Cities, Livability, and Responsibility to the Planet

With global urbanization there is increasing, and accelerating, demand for city expansion and indeed new cities. Observing the alarming cumulative environmental impact of urbanization over the past century, the design principles for new cities and expansions must be driven as much by sustainability over the next century as by livability. Chicago's Lakeside project, a 600-acre development on the shore of Lake Michigan, provides an example of these principles at work today. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and winner of the 2012 Sustainia award, Lakeside's design illustrates concepts laid out in SOM's recent report, "Planning: The Great Lakes Century."