Overview

First published in 2006. Cities are sites of multiple meanings and symbols, ranging from statues and street names to festivals and architecture. Some­ times the symbolic side of urbanism is so strong that it outshines reality - then we speak of hypercity. Urban symbolic ecology and hypercity studies are relatively new fields that deal with the production, distribution and consumption of symbols and meanings in urban space, timely concerns in an era of increasing globalization and competition between mega-urban regions. This volume presents a detailed introduction to the new fields, followed by case studies of the cultural layer of symbolism in Brussels (Belgium), Cape Town (South Africa), Cuenca (Ecuador), Delft (The Netherlands), Kingston (Jamaica), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Paris (France) and cities in Italy and Indonesia. It amply demonstrates that the time has come for urban symbolic ecology and hypercity studies to be included in regular urban studies training in the fields of anthropology, sociology, social geography and architecture.

Full Product Details

Author:   Peter J.M. Nas ,  Annemarie Samuels
Publisher:   Kegan Paul
Imprint:   Kegan Paul
Weight:   0.453kg
ISBN:  

9780710312792

ISBN 10:   0710312792
Pages:   266
Publication Date:   23 August 2006
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

1. Urban symbolic ecology and the hypercity: State of the art and challenges for the future 2. ‘Megaproyecto El Barranco’ in Cuenca, Ecuador: Architects and their role in local representations 3. The Italian skyline: Family towers as elements in urban symbolism 4. Looking back, forward or up? Urban symbolism and the politics of race in Jamaica’s Redemption Song 5. Power of remembrance, supremacy of oblivion: History of the ‘National Monuments’ in Ljubljana 6. Sign of the times: Symbolic change around Indonesian independence 7. Under the tablecloth: Exploring symbolism in central Cape Town 8. The contra-dance: Rapping and the art of symbolic resistance in the Parisian banlieue 9. Selling the city: Representations of a transitional urban community 10. Brussels as a symbol: Controversial images of the capital of Europe 11. The use of symbols in city marketing: The case of Delft

Reviews

Author Information

Peter J. M. Nas is an urban anthropologist and Professor in the Socio-cultural Aspects of the Built Environment in Indonesia at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Annemarie Samuels is an MA student in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University, The Netherlands.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions