ABSTRACT
An approach that involves Opportunistic Adaptation (OA) requires a systematic perspective, in which the city is perceived as a collection of interacting components, constructed at different moments in time and with different lifespans. The distribution of assets reaching the end of life over a given range of years defines the actual replacement rate. In urban planning, design and architecture, the construction period of assets is one of the determining factors that defines how urban areas look and more importantly to what extent they function under the current conditions. In many cities, traversing from urban center to outskirts means traveling from the oldest parts to the newly constructed suburbs. The actual lifespan is important to be able to assess when incremental upgrades and replacements have taken place. Climate adaptation calls for long-term planning. The term ‘agile architecture’ refers to the evolutionary design of a system which allows to change over time, accommodating the needs of the current users.
