Module 2 Contemporary Urban Design Theories

We are a normative society based on a system of social formalities and theories implemented in practice. Social norms and cues tell us how to act, feel and design. But there are theories and philosophies out there to challenge the “normal” and make us think about expression of society and physical culture in a different way. We attempt to express accepted urban design meaning by looking at cultural sign systems and “unwritten” rules and social cues. We have an inherent need to analyze and understand these systems of culture. The Social, Formal, and Environmental theories of urban design focus on livability and quality of life help designers to narrow down critical thought and make more meaningful spaces. The Social theory, as pioneered by Le Corbusier, helps us to understand city as a system of functions; and how change in society occurs due to change in space, and vice versa. So, basically this theory says that society is a powerful cultural tool that has the ability to change physical forms. This of course would occur over a large period of time, it is not as if urban spaces change overnight. Aldo Rossi, theorist of the formal theory in urban design, saw city as a human made objet with values and functions that may change over time, while the form of space remains relatively the same. I find this understandable as populations grow throughout time, we continue to build and repurpose pre-existing spaces for more appropriate functions.  A designer can never truly predict how their space will be used, but rather social formalities take over and form use.

 Similarly, to the Social theory of urban design, is the Marxian Political Economy philosophy which views urban design as an outcome of the social production of urban form. Such as when people come together to produce the urban fabric (such as construction) that process in turn is social. And this philosophy looks at how these formed spaces represent social and cultural existence. Production and labor form social and property relations that help us to produce physical urban aspects such as roads, airports, utility systems and so on. These capitalistic, government mandated forms help us create functioning cities. State policies, spatial requirements, codes and so on form the basis of which designers can work on. But these come from normative theories and how did this “normal” practice come about and be known to be the best? Design is about challenging and questioning what is known.

Everyone interprets place differently, and we need to take that account when designing through the study of things that happen in question which cause a need for explanation. Phenomenology has impacted the study of perception as a function of lived experience in the built environment. This philosophy can be applied as an interpretation of history and theory, as a form of placemaking and authenticity, and in order to design a physical space; which helps with creating “place”/identity. In philosophy there are many ambiguities especially when it comes to making conceptual vs factual observations and analyses. Edward Relph offers a conceptual clarity of own phenomenology explorations to explain the sense of place and insideness. He recognized that our individual insights have parallels with other helping us to take unique viewpoint and perspectives into account. Even though our senses, feeling, perceptions, understandings, and interpretations vary person to person, we can design with the knowledge that everyone will experience space in their own way.