
Return to the Center
Culture, Public Space, and City Building in a Global Era
Lawrence A. Herzog(Author)
University of Texas Press
Published on 1. April 2006
Book
Paperback/Softback
299 pages
978-0-292-71262-1 (ISBN)
Description
The redesign and revitalization of traditional urban centers is the cutting edge of contemporary urban planning, as evidenced by the intense public and professional attention to the rebuilding of city cores from Berlin to New York City's "Ground Zero." Spanish and Latin American cities have never received the recognition they deserve in the urban revitalization debate, yet they offer a very relevant model for this "return to the center." These cultures have consistently embraced the notion of a city whose identity is grounded in its organic public spaces: plazas, promenades, commercial streets, and parks that invite pedestrian traffic and support a rich civic life. This groundbreaking book explores Spanish, Mexican, and Mexican-American border cities to learn what these urban areas can teach us about effectively using central public spaces to foster civic interaction, neighborhood identity, and a sense of place.
Herzog weaves the book around case studies of Madrid and Barcelona, Spain; Mexico City and QuerEtaro, Mexico; and the Tijuana-San Diego border metropolis. He examines how each of these urban areas was formed and grew through time, with attention to the design lessons of key public spaces. The book offers original and incisive discussions that challenge current urban thinking about politics and public space, globalization, and the future of privatized communities, from gated suburbs to cyberspace. Herzog argues that well-designed, human-scaled city centers are still vitally necessary for maintaining community and civic life. Applicable to urban renewal projects around the globe, Herzog's book will be important reading for planners, architects, designers, and all citizens interested in creating more livable cities.
Herzog weaves the book around case studies of Madrid and Barcelona, Spain; Mexico City and QuerEtaro, Mexico; and the Tijuana-San Diego border metropolis. He examines how each of these urban areas was formed and grew through time, with attention to the design lessons of key public spaces. The book offers original and incisive discussions that challenge current urban thinking about politics and public space, globalization, and the future of privatized communities, from gated suburbs to cyberspace. Herzog argues that well-designed, human-scaled city centers are still vitally necessary for maintaining community and civic life. Applicable to urban renewal projects around the globe, Herzog's book will be important reading for planners, architects, designers, and all citizens interested in creating more livable cities.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Austin, TX
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
67 b&w photos, 5 b&w maps
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
513 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-292-71262-1 (9780292712621)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Book
05/2006
University of Texas Press
€75.71
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Lawrence A. Herzog is Professor in the Graduate Program in City Planning of the School of Public Administration and Urban Studies at San Diego State University in California.
Content
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Culture, Public Space, and Cities
Chapter 2. The City and Public Space in Spain
Chapter 3. Modernity and Public Space in Crisis: Contemporary Madrid
Chapter 4. "City of Architects": Public Space and the Resurgence of Barcelona
Chapter 5. Spain Meets Mesoamerica: The City and Public Space in Mexico
Chapter 6. Revitalizing Historic Centers in Urban Mexico: Politics and Public Space
Chapter 7. The Globalization of Urban Form: Transcultural Public Spaces along the Mexico-United States International Border
Chapter 8. Return to the Center? Politics, Latino Culture, and Public Space
Notes
References
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Culture, Public Space, and Cities
Chapter 2. The City and Public Space in Spain
Chapter 3. Modernity and Public Space in Crisis: Contemporary Madrid
Chapter 4. "City of Architects": Public Space and the Resurgence of Barcelona
Chapter 5. Spain Meets Mesoamerica: The City and Public Space in Mexico
Chapter 6. Revitalizing Historic Centers in Urban Mexico: Politics and Public Space
Chapter 7. The Globalization of Urban Form: Transcultural Public Spaces along the Mexico-United States International Border
Chapter 8. Return to the Center? Politics, Latino Culture, and Public Space
Notes
References