Series Background

This series is developed in collaboration with series editor Graham Cairns and the research organisation AMPS (Architecture, Media, Politics, Society) https://amps-research.com/

The built environment is typically understood to involve all aspects of our cities - from the scale of individual buildings (architecture) to urban design and planning. The disciplines involved in the research, design and construction of the built environment are wide ranging. They include sociologists, human geographers, public health professionals, architects, planners, and urban designers, to mention just a few.
Sociologists study the life of communities in our cities, towns and neighbourhoods. Human geographers research issues ranging from into the migrations of people from rural to urban to the socio-political settings and the patterns of life and activity that characterise cities across the world. Public health professionals today continue the work of over two centuries in their field concerned with the city as an important site for public health debates. Examples in recent years include the Healthy Cities initiative developed by the World Health Organisation and multiple governmental and NHS projects to promote notions such as the ‘walkable city’, not to mention the health, community and social agenda promoted by the UN Habitat programme.
All of this research and activity of course happens alongside, and in collaboration with, those academics and professionals engaged in the built environment in more traditional ways. Architects form example have long engaged in designing buildings while working with social groups and communities on ‘community design’ projects and collaborating with the public to create more ‘human’ city environments. Urban planners obviously work with policy makers and architects directly, but are also now fully embedded in community participation exercises involving human geographers and sociologists. At an even larger regional planning level these issues are linked to government policy of community regeneration and a broader narrative on public health and healthy living that encourages active lifestyles and thus, walkable and bicycle friendly city streets.
The context for a cross disciplinary social, cultural and political analysis of the built environment across a book series is not only clear and deeply rooted, it is obviously needed and has a massive audience.

For more information on this series see here.

Molly Brigid McGrath

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