In The Empty Place: Democracy and Public Space Teresa Hoskyns explores the relationship of public space to democracy by relating different theories of democracy in political philosophy to spatial theory and spatial and political practice.? Establishing the theoretical basis for the study of public space; Hoskyns examines the rise of representative democracy and investigates contemporary theories for the future of democracy; focusing on the Chantal Mouffes agonistic model and the civil society model of Juuml;rgen Habermas. She argues that these models of participatory democracy can co-exist and are necessarily spatial. The book then provides diverse perspectives on how the role of physical public space is articulated through three modes of participatory spatial practice. The first focuses on issues of participation in architectural practice through a set of projects exploring the lsquo;open spacesrsquo; of a postwar housing estate in Euston. The second examines the role of space in the construction of democratic identity through a feminist architecture/art collective; producing space through writing; performance and events. The third explores participatory political democratic practice through social forums at global; European and city levels. Hoskyns concludes that participatory democracy requires a conception of public space as the empty place; allowing different models and practices of democracy to co-exist.
#234552 in eBooks 2014-04-25 2014-04-25File Name: B00LTM4ZTK
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Some Editing Problems; But Still Interesting ImportantBy SarahReading The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister by Chris Nichols is a little trying at times; but still an interesting book for 20th century architecture fans. Its filled with architect Wayne McAllisters design projects and the how and why he got involved with each one. As I began to read; it immediately became clear that Nichols was close to McAllister and his family; and a big fan of his work. Rightfully so. As a big fan of leisure architecture myself; (and all the styles (Googie; atomic and moderne) that it included); I loved this inside look at McAllisters amazing contribution to our culture.The first half of the book was a biography of McAllisters early life and a chapter on Agua Caliente; the very first project McAllister; and his wife/design partner Corinne; took on. The Agua Caliente in Mexico; was an elaborate; glamorus resort; that Nichols describes as being "the inspiration for Las Vegas." Easy to believe when you see the amazing collection of illustrations and photos of the place printed in the bookFrom then on though the text became a bit rocky for me to read. Yes; all the projects are here and outlined; Bobs Big Boy restaurants; the El Rancho resort in Las Vegas and a slew of hotels; restaurants and drive-ins; but. All of a sudden the editing problems in the book became distracting; and the text hard to follow. To be honest; at this point I started paying more attention to the fantastic photographs and illustrations (and their captions) that cover every page of the book. They are why I gave the book 4 stars; rather than 3.Make no mistake; this is a beautiful book that I would definitely recommend to anyone with an interest in the architecture of this era; but there are a few technical issues. If youre willing to overlook them; and simply pay attention to the beautiful buildings McAllister created; youll enjoy this book very much. The beautiful cover illustration is exactly the kind of thing youll find inside; a colorful; bright accounting of the career of an architect (and an unlicensed one at that!) that helped shape the southern California and Las Vegas landscapes of the early and mid 20th century.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Agua CalienteBy RioI read this book several year ago and I have purchased a number of copies as gifts for friends and organizations. Of particular interest to me is McAllisters first major project; the Agua Caliente Resort in Tijuana; Baja California. It was a magnificent project handled superbly by the young architect and his wife. The photographs in the article in this book are excellent. This book arrived well packaged and on time something I have learned to expect from and the numerous dealers who have supplied me with books.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book; but bound poorlyBy EricExcellent book; but bound poorly. Very interesting if this sort of thing interests you. Still giving it a five; even with the poor binding; because I enjoyed reading it. Plenty of pictures; which for this subject is needed.
