Urban Ecological Design

This trailblazing book outlines an interdisciplinary "process model" for urban design that has been developed and tested over time. Its goal is not to explain how to design a specific city precinct or public space, but to describe useful steps to approach the transformation of urban spaces. Urban Ecological Design illustrates the different stages in which the process is organized, using theories, techniques, images, and case studies. In essence, it presents a "how-to" method to transform the urban landscape that is thoroughly informed by theory and practice.

The authors note that urban design is viewed as an interface between different disciplines. They describe the field as "peacefully overrun, invaded, and occupied" by city planners, architects, engineers, and landscape architects (with developers and politicians frequently joining in). They suggest that environmental concerns demand the consideration of ecology and sustainability issues in urban design. It is, after all, the urban designer who helps to orchestrate human relationships with other living organisms in the built environment.

The overall objective of the book is to reinforce the role of the urban designer as an honest broker and promoter of design processes and as an active agent of social creativity in the production of the public realm.

Auteur

Danilo Palazzo is Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Design at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. His books include Sulle spalle dei giganti (Franco Angeli, 1997), Transforming the Places of Production (Olivares, 2002 with Fossa, Lane, Pirani), Urban Design (MondadoriUniversità, 2008). He recently wrote an essay for the Companion to Urban Design (Routledge, 2010).

Contenu

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

1 Processes

2 Prerequisites

3 Knowledge

4 Synthesis

5 Options

6 Dialogues

7 Master Plan

8 Presentation

9 Details

10 Implementation

11 Conclusion

Bibliography

Index.