Contenu du sommaire

The great cities of the northwestem coast are affected by some considerable changes concerning their harbours plants organizations. A significant part of maritime activities has been transfered towards peripheral zones causing the decay of the ancient seaboards located on the fringe of cores cities. These areas are also under strong pressure of developers who plan to set up projects of redevelopment, including rebuilding of the waterfront or restoring and recycling the old piers for commercial purposes. Through the examples of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, the text describes how these process have been conceived and carried on, and also points out the nature of the various choices or challenges for the concerned municipalities in local contexts.

This paper addresses the issue of the present evolution of urban forms and its trend towards densification. The argument is based on the example of Los Angeles (California) which has the reputation of being the prototype of urban « modernity » and as such of urban innovations. Los Angeles is also a metropolitan area the extension of which is based on the principle of the house and garden and on a certain economic decentralization. However, for the last ten years this trend toward a more spread out urban area is changing in favor of an internal growth of the existing urban fabric and a densification process. The « urban field » has reached its limits.

During the 1960's and 70's, Salonique, Greece's second largest city, experienced a heavy industrialization, which engendered considerable economic and demographic growth. Desired by the population, sought by the business community, encouragea by political officials, this industrialization slowly revealed itself to be a disturbing element, perturbing the operation of the metropolitan area by prejudices it has created. In the early 1980's, the necessity of improvement of the quality of the environment and the conditions of living in Salonique and the will to make it an attractive metropolis, influent on the national and international levels, demand that a solution to the urban problems of the agglomeration be found. This solution can only be taken into consideration with city planning and an industrial urbanism which are coherent and rigorous, effectively enforcing policies and actions from the level of the nation down to the level of each urban block.