Name: The Art of City-making
ISBN: 9781844072453

Charles Landry

Peri-urban interfaces - the places where urban and rural areas meet - suffer from the greatest problems to humans caused by rapid urbanization, including intense pressures on resources, slum formation, lack of adequate services such as water and sanitatio

The Art of City-making

Safiya 

Two of my all time favourite topics : Cities and Creativity. I had a short period in the past when I was interested in "planning" (ironically) creative cities. And I wasn't lucky enough to stumble on this book until today. 

What's important to note about this book is that :
1- it is Easy to understand - I have an urge to put it on the required reading list for students at "entry" level in urban planning and urban studies in general : It just makes it easier to hop inside the territory - compares positively to my personal experience which was traumatic;
2- Before the author depicts the connections between cities and creativity he invites the reader to open up to new ways of seeing, feeling, and smelling cities; (If you wonder what's the connection between Ras el Hanout and creative urban design ... you might want to pick this one.);
3- Risk Management seen positively : How many frowns you get when you mention "risk"? enough to make you change your mind on whatever was risky... Here risk is approached as a cataliseur for innovation and creativity. Let's not fear risk, let's embrace it and dare see things differently ...
4- A great reality check based on (brace yourselves) non-scientific assumptions, yet very relatable about multiple profiles interfering in the process of city making. Another hardly managed urge to print the Architects rubrique and send it to all the mates!
5- Notice that it's not a science of cities, or planning cities rather the art of making cities. And what do we know about the artistic process ? Chaotic, complex and hardly one knows from where the inspiration really came ? And that's exactly how the author thinks that our cities are being made ...

The main idea is that city-making should be creatively oriented towards culture and reinforce a narrative identity of the city rather than iconic one ( say Las Vegas, Taipei, ...). 

! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FELLOW SPATIALISTS !

Bonus : 
+ He answers the question : Is Dubai a creative city ?
+ A large geographical couverture;
+ There's one F word, and guess who said it ? yes, right an architect and now you know who.

The Art of City-making

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