Urban Design Thinking: A Conceptual Toolkit

(Paperback)

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Description

Urban Design Thinking provides a conceptual toolkit for urban design. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, it shows how the design of our cities and urban spaces can be interpreted and informed through contemporary theories of urbanism, architecture and spatial analysis. Relating abstract ideas to real-world examples, and taking assemblage thinking as its critical framework, the book introduces an array of key theoretical principles and demonstrates how theory is central to urban design critique and practice. Thirty short chapters can be read alone or in sequence, each opening a different kind of conceptual window onto how cities work and how they are transformed through design practice. Chapters range from explorations of urban morphology, typology, meaning and place identity to particular issues such as urban design codes, informal settlements, globalization, transit and creative clusters. This book is essential reading for those engaged with the practice of urban design and planning, as well as for anyone interested in the theoretical side of urbanism, architecture, and related disciplines.

Reviews

Rather than telling us what to think about cities, Kim Dovey shows us how. What a valuable and unusual gift that is. With revealing illustrations and a rich array of brief texts we can read and combine as we choose, Urban Design Thinking both informs and inspires, inviting us to see and to reflect. * Karen A. Franck, Professor and Director, Joint PhD Program in Urban Systems, New Jersey Institite of Technology, USA *
This book inspires critical thinking about urban design. In a practical field such as urban design, engaged in the complex process of urban development, there is an urgent need for critical thinking and theoretical development. A book that travels along this path, therefore, is a welcome addition to the field. * Ali Madanipour, Professor of Urban Design, Newcastle University, UK *

Author Bio

Kim Dovey is an architectural critic and Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where he has served as Associate Dean, Head of Urban Design and Head of Architecture. He has worked with government, industry and community groups and has written and broadcast widely in mass media.