Urban retrofitting: creating different sorts of spaces and uses out of places that are already there.

Source: "The Shareable Future of Cities." TEDGlobal 2011. Jul. 2011. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote is from planetary futurist Alex Steffen's 2011 TED Talk about the future of cities. In this quote, Steffen provides a definition of urban retrofitting, which is to transform existing spaces, building off the existing infrastructure to increase the uses of the space. An example might be the addition of a green transportation system where an old one once existed. As a result of urban retrofitting, cities become denser and more multi-functional, allowing more people to live and work there while decreasing climate emissions. Says Steffen, urban retrofitting is necessary to keep cities sustainable and control climate emissions as the global population increases. Watch the full TED Talk here: Alex Steffen - The Shareable Future of Cities