Cuthbert Alexander. The Form of Cities. Political Economy and Urban Design

Blackwell Publishing, 2006. — 328 p. — ISBN10: 1405116404; ISBN13: 978-1405116404.The Form of Cities offers readers a considered theoretical introduction to the art of designing cities. Demonstrates that cities are replete with symbolic values, collective memory, association and conflict. Proposes a new theoretical understanding of urban design, based in political economy. Demonstrates different ways of conceptualising the city, whether through aesthetics or the prism of gender, for example. Is written in an engaging and jargon-free style, but retains a sophisticated interpretative edge and complements Designing Cities by the same author (Blackwell, 2003).Theory.
Introduction: The Problem.
Urban Design: Definitions.
Urban Design: ‘Theory’.
Spatial Political Economy and Urban Design.
History.
Introduction: What is History?
History and Urban Design.
Chronologies.
Typologies.
Utopias.
Fragments.
Materialist Theory Overview.
Philosophy.
Introduction: Implications from Philosophy.
Philosophy and Urbanism Paradigms.
Philosophy and Urban Design
Politics.
Introduction: Politics and Ideology.
Power: Rights and Laws Law as Ideology.
Politics and Urban Planning.
The Public Realm.
Culture.
Introduction: Culture and Urban Design.
The Culture of Modernism.
Postmodern Culture.
Globalisation, Culture, Economy.
Authenticity and Symbolic Representation.
The New Ruralism/Urbanism.
Gender.
Introduction: Gender the Missing Component.
Gender and Society Gender and Patriarchy.
Gender and Capital.
Gender and Space.
Gender and Urban Design.
Environment.
Introduction: Nature and the City.
Origins and Development.
People-Nature.
Sustainability and Development.
Sustainable Cities.
Sustainable Urban Design.
Aesthetics.
Introduction: Aesthetics – Objects and Experience.
The Aesthetics of Urban Form.
Mathematics and the Divine Order.
Contextualism.
Rationalism.
Symbolic Capital.
Regulation.
Theming.
Typologies.
Introduction: Taxonomy, Typology, Morphology, System.
Typologies Derived from Associated Disciplines.
Typologies Derived from Traditional Urban Design Perspectives.
Implications from Spatial Political Economy.
Pragmatics.
Introduction: Cultural Capital.
Professional Intervention.
Professions and Knowledge Systems.
Professions and Space.
Urban Design Education Postscript.