Synopsis
A collection of 16 essays, presented by Madsen (comparative literature, U. of Copenhagen) and Plunz (architecture, Columbia U.), focus on the cityscapes of Copenhagen and New York to explore the ways in which architectures, uses of space, and urban design plans both represent and condition the ways in which people use their space, conceive of their social relations within urbanities, and press differing agendas of their daily lives. Drawing heavily on the works of postmodern philosophers of phenomenology and deconstruction, the authors study varying aspects of urban space, including architectures, city plans, aesthetic representations, class and race demographics, and the effects of technologies. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)