Under the influence of globalization, the centres of many cities in the industrialised world are losing their place identity, the set of cultural markers that define a city’s uniqueness and make it instantly recognisable. A key task for planners and residents, working together, is to preserve that unique sense of place without making the city a parody of itself.
In Planning and Place in the City, Marichela Sepe explores the preservation, reconstruction and enhancement of cultural heritage and place identity. She outlines the history of the concept of placemaking, and sets out the range of different methods of analysis and assessment that are used to help pin down the nature of place identity. This book also uses the author's own survey-based method called PlaceMaker to detect elements that do not feature in traditional mapping and identifies appropriate planning interventions.
Case studies investigate cities in Europe, North America and Asia, which demonstrate how surveys and interviews can be used to draw up an analytical map of place identity. This investigative work is a crucial step in identifying cultural elements which will influence what planning decisions should be taken in the future. The maps aim to establish a dialogue with local residents and support planners and administrators in making sustainable changes. The case studies are amply illustrated with survey data sheets, photos, and coloured maps.
Innovative and broad-based, Planning and Place in the City lays out an approach to the identification and preservation of place and cultural heritage suitable for students, academics and professionals alike.
1. Introduction Part 1: New Places in the Contemporary City 2. Concept of Place 3. Place Identity 4. Places of Residence 5. Urban Containers 6. Networks and Infrastructures 7. Places of Perceptions 8. Monitored Areas Part 2: PlaceMaking 9. The Visual Language 10. The Perception of Urban Form 11. Evolution in Placemaking 12. Virtual Approach 13. Lateral Approach 14. Nomadic Approach 15. Multiscale Approach 16. Configurational Approach 17. Complex-sensitive Approach 18. The PlaceMaker Method Part 3: Case Studies 19. Preserving Identity: Rome 20. Preserving Identity: Boston 21. Reconstructing Identity: Kobe 22. Reconstructing Identity: San Francisco 23. Enhancing Identity: London 24. Enhancing Identity: Barcelona 25. Enhancing Identity: Helsinki 26. Conclusion
Biography
Marichela Sepe is a researcher with the Italian National Research Council in Naples. Since 2003, she has served as a professor, and as a member of the Research Doctorate Committee in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Naples. Sepe is on the Steering Committee of Inu - Instituto Nazionale di Urbanistica (Italian National Institute of Urban Planning), and member of Urban Design Group and EURA (European Urban Research Association).
"...this book is a perfect addition to any urban practitioner’s library, helping to pin down the vague concept of place identity and offering a range of approaches of analysis and assessment, ultimately making the case for the author’s own PlaceMaker method." - Iris Levin, Flinders University of SA, The Brotherhood of St. Laurence
