The Cultural Meaning of Urban Space [Hardcover]

Robert Rotenberg (Author), Gary McDonogh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0897893190 | ISBN-13: 978-0897893190 | Publication Date: April 30, 1993

This book presents a cross-cultural approach to the study of urban space. Essays written by major contributors in contemporary urban studies provide a range of case studies from Asia, Latin America, North America, and Europe to address important questions about space and power, processes of change, aesthetics and attitudes toward space, and social divisions expressed through urban life. The essays fall into three interlocking sections: conceptual and linguistic approaches to urban space; visual and social examinations of world cities; and policy examinations of spatial analyses. Together with the jointly compiled bibliography, this collection of essays is designed to stimulate comparative debate and identify new areas for urban research. Essays contrast empty space in Barcelona and Savannah, explore the concept of healthy and unhealthy urban environments in the classical writings and in modern-day Vienna, and develop a model of space for Shanghai from the point of view of privacy. The subcultural ethos characterizing Tokyo and the castle as a symbol for the community in Japan are two more essay topics. The plaza in Spanish-American towns, the outdoor spaces in Italy (balcony, street, courtyard), and the school in Honduras are sites for socio-cultural analyses in three more essays. The last group of essays focus on discourses in urban planning, especially the responses of people to the growth, marketing, and decay of residential places. African-American neighborhoods and waterfront development provide examples for this section. These essays in their theoretical and geographical breadth make significant strides in defining the cultural meaning of urban space. They will be read with interest by city planners, ecologists, and other social scientists involved in finding human solutions to the metropolitan environment.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“These anthropologists have provided a number of important insights on "space and place,' and have contributed to understanding the physical and social environments. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty; professional.”–Choice

“The importance of this volume is not in the recitation of the statistics, facts, figures, or the various case studies, but in the realization of the complexities of urban design for those who construct the urban environment. This book should be used to educate against the creeping intolerance for situations or discourse that do not agree with "our own." It helps to broaden the discourse about what we can do to design contemporary environments that will be flexible and tolerant of differing points of view.”–Exploration in Sights and Sounds

About the Author

ROBERT ROTENBERG is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of the International Studies Program at DePaul University.

GARY W. McDONOGH is Visiting Professor and Director of the Growth and Structure of Cities Program at Bryn Mawr.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Bergin & Garvey (April 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897893190
• ISBN-13: 978-0897893190
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,150,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)