly related to the car industry China also has its unemployment problem Prob- lems are similar among emergent or devel- oped countries and the creation of industrial jobs is a a priority We are in the middle of pro- posals that engage the future of cities but global answers exceed the understanding of individuals facing the increasing complexity of of the the whole of of the the subjects to be dealt with Does ecological building such as flat roofs with greenery or solar panels lead to a a a compulsory surcharge?
JMC It is really not reasonable to accept the limited idea that ecology consists in in putting a little greenery on the roofs of of buildings Not very long ago I was with an an important president who had told me that he was care- ful for his personal office not to to spend too much in in in in heating or to limit air-conditioning in in in in the the summer Then at the the end he he he he confided to me that he was leaving for a a a a weekend in in Morocco Morocco His weekend in Morocco Morocco was going to engulf much more energy than all his efforts to save in in air-conditioning The dialogue about the environment turns around the the building of of solar houses in in the the middle of of the countryside but one forgets that two cars are needed to go there One looks for- ward to seeing big companies such as Airbus getting orders of of thousands of of millions but from the 11 000 tons of CO2 that are ejected over Paris 44% come from the approach of aerial transport to the city The current dia- logue only talks about good intentions: I am an ecological city I I have projects but I I would say with humour that the French who have a a a a weekend house in Marrakech should avoid going there by airplane Global think- ing ing on on the environment is very far from being put into practice Is there a solution to pollution in the the cities?
JMC The most important point consists in in working on the the means of transport If the the overdevelopment of aerial transport brings about pollution then creating competition between train and airplane is abnormal The true solution consists in in in coordinating the two subjects in in a grouping with the speed of decision of a a a private company in order to make faster decisions on on investment in in land transport A more global thought on the whole of the the transport connecting them to the speed of economic development seems to to to to me to to to to be desirable in in order to to to to take into account
at the the same time both the the economy and the environment It would seem that up to 2030 cities will will explode : Mexico City will will be as big as the whole of Mexico today the west coast of Africa will be one huge conglomeration of of cities and of of shanty towns without talking about India Bombay etc Can this evolution be avoided?
JMC Who controls these problems? For us architects and urban planners building cities has become an impossible topic to to deal with so enormous is its complexity Where are there sufficient research tools to to make it possible to analyse the subject? Is there a a Nobel Prize for the the creation of cities is there a a a a centre of fundamental research in the the the world is is there a a real wish to solve the the the true challenge of this century? In order to approach the complexity of this subject sizeable means would have to be put in it as one would do with fundamental research What about our children's and and grand- children's future? How do you see it?
JMC I am optimistic by nature and think that just as in democracy consciences evolve Intelligence ends up by surfacing again What still remains something of a a a a a question mark is the taking of political deci- sions and of strategies Let’s talk about Dubai and its gigantic buildings Don’t they look like a sort of of Tower of of Babel already once pun- ished by God? Will God God punish us once again?
JMC Are you sure that this is is pure mad- ness? Please analyse: some had made atomic power become the «devil» but today we we see that by making research evolve we we have reached these new energy techniques With pollution by knowing how to master it it car engines with a a very low level of polluting emissions could be created Evolution is is slower than it might be thought A middle way must be be found to a a better reflected urban organisation Therefore will God not punish us?
JMC (Burst of laughter) I’ll leave you to deal with God!
Jean Marie Charpentier