This book looks at the uncharted territory between innovation activities and place making efforts to cultivate them. ‘Geographies of Disruption’ aims to fill that gap by exploring the growing importance of place making for knowledge generation and innovation activities in contemporary cities, and providing an in-depth understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of innovation geographies and the conditions that help their emergence and growth. This book underlines the growing importance of knowledge generation and innovation activities for the competitiveness of cities and their regions. It provides an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of knowledge-based urban development and its implications and prospects for cities and regions. This pioneering book contributes to the conceptualisation and practice of innovation geographies by disseminating both conceptual and empirical research findings with real-world best practice applications. With a multidisciplinary approach to themes of technology and urban development, this book is a key reference source for scholars, practitioners, consultants, city officials, policymakers and innovation study enthusiasts.

Future Cities For the first time in human history, more than 50% of the world's population lives in urban regions. Cities are the largest, most complex, and most dynamic man-made systems. They are vibrant centers of cultural life and engines that drive the global economy. Contemporary cities are environmentally, socially, and economically unsustainable. The quality of urban life is threatened by such factors as pollution, rising temperatures, limited resources, congestion, social inequalities, aging of large sectors of the world population, poverty, informality, crime, and economic imbalances. The overall planning of future cities is a challenge that can only be faced by interdisciplinary teams combining multitudes of backgrounds and expertise. eCAADe "Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe" eCAADe covers Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Western Asia and works in collaboration with the four other major international associations in the field: ACADIA , ASCAAD, CAADRIA, CAADFutures and SIGRADI. eCAADe has collaborated with these associations to devise an exciting international Journal for the field called the International Journal of Architectural Computing or short IJAC.

The Rough Guide to Barcelona is the ultimate guide to this intoxicating Spanish city, whether you are backpacking on a budget, or city-breaking in luxury. This up-to-date guide has a full-colour introduction that showcases the colourful streets and astonishing architecture, and there are new full-colour sections exploring Antoni Gaudi and modernism, as well as Barcelona’s exotic festivals. The city is covered neighbourhood by neighbourhood, with dozens of reviews for restaurant and hotels in Barcelona, easy-to-use maps and area highlights. With all the practical advice you need, and in-depth examinations of Catalan history, culture, music, cuisine, sport and folklore, this if the must-have item for any trip to Barcelona, from the adrenalin junkies to those craving some first-class tapas. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Barcelona!

The ultimate guidebook to one of Europe's most vibrant, exciting, and stylish cities. In full-color throughout, with dozens of photos, this guide not only gives you the finest coverage of Barcelona's historic sights and famous architecture, including the magnificent Gaudí creations like the Sagrada Família, but it also has a keen eye for offbeat attractions and in-the-know sights, from quirky museums to neighborhood markets, city beaches, and urban parks. Walk along Las Ramblas and experience the heart of the city center, explore the winding alleys of the Gothic Quarter, or visit the Museu Picasso. With up-to-date reviews of the best hotels, bars, restaurants, and clubs for all budgets, you'll find just what you're looking for in The Rough Guide to Barcelona, whether a hideaway boutique hotel or the best sangria in town. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Barcelona. Series Overview: For more than thirty years, adventurous travelers have turned to Rough Guides for up-to-date and intuitive information from expert authors. With opinionated and lively writing, honest reviews, and a strong cultural background, Rough Guides travel books bring more than 200 destinations to life. Visit RoughGuides.com to learn more.

This book aims to fill the knowledge gap on how to plan, develop and manage innovation districts that are competitive in terms of both productivity and quality of living, justifying the massive investment put into place and at the same time doing both in a delicate and harmonious way. There is a need for smart urban land use that is wired with both hard infrastructures (e.g., telecommunication and transport) and soft infrastructures (e.g., diversity and tolerance). The reader learns this knowledge through conceptual expansions for key insights, frameworks for potential and performance assessment and best practices for global innovation districts. The authors begin innovation district planning with the role and effectiveness of planning a branding in the development of innovation districts. The next key topic of place making is recognised as a key strategy for supporting knowledge generation and innovation activities in the contemporary innovation districts. Another important topic is place quality where the reader learns to identify and classify indicators of place quality by studying global innovation districts best practices. The reader also expands their understanding on the classification of innovation districts based on their key characteristics through a methodological approach. The book concludes with district smartness studied through the socio-cultural role played by anchor universities in facilitating place making in innovation districts. Smart campuses, enabled by digital transformation opportunities in higher education, are seen as a miniature replica of smart cities and serve as living labs for smart technology. The book serves as a repository for scholars, researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students as it communicates the complex innovation district phenomenon in an easy-to-digest form by providing both the big picture view and specifics of each component of that view.

Barcelona, with all its illustrious colour and exterior finery, hasn't always been able to curb its darker yearnings. Blame it on a bubbling, repressive concoction made with a pinch of Church, a touch of Crown and a large dose of General Franco to stir up the insides of its very independent and anarchic Catalonian spirit. Repression, vice, immigration - the 14 stories in Barcelona Noir will divert readers' eyes from Barcelona's lively Ramblas and Gaudi spires and open them to the city's tainted side; one that will never appear on any tour.

Barcelona - Visual Culture, Space and Power offers a unique approach to the history of the avantgarde in Barcelona, as well as its legacy in the post-war period. It presents the relationship between environment, identity and performance as explored by countercultural artists and communities from the 1960s to the present day.

Barcelona is regarded as a prototype of a European Mediterranean city with a long urban tradition. It has undergone a specific process of historic formation: density and compactness of urban form, evolution by extension rather than by reform. A history of urban planning necessarily includes a summary of the territorial and urban experience, the physical dimensions of the city that condition its cultural and economic development. This book centers on the construction of Barcelona, taking as its basis the most important planning operations and city projects, and drawing from diverse sources and phases. The local scale of many of the projects contrasts with the cosmopolitan aspirations that have made these interventions so innovative; including major projects for special events, such as the 1888 (World Exhibition), 1929 (Electrical Industries Exhibition) and 1992 (Olympic Games). New prospects are emerging from the recent European institutional framework, particularly changes in the economic system to a post-industrial phase. The urban planning history of Barcelona shows how the city has overcome major contradictions.

The new full-colour Rough Guide to Spain is the ultimate guide to one of Europe's most vibrant and exciting countries. Expert authors lift the lid on the famous cities, buildings, sights and natural attractions, from the dazzling Gaudí buildings in Barcelona to the dramatic mountains of the Pyrenees. Whether you're looking for a boutique hotel in Madrid, a hidden corner in Moorish Andalucia, a hip beach resort on the costas or the latest fashionable restaurant to emerge from the Basque country, you'll find it in the Rough Guide. Each region is brought to life with inspiring photography and clear, colourful maps, while honest, up-to-date reviews search out the best places to eat, sleep and drink in every price range. Budget travellers, city-break weekenders, hikers and drivers will all find something to inspire them in this definitive guide.

Cities and Nature connects environmental processes with social and political actions. The book reconnects science and social science to demonstrate how the city is part of the environment and how it is subject to environmental constraints and opportunities. This second edition has been extensively revised and updated with in-depth examination of theory and critical themes. Greater discussion is given to urbanization trends and megacities; the post-industrial city and global economic changes; developing cities and slums; urban political ecology; the role of the city in climate change; and sustainability. The book explores the historical relationship between cities and nature, contemporary challenges to this relationship, and attempts taken to create more sustainable cities. The historical context situates urban development and its impact on the environment, and in turn the environmental impact on people in cities. This provides a foundation from which to understand contemporary issues, such as urban political ecology, hazards and disasters, water quality and supply, air pollution and climate change. The book then considers sustainability and how it has been informed by different theoretical approaches. Issues of environmental justice and the role of gender and race are explored. The final chapter examines the ways in which cities are practicing sustainability, from light "greening" efforts such as planting trees, to more comprehensive sustainability plans that integrate the multiple dimensions of sustainability. The text contains case studies from around the globe, with many drawn from cities in the developing world, as well as reviews of recent research, updated and expanded further reading to highlight relevant films, websites and journal articles. This book is an asset to students and researchers in geography, environmental studies, urban studies and planning and sustainability.