Overview

With the impending demise of modernist planning, the footprints and corpses of failed modernist visions are littered everywhere. A vacuum of implementable urban theories has occurred at the time when unprecedented expansion and restructuring of cities in rapidly developing economies are taking place. In this collection of essays, William S W Lim zeroes in on the peculiarities and dynamics of present Asian urban and architectural conditions in order to challenge and transcend the socio-ecological forms and political influences generated by the current system of global capitalism.Part I of this book consists of the main essay, which attempts to establish baselines for an effective formulation of ethical urbanism in Asia, by clarifying issues that have previously been unquestioningly bound up with Western values and discourses. As an architect/urbanist, Lim lends a determinedly spatialist and environmental perspective to issues such as rights, ethics, happiness and social justice, while compelling his readers to rethink previously established notions about them.Part II of this book consists of three city studies on Hanoi, Shanghai and Singapore, completed in the last two years, which attempt to match Lim's theoretical formulation with actual conditions occurring in Asia today. Also included is ""Asian Architecture in the New Millennium"", a fascinating discourse on contemporary design conducted from a postmodern perspective.

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Asian Ethical Urbanism sets out the challenge to all involved in the improvement of city life in times of explosive growth. And that, as Lim argues requires innovation from us all, policy setters, developers and designers. Leon van Schaik Innovation Professor RMIT University, Melbourne With these essays, Lim sets the issue of architecture and urbanism at a very fundamental level: defining and defending a good life for all. Like the conscience of the profession, he reminds us to place more faith in life-worlds than systems, more commitment to justice than profit, more interest in liberty than control. Li Shiqiao Assistant Professor NUS, Singapore Architects view urban spaces quite differently from social scientists ... Rare is an architect who immerses himself in social science literature, and the rarest of all, is the architect who adopts social science theory to enhance explanations of the brick and mortar creations of his own discipline. This book is an example of what fascinating forms can be created if the two are successfully merged. Sharon Siddique Development Sociologist

"""Asian Ethical Urbanism sets out the challenge to all involved in the improvement of city life in times of explosive growth. And that, as Lim argues requires innovation from us all, policy setters, developers and designers."" Leon van Schaik Innovation Professor RMIT University, Melbourne ""With these essays, Lim sets the issue of architecture and urbanism at a very fundamental level: defining and defending a good life for all. Like the conscience of the profession, he reminds us to place more faith in life-worlds than systems, more commitment to justice than profit, more interest in liberty than control."" Li Shiqiao Assistant Professor NUS, Singapore ""Architects view urban spaces quite differently from social scientists ... Rare is an architect who immerses himself in social science literature, and the rarest of all, is the architect who adopts social science theory to enhance explanations of the brick and mortar creations of his own discipline. This book is an example of what fascinating forms can be created if the two are successfully merged."" Sharon Siddique Development Sociologist"

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