This collection of twenty-one essays, written by colleagues and former students of the architectural historian Spiro Kostof (1936-1991), presents case studies on Kostof's model of urban forms and fabrics. The essays are remarkably diverse: the range includes pre-Columbian Inca settlements, fourteenth-century Cairo, nineteenth-century New Orleans, and twentieth-century Tokyo. Focusing on individual streets around the world and from different historical periods, the collection is an inviting overview of the street as an urban institution.
The theme of the volume is that the street presents...

The Urban Image of Augustan Rome examines the idea and experience of the ancient city at a critical moment, when Rome became an Imperial capital. Lacking dignity, unity, and a clear image during the Republic, the urban image of Rome became focused under the control of Augustus, who transformed the city physically and conceptually. This book explores for the first time the motives for urban intervention, methods for implementation and the socio-political context of the Augustan period, as well as broader design issues such as formal urban strategies and definitions of urban imagery.