City As Landscape: Post-Modern View Of Design And Planning

Description: In twenty essays, this book covers aspects of planning, architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, park and garden design. Their approach, described as post -postmodern, is a challenge to the 'anything goes' eclecticism of the merely postmodern. The essays range from high theory to the practical craft of those who work with hand tools, drawing boards and computers. They provide: a view of how cities can be made more sustainable, more beautiful, more contextual and more friendly to their inhabitants; a readable discussion of current ideas in design philosophy and planning theory (including structuralism, postmodernism, deconstruction and feminism); practical advice on methods of design and planning. Table of Contents: Preface. Theories. Post-postmodernism. Design and planning methods. 'A city is not a tree': it is a landscape. Patterns in use; footprints in the sand. Planning. GIS, structuralism, the birth, the death and the life of planning. CD-plans. Metaphorical plans. Eco-city plans. Urbanism. Architecture, language and the environment. Context and design. Deconstruction the constructive professions. The tragedy of feminine planning and design. Landscape design. The blood of philosopher-kings. Studio craft. Open space planning. Parks and boundless space. Harlequin space. Greenways an otherways. Reading Parc de la Villette. Gardens. Revolutions in the garden. Gardening with ideas. References. Index.