There is a book that I would like to recommend to all of you. Actually, it's my own book called "Shanghai Contemporary: The Politics of Built Form." I wrote it some years ago when I was a student at MIT. The title of the book is indeed the title of my thesis. I expanded my thesis into a book and published it, yes. Here is one of the comments about the book:
"....Writing complex history and politics is definitely not easy. Reading several of Non Arkaraprasertkul's publications both in English and Thai in the last few years has proven that it is possible to make these topics both interesting and informative. His latest book Shanghai Contemporary: The Politics of Built Form is not an exception.His curiosity about places, peoples and cultures is extraordinary and matched so well with his capacity to `map' complexities of history, urban geography, physicality and politics with a simple discourse that is easy to follow. He convinces us to see multiple layers of local realities beyond the `western' perspectives on the global city of Shanghai. He describes the making of this cosmopolitan city can complete in a globalized economic context despite its fragmented urban fabric. It has undergone significant crisis, through challenges from semi-colonialism, socio-political collapse by war and lack of coordination in the planning process. Interestingly, the author suggests that the selling point of Shanghai's tourism in the early twentieth century was the elegant image that replicated `western' neo-classical styles. However, he proposes that a new Chinese identity can actually be enhanced through a mixture of diversified sub-cultures on Shanghai's streetscapes. This book clearly points out that the absence of human scale in the city streetscapes can diminish contact, the sense of security and the pedestrian energy level of the city. In general, it answers two simple questions: how a `global metropolis', in particular Shanghai, is defined and transformed, and what is to be expected from its changing images or representations. It is therefore worthwhile to read this book especially as a case study for those policymakers, urban planners, urban designers, architects, academics and scholars who would be keen to learn more about urbanism of the global cities through different lenses in order to see hidden dimensions. The Chinese largest urban `global village' of Shanghai has more historical complexity and dynamic development than arguably any other world city in this century. For those wishing to broaden their perspectives on all these issues, I highly recommend this book...."
Dr. Polladach Theerapappisit, Lecturer and Course Advisor, School of Social Sciences The University of Western Sydney, Australia
You call download the book here (I know it's quite expensive to buy one):
http://oxford.academia.edu/NonArkaraprasertkul/books
