An Attempt at Making Urban Design Principles Explicit

Since its rise as an autonomous field in the seventies, Urban Design has been a conglomerate of diverse concepts and value outlooks.The present approach, which is an a posteriori propositional expression of applications in actual practice and education, presents both theory and method by means of ten points. The approach is basically generated by formal considerations, thus originating in and focussing on aspects which cannot be expressed through theory and methods of other disciplines. It starts with systematic, conventional and objective studies which are then connected to a system of manipulations – the rules of game – which emphasize interpretation and are clarified by narrative and formal metaphors. The ‘rules of game’ set a framework of no a priori preferred contents, which is then applied according to local characteristics, needs and potentials. This conceptual – interpretative framework imposes a structural, consistent and hierarchical system on the factual data, so as to assure the realization of two apparently opposed values: (1) unity and phenomenological qualities and (2) free development and unfolding of the design that .The propositional expression of the approach aims at its exposure to explicit evaluation and criticism.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.Intl.1995.42

Volume Editors
John K. Edwards