The text presents a reflection on urban aging and the challenges brought to both urbanism and the social sciences. In an assumed preference for interdisciplinarity, the text rescues some theoretical contributions (such as those of G. Simmel, J. Jacobs, R. Smithson, and Sh. Zukin) that are treated as reference to various urban projects (from Brasília to Pruitt-Igoe to the Nagakin Capsule Tower). Multiple languages and disputes are also brought to the discussion, with an emphasis upon the current views of the classic anti-interventionists and restorationists dispute. The author attributes centrality to the issue of demolition of buildings and questions its effects for a desirable preservation of the culture and the history of cities. Finally, he reveals his hope in the joint work of urban planners and social scientists.
Keywords:
Urban Aging; Decaying Buildings; Urban Ruin; Demolition; Urban Authenticities