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
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Page 6
... true essence of nature . Thus Turner's hazy , and often ephemeral depictions were wholly consistent with reality and met Ruskin's test . 11 Similarly Ruskin later achieved national prominence when he championed the Pre - Raphaelite ...
... true essence of nature . Thus Turner's hazy , and often ephemeral depictions were wholly consistent with reality and met Ruskin's test . 11 Similarly Ruskin later achieved national prominence when he championed the Pre - Raphaelite ...
Page 10
... true community in harmony with nature , with work based on artistic impulse and free expression directed to meet the needs of the greater community as occurred during the building of the great cathedrals . People would grow and prosper ...
... true community in harmony with nature , with work based on artistic impulse and free expression directed to meet the needs of the greater community as occurred during the building of the great cathedrals . People would grow and prosper ...
Page 81
... true , it has never been , and therefore , since the world is alive and moving yet , my hope is the greater that it one day will be : true it is a dream ; but dreams have before now come about of things so good and necessary to us ...
... true , it has never been , and therefore , since the world is alive and moving yet , my hope is the greater that it one day will be : true it is a dream ; but dreams have before now come about of things so good and necessary to us ...
Contents
The Development Of A Visionary | 3 |
Ruskins Urban Vision | 19 |
Ruskins Efforts At Practical Town Planning | 48 |
Copyright | |
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Designing Utopia: John Ruskin's Urban Vision for Britain and America Michael H. Lang No preview available - 1999 |
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