Designing Utopia: John Ruskin's Urban Vision for Britain and AmericaAlthough his name is not one that springs to mind when the public thinks of influential urban planners and designers, John ruskin was undoubtedly a most important influence. Art critic, social reformer, giant of English literature, his prodigious output of books, pamphlets and lectures, as well as his efforts at practical reform, established his tremendous reputation in Britain and America. More than providing a vision statement, he challenged artists, architects and town planners to collaborate on developing prototypes of his vision. To a remarkable extent they succeeded in doing so and thereby created a legacy of good community design that this book highlights. Designing Utopia presents a broad overview of John Ruskin's life: the development of his views on architecture and urban design, as well as his views on social justice; how his vision was developed in his writings; his efforts at practical application of that vision, in particular his efforts to build a guild based society. Finally the book analyses how Ruskin's urban vision influenced the work of a long line of progressive architects and planners and the buildings and communities they designed modern urban designers such as Lewis Mumford, Patrick Geddes, Ebenezer Howard. The work of these figures are then related to current practitioners of the New Urbanism such as Duaney and Plater-Zyberk. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 33
Page 34
... materials , design and set back achieved within a unifying local design context and a regard for human scale ... material for building is brick or stone , the fronts of the stone gables are raised above the roofs , and you have ...
... materials , design and set back achieved within a unifying local design context and a regard for human scale ... material for building is brick or stone , the fronts of the stone gables are raised above the roofs , and you have ...
Page 104
... materials , and on the modern building procedure . " Webb was one of the first to fully develop his craft within this latter mode . 19 Webb's approach to design was built on the multiple influences of his youth in Oxford , his ...
... materials , and on the modern building procedure . " Webb was one of the first to fully develop his craft within this latter mode . 19 Webb's approach to design was built on the multiple influences of his youth in Oxford , his ...
Page 105
... materials . Ideally , the building process would be based on the Medieval system : a communal process giving craftsmen of all types input into the final design . The design process proceeded from in the inside out ; it was based on a ...
... materials . Ideally , the building process would be based on the Medieval system : a communal process giving craftsmen of all types input into the final design . The design process proceeded from in the inside out ; it was based on a ...
Contents
The Development Of A Visionary | 19 |
Ruskins Efforts At Practical Town Planning | 48 |
William Morris And The Town Planning Implications Of | 73 |
Copyright | |
8 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Designing Utopia: John Ruskin's Urban Vision for Britain and America Michael H. Lang No preview available - 1999 |
Common terms and phrases
achieved Ackerman aesthetic American architects architecture artistic Arts and Crafts Ashbee associated beautiful British building built called Camden central Chipping Campden Clavigera co-housing cottages Crafts communities Crafts Movement craftsmen described design approach efforts England English environment established felt Garden City garden villages Gothic green Guild Socialism Hampstead Garden Suburb Hill human ideal industrial influence inspired John Ruskin Kelmscott Kentlands land trust lecture Lethaby live London major medieval Modern Painters Mumford nature neighbourhood neo-traditional Octavia Hill open space organic Oxford Philadelphia Philip Webb planning system Press Price principles produced projects Radburn Raymond Unwin Red House regional planning result romantic Rose Valley Roycroft Ruskin and Morris Ruskin's urban vision Ruskinian socialist society sprawl stone street style suburban Swenarton town planners town planning traditional urban design utopian vernacular vernacular architecture Webb's William Morris workers wrote York Yorkship Village