Date of Award
Spring 6-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)
Department
Landscape Architecture
First Advisor
Elizabeth Hermann
Second Advisor
Colgate Searle
Abstract
Cities are carriers of both spiritual civilization and physical space. The concept of Chinese cities has existed for about four thousand years, embodying China’s extensive cultural and philosophical heritage. Feng Shui is a specialized theory in Chinese urban planning. Therefore, discussing Chinese cities inevitably involves examining the role of Feng Shui in urban construction.
However, contemporary Chinese urban planning development has almost abandoned traditional Feng Shui. As a result, Chinese cities have become homogenized by Western models, losing their distinctiveness and cultural expression.
Given this issue, this thesis project will use traditional Chinese philosophy as a foundation to study the principles and logic of Feng Shui in Chinese urban construction. It will analyze why contemporary Chinese cities have lost traditional Feng Shui and the necessity of reviving Feng Shui in urban planning. By designing a test city, the project aims to establish a new Feng Shui urban design system and explore the potential future development of this new system. The goal is to identify a development direction that suits the unique characteristics of Chinese cities.
Recommended Citation
Shi, Junyi, "Spirit of Place: examining chinese principles of place-making in a contemporary urban context" (2024). Masters Theses. 1263.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1263
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