The document discusses different types of urban planning and development approaches, including the informal city, suburban development, compact cities, and strategies for activating underutilized urban spaces. Specific case studies are presented on projects in Glasgow, New York, Cape Town, and Seattle that transformed freeway spaces or severed urban areas into new public spaces and connections through removal or redesign of transport infrastructure.

1. THE INFORMAL CITY
the informal city is not the
opposite of a formal city
but rather a city in
formation, or one being
formed by people

3. THE INFORMAL CITY
it makes up 50% of main
urban areas in the global
south but has completely
fallen outside of the
architectural & urbanistic
attention

5. SUBURBAN MEETS
THE CITY
a mixed-use
development, including
apartments, offices and
retail spaces connected by a
continuous promenade

7. SUBURBAN MEETS
THE CITY
mixing retail, row- houses and
apartments in untraditional
ways – a retail facing
street, offices towards
light, residence views to the
open spaces

9. SUBURBIA –
AMERICAN DREAM
a residential district located on
the outskirts of a city

11. SUBURBIA –
AMERICAN DREAM
white picket fences, large
driveways, big
backyards, gardens and
trees, family and car
“friendly”, low rise, peaceful
and safe

13. COMPACT CITY
medium to high rise apartment
blocks, located in the city
centre or within close proximity

15. COMPACT CITY
high density, smaller living
spaces, closer to public
transport nodes, more reliant
on public spaces and
places, family and car “un-
friendly”

17. ACTIVATE THE
SPACE
bring life, colour and vibrant
activity to the hostile
environment below the
freeways, activating the space
for citizens

19. ACTIVATE THE
SPACE
Case Study: Glasgow
radical revitalization of a crucial
link to the City Centre, severed
by the construction of the M8
motorway in the 1960’s

21. FREEWAYS FOR
PEOPLE
remove all cars and take the
freeways back as a green and
landscaped public space for
cyclists and pedestrians, in the
heart of the city

23. FREEWAYS FOR
PEOPLE
Case Study: New York
The recycling of an
abandoned elevated
railroad, redesigned and
planted as an aerial urban

25. NEW MUSEUM
It is already a landmark, why
don’t we turn it into a usable
and iconic landmark – a
gateway into Cape Town

27. NEW MUSEUM
Case Study: Cape Town
could be a Museum of City
Planning & Transport -
dramatic location, panoramic
view amphitheater, Table
Mountain backdrop

29. DEMOLISH AND
RECONNECT
demolish the freeways, and
reconnect the Central City with
the harbour and water, through
public promenades and parks

31. DEMOLISH AND
RECONNECT
Case Study: Seattle
demolition of an earthquake
damaged elevated highway to
unlock land for a
redesigned, newly accessible
waterfront