The European tradition of urbanism has two main lines. The more influential of these clearly addresses the “place” as the limit of architectural and urban design. We cannot conceive of life without profound roots in places. The other traditional line in urbanism gravitates around the “body”. Although not as influential, it suggests a different approach to modern urbanism. The perspective developed here questions what happens in-between the “body” and “space”. To do this, the “body” is understood as a transit channel between space and the urban project.
The book unfolds a critical reading of contemporary architectural design and urbanism and criticises the way design refers to “space” using the “body”. In doing so, it delves into the debates of architecture and urban planning of the eighties, as well as their ambiguous relationship with politics.