Transfomativna infrastruktura viktorijanskog Londona: ka zdravim i zelenim gradovima

Abstract

Posle nekoliko razornih talasa kolere u Londonu tokom 50-ih i 60-ih godina 19. veka, izvršeni su veliki infrastrukturni radovi na izgradnji kanalizacije, čime je epidemija konačno zaustavljena. Ser Džozef Vilijam Bazaldžet je u to vreme bio glavni gradski inženjer u Metropolitan Board of Vorks (MBV) koji je projektovao i nadgledao izgradnju sistema koji je transformisao London i njegovu suprastrukturu, odnosno njegovu vidljivu izgrađenu morfologiju. Medicinsko znanje u kombinaciji sa novim inženjerskim pristupom projektovanju urbane infrastrukture omogućilo je dalji napredak londonske tipologije objekata. To su bili sanitarni uslovi koji su diktirali ovu transformaciju. Od tada je ideja sanitarnog grada uvek bila jedan od osnovnih principa i preduslova za poželjan urbani razvoj. Danas, tokom pandemije COVID-a, koncept sanitarnog grada dobio je novi značaj. Kakva nam je danas potrebna urbana infrastruktura koja bi bila efikasna u kontroli sadašnjih i budućih pandemija? Možemo li kombinovati medicinsko znanje sa tehnološkim i ekološkim inovacijama u dizajnu i izgradnji kako bismo naše gradove pretvorili u urbane prostore koji bolje odgovaraju na izazove pandemije? Šta možemo naučiti iz iskustva viktorijanskog Londona i koje su nove perspektive u planiranju modernog sanitarnog grada? Verujemo da nas u budućnosti očekuju novi veliki infrastrukturni radovi, ovoga puta sa zelenom infrastrukturom u glavnoj ulozi. Zelenilo u vidu rešenja zasnovanih na prirodi pokrenuće novi napredak ka zdravom i održivom gradu.

After several devastation waves of cholera in London during the 50s and 60s of the 19th century, large infrastructural works were carried out on the construction of the sewage system, which finally stopped the epidemic. Sir Joseph William Bazalgette was at the time the Chief (Municipal) Engineer to the Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) who designed and oversaw the construction of the system that transformed London and its suprastructure i.e. its visible built morphology. Medical knowledge combined with new engineering approach to urban infrastructure design has enabled further progress of London building typology. It was the sanitary conditions that dictated this transformation. Since then, the idea of a sanitary city has always been one of the prime principles and precondition for desirable urban development. Today, during the COVID pandemic, a sanitary city concept gained new significance. What kind of urban infrastructure do we need today that would be effective in controlling current and future pandemics? Can we combine medical knowledge with technological and ecological innovations in design and construction in order to transform our cities into urban spaces that have a better response to the challenges of pandemics? What can we learn from the experience of Victorian London and what are the new perspectives in planning a modern sanitary city? We believe that new grand infrastructure works await us in the future, this time with green infrastructure in the leading role. Greenery in the form of nature based solutions will initiate new progress towards a healthy and sustainable city.