Further readings

Clément G. (2005). Manifesto del Terzo paesaggio. Quodlibet

In his Manifesto, Landscape architect Gilles Clément refers to all the "places abandoned by man". These are spaces diverse in shape, size and status, united only by the absence of all human activity, but taken together they are critical to the preservation of biological diversity.

Gehl, J. (2011). Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. The Danish Architectural Press.

‘Life Between Buildings’ is Jan Gehl’s classic text on the importance of designing urban public space with the fundamental desires of people as guiding principles. The book describes essential elements that contribute to people’s enjoyment of spaces in the public realm.

Ingersoll, R. (2006). Sprawltown : looking for the city on its edges. Princeton architectural press.

In Sprawltown, Richard Ingersoll makes the surprising claim that sprawl is an inevitable reality of modern life that should be addressed more thoughtfully and recognized as its own new form of urbanism rather than simply being criticized and condemned. In one of the chapters, “When the Pedestrian Becomes a Driver”, Ingersoll discusses how is it possible that people allowed themselves to live in a world without pedestrian streets

Koolhaas, R. (2018). Elements of Architecture. Koln: Taschen.

Elements of Architecture focuses on the fragments of the rich and complex architectural collage. Window, façade, balcony, corridor, fireplace, stair, escalator, elevator: the book seeks to excavate the micro-narratives of building details.

Lynch, K. (1964). The image of the city. MIT press.

In The Image of the City Lynch describes how individuals perceive and recall features in urban spaces. The most distinctive elements in the urban landscape - categorised in paths, nodes, edges, districts and landmarks - give shape to individuals' mental representation of the city. Lynch’s approach has stimulated research into spatial cognition, urban design and artificial intelligence, and it still represents an essential pillar in the analysis of urban dynamics.

Napolitano, U. (2017). Paris Haussmann. Zurich: Park Books.

By analyzing the city’s form to understand its meaning, this exhibition and its accompanying catalogue, which was conceived as a contemporary retro-atlas of Haussmann’s work, reinterpret the city both in terms of its volumes and its history and usages.

Quinzii, C. and Terna, D. (2021). Milan Public Space. An in-progress atlas of everyone’s space. LetteraVentidue Edizioni.

This book, Milan Public Space, investigates the public space of Milan (a city that can be considered as a paradigm of a vast panorama of international realities), proposing a description and mapping that is as faithful as possible and, above all, imagining a strategy for its future.

White, W. H. (1980). The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Conservation Foundation.

In 1970 William Whyte formed a small research group, The Street Life Project, and began studying New York City's urban spaces including parks, playgrounds, and city blocks.The methodology of study included time-lapse photography, interviews, and direct observation of users. This book summarizes Whyte's finding from plazas, particularly those in New York City.