ABSTRACT
The long cherished notion that South East Asian cities were Third World cities and different in kind from those of the First World can be seen as ill-conceived and fallacious. Apparent variations between American or European and South East Asian cities has reflected differing market conditions, rather than a fundamental difference in culture. The technology of the high-rise city has turned out to be just as transferable to the Third World as the motor vehicle. Architects show an intimate awareness of how people live and work within the interior built environment. Design combines both theoretical and applied knowledge of materials, technology and human behaviour in a social and environmental context. There is a growing literature that links the rapid industrialisation of South East Asia to world trade, direct foreign investment and technology transfer. However, this literature is aspatial below the level of the nation state and takes no account of cities.
