ABSTRACT

This international and illustrated work challenges current writings focussing on the problems of urban public space to present a more nuanced and dialectical conception of urban life.

Detailed and extensive international urban case studies show how urban open spaces are used for play, which is defined and discussed using Caillois' four-part definition – competition, chance, simulation and vertigo. Stevens explores and analyzes these case studies according to locations where play has been observed: paths, intersections, thresholds, boundaries and props.

Applicable to a wide-range of countries and city forms, The Ludic City is a fascinating and stimulating read for all who are involved or interested in the design of urban spaces.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|21 pages

Urban conditions and everyday life

chapter 2|28 pages

Play and the urban realm

chapter 3|13 pages

The social dimensions of urban space

chapter 4|32 pages

Paths

chapter 5|15 pages

Intersections

chapter 6|38 pages

Boundaries

chapter 7|26 pages

Thresholds

chapter 8|18 pages

Props