ABSTRACT
This book addresses the complex relationship between architecture and public life. It’s a study of architecture and urbanism as cultural activity that both reflects and gives shape to our social relations, public institutions and political processes.
Written by an international range of contributors, the chapters address the intersection of public life and the built environment around the themes of authority and planning, the welfare state, place and identity and autonomy. The book covers a diverse range of material from Foucault’s evolving thoughts on space to land-scraping leisure centres in inter-war Belgium. It unpacks concepts such as ‘community’ and ‘collectivity’ alongside themes of self-organisation and authorship.
Architecture and Collective Life reflects on urban and architectural practice and historical, political and social change. As such this book will be of great interest to students and academics in architecture and urbanism as well as practicing architects.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|67 pages
Contradictions in a common world
chapter Chapter 2|18 pages
A tale of two villages
chapter Chapter 5|13 pages
Alternative models of tenure
part II|43 pages
New geography and the planners
part III|44 pages
Authority
part IV|48 pages
The welfare state
chapter Chapter 13|11 pages
Constructed landscapes for collective recreation
chapter Chapter 15|13 pages
Learning from Loutraki
part V|43 pages
Autonomy and organisation
chapter Chapter 18|10 pages
Calcutta, India
chapter Chapter 19|10 pages
The city of ragpickers
part VI|56 pages
Practice and life