Digital Modelling for Urban Design

Brian McGrath is Associate Professor of Urban Design at Parsons, the New School for Design in New York. For many years, he also taught urban design at Columbia. He has taught internationally in Taiwan, Denmark, Hong Kong and Thailand, where he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in 1998-99. He recently completed a research fellowship at the India China Institute at the New School. McGrath is co-author with Jean Gardner of Cinemetrics: Architectural Drawing Today (2007) and co-guest-editor of Sensing the 21-Century City: Close-Up and Remote (2005), both published by John Wiley & Sons.

Prelude. Digital Modelling for Urban Design.

Flattening Urban Design.

Modelling Discourse.

Development of the Book.

Organisation of the book.

Archaeology and War.

Genealogy and trade.

Schizoanalysis and Desire.

Possible Urban Futures.

Introduction.

The Spectacularisation of Urban Design.

Ground Zero.

Preliminary Design concepts.

Innovative Design Study.

The Design Exhibition Spectacle.

Transit Hub, Memorial Design and Freedom Tower.

Other Representations.

Beyond the Spectacle.

Chapter 1. Archaeology.

1985-1995: Transparent Cities.

1995-2005: An Archaeology of Globalisation.

From Transparent Cities to Archaeological Modelling.

1893-1901: Forma Urban Romae.

1915-1928: The Iconography of Manhattan Island.

Manhattan Island.

1890-1932: The Geo-body of Bangkok..

Assembling New Urban Design Models.

Collateral Space.

Correlative Space.

Complementary Space.

Multiplicities and Seriality.

Chapter 2. War.

1801-1893: The Emergence of Scientific Archaeology.

50BC - AD 203: Modelling the Spoils of War.

Urban Design as Triumphal Model.

300-1300: The Recycling City Model.

Churches: The New Urban Artefacts.

1300-1944: Urban Design as representation and Destruction.

The Dispersed City Model.

Destructions and Dispersals.

Chapter 3. Genealogy.

Descent and Emergence.

Three Urban Design Genealogies.

Rome: A Genealogy of the Master Plan.

New York: A Genealo9gy of the Central Business District.

The Urban designer as Organisation Man.

Bangkok: A Genealogy of Lifestyle Centres.

Bangkok's CSD.

The Dispersal of Power.

Chapter 4. Trade.

Timing.

Gaming.

Texting.

Mapping, Monitoring and Modelling.

Collaborating.

Interfacing.

Diagramming.

Back to Ground Zero.

Urban Design as the Production of Difference.

Chapter 5. Schizoanalysis.

1745-1778: A Schizoanalysis of War.

1978-2008: A Schizoanalysis of Trade.

2000-2005: A Schizoanalysis of Desire.

Spectacular Feedback.

Chapter 6.Desire.

Simultopia.

Pathumwan Intersection.

Siam Central Interchange Station.

Ratchaprasong Intersection.

Chitlom Station.

Complementary Space.

Virtual Itineraries.

Attentive Circuits.

Conclusion.

Modelling Urban Design Futures in India and China.

Liberalisation.

Gentle Arrivals: Fatehpur Sikri and West Lake.

World Financial Capitals: Mumbai and Shanghai.

Governance: Delhi and Beijing.

Migration and Resettlement.

Short-and Long-Term Plans.

Happiness, Harmony and Sufficiency.

Glossary.

Index.

Photographic Credits