Inam, Aseem. “From Dichotomy to Dialectic: Practicing Theory in Urban Design.” Journal of Urban Design 16.2 (2011): 257-277. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
This article discusses dichotomy in practicing urban design. This article helps to address the assumption that theory and practice do not necessarily represent a dichotomy. It opens in the abstract saying “…a dichotomy in which theory represents abstract thinking to explain observations, while practice depends on a more instrumental conception of knowledge” (Inam 257). This helps us to understand the built environment in Atlanta because we have a better understanding of practice and theory working together in urban design. It has a section that goes into detail explaining “practicing theory”. In this section is discusses an example “Good City Form”. The second section discusses how it’s possible to test usefulness of a theory to practice. Inam opens the conclusion by saying,
Urban design is at its foundation an intellectual activity; that is, the practice of urban design demonstrates a capacity for understanding and knowledge as well as the ability to think abstractly in order to explore its full potential (275).
I chose this source because it was very informative and had information useful to my research. The source was very good at explaining concepts. I did not find any flaws within because it was an easy read and reliable. This source is similar to my first one in that I found it through the library database as well as offers an opposing viewpoint.
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