book reviews

Genealogy of Cities is an astonishing body of work, a remarkable process of research and redrawing that has made accessible over 1000 city plans that can not fail to impress upon the most seasoned academic and practitioner and invaluable to those about to embark on their studies, in the fascinating field of urban design.

This masterful collection graphically chronicles urban settlement and proposed development, from 350 BCE to the present, that is both standard bearing and illuminating in style.

Includes CD of approximately 1000 downloadable city plans

Supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Art

Black Dog Publishing, 2006

Inside Out Outside In celebrates the 50th anniversary of architects RMJM. But this book is far more than just a piece of PR for the practice. It sets out to show the workings of RMJM from the inside out - and the unique contribution of its personalities - writing from the outside in, exploring its client relations and current projects.

Sarah Gaventa, London, Mitchell Beazley, 2006

This is a generously illustrated survey of urban spaces completed in the present century. As such it provides a very clear break with the 20th century image of planted, symmetrical ‘squares’ or the contrived afterthoughts surrounding faceless office blocks. Whilst there is, inevitably, some repetition in devices, it is the ‘sense’ of each place illustrated that comes immediately to mind.

Fred Gray, Reaktion Books, 2006

Anyone wanting a insight into what makes British seaside towns really special in terms of architecture and design will find Fred Gray’s new book, Designing the Seaside, a useful guide. For an urban designer or planner looking for inspiration the book is worth having in terms of its images alone, as its wealth of photographs, most of them collected by the author, is certainly its strongest point.

Esther Charlesworth, Architectural Press Elsevier, Oxford and Burlington, 2006

The promise of this book is profound: to highlight the mono-dimensional physical-focus of architect’s minds and offering a new vision of architects and design professional as 'mobile and collaborative agents' outside traditional sites and constructed environments. In doing so, the author examines practioners’ role in the design and re-assemblage of urban environments ravished by wars and social conflicts resulting in de facto 'divided cities'.

A useful guide for anyone in the UK concerned with improving cycling facilities: designers, engineers, planners and developers. Essentially the guide is a simplification of national guidelines and provides both examples and statements of principle. Best read in conjunction with more comprehensive European and UK design handbooks.