What Makes a Public Space Good for Democracy? by Emily Badger

Good article by Emily Badger on aspects of public space that promote and encourage democratic performances.. The article refers  to a new book by the Political scientist John Parkinson, Democracy and Public Space: the Physical Sites of Democratic Performance... includes ranking of 11 national capitals..

For full article by Emily Badger
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/08/what-makes-public-space-good-democracy/2916/ 

For book by John Parkinson
http://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Public-Space-Democratic-Performance/dp/0199214565

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, Volume 6, Issue 2, July 2012

The latest issue of ArchNet-IJAR, a fully refereed architectural research journal edited by Professor Ashraf Salama, is available in the Digital Library. Articles in IJAR Volume 6, Issue 2 cover a considerable number of topics that include engaging history in architectural education, architectural criticism, skyscrapers and platemaking, public spaces in Mexican cities, assessment of an urban school in India, sustainable urban landscape, and unresolved rooftop . This edition also features a special section of review and trigger articles that present issues relevant to democratic design, neighborhood design based on historic precedents, systems thinking in architectural design studio, and architectural education in Afghanistan.

The IJAR July 2012 issue is available for download here. An archive of past and present articles are collected in a special section of ArchNet-IJAR section in the Digital Library.
Archnet-IJAR is a fully refereed architectural research journal edited by Professor Ashraf Salama. The Journal is indexed and is listed in several databases, including Avery index to Architectural Periodicals, EBSCO-Current Abstracts-Art and Architecture, INTUTE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Pro-Quest, Scopus-Elsevier and several other university library databases. To inquire about contributing articles for future issues of IJAR, please contact the chief editor at archnet.ijar.editor@gmail.com or asalama@archnetijaronline.org

Table of Contents

Refereed Regular Papers

Mythic Foundations:

Engaging History for Architecture Education (7-23)

Tammy Gaber

Architectural Criticism in Practice: From Affective to Effective Experience (24-42)

Aaron T. Davis and Wolfgang F.E. Preiser

Skyscrapers and Placemaking: Supporting Local Culture and Identity (43-64)

Kheir Al-Kodmany and Mir M. Ali

The (re)Construction of Public Space in Today’s Mexican City (65-78)

Mauricio Hernández Bonilla

Through the Eyes of the Learner: A Critical Evaluation of an Urban Indian School (79-97)

Smita Khan and Rajashree Kotharkar

Sustainable Urban Landscape: An Approach for Assessing and Appropriating Indicators (98-114)

Ahmed Mohamed Amin

The Unresolved Rooftop (115-131)

Simone Medio

Review and Trigger Articles

A Sustained Quest for Democracy in Design and Planning Decision Making Book Review: ‘Democratic Design: Participation Case Studies in Urban and Small Town Environments by Henry Sanoff (132-134)

Ashraf M. Salama

Neighborhood Test Design Based on Historic Precedents (135-148)Besim S. Hakim

S m y r n a S t u d i o - Temporal and Urban Peripheries in Systems Thinking (149-157)

Gudjon Thor Erlendsson and Gul Kacmaz Erk

Architectural Education in Afghanistan: Evolution, Challenges and Opportunities (158-180) 

Abdul Wasay Najimi

Architecture and Urbanism in the Arabian Peninsula -- A FOCUS ON THE CITY OF DOHA, QATAR

Architecture and Urbanism in the Arabian Peninsula with a focus on the city of Doha are featured in a new series of publications.

Salama, Ashraf M. and Gharib, Remah Y. (2012): A Perceptual Approach for Understanding Urban Diversity in the City of Doha. In: Special Issue on Urban Diversity: Paradoxes and Realities, Guest Edited by Ashraf M. Salama and Alain Thierstein, Open House International, Volume 37, Issue 2, Urban International Press,  Gateshead, United Kingdom.
http://www.openhouse-int.com/abdisplay.php?xvolno=37_2_3

Salama, Ashraf M. (2012): Narrating Doha’s Contemporary Architecture: The then, the now, the drama, the theater, and the performance. Digital Architectural Papers, Issue 8: Middle East 1: Conditions for an Architectural Practice. ETH-Chair: Josep Lluis Mateo. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich.
http://www.architecturalpapers.ch/index.php?ID=64

Salama, Ashraf M. (2012): Architectural Identity Demystified: Visual Voices from the Arab World. In. P. Emmons, J. Lomholt, and J. S. Hendrix (eds.), The Cultural Role of Architecture: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives. Routledge: London.
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415783415/

Salama, Ashraf M. (2012): Assessing Qatar University’s Campus Outdoor Spaces: Design Intentions Versus Users’ Reactions. In S. Mallory-Hill, W. Preiser and C. Watson (eds.), Enhancing Building Performance. John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp.139-150. ISBN # 978-0-470-65759-1 
http://ca.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470657596.html

Salama, Ashraf M. (2011):  Identity Flows: The Arabian Peninsula, Emerging Metropolises. In: Luis Fernández-Galiano (ed.), Atlas Architectures of the 21st Century - Africa and Middle East. Fundación BBVA, Madrid, pp. 170-225. ISBN # 978-84-92937-19-6
http://www.fbbva.es/TLFU/tlfu/ing/areas/cultura/publicaciones/libros/fichalibro/index.jsp?codigo=633#arriba

Salama, Ashraf M. (2011): Towards a Responsive Architectural and Urban Education for Understanding of and Intervening in Islamic Societies, Reflections on a New Post Graduate Program at the Education City, Doha, Qatar. Lonaard Magazine is a peer-reviewed periodical, publication of Lonaard Group in London, Issue 4, Volume 1, July 2011, pp. 130-137. ISSN: 2045-8150
http://qu.academia.edu/AshrafSalama/Papers/880419/Towards_a_Responsive_Architectural_and_Urban_Education_for_Understanding_of_and_Intervening_in_Islamic_Societies_Ashraf_M._Salama_2011_

Wiedmann, Florian, Salama, Ashraf M. and Thierstein, Alain (2012): Urban Evolution of the City of Doha: The Impact of Economic Transformations on Urban Structures. In: METU-JFA, Journal of the Faculty of Architecture-Middle East Technical University, Volume 29, Issue 2, pp. 35-61.
http://jfa.arch.metu.edu.tr/archive/0258-5316/advop/35-61.pdf  

Wiedmann, Florian, Salama, Ashraf M. and Thierstein, Alain (2012): A Framework for Investigating Urban Qualities in Emerging Knowledge Economies. In: International Journal of Architectural Research: Archnet-IJAR, Volume 6, Issue 1, pp.42-56.
http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=12785

Dohaland Chair in Architecture at Qatar University Announced

Qatar University (QU) and Dohaland today announced the appointment of the Dohaland Chair in Architecture. Dohaland established the Chair in Architecture to support QU in developing qualified architects who can own and further Dohaland's new architectural language, balancing environmental and cultural sustainability with the needs of a modern metropolis; thus ensuring architectural sustainability in Qatar's future development.

Dohaland spent three years researching the new architectural language for its signature project Musheireb, the world's first sustainable downtown regeneration project. The Chair position will enhance the teaching and learning processes in architecture and urbanism, establish links between academic and professional practice, and develop a research program in the fields of architecture and urban design which will address the dialectical relationship between tradition, modernity, and identity.

QU Head of Architecture and Urban Planning Prof Ashraf Salama and Allies and Morrison architect Prof Tim Makower, one of the main architects in Dohaland's Musheireb project, will act as co-chairs in the position for one year. Both bring extensive experience to the position, and their professional and academic backgrounds will foster the development of responsive perspectives for architecture in Qatar. They will contribute to an overall program of societal awareness relating to the value of architecture and design by conducting public lectures and workshops while engaging various stakeholders in the local professional community as well as the public.


Prof Makower's primary focus will be on knowledge sharing and dealing with Design as the process of putting Theory into Practice, while Prof Salama's role will encompass academic research, specifically teaching and community-related activities. Both academics will lead the field of sustainable regeneration both for Qatar and the wider region, in particular with Dohaland's flagship project, Musheireb.
 
The Appointed Chairs


Tim Makower MA Cambridge University, RIBA, is a partner at Allies and Morrison, one of the UK's foremost practices in Architecture and Urban Design. He has had extensive experience in the UK and the GCC, including major projects both of urban design and architecture. He is the architect of the Diwan Amiri Quarter, including the Qatar National Archives and the National Eid Ground as well as numerous residential projects in Doha.

Ashraf M Salama, M.Arch., PhD, is an architect, scholar and Professor of Architecture and Head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Qatar University. He is a recognized Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Royal Society of the Arts. His appointment included serving as an International Jury member for United Nations Competition, UNESCO, and the International Union of Architects-UIA. His books on architectural pedagogy and design studio teaching practices are widely- acknowledged. He is chief editor of International Journal of Architectural Research at MIT, USA, and associate editor of Open House International Journal, UK.

Commenting on the appointments, QU President Prof Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad said: "We are happy with these appointments which integrate education and research into the process of teaching and learning. This move marks the emphasis the professional sector places on the vision and mission of Qatar University and its support of our commitment to ensuring that our programs and educational processes reflect the societal and cultural needs of the community."

Chief Executive Officer of Dohaland Eng. Issa M. Al Mohannadi stated: "Dohaland has been actively engaged in the forward-thinking vision for Qatar, and has developed a new progressive architectural language that evolves without losing its ethnicity. Through our support of the Chair at Qatar University we shall ensure the sustainability of the new architectural language for the future generations, by developing local architects who can understand, practice and own Dohaland's new architectural language."

Dean of QU College of Engineering Dr Mazen Hasna said: "This is a remarkable start to our newest department, Architecture and Urban Planning. Through this partnership with Dohaland, our students will have the opportunity to be part of the design of the Musheireb project under the supervision of a leading architect and a leading academic."