City Square: Historical Context. Development Momentum. Spatial Quality

Author: Cai Yongjie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: In Europe, urban squares are an ancient cultural phenomenon; in China, urban squares are a widely issue in urban construction. This book takes the observation and analysis of 40 typical urban squares abroad (from ancient Greece to the modern era) as a, elucidating the social dynamics behind the emergence and development of urban squares. It attempts to construct a holistic outline of urban squares from the dual perspectives of sociology and architecture, arguing that the comprehensive quality of urban squares should be an organic unity of spatial quality and social quality. It also tries to conduct quantitative research on them, proposing an objective evaluation system for urban square quality. According to this system, the book reviews the construction history and current status of typical urban squares in China (18 squares in 14 cities from the modern era to the present), analyzes the spatial characteristics and social dynamics of traditional Chinese cities, and points out that traditional Chinese cities lack the spatial element of urban squares. The emergence of urban squares in China stems from the influence of Western urban culture, and today, most urban squares in China are merely display elements, lacking connection with urban life and citizens.