Abstract

In times of a continuous transformation of urban structures in terms of growth and shrinkage, sprawl and the compact city, adaption and individuality, the only possibility for planners to cope with it while integrating steadily changing parameters, is a strategic design approach. Developing these strategies - orienting to cases that have proofed to be successful - leads to traditional European cities with still existent historic structures, such as Barcelona, Paris or Amsterdam that seem to be still appropriate to fulfill contemporary demands. Their ability to transform areas, based on a stable existent framework demonstrates their flexibility without giving up the wholeness character of the entire system. Therefore, these cities have two simultaneous features: openness for the new and unexpected and meanwhile stability of existent context. In respect of these features the question arises, whether the traditional European city can be a role model for all future sustainable cities in general and whether its features can be transferred to other cities or planned new towns. Can the European model guarantee resilient urban planning adapted to the 21st and the following centuries?