MacMansions

McMansions aren’t just limited to the United States. On the contrary, they are spreading like wildfire throughout many countries, including Ireland. Three photos from County Claire can be found full-size [here].

image of mcmansion

An article on the destruction of the Irish landscape by Mark Lynas can be found here on the Guardian’s web site [read more].

I think we need to call them MacMansions in Ireland, though.

Future City

Today, I received my long-awaited copy of Future City, edited by Stephen Read, Jurgen Rosenmann, and Job van Eldijk.

The book describes itself as follows: Future City mixes the experience of particular urban places with a more general discourse about the nature of urbanism today. Well-known urbanists are asked to look at sixteen cities around the world and the different ways they are changing and discuss their vision for the future. The book features a widely exhibited collection of images by NEXT architects comparing and contrasting eighteen metropolitan cities around the world. Interleaved throughout the book, are short theoretical pieces on issues relating to urban change written by leading urban theorists, offering a series of critical perspectives. This unique book links practical examples and theory though its accessible visual and writing style. It provides a stimulating source of ideas and vision for both student, practitioner and the general reader.

Contributors: Stefano Boeri, Ramesh Kmuar Biswas, M. Christine Boyer, Lindsay Bremner, Gary Chang, Penelope Dean, Dirk Frieling, Andreas Huyssen, Jim Masselos, NEXT Architects, Stephen Read, Jurgen Rosemann, Saskia Sassen, Richard Sennett, Abdou-Maliq Simone, STEALTH Group, Erik Swyngedow, and Kazys Varnelis

My own contribution is the essay, “Los Angeles, Cluster City,” first presented at TU-Delft in 2000.