ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews aesthetic theory, and to establish its relevance to urban and rural landscapes and planning regulation. It explores the particular nature and dimensions of urban and rural environmental experience, the bases of aesthetic value judgements, and the question of beauty. There is the prevalent tendency to deny the accessibility of art, beauty and aesthetics to those untrained in art criticism or aesthetic philosophy. Biological theories of aesthetics are those that are based upon human genetic characteristics and seek to explain aesthetic preferences in terms of physiological characteristics or as adjuncts to the satisfaction of fundamental human biological needs in manipulating the environment. Cultural theorists argue that 'aesthetic behaviour is transmitted socially through the use of language and other tools', and that this is what distinguishes cultural from biological preferences. The chapter concludes by examining some of the practical implications for planning and design control.
