Placemaking : the art and practice of building communities /

Schneekloth and Shibley attempt to bridge gaps between contemporary architectural practice and the rich social science and humanities literature on people's perceptions of and attachment to place. The authors make their model concrete through three extended case studies: the reconstruction of a historical black church in Roanoke, Virginia; responses to interlocking problems of design and organization in a world financial institute; and participatory planning and revitalization through Roanoke neighborhoods. A final chapter and appendix discuss general insights to be derived from the Rudy Bruner Award for Excellence in the Urban Environment. Although each case interesting reflections on creating dialogic participation, the reports lack the gritty and contradictory reality of ethnographies. Instead, their constant focus on exemplary successes and continual harmonies in the planning process may make it difficult to use these experiences as templates for more problematic cases. The writing and recommendations are extremely clear. However, the studies are divided from many theoretical issues of space--relegated to endnotes--that would make the entire work more interesting to academic audiences. Nonetheless, an especially useful work for professionals in design and planning and in interdisciplinary discussions. G. W. McDonogh; Bryn Mawr College