Yago Veith. Via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

What Affects the Quality of Life in Urban Environments?

由专筑网邢子，王帅编译

当我参加完关于城市生活质量的会议后，离开苏黎世的街道时，我偶然遇到了一个和我刚刚参加的会议相关的活生生的例子。我转过街角觉得自己仿佛在建筑渲染之中：树木翠绿而整齐，路上没有悬挂的电线，骑自行车的人优雅地沿着自行车道行驶，电车静静地，准时地向前移动，同时游泳的人们在河流和湖泊中享受着夏天。令我惊讶的是，当我走在立交桥下，意识到即使是城市也可以变得熟悉和安全。在散步之后，我停下来喝了杯咖啡，意识到跟随我的人得到了合适的薪水而且不用做三份工作来支付账单（当然咖啡也不便宜）。然而，对某些人来说，这些小的，几乎平凡的细节确实展现了城市人们的福祉和生活质量。

As I left the streets of Zurich after attending a conference about the quality of life in urban environments, I came across a living example of the lecture I had just attended. I turned the corner and felt that I was inside an architectural rendering: the trees were pruned and green, there were no hanging electrical wires, cyclists drove elegantly along bike lanes, the tram moved quietly and punctually while bathers enjoyed their summer in rivers and lakes. To my surprise, I walked under an overpass and realized that even urban cities could be skilled and safe. After my stroll, I stopped for a cup of coffee and knew that the person that attended me received a fair salary and did not have to work three jobs to pay the bills (of course the coffee did not come cheap). However, these small, almost mundane observations for some, do provide a well-being and quality of life that may be difficult to measure.


© Yves Bachmann

Monocle杂志在瑞士举办今年的生活质量会议。该会议每年在世界各地的不同城市举行，讨论影响城市生活质量的因素。小组将经济学家，企业家，建筑师，记者，设计师等聚集在一起。但谈论“生活质量”并不简单。除了安全，绿色空间和基础设施之外，还有许多其他可变因素会促成最终结果——例如房价，创业机会和文化空间。虽然许多人生活在恶劣的环境中并且认为他们的生活质量很高，反之亦然，但很明显，城市环境对其居民的幸福感有着决定性因素。除了“生活质量”，会议还讨论了反恐行动，现代工作的未来，城市交通的创新，零售趋势以及创作艺术收藏的技巧等。

The Swiss city was chosen by Monocle Magazine to host this year's edition of the Quality of Life Conference. The conference is held annually in different cities around the world to discuss what affects the quality of life in urban environments. The panels brought together economists, entrepreneurs, architects, journalists, designers, among others. But talking about 'quality of life' isn't simple. In addition to security, green spaces, and infrastructure, there are many other variables that contribute to the final result - such as housing prices, opportunities for entrepreneurs, and cultural spaces. While many people live in adverse environments and consider their quality of life high, and vice versa, it was clear that urban environments have a determining factor on the happiness of its inhabitants. Along with 'quality of life,' the conference also discussed action against terrorism, the future of modern work, innovations in urban mobility, trends for retail, and tips for starting an art collection.


© Yves Bachmann

我作为ArchDaily的代表出席了会议，尽管生活在巴西的一个发达地区，但是与苏黎世差距甚远。在Monocle杂志的世界最佳城市年度排名中，苏黎世排在第四位，仅次于慕尼黑，东京和维也纳。虽然比较瑞士和拉丁美洲之间的经济背景和历史几乎是不合理的，但有些问题让我相信巴西的生活质量还远远不够。更糟糕的是，作为一个国家，我们正朝着相反的方向前进。虽然我们努力强调公共交通的重要性，但瑞士人却致力于提高其（惊人的）电车的质量。在巴西，有一些法律试图禁止使用农药，一位会议发言人强调了一家专注于向苏黎世办事处提供健康优质食品的公司。虽然这里的民主经常受到威胁，但瑞士每年投票数十次来确定不同的问题，例如工作时间和与该国有关的其他主题事项。

I attended the conference as a representative of ArchDaily, and despite living in a developed region of Brazil, the contrast in Zurich and my hometown were quite jarring. In Monocle Magazine's annual ranking of the world's best cities, Zurich is in fourth place behind Munich, Tokyo, and Vienna. Although it is almost irresponsible to compare the economic context - and the historical past - between Switzerland and Latin America, some issues lead me to believe that Brazil's quality of life is far from adequate. And worse, we, as a country, are moving in the opposite direction. While we strive to highlight the importance of public transportation, the Swiss are committed to improving the quality of their (amazing) trams. While in Brazil there are laws seeking to lax agricultural pesticide control, a conference speaker highlighted a company focused on delivering healthy and quality food to Zurich offices. While democracy here is often threatened, the Swiss vote dozens of times a year to determine different issues, such as working hours and other topics relevant to the country.


© Yves Bachmann


© Yves Bachmann

值得注意的是，欧洲国家也可以向巴西学习。圣保罗的Minhocão在会议期间不止一次被引用，其中包括城市转型的其他例子。事实上，它提出了一个有趣的实验：一条快速通道的高架路线，实际并不能方便行人，随着时间的推移，成为给人们带来欢乐的地方，被人们接受。甚至让Sesc 24 de Maio在圣保罗严整的城市景观中建造公共游泳池的翻新工程。这两栋旧建筑的修复在城市中成为地标和交往场所。两个例子都展示了即使没有充足的资源，人们也可以从简单到精细，寻求合适的解决方案，在这个过程中，市民们具有变革性的力量。在瑞士，这种细节似乎更多的是规定而不是别的。尽管看似陈词滥调，正如理论家简雅各布和扬格尔所说，当城市是按照人的规模建造时，城市就变得更加人性化，愉快并且友好，并倾向于创造更高质量的生活。在这个世界上，超过一半的人口居住在城市，随着这个数字的增加，这似乎是一个相当有针对性的论调。

It is also interesting to note that the European country could also learn from Brazil. Minhocão, in São Paulo, was cited more than once during the conference, among other examples of urban transformation. In fact, it presents an interesting experiment: a fast-track elevated route, hostile to the pedestrian, that from one hour to another, becomes a place of intense conviviality, adopted and adored by Paulistas. Or even the renovation that enabled Sesc 24 de Maio to build a public swimming pool on its roof in the harsh urban landscape of São Paulo. This restoration of two old buildings created an urban landmark and meeting place in the city. Both examples demonstrate how it is possible to seek suitable solutions even without ample resources, and how urban creatures, from the simplest to the most elaborate, have the power to transform. In Switzerland, such niceties seem more the rule than the exception. As clichéd as it may seem, and as theorists Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl argue, when cities are thought of on the scale of people, they become more human, pleasant, friendly, and tend to create a higher quality of life. In a world where more than half of the population lives in cities, with this number increasing, this seems a rather pertinent debate.