John Nolenrsquo;s New Ideals in the Planning of Cities; Towns; and Villages is the most thorough assessment of city planning written by an American practitioner before 1920. It records the interplay of urban reform in Europe and the United States; the rise of the planning expert; the design of new towns; and the technique for directing urban expansion on systematic lines. Most important; it documents the blueprint for investing the "peace dividend" of the Great War to make urban life "more fit for democracy".Written for men fighting to make the world safe for democracy; New Ideals revealed how the domestic part of the peace program could justify their sacrifice. The wartime housing initiative had improved the living conditions of industrial workers and the same public regulation and control of the layout and character of residential neighbourhoods could provide what "men of service expect to find on their return; a new and better type of workmanrsquo;s home." While New Ideals strained towards the utopian; experience tempered Nolenrsquo;s expectations and the high aims of the book were not immediately realised in a post-war society seeking a return to pre-war normalcy. However in the last decade; Nolenrsquo;s planned communities have been closely studied as the demand for pedestrian-oriented neighbourhoods set on sustainable lines has moved from novelty to policy. New Ideals is an important text not only for its design template; but also its aspirations. Nolenrsquo;s call to "make cites that will serve the needs--physical; economic; and spiritual-- of all people" lays at the heart of the city planning profession and the lessons Nolen imparted inform a new generation planning cities to be both resilient and just.
#292591 in eBooks 2013-10-01 2013-10-01File Name: B00MG18BXO
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A must read for anyone interested in modern Indian art!By melia belliThis is an excellent book for a number of diverse audiences; from historians of South Asian art; global modernists; historians; to non-specialists interested in this fascinating period in Indian art. The prose is accessible and avoids the use of unnecessary theory and concepts; which can be isolating to non-specialists. Brown identifies salient aims; issues; challenges artists in post-independent India faced: post-colonialism; modernity; and the creation of national; as well as their individual identities. One of the bookrsquo;s overarching concerns is how artists negotiated modernity and modern art; which were inextricably associated with Europe; and ldquo;Indianness.rdquo; As Brown explores; ldquo;Indiannessrdquo; was interpreted in diverse; often contradicting ways. To some it was a historic ldquo;golden age;rdquo; while to others; it was the village.Through her succinct examination of arts of various media; including painting; film; architecture; Brown proves that between 1947-1980; Indian artists responded to their times in innovative; provocative; and thoughtful ways; creating art that is at once modern and in conversation with global trends; and undeniably Indian.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Useless- the Kindle edition not the book. Browns Book= 4/5By Alexandra M. LucasI used this book in my thesis on Indian modernism. It is a gem of a book- outlining concepts succinctly. However; the Kindle app I needed to use in conjunction with the Google book edition so I could cite pages- which as you can imagine; was quite the chore as a preview. Dont buy it if you want to use it for an assessment; beyond reading for enjoyment there isnt much use for it- buy the hard copy. (no page numbers; only Locations (the book I can assure you does not have 2486 pages) and percentage read.5 of 13 people found the following review helpful. BEWARE: NOT a survey of Indian modern art from 1947-1980By Gary ComoglioI have a small axe to grind;......"NOT a survey of Indian modern art from 1947-1980;"(understatement of the year; However this book would be a lot more interesting if it was....)this is how one of the introductory paragraphs begins.....This book goes on to explore architecture; some fine art; and mostly covers how the Indian population has been dissed by Western culture;..especially the art culture. One thing that bothers me about most books on Modern Art in India; is that the authors seem to have a problem with the past colonialism; and connecting the visual effects on art. It does not matter much where Picasso got his influence for cubism(because the artwork is powerful on its own); but for some reason... it really matters in Indian culture. The justifications that Indian Art is legit and has its own merits would be better argued if the author bothered to give examples of more artwork and show how Indian artists were committed to their ideas; and their craft. There are about 8 examples of paintings that the author decided to put in; thats it....8 paintings for almost 40 years......This is far far away from any real analytical study of modern art in India. I am still waiting for a complete survey that does not get caught up in old arguments and analyzes the artwork and power of their creativity on its own merits.
