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The Art of City Making
City-making is an art, not a formula. The skills required to re-enchant the city are far wider than the conventional ones like architecture, engineering and land-use planning. There is no simplistic, ten-point plan, but strong principles can help send good city-making on its way. The vision for 21st century cities must be to be the most imaginative cities for the world rather than in the world. This one change of word - from 'in' to 'for' - gives city-making an ethical foundation and value base. It helps cities become places of solidarity where the relations between the individual, the group, outsiders to the city and the planet are in better alignment. Following the widespread success of The Creative City, this new book, aided by international case studies, explains how to reassess urban potential so that cities can strengthen their identity and adapt to the changing global terms of trade and mass migration. It explores the deeper fault-lines, paradoxes and strategic dilemmas that make creating the 'good city' so difficult.
496 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2006
15 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Charles Landry
42 books15 followersCharles Landry is an international authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change. He is currently a fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin. He invented the concept of the Creative City in the late 1980’s. Its focus is how cities can create the enabling conditions for people and organizations to think, plan and act with imagination to solve problems and develop opportunities. The notion has become a global movement and changed the way cities thought about their capabilities and resources.
Charles helps cities identify and make the most of their potential by triggering their inventiveness and thinking and by opening up new conversations about their future. His aim is to help cities become more resilient, self-sustaining and to punch above their weight.
Acting as a critical friend he works closely with decision makers and local leaders in the short and longer term.. He stimulates, facilitates and inspires so cities can transform for the better. He helps find apt and original solutions to seemingly intractable dilemmas, such as marrying, social creativity, innovation and tradition, or balancing wealth creation and social cohesiveness, or local distinctiveness and a global orientation. His overall aim is to help cities get onto the global radar screen.
Charles facilitates complex urban change and visioning processes and undertakes tailored research often creating his own projects. These include the Urban Psyche test developed with Chris Murray and the ‘Creative City Index’ in collaboration with Bilbao and developed with Jonathan Hyams. It is a strategic tool that measures, evaluates and assesses the innovative eco-system of a city and its capacity to adapt to radical global shifts and adjustments. So far 23 cities have taken part from Helsinki to Adelaide, Krakow toTaipei, Mannheim and Plymouth.
His latest major project is the picture driven ‘The Civic City in a Nomadic World’. It brings together his work over the last decade including the concept of ‘civic urbanity’, the ‘creative bureaucracy’ and ‘the management of fragility’. Publication date late 2017.
Charles was born in 1948 and studied in Britain, Germany and Italy. In 1978 he founded Comedia, a highly respected globally oriented advisor that assesses deep trends, creative potential, culture and urban change. He has completed several hundred assignments for many public and private interests and given key note addresses and workshops in 65 countries across the continents including: Britain, Australia, Germany, Finland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, China, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, India, the UAE, Qatar, Albania, Croatia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, South Africa, Ecuador, Canada, the USA and Yemen.
His many books include most recently a series of short, illustrated books, including: The Creative Bureaucracy (September 2017), Psychology & the City with Chris Murray; The Digitized City; Cities of Ambition; The Fragile City & the Risk Nexus with Tom Burke; The Sensory Landscape of Cities; The Origins and Futures of the Creative City and Culture & Commerce. He is best known for The Creative City: A toolkit for Urban Innovators (2000); The Art of City Making (2006); and The Intercultural City: Planning for Diversity Advantage with Phil Wood.
Charles helps cities identify and make the most of their potential by triggering their inventiveness and thinking and by opening up new conversations about their future. His aim is to help cities become more resilient, self-sustaining and to punch above their weight.
Acting as a critical friend he works closely with decision makers and local leaders in the short and longer term.. He stimulates, facilitates and inspires so cities can transform for the better. He helps find apt and original solutions to seemingly intractable dilemmas, such as marrying, social creativity, innovation and tradition, or balancing wealth creation and social cohesiveness, or local distinctiveness and a global orientation. His overall aim is to help cities get onto the global radar screen.
Charles facilitates complex urban change and visioning processes and undertakes tailored research often creating his own projects. These include the Urban Psyche test developed with Chris Murray and the ‘Creative City Index’ in collaboration with Bilbao and developed with Jonathan Hyams. It is a strategic tool that measures, evaluates and assesses the innovative eco-system of a city and its capacity to adapt to radical global shifts and adjustments. So far 23 cities have taken part from Helsinki to Adelaide, Krakow toTaipei, Mannheim and Plymouth.
His latest major project is the picture driven ‘The Civic City in a Nomadic World’. It brings together his work over the last decade including the concept of ‘civic urbanity’, the ‘creative bureaucracy’ and ‘the management of fragility’. Publication date late 2017.
Charles was born in 1948 and studied in Britain, Germany and Italy. In 1978 he founded Comedia, a highly respected globally oriented advisor that assesses deep trends, creative potential, culture and urban change. He has completed several hundred assignments for many public and private interests and given key note addresses and workshops in 65 countries across the continents including: Britain, Australia, Germany, Finland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, China, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, India, the UAE, Qatar, Albania, Croatia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, South Africa, Ecuador, Canada, the USA and Yemen.
His many books include most recently a series of short, illustrated books, including: The Creative Bureaucracy (September 2017), Psychology & the City with Chris Murray; The Digitized City; Cities of Ambition; The Fragile City & the Risk Nexus with Tom Burke; The Sensory Landscape of Cities; The Origins and Futures of the Creative City and Culture & Commerce. He is best known for The Creative City: A toolkit for Urban Innovators (2000); The Art of City Making (2006); and The Intercultural City: Planning for Diversity Advantage with Phil Wood.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 26, 2021
Two of my all time favourite topics : Cities and Creativity. I had a short period in the past when I was interested in "planning" (ironically) creative cities. And I wasn't lucky enough to stumble on this book until today.
What's important to note about this book is that :
1- it is Easy to understand - I have an urge to put it on the required reading list for students at "entry" level in urban planning and urban studies in general : It just makes it easier to hop inside the territory - compares positively to my personal experience which was traumatic;
2- Before the author depicts the connections between cities and creativity he invites the reader to open up to new ways of seeing, feeling, and smelling cities; (If you wonder what's the connection between Ras el Hanout and creative urban design ... you might want to pick this one.);
3- Risk Management seen positively : How many frowns you get when you mention "risk"? enough to make you change your mind on whatever was risky... Here risk is approached as a cataliseur for innovation and creativity. Let's not fear risk, let's embrace it and dare see things differently ...
4- A great reality check based on (brace yourselves) non-scientific assumptions, yet very relatable about multiple profiles interfering in the process of city making. Another hardly managed urge to print the Architects rubrique and send it to all the mates!
5- Notice that it's not a science of cities, or planning cities rather the art of making cities. And what do we know about the artistic process ? Chaotic, complex and hardly one knows from where the inspiration really came ? And that's exactly how the author thinks that our cities are being made ...
The main idea is that city-making should be creatively oriented towards culture and reinforce a narrative identity of the city rather than iconic one ( say Las Vegas, Taipei, ...).
! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FELLOW SPATIALISTS !
Bonus :
+ He answers the question : Is Dubai a creative city ?
+ A large geographical couverture;
+ There's one F word, and guess who said it ? yes, right an architect and now you know who.
What's important to note about this book is that :
1- it is Easy to understand - I have an urge to put it on the required reading list for students at "entry" level in urban planning and urban studies in general : It just makes it easier to hop inside the territory - compares positively to my personal experience which was traumatic;
2- Before the author depicts the connections between cities and creativity he invites the reader to open up to new ways of seeing, feeling, and smelling cities; (If you wonder what's the connection between Ras el Hanout and creative urban design ... you might want to pick this one.);
3- Risk Management seen positively : How many frowns you get when you mention "risk"? enough to make you change your mind on whatever was risky... Here risk is approached as a cataliseur for innovation and creativity. Let's not fear risk, let's embrace it and dare see things differently ...
4- A great reality check based on (brace yourselves) non-scientific assumptions, yet very relatable about multiple profiles interfering in the process of city making. Another hardly managed urge to print the Architects rubrique and send it to all the mates!
5- Notice that it's not a science of cities, or planning cities rather the art of making cities. And what do we know about the artistic process ? Chaotic, complex and hardly one knows from where the inspiration really came ? And that's exactly how the author thinks that our cities are being made ...
The main idea is that city-making should be creatively oriented towards culture and reinforce a narrative identity of the city rather than iconic one ( say Las Vegas, Taipei, ...).
! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FELLOW SPATIALISTS !
Bonus :
+ He answers the question : Is Dubai a creative city ?
+ A large geographical couverture;
+ There's one F word, and guess who said it ? yes, right an architect and now you know who.
July 15, 2009
This gentleman has true spirit & an admirable zest for life. Everything that has come into his life, he experienced it to the full. He collected facts, numbers, pictures, he added critical spirit to every little detail. He trully inspired me. Thank you Charles Landry!
April 10, 2024
“Their networks of roads, pipes, and pylons stretch into the far yonder … when these magnetic maelstroms and catchments are added together, nearly nothing is left of what was once called nature. The overarching aura is the city.” [20]
Landry goes through great lengths to explain a relatively niche phenomena; Cities are essentially machines that dictate innovation and guide human psychology. Several points, such as our Moloch-like offerings for the sustenance of the car dependent world, are hammered away bluntly and repetitively which can make it a temporarily sluggish read.
Landry goes through great lengths to explain a relatively niche phenomena; Cities are essentially machines that dictate innovation and guide human psychology. Several points, such as our Moloch-like offerings for the sustenance of the car dependent world, are hammered away bluntly and repetitively which can make it a temporarily sluggish read.
January 10, 2012
I recommend as an interesting take on urban planning. Some great ideas.
Read the full review at OurBookClub.
Read the full review at OurBookClub.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews