What is it about?
Abstract Beauty has been an important, central concept since ancient times. Over the centuries, its status deteriorated until it became improper for academic discussion. In the last two decades, there has been a call to revisit beauty and aesthetic judgment in some disciplines. However, despite interest in urban design, the integration of beauty in planning theory and practice remains slow and partial. This paper presents the changing relevance of beauty in general academic discourse in four milestones before analyzing literature on planning and following the changing attitude toward aesthetics. The conclusion points to a possible resurgence of beauty in planning literature.
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Why is it important?
Beauty is an elusive concept, but it is present daily and affects almost every aspect of our lives. It is related to many areas: objects, ideas, experiences, and cities. Over the centuries, its status has deteriorated until it has become inappropriate for academic discussion, and its presence in planning practice is questionable. This article presents the changing relevance of beauty in the general academic discourse and asks what happened to the discussion of the aesthetic in urban planning and where, if at all, it takes place in practice.
Perspectives
Writing this paper has been a great pleasure as it is co-authored with my PhD supervisor. The article presents several turning points that indicate the deterioration of the aesthetic discussion and, at the same time, the beginning of its return, so we hope.
Asher Elbaz
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: What About Beauty in Planning Theory and Practice?, Journal of Planning Literature, August 2023, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/08854122231187574.
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