The natures of maps

The natures of maps: cartographic constructions of the natural world
Wood, Denis
Fels, John
2008
Chicago : University of Chicago Press.   xviii, 230 p.
Resumen : Cartographers have known for decades that maps are far from objective representations of the world; rather, every map reflects the agendas and intentions of its creators. Yet that understanding has had almost no effect on the way maps are viewed and used by the general public. In The Natures of Maps, cartographers Denis Wood and John Fels present a compelling exploration of a wide range of maps to answer the question of, as they put it, why maps have “gotten away with it.” To answer that question, the authors turn to a category of maps with a particularly strong reputation for objectivity: maps of nature. From depictions of species habitats and bird migrations to portrayals of the wilds of the Grand Canyon and the reaches of the Milky Way, such maps are usually presumed—even by users who should know better—to be strictly scientific. Yet by drawing our attention to every aspect of these maps’ self-presentation, from place names to titles and legends, the authors reveal the way that each piece of information collaborates in a disguised effort to mount an argument about reality. Without our realizing it, those arguments can then come to define our very relationship to the natural world—determining whether we see ourselves as humble hikers or rampaging despoilers, participants or observers, consumers or stewards. Richly illustrated, and crafted in vivid and witty prose, The Natures of Maps will enlighten and entertain map aficionados, scholars, and armchair navigators alike. You’ll never be able to look at Google Maps quite the same way again.
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New worlds

New worlds : maps from the age of discovery
Baynton-Williams, Ashley
2006
London : Quercus.   224 p.
Resumen : Take a journey into the past, to a world where exotic beasts and even stranger locals stalk cartographic voids, where sea monsters and floating islands lurk beyond uncertain shores, where the borders between myth and reality are blurred. Here, gathered from five centuries of exploration, are over 200 maps of oceans and continents, mountains and forests, cities and shires. Presented in chronological order, these maps record the adventures and discoveries - not to mention fantasies and outright lies - of explorers, merchants and travelers. Taken together, they chart our discovery of the world as science, legend, politics and art are blended together by the cartographer's craft. Presenting an illustrated history of the Age of Discovery, New Worlds displays our finest maps and tells the stories of the explorers, rulers, scientists, artists and charlatans who created them.
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Children, youth and the city

Children, youth and the city
Hörschelmann, Kathrin
Van Blerk, Lorraine
2012
London ; New York : Routledge.   xii, 240 p.
Resumen :  Share More than half of the global and around eighty per cent of the western population grow up in cities. This text provides a vivid picture of children and youth in the city, how they make sense of it and how they appropriate it through their social actions. Considering the causes and forms of social inequalities in relation to class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, ability and geographical location, this book discusses specific issues such as poverty, homelessness and work. Each chapter draws on examples from both the developed and developing world, and throughout the chapters, the book: * contrasts experiences of growing up in the city * discusses how social inequalities, together with societal perceptions of childhood and youth, shape experiences of growing up in cities for different young people * examines how young people appropriate the city through social and cultural practices * considers contemporary movements towards the role of children and youths in planning processes. Children, Youth and the City argues that young people must be recognized as urban social agents in their own right. This informative book deals with complex theoretical arguments and relates key ideas to this topical subject in a clear and coherent manner. The text is enlivened throughout with global case studies, photographs, discussion questions, suggested reading and websites. It is an excellent resource for students of Human Geography, Urban Studies and Childhood Studies.
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Globalization and its discontents

Globalization and its discontents
Sassen, Saskia
1998
New York : The New Press.   xxxvi, 254 p.
Resumen :  Groundbreaking essays on the new global economy from an "expert observer" (Forecast). Saskia Sassen is an internationally recognized expert on globalization whose writings have appeared in journals and magazines worldwide. Now available in paperback, Globalization and Its Discontents is a collection of Sassen's essays dealing with topics such as the "global city," gender and migration (reconceived as the globalization of labor), information technology, and the new dynamics of inequality. Sassen brings together cultural and literary studies, feminist theory, political economics, sociology, and political science, showing how vast the chasm between metropolitan business centers and low-income inner cities has become. Incisive and original, she takes on common political, cultural, and economic misconceptions of globalization and offers a thoughtful, provocative new look at our increasingly global society.
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Democracy and public space

Democracy and public space : the physical sites of democratic performance
Parkinson, John
2012
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press.  xiii, 246 p.
Resumen :  In an online, interconnected world, democracy is increasingly made up of wikis and blogs, pokes and tweets. Citizens have become accidental journalists thanks to their handheld devices, politicians are increasingly working online, and the traditional sites of democracy--assemblies, public galleries, and plazas--are becoming less and less relevant with every new technology. And yet, Democracy and Public Space argues, such views are leading us to confuse the medium with the message, focusing on electronic transmission when often what cyber citizens transmit is pictures and narratives of real democratic action in physical space. Democratic citizens are embodied, take up space, battle over access to physical resources, and perform democracy on physical stages at least as much as they engage with ideas in virtual space. Combining conceptual analysis with interviews and observation in capital cities on every continent, John Parkinson argues that democracy requires physical public space, that some kinds of space are better for performing some democratic roles than others, and that some of the most valuable kinds of space are under attack in developed democracies. He argues that accidental publics like shoppers and lunchtime crowds are increasingly valued over purposive, active publics, over citizens with a point to make or an argument to listen to. This can be seen not just in the way that traditional protest is regulated, but in the ways that ordinary city streets and parks are managed, even in the design of such quintessentially democratic spaces as legislative assemblies. Democracy and Public Space offers an alternative vision for democratic public space, and evaluates 11 cities--from London to Tokyo--against that ideal.
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Cities and climate change

Cities and climate change
Bulkeley, Harriet
2013
London ; New York : Routledge.   vii, 266 p.
Resumen : Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges facing the world today. It is also a critical issue for the world’s cities. Now home to over half the world’s population, urban areas are significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions and are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
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Animal architecture

Animal architecture
Hansell, Michael H. (Michael Henry)
2005
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press.   xii, 322 p.
Resumen :  This monograph on the biology of animal building embraces all groups, from simple invertebrates to primate toolmakers. It looks at the behavioral and anatomical equipment animals have in order to build, as well as the materials available to them. It examines how architects are able, singly or collectively, to produce complex structures often much larger than themselves. It also looks at the costs of building, the properties of completed structures, the ecological impact of them ,and their effects on the evolution of animal builders.
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A pattern language

A pattern language : towns, buildings, construcción
Alexander, Christopher
1977
New York : Oxford University Press.   xliv, 1171 p.
Resumen : A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations. The reader is given an overview of some 250 patterns that are the units of this language, each consisting of a design problem, discussion, illustration, and solution. By understanding recurrent design problems in our environment, readers can identify extant patterns in their own design projects and use these patterns to create a language of their own. Extraordinarily thorough, coherent, and accessible, this book has become a bible for homebuilders, contractors, and developers who care about creating healthy, high-level design.
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Transforming cities

Transforming cities : revival in the square
Corbett, Nick
2004
London : RIBA Enterprises.   167 p.
Resumen :  This book will give confidence to those who want to challenge the status quo in the design and management of public space and provides an insight into how design strategies for new public spaces can transform our cities. Illustrated throughout with international examples of best practice, 'Revival in the Square' provides practical advice and guidance on how to build public spaces that will bring people together for a positive, shared experience of urban living.
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El espectador emancipado

El espectador emancipado
Rancière, Jacques
2010
Buenos Aires : Manantial.   130 p.
Resumen :  «El que ve no sabe ver»: esta presuposición atraviesa toda nuestra historia, desde la caverna platónica hasta la denuncia de la sociedad del espectáculo. La encontramos tanto en el filósofo que quiere que cada uno se quede en su lugar como en los revolucionarios que quieren arrancar a los dominados de las ilusiones que los someten. Algunos emplean sutiles explicaciones o instalaciones espectaculares para mostrar a los ciegos lo que no ven. Otros quieren cortar el mal de raíz transformando el espectáculo en acción y al espectador, en hombre activo.
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