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A review by cattytrona
The Language of Cities by Deyan Sudjic
3.0
I love reading about urbanism. Cities are so big and full and old, and you really think you can change it? You want to make a difference? No way. Trying to tame a Cthulhu vibes.
The Language of Cities is a really solid, readable discussion of the subject. It covered some really cool stuff: the stuff about skyscrapers, Las Vegas vernacular, and Disney was really interesting, and I’m always interested in Bilbao and sprucing up noughties London. Then again, urbanism is always cool. And by cool I mean to read about, not always so much in practice. Planners are dodgy.
I wish the chapters had been more sub-headed, and some of the examples had been a bit more specific and deep. Was pretty gratified to see Radical Cities by Justin McGuirk in the bibliography, something I picked up at random a couple of years ago (as opposed to this, which is vaguely research) and thought was excellent; it’s such an interesting book, and works because it goes all in on its case studies. The Language of Cities is generally much more of an overview — and is good at that, don’t get me wrong — but if you’re left, like me, wanting even more, I’d recommend Radical Cities. Personally, I’m looking forward to reading Sudjic’s The Edifice Complex, and Aldo Rossi’s The Architecture of the City off the back of this one, just for fun.
The Language of Cities is a really solid, readable discussion of the subject. It covered some really cool stuff: the stuff about skyscrapers, Las Vegas vernacular, and Disney was really interesting, and I’m always interested in Bilbao and sprucing up noughties London. Then again, urbanism is always cool. And by cool I mean to read about, not always so much in practice. Planners are dodgy.
I wish the chapters had been more sub-headed, and some of the examples had been a bit more specific and deep. Was pretty gratified to see Radical Cities by Justin McGuirk in the bibliography, something I picked up at random a couple of years ago (as opposed to this, which is vaguely research) and thought was excellent; it’s such an interesting book, and works because it goes all in on its case studies. The Language of Cities is generally much more of an overview — and is good at that, don’t get me wrong — but if you’re left, like me, wanting even more, I’d recommend Radical Cities. Personally, I’m looking forward to reading Sudjic’s The Edifice Complex, and Aldo Rossi’s The Architecture of the City off the back of this one, just for fun.