Throughout their professional practices, architects are armoured with several essential skills and tools. To refresh their minds and be in line with innovations and the latest trends, architects rely on writings, research, studies, and papers. Architectural books are commonly seen worldwide and divided into two main categories: Student books, and practitioner books. With experience in urban design, and with interest in the political economy of urban development, Tridib Banerjee succeeded in publishing the first edition of “Companion to Urban Design” in 2011 – now used by several architectural institutions and especially in urbanism courses.
About Tridib Banerjee
Holding a Ph.D. in urban studies and planning with wide experience in urban design, comparative urbanism, urban sprawl, developing world urbanisation, and planning theory, Banerjee put in the market 12 publications including “Companion to Urban Design”. According to the University of Southern California, also known as USC, “Professor Banerjee is a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a member of the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), and is actively involved with the Association of the Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP)”.
The Book Structure Provided by Banerjee
Tridib Banerjee structured the book in a well-addressed manner making it easy and smooth for readers. The book is divided into nine parts alongside a general introduction.
All parts follow a single structure as follows: An introduction leading to several chapters per part where each chapter holds subtitles, a conclusion, a section with references for further readings, and an overall reference list for the chapter. In addition, all information in the book is strengthened by visuals to make the overall experience and the process of gaining knowledge more interactive. These visuals could be resumed in images, tables, and diagrams. The closure of all parts was made by chapter-like writing describing the whole process of making the book published, where the following is extracted “We were more interested in assembling critical ideas and ruminations about the past, present, and future applications of urban design, rather than various exhortations and specifications that are familiar and a bit tiring perhaps”.
The Content Collected by Banerjee
Banerjee worked on diversifying the content of “Companion to Urban Design” either in the parts titles or in the chapters.
Part One – Roots, summarises the history of urban design and planning from ancient civilizations until now. This part also reviews promoters, protagonists, and projects including CIAM and CNU.
Part Two – Theoretical Perspectives, reveals that urban theories can address social, political, and economic circumstances. Moreover, it showed how Kevin Lynch categorized theories into three: planning, functional, and normative theories.
Moving to Part Three – Influences shows that urban design is a combination of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and civil engineering. The part continues by detailing how urban designers must understand how needs, values, and interests are expressed in urban forms. In addition, it marks how urban designers must deal with cultural diversities in urban complexes, alongside environment, feminist approaches, equality and equity, and art…
Part Four – Technologies and Methods starts by detailing the origins of design studios that boost teamwork rather than individualism. Martin Kreiger’s chapter is a well-dressed document on how designers may use new media tools in the new digital age. Nevertheless, this part emphasises how simulations can enhance data collection in urban layouts for a better assessment.
Part Five – Processes, draws how the urban process is a controversial phenomenon swinging between the influential schools and rationalists. This is addressed by questioning guides, and norms for building a better urban form. This part also integrates the challenges and opportunities for public participation in urban design.
Tackling city components is shown in Part Six – Components. This part addresses possibilities to make cities attractive and liveable in the era of globalisation. Adding to this, Part Six requisitions how new cities and large-scale communities may be the opportunity to express the ideal city form in different ways and contexts.
The five chapters of Part Seven – Debates illustrate the difference between points of view regarding urban design: some see urban design from the perception of arts, senses, and aesthetics, while others base their perception on scientific manners.
Part Eight – Global Trends explains how societal and economic changes frame the evolution of urban design. In the era of globalisation, cities are competing on an international level. The current trend is a “post metropolitan transition,” where earlier patterns of monocentric and polycentric urban forms are increasingly displaced.
Last but not least, Part Nine – New Directions extends on the following chapters:
Post-modern and integral urbanism, ecological urbanism, Metropolitan form and landscape urbanism, intertwist and intertwin, smart growth, notes on TOD, placemaking in urban design, secure cities, and design for resilient cities. These chapters include the incorporation of ecological thinking and the interdependency of urban environments.
In brief, this book by Tridib Banerjee addresses essential topics for urban design. The diversity of content and the richness of ideas and philosophies are well explained and treated throughout the structure of the book for a better understanding and a friendly experience.
References:
University of Southern California. Tridib Banerjee. Sol Price School of Public Policy. Available at: https://priceschool.usc.edu/people/tridib-banerjee/#:~:text=Professor%20 Banerjee%20is%20a%20 fellow,Schools%20of%20Planning%20(ACSP) [Accessed 1 May 2024].
Banerjee, T. (2011). Companion to Urban Design. England. Routledge. Available at: https://www.scribd.com/doc/261352673/Companion-to-Urban-Design
List of Images:
1_Tridib Banerjee_ https://www.google.com/search?q=tridib+banerjee&sca_esv=8b81a5ceaf8313a5&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1BNSD_enLB1031LB1031&udm=2&biw=1920&bih=911&sxsrf=ADLYWIKAQPmqcIst_tkk67k3wNaflWBZOg%3A1714891503454&ei=7yo3ZpKsG9SFhbIPyNOGuAQ&ved=0ahUKEwjS35DX9PWFAxXUQkEAHcipAUcQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=tridib+banerjee&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiD3RyaWRpYiBiYW5lcmplZTIFEAAYgAQyBhAAGAUYHjIHEAAYgAQYGEiiHFAAWJ4acAB4AJABAZgBuwWgAdgJqgEDNS0yuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIBoAKiBJgDAJIHAzQtMaAH4gQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#vhid=lJEsemcT_LgiQM&vssid=mosaic
2_Book Cover_ https://www.amazon.ca/Companion-Urban-Design-Tridib-Banerjee/dp/1138776548
