The town is an organism created and driven by people. The complexity of the problems arising from it poses a challenge to those in positions of responsibility. Basing their research on the assumption that responsibility can be taken ,Oswald and Baccini seek to create clarity in the web of urban phenomena. They present a highly original model which draws together the two separate fields of architecture and science by considering architecture and urban planning from the scientific perspective. In four main chapters topics such as new urbanism, the net-city method, sustainability, renovation, conversion, and responsibility are explored in detail. The examples presented all derive from Switzerland, but the analyses and methodology is valid for any region or country. The theory is complemented by attractive visual material.
Franz Oswald is Professor of Architecture and Design, Peter Baccine is Professor of Resource and Waste Management at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, both at the ETH in Zurich.