Architecture of Fear (Paperback)

by Nan, ed. Ellin (Author), Nan Ellin (Author) "Fear has never been absent from the human experience, and town building has always contended with the need for protection from danger..." (more)
Key Phrases: luxury laagers, winnable issues, dome village, Los Angeles, Hollymead Drive, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Cogently argued, these essays make a clarion call for an urban offensive less destructive to the urban terrain than the military tactics of defense and retreat. M. Christine Boyer



Product Description
Architecture of Fear examines the ways in which the contemporary landscape is shaped by our society's preoccupation with fear, as apparent in home design, security systems, gated communities, semi-public spaces (shopping malls, theme parks, casinos, office atriums), zoning regulations, and cyberspace. This fixation also manifests itself in efforts to provide public parks but control the problem of homelessness. The essayists in Architecture of Fear explain that such disjointed efforts exacerbate rather than eradicate the sources and perception of fear and insecurity. Thus, in contrast to alarmist, apocalyptic treatments, the contributors offer concrete, level-headed suggestions for proaction, not reaction, to counter both real (actual crime) and perceived (media-magnified) problems in contemporary society.

Contributors Edward J. Blakely and Mary Gail Snyder, John Chase, Michael Dear and Jurgen von Mahs, Fred Dewey, Nan Ellin, Dora Epstein, Steven Flusty, Udo Greinacher, Jane Harrison, Richard Ingersoll, Charles Jencks, Peter Marcuse, Kevin Sites, Sharon Sutton, Lois Takahashi, Anne Troutman, David Turnbull, Margaret Wertheim, Richard Sennett, and Julius Shulman approach the topic of architecture and fear from a variety of angles: "Building Paranoia," "Addressing Fear through Community Empowerment," "Cyburbanism as a Way of Life," and "Walls of Fear and Walls of Support," to name just a few.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1st edition (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568980825
• ISBN-13: 978-1568980829
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #602,780 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Scattershot, December 18, 2002

By	Thu Duong (Albany, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The articles were interesting. However, the direction of the articles fell like scattered shot. This was not planned exploration into the interaction of fear and environment for which I had hoped. Perhaps that was not the point of this work, but that was what I wanted as a layman.

The gender and literary perspectives complemented the expected architects well. I did not expect the personal accounts and they added energy and freshness into the work. The photo-essay annoyed me more than enlightened me. In short, there was something for everyone, but not a whole lot for anyone in particular.

None of the articles explicitly built on each other. The full value of the many perspectives was not used. One article was spent defining different types of defensive spaces and then the definitions fell by the wayside.

Besides the loose nature of the work, I felt that sociology and economy were excluded. Numbers have powerful stories to tell (anyone who need convincing, see Edward Tufte) and their voices were not heard in this multi-disciplinary collection.

This is worthwhile reading, but not a must have.

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diverse Analyses of the Impact of Architectural Surroundings, December 11, 1998

By	Eric W. Sedlak (Tokyo) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Architecture of Fear provides fascinating insights into the effects of the structures that surround us in our everyday lives. By drawing upon a diverse group of professionals, not all of them architects or urban planners, Nan Ellin has created an important work that will serve as a base for future research into the perplexities of urban life. Nan Ellin's own thoughts are among the most significant contributions to the compendium.