Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design (1986) by Roger Trancik
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
An introduction
I use to tend to think of and describe Bangkok as a "congested" city. The image of this would be in the forms of jammed traffic, tiny alleys ("soi"), and slums.
However, now that I've been equipped with a better urban design vocabulary, my mental image of the city has also changed altogether. The traffic of New York City is almost as notorious and urban cores of many European cities are also featured with tiny twists and turns. However, what actually sets Bangkok apart is the fact that it is a sprawling city! With lots of "negative space" left untreated and buildings treated (and worse yet, perceived) as freestanding objects, Bangkok is an unorganized bunch of buildings and the stark opposite of a compact city.
However, now that I've been equipped with a better urban design vocabulary, my mental image of the city has also changed altogether. The traffic of New York City is almost as notorious and urban cores of many European cities are also featured with tiny twists and turns. However, what actually sets Bangkok apart is the fact that it is a sprawling city! With lots of "negative space" left untreated and buildings treated (and worse yet, perceived) as freestanding objects, Bangkok is an unorganized bunch of buildings and the stark opposite of a compact city.
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