Спекуляции о образе красоты. Общественное пространство и глобальные прибрежные города (Том 2)

This volume proposes a reasoned and critical reading of open space in its various aspects, investigating some notable urban experiences chosen among global twelve coastal cities – Abu Dhabi, Cape Town, Rijeka, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Marseille, Naples, Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Tangier and Trieste –, and illustrated through original drawings and historical maps, iconographic images and a thematic critical text, specifically developed by a guest contributor invited for the occasion. In such cities, the challenges caused by climate change and by the search for an increasingly fragile balance between economic development, justice and social inclusion manifest themselves in a more explicit and paradigmatic way. The starting point for observing ongoing phenomena and defining new research trajectories is not only physical or geographical but also concerns the complex socio-ecological and systemic dimension of coastal territories, where nature, infrastructure, and settlements interact in an interdependent way. Current configurations of the twelve cities are studied revealing the relationship between solids and voids along the coastal edge. Within the iconographic section of the volume, a Nolli-style mapping is used as a tool to explore significant portions of the cities. The New Map of Rome completed in 1748 by Giovan Battista Nolli – one of the most famous and most lastingly influential cartographic representations – seemed to be the most suitable conceptual and operational reference for bringing to light the value of open spaces in the contemporary city and to uncover some of its inherent contradictions. By investigating the forms, meanings and spatial devices that shape the open space, and by identifying the semantic values of inclusion and exclusion embedded in its use and occupation, we develop diverse perspectives and a critical understanding of its potential as a project. All these elements are the starting point for advancing a reasoned interpretation and critical reading of open space in its various aspects, assuming that global coastal cities are the places most affected by the challenges caused by climate change, and that it is precisely here that reflection on the quality and meaning of contemporary urban planning and design can be encouraged.