Preserving the World's Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis [Anglais] [Broché]

HThe idea of preserving the material past is not a new one the Emperor Majorian (the Jane Jacobs of 458 C.E. Rome) issued an edict to protect old buildings but in modern times, it has often been in sharp conflict with the contemporary forces of commerce, war and redevelopment. Tung, a former New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner, has written an innovative historical and theoretical study of architectural and cultural preservation efforts in 20 cities across the world. Rather then relying on one cultural model, Tung makes his argument by illuminating specific cases in context how Amsterdam's "medieval communal water boards" set the groundwork for modern preservation; how religious warfare devastated and continues to hinder the conservation of Jerusalem; and in China and Japan, how preservation efforts focus on retaining "the original aesthetic" rather than the original building. But the common theme is the importance of cultural conservation. Tung visited each of the 20 sites himself and relies on exhaustive archival research. He presents difficult problems fairly such as whether the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece despite Athenian pollution, the battle over air rights in Manhattan, and whether the reconstruction of Warsaw has destroyed the history of its destruction during the war always attempting to find a solution that relies on common sense, historical integrity and balancing practical needs with preserving heritage. This is an important contribution not only to the literature of urban studies and city planning, but to architectural history and sociology. 75 b&w photos and 50 maps not seen by PW.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Having learned that the most useful information on architectural preservation often comes from other places, former New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner Tung decided to visit some of the world's most significant buildings in China, Italy, Greece, Japan, and elsewhere. Here he aims to compile what he learned into one volume, recording his on-site investigations into the architectural preservation issues facing 18 major cities of the world. The first section describes the destruction of historic urban environments worldwide and the conservation statutes that have been created in response. The second two contain a series of urban conservation profiles. While the book is not meant to be an academic treatise, its format and depth of discussion will discourage most popular readers. The maps are useful if minimal given the book's length; 75 black-and-white photographs, though not included in the proof copy, should help clarify the discussions. Recommended for urban public libraries and all architecture and urban planning collections. Jay Schafer, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

No doubt the world is getting more urban, for better and worse. What has drawn so many to occupy so little space? What have great cities done to preserve their culture, heritage, ideology, and beauty? Have those cities reconciled increased growth and greater standards of habitability? Tung researched 22 modern metropolises, investigating how architectural preservation has worked or failed in some of the most significant cities in the world. He visited modern incarnations of ancient cities, such as Athens, Rome, Jerusalem, Kyoto, and Beijing; and he explored relatively young, planned cities, such as Singapore. He explored war-ravaged, historic centers such as Warsaw, Berlin, and Vienna. In all these cities, he finds, a culture of conservation is hotly debated, and proponents of tourism butt heads with historical preservationists. Utilitarian megacities, such as Cairo, confront failing infrastructures. Through his studies, Tung discerns that, on every continent, cities have adopted a culture of destruction that seems to divide further our modernity from our many pasts. Michael Spinella
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Both epic and intimate, this is the story of the fight to save the world’s architectural and cultural heritage as it is embodied in the extraordinary buildings and urban spaces of the great cities of Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

Never before have the complexities and dramas of urban preservation been as keenly documented as in Preserving the World’s Great Cities. In researching this important work, Anthony Tung traveled throughout the world to visit remarkable buildings and districts in China, Italy, Greece, the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere. Everywhere he found both the devastating legacy of war, economics, and indifference and the accomplishments of people who have worked and sometimes risked their lives to preserve and renew the most meaningful urban expressions of the human spirit.

From Singapore’s blind rush to become the most modern city of the East to Warsaw’s poignant and heroic effort to resurrect itself from the Nazis’ systematic campaign of physical and cultural obliteration, from New York and Rome to Kyoto and Cairo, we see the city as an expression of the best and worst within us. This is essential reading for fans of Jane Jacobs and Witold Rybczynski and everyone who is concerned about urban preservation.
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ANTHONY M. TUNG has been a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner, a member of the Board of Trustees of Cooper Union, and a lecturer on architecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He lives in New York City.


From the Hardcover edition.