ASIAN ETHICAL URBANISM: A RADICAL POSTMODERN PERSPECTIVE - Softcover

Lim, William S W

Softcover

ISBN 10: 981256313X ISBN 13: 9789812563132

Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd, 2005

Synopsis

With the impending demise of modernist planning, the footprints and corpses of failed modernist visions are littered everywhere. A vacuum of implementable urban theories has occurred at the time when unprecedented expansion and restructuring of cities in rapidly developing economies are taking place. In this collection of essays, William S W Lim zeroes in on the peculiarities and dynamics of present Asian urban and architectural conditions in order to challenge and transcend the socio-ecological forms and political influences generated by the current system of global capitalism.Part I of this book consists of the main essay, which attempts to establish baselines for an effective formulation of ethical urbanism in Asia, by clarifying issues that have previously been unquestioningly bound up with Western values and discourses. As an architect/urbanist, Lim lends a determinedly spatialist and environmental perspective to issues such as rights, ethics, happiness and social justice, while compelling his readers to rethink previously established notions about them.Part II of this book consists of three city studies on Hanoi, Shanghai and Singapore, completed in the last two years, which attempt to match Lim's theoretical formulation with actual conditions occurring in Asia today. Also included is “Asian Architecture in the New Millennium”, a fascinating discourse on contemporary design conducted from a postmodern perspective.

About this title

Review

"Asian Ethical Urbanism sets out the challenge to all involved in the improvement of city life in times of explosive growth. And that, as Lim argues requires innovation from us all, policy setters, developers and designers."

.,." recommended to architects and planners with an interest in doing more than merely facilitating Asia's wild capitalism ..."

Edition details

• Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 981256313X
• ISBN 13: 9789812563132
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 276