Description

Book Synopsis

Cities are infinite cultural hyper-objects that contain layers of history, of contemporary life, of material, capital, infrastructure, of future dreams of what may come. We sometimes call these dreams urban design plans two-dimensional drawings that are meant to capture our aspirations for the future of a place. Yet these plans are often static images or, worse, building masses without people, narratives, or even nods to contextual histories.

Approximate Translation is a poetic and practical rumination on how to incorporate what makes a city a city stories about place, an unexpected encounter, the immediacy of experience into practices of urban design. Using a speculative transformation of the Boston neighbourhood of Allston as a demonstration, this book proposes that we think seriously about topics as disparate as science fiction, pop art, theme parks, and DJing if we want to better design the cities in which we live.

Approximate Translation

    Product form

    A Paperback by Jonathan Jae-an Crisman

    £23.96

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £29.95 – you save £5.99 (20%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Fri 13 Nov 2026.

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Approximate Translation by Jonathan Jae-an Crisman

      Book details

      Publisher Oro Editions
      Published 1/13/2025
      ISBN-13 9781954081505
      978-1954081505
      ISBN-10 1954081502
      Also in:
      Architectural structure and design

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Cities are infinite cultural hyper-objects that contain layers of history, of contemporary life, of material, capital, infrastructure, of future dreams of what may come. We sometimes call these dreams urban design plans two-dimensional drawings that are meant to capture our aspirations for the future of a place. Yet these plans are often static images or, worse, building masses without people, narratives, or even nods to contextual histories.

      Approximate Translation is a poetic and practical rumination on how to incorporate what makes a city a city stories about place, an unexpected encounter, the immediacy of experience into practices of urban design. Using a speculative transformation of the Boston neighbourhood of Allston as a demonstration, this book proposes that we think seriously about topics as disparate as science fiction, pop art, theme parks, and DJing if we want to better design the cities in which we live.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account