City and Nature: An Integrated Whole

Reykjavík, more than most other cities, was formed in a close inter-play with nature, which in earlier times made this city, and its surrounding nature, a close unity. Much of the city's connection with nature was lost, however, during the mindless technological age when "functionalism" ruled, and the city, and human existence, were dissected and compartmentalized. This book suggests a method to achieve this integration again, to recreate lost connections and provide a new holistic paradigm. Western thinking still sees binary pairs, like city and nature or house and garden, as opposites. The book explains that these pairs, contrary to belief, not only complement each other but can be designed and planned together in such a way that the result is greater than the sum of the parts. Their union, therefore, can actually elevate cities and architecture to a higher level.