Rethinking the meaning of place

The increasing spread of newly `invented' places, designed under innovative configurations, such as theme parks, shopping malls and revamped historic areas, makes a need for a redefinition of the concept of `place', especially from an architecture-urbanism perspective. This book provides an interdisciplinary examination of the modernization of the concept, assessing the various approaches, and categorizes the new places according to the different phenomenological experiences they are able to provide. It analyses the impact such new types of place have upon society's environmental perception, and argues how these places can contribute towards enhancing the quality of life in today's cities. -- Back cover.