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THE FUTURE OF THE PAST
THE EUROPEAN HiSTORIC INNER CITY,
FADED GLORY OR CORE BUSINESS?
W. van der Toom Vrijthoff
Associate Professor Real Estate Management
Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture
Department of Real Estate and Project Management
P.O. Box 5043, 2600 GA Delft
The Netherlands
E mail W.vanderToomVrijthoff@bk.tudelft.nl
KEY WORDS: Inner city, Spatial diversity, Identity of history, Conservation, Reconstruction
ABSTRACT:
The Industrial Revolution triggered off a considerable increase in the urban areas in Europe. After the Second World War, this
development changed at an accelerating pace. The postwar baby boom was followed by a growing trend towards smaller family
sizes and an increase in the use of space by individuals. The precondition for these developments was the steady economic growth in
Europe.
Growth took place in all sectors, bringing with it an increase in spatial scale. Consumer spending continued to grow within
the framework of favorable economic developments. These developments were accompanied with a need for space for which
the historic city centre did not have sufficient potential. As a result, functions moved to other premises. More space and
better accessibility were the key motives for choosing locations other than the historic centre.
The finemeshed spatial structure of the historic centre combined with a wide differententiation in types of ownership makes it
difficult to impossible to fit in large-scale functions without affecting the centre’s spatial quality.
This article addresses the choices that are now being made in Western Europe with regard to the positioning of the historic inner
city. It also discusses the strategies employed by local governments to realize the positioning desired. These strategies are detailed in
terms of spatial adaptations, function change and required investments. Specific attention is paid to the question: To what extent will
smallness of scale and wide spatial diversity in historic centres be preserved?
THE PEOPLE OF EUROPE
The world now has over six thousand million inhabitants and it
will become even more crowded in the decades to come. The
main growth factor is the high number of births, primarily in the
Third World. In Europe, more people currently die each year
than are bom. This is chiefly an outcome of the low average
number of births per woman and extended life expectancy. A
population decline is not however evident in all European
countries. This is because of international migration. The size
and composition of the population have roots in the past and
determine the future. A ‘greying’ society with an increasing
average population age is the inevitable result practically all
over the globe. Europe is a trendsetter in this area. It appears
that a number of demographic differences are growing narrower
across Europe, while others will almost certainly persist for
decades ahead.
The population is ageing (figure 1) owing to the combined
effect of lower fertility and rising life expectancy. Population
ageing is currently characteristic of more developed countries,
but in the near future the phenomenon will become a global one.
Some 16 percent of world population is expected to be aged 65
or more by 2050. The outcome of this trend will in the long run
be a decline in world population. This will happen when
average family size has diminished and population ageing has
progressed to such an extent that the
worldwide death rate exceeds the worldwide birth rate. A global
decline of world population is not predicted, however, until near
the end of the 21 st century.
Population of Europe
□ 2000 ■ 2030
0-20 20-40 40-60 >60
age group
Figure 1 Population of Europe now and in the future according
the the base line scenario (15 countries of the European Union,
source Eurostat)
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