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Editorial: Sustainability is in Question Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 4 No 1 (2017): April 2017
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (297.892 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2017.v04.i01.p01

Abstract

The thesis is simple. Due to the ambiguous interpretations of sustainability (each enterprise interpreting the word in their own way) - there can be no significant explanation of the term outside a theory of capital accumulation. With its absorption by the market, the term sustainable has been elevated to sublime uselessness. It has become a totally politicized ideology anointed with anodyne qualities. Paradoxically, these very qualities are invaluable to the reproduction of capital. It bleats we are all together in this battle against climate change, pollution, and the destruction of natural resources. Populations throughout the developed world have rallied to the cause, providing subliminal cover for corporate rape and pillage to continue as usual. So the term sustainability allows the deepening of capitalist social relations chameleon properties, obscuring the fact that scarcity is not a problem of nature but of politics. Neo-Darwinism rules. No corporation will voluntarily sacrifice market share to sustainable practices. No nation will willingly sacrifice gross development product for the greater good. And no politician will sacrifice votes to their moral conscience. As Nicolas Sarkozy recently said ‘we know what to do, we just don’t know how to get re-elected if we do it’. Consequently economic growth measured as GDP will likely ‘tank the biosphere’ and only the rich will afford to live sustainably (Monbiot). The causes of this global problem are clear. Nature has its own laws. But the neo-corporate state has adopted a mechanistic concept of nature which only recognizes its instrumental value within the market system. This allows corporations free reign to fly the flag of patriotism and benevolence. The terms green and sustainable now legitimize the very institutions that have bankrupted, polluted and exhausted nature – banks, finance and insurance companies, national and trans-national corporations. Unfortunately nature does not yield to the market without problems and an unsustainable planet is the result. Clearly, none of this will be solved by insulation bats in Sydney roofs, solar panels, bio-fuelled buses, wind farms in Denmark, or a Toyota Prius in the garage. These are cosmetic fixes for the wealthy, short term forms of penance to assuage individual guilt. The structural problems of the capitalist system remain undiminished. In its Volume IV, Number 1, Ruang-Space Journal publishes seven articles. The first one is composed by I Putu Edy Rapiana, entitled Perubahan Fungsi Spasial sebagai Akibat Perkembangan Pariwisata di Banjar Kedungu, Desa Belalang Kecamatan Kediri, Kabupaten Tabanan (Spatial Changes Resulted from the Tourist Development in Kedungu Neighborhood, Belalang Village, Kediri District, of Tabanan Regency). The second article is contributed by Kadek Ary Wibawa Patra. This publication is entitled Alih Fungsi Lahan Pertanian yang Berbatasan dengan Area Puspem Kabupaten Badung: Tahun 2005-2015 (The Conversion of Agricultural Land Situated on the Periphery of Badung Regency's Civic Centre: in the Year of 2005-2015). The third article is authored by A A Gde Djaja Bharuna S, entitled Perkembangan Spasial di Desa Pengotan - Bangli (Spatial Development of Pengotan Village - Bangli). The fourth article is written by I Putu Hartawan, whose title is Pemanfaatan Ruang Terbuka Publik sebagai Setting Kegiatan Ngaben Masal di Banjar Teges Kawan Yangloni, Peliatan (The Use of Open Public Space, as a Setting for Mass Cremation Related Activities in Teges Kawan Yangloni Neighborhood, of Peliatan Village). The fifth article is authored by I Ketut Mudra entitled Kontribusi Program Desa Wisata dalam Mentransisi Arsitektur Umah Tua di Desa Julah, Kecamatan Tejakula, Kabupaten Buleleng, Bali (The Contribution of Village-Based Tourism Program in the Conversion of Original Homes in Julah Village, Tejakula District, Buleleng Regency, Bali). The sixth article is contributed by Michael Bounds and Peter Phibbs with a title of Putting Practice into Theory: Reconciling Academic Discourse with Experience. The seventh article is by Ni Made Swanendri, with a title Pola Spasial Permukiman Desa Pakraman Timbrah, Karangasem (Spatial Pattern of Timbrah Settlement in Karangasem).
Editorial: Perubahan Iklim, Pemanasan Global, dan Kualitas Lingkungan Terbangun Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 8 No 2 (2021): Oktober 2021
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (161.58 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2021.v08.i02.p01

Abstract

“Everyone must do their job. Developed countries and emerging economies must contribute,” (Antonio Guterres - United Nations Secretary-General, 20 September 2021). Dunia akan segera menggelar konferensi global penting di tahun 2021 yang dikenal dengan ‘Global Climate Talk - COP 26,’ yang akan menentukan keberlangsungan bentang alam serta kehidupan yang ada di muka bumi. Kegiatan ini akan diselenggarakan di Kota Glasgow, Inggris Raya dari akhir bulan oktober 2021 sampai dengan 12 November 2021. Konferensi ini akan melibatkan para delegasi dan pimpinan yang mewakili negara-negara di dunia, anggota masyarakat, para pemerhati lingkungan, pelaku bisnis dan tentu juga akan diliput oleh para awak media dari beragam kanal berita. Global Climate Talk merupakan kelanjutan dari rangkaian konferensi yang berkelanjutan, yang membicarakan komitmen semua pihak dalam dalam mengurangi laju pemanasan global dan menangani dampak perubahan iklim yang semakin dirasakan di berbagai pelosok dunia.
Detil Publikasi Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 4 No 2 (2017): October 2017
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (241.393 KB)

Abstract

Editorial: Tahun ke-2 bersama Covid-19, Belajar dari Pandemi dalam Merencanakan Lingkungan Terbangun Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 8 No 1 (2021): April 2021
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (114.845 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2021.v08.i01.p01

Abstract

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THE VERNACULAR HIATUS: MODERNITY, TRADITION, AND ETHNICITY Alexander R. Cuthbert; Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 3 No 2 (2016): Agustus 2016
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (571.548 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2016.v03.i02.p02

Abstract

The following paper began by serving as a general introduction to this special issue of Ruang – Space. In the course of writing it morphed into a slightly different offering. While a general overview remains, covering linguistic problems and interrelationships, the paper not only offers a basic thesis about Vernacular/Ethnic architecture – thatthe central purpose of vernacular architecture isto inform the present, not to define the past, it also suggeststhe proof. In the course of outlining this idea, works contributed to two former books are cited. The first, Home- A Portfolio of Home over the Ages generated a basic structure for the purpose of analysing the generic features of home. Work previously unpublished is included to reveal the logic and method behind the eight historical chapters in the book. The second Vernacular Transformations – Architecture, Place and Tradition, specifically chapter one, illustrates the development of the thesis in significant detail, and modifies the original model on critique. The article concludes by suggesting that the thesis has been adequately supported, and that the method derived from realist philosophy using necessary and contingent features is useful until someone can improve on this overall system. Keywords: vernacular; ethnic; necessary and contingent features; counter representation. Abstrak Tulisan ini pada awalnya didedikasikan sebagai prolog untuk edisi khusus Jurnal Ruang-Space yang mengambil tema permukiman etnik. Namun dalam proses penyusunannya, telah berubah menjadi artikel yang secara khusus membahas tentang aspek linguistik dan hubungan antar elemen penyusun arsitektur etnik. Artikel ini tidak hanya memaparkan pernyataan mendasar terkait arsitektur vernakular/etnik, tetapi juga menyajikan bukti-bukti pendukung. Sebuah thesis yang diusung disini ialah pemahaman terkait arsitektur vernakular dibutuhkan untuk menginformasikan kondisi-kondisi yang terjadi saat ini, dan bukan untuk mendefinisikan masa lampau. Dalam konteks ini, dua publikasi terdahulu telah dijadikan referensi. Pertama, Home - A Portfolio of Home over the Ages yang dibangun melalui analisa beragam fitur dasar penyusun sebuah 'home-rumah.' Bermacam wujud rumah, yang awalnya belum dipublikasikan, telah dirangkul untuk memahami logika dan metode yang melatarbelakangi penyusunan delapan bab dari buku ini. Kedua, Vernacular Transformations – Architecture, Place and Tradition, khususnya Bab pertama, yang memberikan ilustrasi secara detil, bagaimana arsitektur vernakular dipahami. Di akhir, artikel ini merangkum jika kemunculan thesis di atas telah didukung dengan metode yang dilandasi filosofi seorang realist, dengan memanfaatkan fitur-fitur yang ada. Ini hanya akan berubah jika pernyataan/ide baru muncul, dengan tujuan untuk memperbaiki thesis ini. Kata kunci: vernakular, etnik, rumah, tradisi
Editorial: Re-configuring the Built Environment - Next after Covid-19 Pandemic Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 9 No 1 (2022): April 2022
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (185.691 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2022.v09.i01.p01

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused great damage globally to the perpetual existence of the human race. Once exposed, no one is immune and no place is uninfectable. However, in the effort to find a silver lining from this catastrophe, below I discuss lessons learned from enforced strategies emerging from this lethal pandemic. In particular, I examine the implications of the pandemic for our urban areas as well as for domestic spatial arrangements. Immediate planning strategies at both levels, the urban and the domestic are also proposed within.Keywords: spatial reconfiguration; bicycle use; urban space; domestic space AbstrakPandemi covid-19, dalam skala global, telah membawa kerusakan yang masif terhadap keberlangsungan umat manusia di muka bumi ini. Sekali terpapar, tidak ada satupun umat manusia yang kebal dari infeksi dan tidak ada tempat yang tidak bisa dipenetrasi. Akan tetapi, dalam usaha mencari sisi baik dari sebuah kondisi, saya mendiskusikan hal-hal yang bisa dipelajari, beranjak dari beragam strategi yang muncul dari dampak yang diakibatkan oleh pandemic Covid-19 yang mematikan. Secara khusus, saya menganalisa implikasi dari pandemi terhadap ruang-ruang kota dan juga tatanan keruangan di tingkat domestik. Saya juga memproposisikan strategi dan perencanaan yang relevan diterapkan di kedua level, baik di kawasan perkotaan dan/atau perumahan.Kata kunci: konfigurasi spasial; pemanfaatan sepeda; ruang kota; ruang domestik
Transformasi Elemen Rancang Bangun Tradisional dalam Tampilan Arsitektur Bangunan Kekinian Sylvia Agustine Maharani; Gusti Ayu Made Suartika; Kadek Edi Saputra
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 8 No 1 (2021): April 2021
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (1209.547 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2021.v08.i01.p06

Abstract

It is undeniable to express that architectural designs have a defining role in developing an identity, impression, and finally sense of a place. Traditional architecture which grows and develops along with the course of culture, natural conditions, geography, topography, and the social system, has characterized the existence of vernacular architecture of certain localities. The idea of embracing traditional architectural principles and forms into the current design of a built form has always been a real challenge. This encounter is even intensified when design in architecture is understood as a process of addressing needs, ideas, inspiration, conformance to a set of guidelines, as well as an embedded message an architect would like to convey through her/his design. This article discusses the approaches and efforts made by Grounds Kent Arsitek Indonesia (GKAI) in embracing traditional Balinese architecture in designing The Alantara Resort Sanur. This is a study that applies a qualitative approach, implementing interviews and in-depth design observations as its methods in data collection. By focusing on the building style, the results of this study show that there was a great deal of re-interpretation process of Balinese traditional architecture taking place, including 1) adaptation in the application of the Tri Angga concept; 2) domination in the use of local building materials; 3) adjustment in techniques as to how traditional building decorative elements are produced and used; 4) modification in the spatial hierarchy of certain structures; and 5) simplification in form of ornaments and decorative elements in use. Keywords: traditional architecture; the architecture of the current building; building style AbstrakTidak bisa dipungkiri jika karya arsitektur memiliki peran penting di dalam membangun identitas, rasa dan kesan dari sebuah tempat - sense of place. Disini peran arsitektur tradisional yang tumbuh dan berkembang seiring perjalanan budaya, kondisi alam, geografi, tofografi, beserta sistem sosial kemasyarakatan memberi ciri pada keberadaan arsitektur vernacular. Menjadi tantangan bagi para arsitek untuk mengakomodasi wujud tradisi rancang bangun ini ke dalam desain, sebelum memunculkan karya desain yang merupakan peleburan antara ide, tradisi, dan kaidah-kaidah karya kekinian, serta pesan yang ingin disajiikan. Artikel ini membicarakan tentang pendekatan serta upaya yang dilakukan oleh Grounds Kent Arsitek Indonesia dalam merangkul arsitektur tradisional Bali di dalam mendesain The Alantara Resort Sanur. Ini merupakan sebuah studi yang menerapkan pendekatan kualitatif, dengan metode interview dan observasi desain yang mendalam. Dengan berfokus pada tampilan bangunan, hasil penelitian menunjukan adanya reintrepetasi arsitektur tradisional yang mencakup 1) adaptasi penerapan konsep Tri Angga; 2) dominasi dalam pemanfaatan bahan bangunan lokal; 3) pengolahan teknik pemanfaatan ragam hias tradisional pada badan bangunan; 4) penyesuasian skala hierarkhi vertical bangunan; dan 5) penyederhanaan pada ornamen dan ragam hias.Kata kunci: arsitektur tradisional; arsitektur bangunan masa kini; tampilan bangunan
Editorial: Sustainability and Development Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 4 No 2 (2017): October 2017
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (302.052 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2017.v04.i02.p01

Abstract

This is a continuation of my writing published in previous Ruang-Space Journal of Volume 4, No. 1, April 2017. When we link the word sustainable and development the water becomes muddy. As a general rule, when sustainable development is referred to, what is implicit is the sustainability of the capitalist world system, not the sustainable livelihood of its population or of nature. By itself, development is a liberal term, obscuring the so-called ‘issues’ of capitalist imperialism, class division and the creation of what can only be called the dispossessed who experience actually existing capitalism as ‘nothing short of savagery’(Amin). In the Global South, food aid is its lowest in 20 years, with the UN trying to feed one billion hungry people on $USD 1.40 a day. Of the $US 5 billion promised to the U.N. by the wealthy nations, only half was delivered in 2009. It means to cut that figure to seventy cents a day. In 1860 Marx was one of the first to draw attention to the essential unsustainability of capitalism. Correctly, he rooted his analysis to the Dialectics of Nature, probably the first meaningful text on unsustainable development ever written. Today, attempts to solve climate change at Kyoto, Cancun, Brussels, Bali, and Copenhagen have all failed disastrously, as indeed have talks to solve the pending financial Armageddon within the Euro zone. Meanwhile, the combined environmental damage of the 3000 largest global companies has been conservatively estimated at $USD 2.2 trillion. This sum equals one third of their profits, which if paid as fines could bankrupt the global financial system. Even this is trivial to American debt (personal, institutional and national) - around $US 50 trillion, a sum that can never be repaid by the world’s largest debtor nation. So the real answers to the problem of sustainability lie in the transformation of capitalism, for no ‘environmental’ solutions begin to attack the fundamental issue of environmental justice – the moral economy that lies at the heart of a sustainable planet. Forget also the idea expressed in Natural Capitalism that the capitalist system will somehow morph into an acceptable state without any change in its fundamental structure. Let us reject the perfidious term sustainability, replacing it with the dual system it represents - environmental efficiencies to describe prior technologies, and environmental justice to denote the exploitation of nature and the distortion of social relations and oppression in all its forms. Then perhaps we might avoid what Madeleine Bunting predicts as ‘the real story of the next few years’ – potentially ‘the savage dismantling of social democracy.’ In its Volume 4 No 2, October 2017, Ruang-Space Journal publishes seven articles. Detailed publications are as follows. The first article is composed by Diah Paramitha, I Wayan Kastawan, Widiastuti, entitled Nilai Signifikansi Cagar Budaya Hotel Inna Bali, Jalan Veteran Denpasar (The Significances of Hotel Inna Bali-A cultural Heritage Located in Jalan Veteran Denpasar). The second publication is written by Gusti Ayu Cantika Putri, entitled Konsep Keruangan pada Permukiman Inti di Desa Pakraman Gunungsari (Spatial Concept of the Core Settlement of Gunungsari Village). The third article is contributed by I Gusti Ayu Canny Utami, entitled Place Attachment pada Kawasan Komersial di Jalan Danau Tamblingan, Sanur (Place Attachment on a Commercial Zone of Jalan Danau Tamblingan, Sanur). The fourth article is submitted by A. A. Ayu Sri Ratih Yulianasari entitled Rumah Tinggal Berbasis Green Building di Kota Denpasar (Green Building Houses in Denpasar City). The fifth arcticle is authored by I Wayan Yogik Adnyana Putra entitled Perilaku Pengunjung dalam Memanfaatkan Fungsi Ruang Publik di Area Monumen Ground Zero Legian Kuta (Visitors' Behaviors in Using Public Spaces surrounding the Ground Zero Monument of Legian Kuta). The sixth article is by Ni Ketut Ayu Siwalatri, entitled Representasi Sistem Sosial Masyarakat pada Pola Permukiman Desa Trunyan (The Representations of Social Systems on Spatial Pattern of Trunyan Village). The seventh article is contributed by I Nyoman Susanta entitled Makna dan Konsep Arsitektur Tradisional Bali dan Aplikasinya dalam Arsitektur Masa Kini (Meanings and Principles in Traditional Balinese Architecture and Their Applications in Today's Architecture).
Dinamika Fungsi Ruang di Bale Banjar Titih Denpasar, Bali Putu Ayu Hening Wagiswari; Nyoman Widya Paramadhyaksa; Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 6 No 2 (2019): Oktober 2019
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (827.661 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2019.v06.i02.p04

Abstract

The existence of public space has an important role in city development. In Bali, bale banjar (bale: a hall; banjar: a neighborhood association) is known as a place for various socio-cultural activities. Every member of a banjar is tied up by certain moral values, consensus, codes, and traditions which are all contained in a set of banjar awig-awig (rules). Bale banjar is one of many unique traditions in built form that remains intact in Bali. This article explains the dynamic functions of spaces available in a bale banjar. Two main research problems discussed within are the dynamic functions of spaces in a bale banjar throughout different periods in history and also the determining factors affecting this dynamic. In its process of unveiling both of these phenomenons, this research uses qualitative method with a phenomenology approach and selects Banjar Titih as a case study. The study result finds that the dynamic functions of a bale banjar demonstrate that as times go by, there is a tendency for the bale Banjar Titih to have more complex types and uses of spaces. This is due to mainly to the following factors, including the growing number of the banjar members; the shifting view from that which sees bale banjar as a socio-cultural center of the community into a view that sees bale banjar as a space to bring in financial profits/contribution; and change in people's people way of interactions. To date members of the Banjar Titih cope well with this shift as to how the spaces in their bale banjar have been modified from time to time to suit changes in many determining factors. Keywords: dynamic, functions of space, bale banjar Abstrak Keberadaan ruang publik memiliki peran penting dalam perkembangan sebuah kota dalam mewadahi kegiatan masyarakat. Di Pulau Bali dikenal dengan adanya bale banjar sebagai wadah masyarakat dalam melakukan kegiatan sosio kultural. Setiap kegiatan yang dilakukan oleh warga banjar terikat oleh nilai moral, hukum dan kebudayaan yang diatur dalam awig-awig banjar. Bale banjar merupakan wujud budaya yang telah mempertahankan eksistensi masyarakat Bali hingga saat ini. Artikel ini membahas tentang dinamika fungsi ruang bale banjar. Fokus permasalahan yang diangkat adalah bagaimana proses terjadinya dinamika fungsi ruang bale banjar dari periode awal hingga periode modern serta faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi. Dalam mengungkap fenomena ini digunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan fenomenologi. Hasil survey lapangan ditemukan bahwa Banjar Titih merupakan salah satu banjar yang mengalami dinamika fungsi ruang. Adapun hasil temuan menunjukkan adanya kecenderungan merubah fungsi ruang bale banjar dari bentuk yang sederhana menjadi modern karena disebabkan oleh faktor pertumbuhan penduduk, faktor ekonomi dan faktor pola pikir masyarakat. Fenomena dinamika fungsi ruang bale Banjar Titih merupakan topik yang menarik untuk diteliti karena relevan dengan dasar ilmu planologi. Warga Banjar Titih mampu mengelola fungsi ruang bersinergi dengan fungi utamanya sebagai ruang publik sehingga dinamika fungsi ruang yang terjadi dapat bermanfaat bagi warga banjar. Kata kunci: dinamika, fungsi ruang, bale banjar
Editorial: Pelestarian Elemen Keruangan dan Pembangunan Identitas Kota Gusti Ayu Made Suartika
RUANG: Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (SPACE: Journal of the Built Environment) Vol 5 No 2 (2018): October 2018
Publisher : Universitas Udayana

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (331.286 KB) | DOI: 10.24843/JRS.2018.v05.i02.p01

Abstract

In Ruang we address issues of form and urban space, leaving the economists to ponder the larger issues of democracy and equality in a rapidly fracturing social environment. This raises the problematic of urban form, its representations, symbolism and practices. The conservation of traditional values and norms imply the conservation of those environments that support them. Since conservation means retaining building form without its prior content, the actual fabric and processes of urban conservation are also thrown into the market place. Conservation on any scale also threatens the urban land market since large areas are then removed from trading (or is all history up for sale?) So do we proceed with adaptation, regulated change, conservation or sterilisation (preservation)? Today the identity of a place is not merely about localities, but is, in many occasions, more about image making to support the creation of a modern urban living environment. Over the last forty years, the use of iconic buildings to generate capital has become more and more frequent, from Sydney Opera House and the Pompidou Centre, to the new Guggenheim Bilbao. These are iconic structures whose prime function is not to give identity to neighbourhoods, but to source capital through tourism and to boost local industry. Here there is a crossover from high technology to local icons. For example Frank Gehry used technology from the American space program to design shapes and forms, as well as technology focussed on the properties of materials. But such buildings fall again into the arena of capital rather than community development. So what is happening on the other side of the coin? There is no doubt that social change is also accelerating in many countries and it is also clear that where we cannot hold capital accumulation and globalisation accountable for many adaptations from gender equality, new housing forms based on the disintegration of the nuclear family, the idea of a universal wage to counter automation, the generation of new communities that wish to live ‘off the grid’, and a phenomenon we might call ‘micro-communities of resistance’ to state neo-corporatism and the abuse of technology. At the level of design and urban form, the Charter of the New Urbanism, now sweeping Europe, and North America, with intrusions in Malaysia, China and other countries appears to have merit. Its agenda is community based planning and design, using a process of natural selection to generate urban density, with urban and architectural forms that reflect history and proven value in use. While the New Urbanism is theoretically weak, it sources two major thinkers namely Patrick Geddes and Ian McHarg, who were both concerned with the relationship between the natural environment and human habitation. Importantly, the New Urbanism deals with the tricky problem of transformation that links past formal languages with new uses. Something that we can all learn from.