The Atmospheric City

The Atmospheric City explores how people make sense of the feelings they get in and of urban spaces, focusing on the atmospheric power of people, places, and phenomena. It argues that atmospheric cities are characterized by a fundamental porosity that affects how people relate to places and that people attune and are attuned by designed urban spaces, often at the margins of attention.

Format: Hardback
Length: 140 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The Atmospheric City delves into the intricate ways in which individuals interpret and comprehend the emotions they experience within urban environments. Drawing upon extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, it centers its attention on the atmospheric influence exerted by people, places, and phenomena.

While contemporary urban planning predominantly revolves around economic growth, sustainability, and providing housing, transportation, and recreational opportunities to an expanding urban population, this book presents a distinct perspective. It draws inspiration from recent discussions within the social sciences, emphasizing how cities evoke feelings. It highlights the mundane ways in which urban inhabitants adapt and embrace their surroundings. Moreover, it argues that atmospheric cities are distinguished by a fundamental permeability that shapes how individuals engage with places. This underscores why certain places are sought after while others are avoided. Through concrete examples of people navigating and occupying urban spaces, the book illustrates how individuals attune to and are attuned by designed urban environments, often unnoticed amidst the hustle and bustle.

This book is designed to appeal to researchers, postgraduate students, and practitioners with a keen interest in urban design and the emotional experiences it evokes. It will hold particular relevance to those engaged in the fields of urban studies, urban design, planning, architecture, urban geography, cultural geography, cultural studies, and anthropology.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032316994