ABSTRACT

This book was first published in 1977. In bringing together psychology and urban design there is always the risk of alienating specialists in both fields. The psychologist may resent the failure to observe the strict rigour of his subject, whilst the urban designer may be put off by such rigour as exists. In such a book as this, it is only possible briefly to refer to the research that has prompted these ideas. The author hopes the references will be taken up by those who have an intrinsic interest in the psychological theory. The aim is to apply different aspects of psychology to the problem of urban design in an attempt to probe into how it is that some towns and cities offer pleasure in many dimensions.

part One|74 pages

A psychological scenario

chapter 1|4 pages

Strategy and apologia

chapter 2|5 pages

Environment as medium

chapter 3|6 pages

The passive environment?

chapter 4|4 pages

Monotony in reverse

chapter 5|5 pages

Mind before environment

chapter 6|4 pages

The attitudinal model

chapter 7|11 pages

Left, right and centre

chapter 8|4 pages

Images in still waters

chapter 9|5 pages

Emotional needs and remedies

chapter 10|9 pages

Viva vulgarity! and other limbic values

chapter 11|9 pages

Line and shape

chapter 12|7 pages

Colour and texture

part Two|116 pages

Towards a concept of value

chapter 13|7 pages

The aesthetic matrix

chapter 14|8 pages

Values in the aesthetic equation

chapter 15|4 pages

Aesthetics and emotion

chapter 16|14 pages

The aesthetics of symbolism

chapter 17|28 pages

Idealized distance

chapter 18|9 pages

Inductive space

chapter 19|15 pages

The gate and the arch

chapter 20|8 pages

The maze factor and urban accents

chapter 21|12 pages

Socially intensive urban space

chapter 22|10 pages

Epitome urbanism

part Three|63 pages

From theory to practice

chapter 23|3 pages

The city and optimal mutation

chapter 24|4 pages

Images and fantasies

chapter 25|5 pages

The architect and the city

chapter 26|5 pages

Recent endeavours

chapter 27|18 pages

Interstitial architecture

chapter 28|10 pages

Interstitial tactics

chapter 29|7 pages

Urban contrasts

chapter 30|3 pages

Encore to aesthetics

chapter 31|6 pages

Towards the ‘care and culture of man'