Wednesday, February 4, 2009

"Formulary for a New Urbanism: Rethinking the City"

"The Naked City" outlines the situationist outlook of the urban environment as it occured in the mid 1900's, in comparison to "'Formulary for a New Urbanism," which examines situationist ideals for the city and for city living. In "The Naked City," McDonough describes the naked city as an alternative view with violent interpretations. He describes the Situationalists as a conceptual art movement that values visuality over stabilization. In this article, McDonough does not go into great analysis of the artwork, but Simon Sadler does in the article, "Formulary for a New Urbanism." He analizes the art giving the reader a better understanding of what psychogeography really means. Psychogeography is the study of the effects that the environment has on the emotions and behaviors of people moving in and out of the city. Sadler calls the people drifters- they were a new way to interpret the city. These drifters are very similar to the derives that McDonough speaks of. Sadler also informs the reader of the meaning behind the naked city. Debord and Jorn wanted to try and put the viewer at ease with the city by mapping the city in a disorderly fashion. 

If Debord and Jorn wanted the Naked City to put the spectator at ease, the map they created does not put me at ease. why did they think it would evoke these thoughts?

what does it mean by the "unities of ambiance"? 

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