Return to the Center : : Culture, Public Space, and City Building in a Global Era / / Lawrence A. Herzog.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Texas Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Herzog, Lawrence A.,
• Place / Publishing House: Austin : : University of Texas Press, , [2021]; ©2006
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Series: Roger Fullington Series in Architecture
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (299 p.)

The redesign and revitalization of traditional urban centers is the cutting edge of contemporary urban planning, as evidenced by the intense public and professional attention to the rebuilding of city cores from Berlin to New York City's "Ground Zero." Spanish and Latin American cities have never received the recognition they deserve in the urban revitalization debate, yet they offer a very relevant model for this "return to the center." These cultures have consistently embraced the notion of a city whose identity is grounded in its organic public spaces: plazas, promenades, commercial streets, and parks that invite pedestrian traffic and support a rich civic life. This groundbreaking book explores Spanish, Mexican, and Mexican-American border cities to learn what these urban areas can teach us about effectively using central public spaces to foster civic interaction, neighborhood identity, and a sense of place. Herzog weaves the book around case studies of Madrid and Barcelona, Spain; Mexico City and Querétaro, Mexico; and the Tijuana-San Diego border metropolis. He examines how each of these urban areas was formed and grew through time, with attention to the design lessons of key public spaces. The book offers original and incisive discussions that challenge current urban thinking about politics and public space, globalization, and the future of privatized communities, from gated suburbs to cyberspace. Herzog argues that well-designed, human-scaled city centers are still vitally necessary for maintaining community and civic life. Applicable to urban renewal projects around the globe, Herzog's book will be important reading for planners, architects, designers, and all citizens interested in creating more livable cities.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- CHAPTER ONE. Culture, Public Space, and Cities -- CHAPTER TWO. The City and Public Space in Spain -- CHAPTER THREE. Modernity and Public Space in Crisis: Contemporary Madrid -- CHAPTER FOUR. “City of Architects”: Public Space and the Resurgence of Barcelona -- CHAPTER FIVE. Spain Meets Mesoamerica: The City and Public Space in Mexico -- CHAPTER SIX. Revitalizing Historic Centers in Urban Mexico: Politics and Public Space -- CHAPTER SEVEN. The Globalization of Urban Form: Transcultural Public Spaces along the Mexico–United States International Border -- CHAPTER EIGHT. Return to the Center? Politics, Latino Culture, and Public Space -- Notes -- References -- Index