{"title":"Richard J. Williams","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the thought-provoking works of \u003cstrong\u003eRichard J. Williams\u003c\/strong\u003e, an esteemed author in the realm of urban studies and architectural history. Delving into the intricate relationship between society and its constructed environment, Williams offers readers a fascinating glimpse into how our cities are shaped and the underlying factors that influence their evolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Expressway World\u003c\/em\u003e, Williams embarks on an intriguing journey through the history and cultural significance of highways, examining their impact on modern landscapes and societal patterns. This book invites readers to look beyond the asphalt and consider the profound influence expressways have on the way we interact with our surroundings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhy Cities Look the Way They Do\u003c\/em\u003e is another standout work where Williams unpacks the myriad elements that define urban aesthetics. From the materials and technologies employed in construction to cultural trends and economic forces, this book unravels the complex tapestry that dictates the appearance of our cities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWilliams's scholarly, yet accessible, writing is perfect for curious minds in the \u003cstrong\u003eScience \u0026amp; Nature\u003c\/strong\u003e category. His works are not just educational but also provide a compelling narrative that encourages readers to view urban environments through a new lens, inviting a deeper appreciation of the world built around us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDive into Richard J. Williams's collection to challenge your perspectives and gain a richer understanding of the tangible and intangible factors that mould the spaces we inhabit.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-expressway-world-by-richard-j-williams-9781509560103","title":"The Expressway World","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the demonology of the contemporary city, is there anything more toxic than the expressway? Dividing neighbourhoods, depressing land values, concentrating atmospheric pollutants, the mammoth infrastructure of the expressway is now increasingly crumbling into the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHow did we build the expressway world in the first place? And what are we going to do with it now?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis eye-opening book explores these questions partly through the great expressway abolitions of recent years, such as Boston’s Central Artery (buried and covered by a park) and Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon (replaced with an artificial river). But the book also uncovers the hidden stories of expressways that have become weird attractions in their own right, from London’s Westway to São Paulo’s Minhocão, celebrated in art and literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAbove all, the book proposes, counterintuitively, that we find ways to live with the expressway world and to adapt it to a different future, inspired by the many examples where people have already reinvented this challenging legacy on their own terms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEngaging with case studies across the world and recent thinking in the environmental humanities and architectural theory, \u003cem\u003eThe Expressway World\u003c\/em\u003e is a thought-provoking invitation to reconsider the most maligned structures of the recent urban past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854994002156,"sku":"9781509560103","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/bac83714453941de680e838b8877b199.jpg?v=1759262916"},{"product_id":"why-cities-look-the-way-they-do-by-richard-j-williams-9780745691817","title":"Why Cities Look the Way They Do","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe tend to think cities look the way they do because of the conscious work of architects, planners, and builders. But what if the look of cities had less to do with design and more to do with social, cultural, financial, and political processes, and the way ordinary citizens interact with them? What if the city is a process as much as a design? Richard J. Williams takes the moment construction is finished as a beginning, tracing the myriad processes that produce the look of the contemporary global city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is the story of dramatic but unforeseen urban sights: how financial capital spawns empty towering skyscrapers and hollowed-out ghettoes; how the zoning of once-illicit sexual practices in marginal areas of the city results in the reinvention of culturally vibrant gay villages; how abandoned factories have been repurposed as creative hubs in a precarious postindustrial economy. It is also the story of how popular urban clichés and the fictional portrayal of cities powerfully shape the way we read and see the bricks, concrete, and glass that surround us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThought-provoking and original, \u003ci\u003eWhy Cities Look the Way They Do\u003c\/i\u003e will appeal to anyone who wants to understand the contemporary city, shedding new light on humanity’s greatest collective invention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855486144748,"sku":"9780745691817","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780745691817.jpg?v=1759269457"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/richard-j-williams.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}