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Post by John Zeger on Jun 19, 2005 19:46:16 GMT -5
"Sir Patrick Abercrombie, who designed the layout of greater London after World War II offers ... 'A successful urban planner must have only three qualifications. He must be at least 40 years old. He must know that water only runs downhill. He must be able to listen.' In this context, being forty years old and knowing that water only runs downhill means one must have experience in the world. By not getting caught up in things, one can achieve perspective and insight and thus avoid being swept up in polarized positions. Attentive listening allows for mindful action. ...
The ability to listen, care, and be mindful are the key characteristics of another important aspect of beyond-the-modern urbanism; one that overcomes the modern urban planner's rational, linear stance, his monologue, and his obsessive fixation on the individual object."
Carl Fingerhuth, Learning From China: The Tao of the City, 2004
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Post by John Zeger on Jul 17, 2005 13:35:52 GMT -5
"The early modern city separated itself from its natural surroundings with walls and ditches. Only farm settlements played along with nature's rules. The modern city abolished this differentiation and modern urban dwellers claimed all space for themselves. Every single bit of land was up for grabs and could be redeemed anywhere and at any time, whether it was for the expansion of urban settlements, the extraction of raw materials, leisure and tourism, or as a cesspool or manure heap for the city. In the late modern city, there was an attempt -- for technical, economic and emotional reasons -- to restore separation between cities and their surroundings.
I believe that the beyond-the-modern urban design philosophy demands an entirely different approach. City and landscape are, the very least, equal partners. Strategies guiding the transformation and development of cities should no longer be dominated by the city but can instead become interactive processes between the city and its surrounding landscape."
Carl Fingerhuth, Learning from China: The Tao of the City
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Post by John Zeger on Jul 19, 2005 8:01:09 GMT -5
Rick Shea wrote "it would be interesting to do a survey measuring the aesthetic and emotional sensibility of urban planners."
Having worked with them I know they have none. One told me over coffee that philosophy was the most useless field of study. The problem with this bunch is their education -- its all geography. They aren't exposed to the social sciences or to aesthetics. They are trained to be materialist zombies that think that people and cities are points on a two-dimensional map. I find the best urban planners are trained as architects like many of the authors on our Links page such as Chris Alexander. Architects know aesthetics and can incorporate them into their plans where urban planners never seem to get beyond the grossly physical dimension. That's why we end up with an empty feeling when we look at their projects as there often is no connectivity to the surrounding landscape or to the community. (You've laid down the gauntlet Rick; I'll do the thesis.)
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