Introduction

In a world whose complexity is both exhilarating and bewildering, its paradoxes are perhaps the most accessible. This may not be a phenomenon unique to our time but it is arguably one that defines it. Parts of the world enjoy unprecedented prosperity, longevity, political continuity, and energy and food security, while others have very little—and there is everything in between. Communication technologies have connected humans in ways that have rendered traditional notions of space and time obsolete, while ideological misunderstandings and national, cultural, and religious divisions have persisted. Globalized economies have resulted in egalitarian opportunities for economic advancement while also supporting political and economic hegemonies. Technologies formally reserved for a few are now available globally, but resource depletion and ecological consequences threaten the advances they set out to achieve. The rise in worldwide living standards, all of which are dependent on increased consumption of material and technological resources, are also attributable to global climate change and vast environmental destruction, perhaps the most significant imperatives of our time and ones that are most attributable to human activity and the built environment. Complicating matters further is that these transformations and challenges are happening at a speed and scale never before encountered and that our success at resolving these enormous challenges remains fundamentally elusive. For certain, there is a need for more reflective, effective, and insightful approaches to creating and sustaining habitation.