Urban Design

A landmark conference held at Harvard University in 1956 established urban design as a distinct architectural and planning practice. In this book, Krieger (urban design, Harvard University) and Saunders (editor, Harvard Design Magazine) assemble key figures in architecture, planning, and landscape design to look back on the evolution of urban design, assess the current state of the field, and anticipate how the profession must adapt to the unprecedented rate of urbanization, particularly in the developing world. The 18 essays collected here were commissioned over several years, with four written as commentary on the others, which were first published in two consecutive issues of Harvard Design Magazine in 2006 and 2007. The essays, along with excerpts from the 1956 conference and a transcript of a 2006 discussion on urban design held at Harvard, are organized into six parts on origins of an urban design sensibility, perspectives on the evolution of the field since 1956, territories of urban design practice, debates about mandates and purpose, expanding roles and disciplinary boundaries, and future directions. B&w photos are included. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)