The Capsular Civilization : on the city in the Age of Fear

The Capsular Civilization : on the city in the Age of Fear

Gated communities, architecture, cultural influence on spaces we live, love and thrive in

The spread of capsular civilization is at worst-case scenario that is taking shape before our very eyes., unaware of it though we may be. Faced with the break neck speed of technology, the suburbanization of our daily lives and the extreme but poignant polarization of our society, we are compelled to return to the capsules of our vehicles, our architectural cocoons and our urban enclaves, as exemplified by malls, gated communities and amusement parks. The process of capsularization is playing out against a threatening background of demographic-environmental catastrophe and of a militarization of the planet.

In this book, the author, who is a cultural philosopher paints a picture of a socitey dominated by fear, exclusion and simulation, while studying the changing significance of the city in this 'derailed' and 'untenable' world.

Lieven De Cauter

NAi Publishers

2004

199 pages

English

Architecture, socitey, culture

WCBK0111

Belgium