The "qualities of the countryside" should be introduced to urban areas to help tackle climate change, says architect Chris Precht.
Cities with buildings made from natural materials, greater space for wildlife and food production and places where people can connect with nature can help city-dwellers retain a connection with the natural world, the Austrian architect said.
"If we lose this contact with our natural surroundings, we won't be able to solve climate change and all those really big issues we face for the future," Precht said during a live interview as part of Dezeen's Virtual Design Festival.
"We need places for people to escape to"
With the drive towards smart cities and the increasing integration of technology in urban areas, there is a risk that human needs will be left behind, he argued. "I think the question is not just of how can we generate information and knowledge but also how can we generate consciousness, how we bring back to cities a certain sense of wilderness or a certain connection with nature," he said.
"We need places for people to escape to, not just on an urban level but also in a building."
Chris Precht designed a park to encourage social distancing during coronavirus
Precht, formerly co-founder of Beijing studio Penda, relocated to the remote Austrian mountains three years ago with his wife and collaborator Fei Tang Precht to start a new firm called Precht.
The studio is known for using natural m...