WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT 2008
'WSS: Fuksas, individualism prevails in big cities'

"I don't believe in fear" said architect Massimiliano Fuksas, during his speech at the World Social Summit, commenting on the report presented by Censis on fears in metropolises. "The concept of fear generates from the ignorance on how the world evolves", "feelings of fear are linked to the unawareness of what is occurring". Analyzing the metropolitan reality, assurances and insecurities generated by architectural choices in large urban centers, Fuksas reminds that "60% of the world population lives in cities". On a total of 7 billion people worldwide, this means that about 4-5 billions of individuals populate urban centers.

And since all parts of the world have all been explored by now, Fuksas reaches the conclusion that "we must be aware that we are in many".

In some realities, says Fuksas "we reached a point that we cannot manage the system that leads to anarchy and individualism". Since in "many cities is not possible to live, once the point of dysfunction is reached, the individual solution is triggered".

Analyzing the external reality, Fukas refers to the dimension known as Bric: Brazil, Russia, China and India. "I would combine these countries into pairs". China and India: these countries reached a "level of growth that did not have in the past", but the feeling experienced is different in cities such as Sao Paolo and Russian metropolises where a "sense of alienation" is felt.

With regards to the future, Fuksas says: "if we go beyond fears, life will win" and "a strategy is needed to understand better who we are now at this moment", especially "fears must be overcome in big areas and the challenge must be accepted, starting from individual responsibility, in order to stop saying that it's the society's or government's fault" only this way "things will get better".