ABSTRACT
Context is more than “background” or setting as defined by most dictionaries. Unlike the backdropon a theatrical stage, context is the theater itself, and the actors and audience as in Kabuki Theater (Eisenstein, 1949). Context is the community-container for reality (spatial, cultural, and ever-changing over time). The word is much used and abused in urban design and remains one of the most important aspects of design analysis. For analytical purposes, context is described by five dimensions for the container; each dimension has spatial manifestations:
1 bio-physical (local and regional) 2 jurisdictional 3 cultural 4 user: substantive and administrative 5 time/historic/event periods.
