The ‘People’s City’

The mid-20th-century communist ideal was for cities that were ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. Wang Jun , an editor at Outlook Weekly magazine and author of a best-selling book on the planning of Beijing, describes how the ambition to accommodate public life in urban space is a relatively modern phenomenon that goes against the grain of a long tradition of landownership in China. Given this background, can the original notion of the ‘People's City’ ultimately survive the current wave of property privatisation? Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The ‘Place’ of Cosmopolitan Architecture

The paper takes as its point of departure the necessity to open a space between the international and the national. That space will be as much political as will be one that allows for a certain architecture. For the sake of argumentation that space has been identified as the cosmopolitan. What characterises the cosmopolitan is the possibility that it is the form of modernity once the modem has been freed from the oscillation between the national and the international. Once modernity is introduced then the question to be addressed is not what is modern architecture but what is the architecture of modernity. Part of the argument developed here is that a beginning can be made once it is understood that modernity has to eschew the symbol. And yet, the symbols that proliferate are either national or international. Consequently, this gives rise to a complex interplay between the cosmopolitan, modernity and the possibility of an architecture that is non-symbolic. The question of how to think this complex set of relations is the project undertaken by the paper.     

The Rise of the ‘Invisible Detail’: Ubiquitous Computing and the ‘Minimum Meaningful’

The architectural detail has provided the essential material building block for conveying an idea. Carlo Ratti and Matthew Claudel of the SENSEable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ask how this, though, is all set to change in a digital context. As technologies shrink and vanish from sight, what might become the new minimum meaningful unit for architecture? How might a new relational scale establish itself, at the level of the ‘invisible detail’ or the microchip? How might this, in turn, change the very nature of buildings as they become highly responsive, human-occupied transmitters?     

The godless temple, ‘organon of the infinite’

This essay seeks to illuminate our understanding of ‘space’ by showing how Le Corbusier's concept of dwelling draws upon the notion of the secular sacred. The vehicle of analysis is the close correlation between the disposition of his own apartment, at 24 Rue Nugesser et Coli, Paris (1933), and a critical sequence of his Le poème de l'angle droit, published 22 years later. The correlation gives substance and structure to his repeated declaration to ‘make the house a temple’, in turn part of the universal claims of his concept of unité and therefore a significant element of his cultural aspirations regarding housing. The terms of reference for such a reformulation have their source in Romantic thought, with which this essay begins. However, the particular configuration of themes on which Le Corbusier's domestic symbolism depends—a primordial room oriented to the horizon, the contemplation of a paradigmatic woman by a creative male, a representational regime oriented to controlling the cultural background—is already present in certain Marian paintings of the fifteenth century. The configuration seeks to ensure a form of salvation re-interpreted by Le Corbusier in the light of artistic poésie and philosophical reflection. At the same date, Paul Valéry argues for the paradox of painting as a pure noumenal philosophy. This suggests that the long history of the secular sacred depends upon requiring the transcendent to be also transparent to thought, an ambiguity that lies at the heart of the universality claimed for ‘space’ by Sigfried Giedion.     

The ‘Infrastructure Turn’ in Australian Metropolitan Spatial Planning

This paper argues that a recent resurgence in Australian spatial planning has been superseded by a resort to infrastructure to address urban problems. The paper uses case studies of the Melbourne and South East Queensland (Brisbane) metropolitan regions to chart the renewal of new spatial planning, after a period of neglect. This paper then shows this spatial planning renewal has given way to a new emphasis on urban infrastructure planning as the primary mode of intervention in these cities. The infrastructure turn raises important questions about the spatial planning and infrastructure of cities within a new era of global strategic challenges.     

The difference of ‘being diverse’: City branding and multiculturalism in the ‘Leicester Model’

This city profile on Leicester focuses on the representation of ethnical diversity in city branding. Through a historical approach, the paper discusses how the local authorities have taken advantage of the arrival of different migration flows into the city, in order to redefine its post-industrial identity in terms of multiculturalism, tolerance and inclusivity. In so doing, the paper emphasises the combination of deliberate marketing communicative activities, the provision of services for attracting and retaining foreign businesses and the creation of an open urban milieu where various ethnic groups are free to express and celebrate their own cultures through festivals and events. The paper identifies the alignment between place communication and place ‘offerings’ development as the crucial element underpinning Leicester's model for multicultural cooperation and critically assesses the recent challenges that are being posed to the sustainment of a multicultural city image.     

‘Complexity and Contradiction’:The Italian Architectural Landscape

Italy is renowned the world over for its vibrant design culture. Yet for decades its architectural heritage has held contemporary architecture in a stranglehold, stifling the real possibility of realising innovative schemes in historic cities. In recent years, there has been every outward sign that this situation has abated: a growing number of municipalities are actively setting out to attract signature architecture, and a new generation of architects has emerged - largely educated abroad - who are unhindered by the strictures of historicism. Though, as guest-editor Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi explains, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful, the situation is far more complex and contradictory than it first appears, as the passage of architectural advancement in Italy constantly stop-starts and is beset by some major roadblocks. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Critical Practice In The Global Era: The Question Concerning ‘Other’ Geographies

In this article I give a Critical overview of various approaches that are collected under the term postcolonial studies, in order to raise some crucial topics of discussion concerning ‘other’ geographies under the process of globalization. I use the term ‘other’ in ironical and distancing quotation marks in order to criticize the very same process of making the ‘other’ First. I discuss questions raised by revisionist histories that reread modern architecture through perspectives informed by Orientalism and colonialism. Then. I make a distinction between two positions in architectural theory informed by postcolonial studies following either poststructuralist and humanist trajectories. In order to discuss the contributions and possible shortcomings of each. I focus on textual analyses of some key texts from both trajectories that are significant for the architectural discipline. The main question that differentiates the two, I suggest, lies in the possibility of constructing a non‐Eurocentric definition of universality as opposed to a coexistence with respect to incommensurable differences. Finally, I suggest some further points of discussion, especially by proposing a dialogue between the studies of globalization and the postcolonial discourse.     

The role of ‘early-phase mining’ in reframing net-positive development

The term ‘net-positive development’ has gained significant recognition by both academics and professionals, especially in architecture. A net-positive development increases or creates economic, social and ecological capital(s) and makes a positive contribution to ecosystem services. Designing how excess resources may be used beyond a site's boundary is a very appealing notion, but difficult to put into practice without the tools and methods to support net-positive development. The effectiveness and potential impact on community design of ‘net-positive development’ is questioned when its evaluation is limited to a quantitative analysis only. A broader definition of net positive is offered that equally places social dimensions alongside ecological health through ‘mining’ for synergies and leverage points in the early stages of a design project. An emphasis is placed on the undervalued first step in the design process of ‘mining: evaluating the dormant, inherent potential’. This can be done through a process of questioning the conventional parameters of a context's predefined limits. A framework is also provided that can prove beneficial at this phase. It is posited that strong mining can provide full-spectrum change where true positive benefits, on multiple scales and for multiple stakeholder interests, are achieved.     

The discourse of ‘Respect for People’ in UK construction

A competency‐based review of professional quantity surveying is important for service excellence and has continuing relevance in the built environment of the 21^st century. A survey of quantity surveyors in professional practice in South Africa has provided a new perspective on the relative importance of competencies required for current and future quantity surveying services, and revealed notable gaps between the important competencies and current proficiency levels among practitioners. The survey was based on a structured questionnaire reflecting 23 defined competencies, which were derived from the literature and from in‐depth interviews with selected practitioners. The results indicated that technically orientated competencies were rated of highest importance for current services, while management orientated competencies were rated of higher importance for future services. The profession was rated as deploying below average proficiency levels in marketing, advanced financial management, leadership and general management, and project management, although these received high current and future importance ratings. The findings suggest that initial and continuing education and training of professional quantity surveyors should emphasize the development of management‐orientated competencies.     

The Turn to ‘New Regionalism’: South African Reflections

This article analyses critical policy implications for city-regional and national spatial frameworks in South Africa concerning the turn to new regionalism. International debates are reviewed concerning new regionalism, global city regions, the European Spatial Development Perspective and polycentric mega regions. In South Africa, there is a growing policy interest in the writings and implications of new regionalism as a base for rethinking urban and regional development policies. It is argued that the current depth of South African research and debate on issues raised by new regionalism is limited and that strategic planning for the building of Gauteng as a globally competitive city region is the most significant imprint of new regionalism on the South African policy landscape.     

The birth of ‘land use planning’ in American urban planning

Although the concept of ‘land use planning’ is now firmly enmeshed in American urban planning, its meaning still remains vague. This paper aims to clarify the meaning by examining the historical development of land use planning in the USA. At the beginning of the twentieth century, city planners viewed a city as an organic unit of public facilities. While city planning thereafter provided potential elements of land use planning, such as zoning, zoning surveys and land use classification systems, the idea of land use planning itself was actually derived from rural county planning and was initially utilized in urban county planning as a guide for zoning in the 1930s. After bringing about a change in the way cities were viewed, that is, as a pattern of land use and population density, land use planning was further employed as a guide for urban redevelopment policies in the 1940s, and finally reaching full integration into city planning in the 1950s and 1960s.     

‘The second industrial revolution’: cultural reconstructions of industrial regions

Cartographic representations of landscape beauty face many pitfalls. Historically, significant problems have been associated with the use of surrogate variables to represent overall quality, as well as the general difficulties of two‐dimensional representation of views seen in elevation. Although current methods of landscape mapping appear to remain neutral on matters of qualitative judgement, and purport only to classify landscape types, these may be associated with problems of consistency and meaning. Future efforts might profitably be directed to analysing landscapes in terms of their probability of providing particular experiences and opportunities, and developing rules about people's appreciation of different landscape types     

浅谈‘土风’抬梁式和‘木风’穿斗式

“大兴土木”作为对古代一切建筑活动的概括,从中可以窥见土和木在古代是建筑的主要材料。而关于建筑的起源,则有两种：“掘土为穴”以及“构木为巢”。以中原文化为代表的“土风”和以楚国文化为代表的“木风”,各有其独自的特点。文章想要阐述的一个观点是：以官方建筑为主的抬梁式实际上是“土的风格”,而以民间建筑为主的穿斗式则是“木的风格”。     

‘紫花’醉鱼草

在烈日炎炎的夏季,走进上海市园林科研所邬桥墓地,有一种盛开着蓝紫色花的灌木给你凉爽的感觉;在众花凋落的深秋,它仍开着清秀的花朵向你微笑。这种植物就是近年我们从荷兰引进并已开始推广应用的优良花灌木品种‘紫花’醉鱼草(Buddleja ‘Lochinch’),株高1.5～2.5米,冠幅2.5～3米,叶片披针形,灰绿色。圆锥花序顶生于枝端,长15～20厘米。花蓝紫色,有芳香,花期很长,从春末一直到初霜前开花不断。     

‘甜心’玉簪

玉簪为百合科玉簪属(Hosta)多年生宿根草本。玉簪属是一类变异很大的植物群体,共有70多个种,原产中国、韩国、日本和前苏联,现在世界各地广泛栽培,以美国为主已培育出大量的园艺杂交品种。根据美国玉簪协会的资料,目前已登记的玉簪品种有2000多个,其性状千变万化,是阴生花园的宝贵财富。如果说萱草为阳性花卉之最,那么玉簪则可称为阴生花卉之王。玉簪叶片有蓝绿色、黄绿色和绿色之别,且常具有不同颜色、不同形状的花斑,叶片大小和形     

尤加利‘冰点’

尤加利为桃金娘科、桉属植物,原产澳大利亚,是一种非常好的制作鲜切花和干花的植物,同时也是非常优秀的园林绿化观赏植物。目前在我国南部及西南部有种植,主要在云南省和海南省的部分地区,另一些省区也曾做过相应的引种实验,均因品种、种源选择及相关的引种技术等问题而失败。上海诚功投资发展有限公司于2002年从澳洲引入新品种在上海种植,历经3年选择、培育,终于选育出尤加利‘冰点’。该品种完全适应上海地区的各种气候条件因子,并经历了2004年冬季低温及2005年夏季高温的考验。形态常绿大乔木,生长速度中等偏快,树干圆而直立,枝叶亮丽;树高可达25米,树冠圆形,树皮红棕色,主干树皮在夏季易裂而     

尤加利‘蓝梦’

桃金娘科按属植物，常绿阔叶乔木。原产澳大利亚，高可达10－15米。幼态叶近圆形，直径1－3厘米，对生，被白粉；成态叶则变成长卵圆形，渐尖，叶色蓝绿。因其幼态叶圆圆的，被白粉，     

‘Springtecture’ B

Masaaki Takahashi describes a house, designed by Shuhei Endo, whose coiled corrugated-steel surface seamlessly unifies the inside with the outside, despite its surprisingly rural setting.