Cities undergo continual change, transforming their physical fabric and patterns of use. The transformation process has intensified globally and the speed of change increased, whilst its nature has grown ever more intense. This text introduces contemporary approaches to urban transformation, encompassing both production and consumption and exploring the links between social theory and built form. The text explores how the processes of urban transformation works, investigates why this process generates a particular urban product, and enquires into the human experience of this product, how...

Cities affect every person's life, yet across the traditional divides of class, age, gender and political affiliation, armies of people are united in their dislike of the transformations that cities have undergone in recent times. The physical form of the urban environment is not a designer add-on to 'real' social issues; it is a central aspect of the social world. Yet in many people's experience, the cumulative impacts of recent urban development have created widely un loved urban places. To work towards better-loved urban environments, we need to understand how current problems have arisen...

Including international case studies from around the world, this text provides an understanding of the processes through which place identity is formed and the role which designers play in these processes.

In a world of increasing globalisation, where one high street becomes interchangeable with the next, Identity by Design addresses the idea of place-making and the concept of identity, looking at how these things can be considered as an integral part of the design process.Structured around a series of case studies including Prague, Mexico, Malaysia and Boston, the authors discuss an array of design approaches to explain and define the complex interrelated concepts. The concluding sections of the book suggest ideas for practical application in future design processes. With full colour images...