The beauty of public spaces is a key element in changing the future role of city centers from retail to the provision of a space for enjoyment and relaxation. Streets and squares with building facades that augment the city's image will become the deciding factor in how appealing it is to visitors. An increase in living, working, and cultural offerings in the city will further in greater vitality in urban areas. We can still turn the economic crisis, which has been significantly increased by the pandemic, into an opportunity: How do we want to redesign our cities? The Konferenz zur Schonheit und Lebensfahigkeit der Stadt (Conference on the Beauty and Livability of Cities) has devoted itself to fundamental questions in urban development for over a decade. The contributions in this volume combine economic, social, ecological, and mobility questions concerning city-center development with architectural and urban planning considerations.

Autorentext

Christoph Mäckler is an architect based in Frankfurt am Main, professor emeritus of urban design at TU Dortmund, and director of the Deutsches Institut fur Stadtbaukunst, which he founded in 2008. From 1990 until 1997 he held visiting professorships in Naples, Braunschweig, and Hanover, and was a member of the Internationale Bauakademie Berlin. Wolfgang Sonne has been professor of architectural history and theory at TU Dortmund since 2007. He is the head researcher for the Baukunstarchiv NRW architecture library in North Rhine- Westphalia as well as acting director and cofounder of the Deutsches Institut fur Stadtbaukunst. He has taught at institutions including ETH Zurich and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.