Bavarity – Coping with Crisis in the Space of Building Culture

Springer Spektrum just published my book "Bavarität – Krisenbewältigung im baukulturellen Raum" or, in English, "Bavarity – Coping with Crisis in the Space of Building Culture". What is it about and why did I choose this title?

The book deals with architecture, urban design, urban planning and the environment in the German federal state of Bavaria, from the interdisciplinary perspective of an urbanist. In this context, individual participation in planning and building processes can also contribute to coping with crisis, as long as the responsible planning and design actors and the users or occupants are included. The aim of the book is to offer ways of understanding the built environment in Bavaria, to apply criticism where it is due, to present built success stories and, by doing so, to propose solutions while, finally, "building" a space for reflection and imagination.

If people can read the built environment, this reading can inform and support their actions, particularly when participating in planning and design processes aimed at creating architectural spaces in urban and rural settings. In order to capture and interpret these phenomena according to their socio-cultural context, the book proposes the concept of Bavarity. In the case of the German federal state of Bavaria, the existing rural-urban continuum is the outcome of historic processes of creating buildings and cities, contoured by the interrelation between tradition and modernism, craftsmanship and industry. In this context, Bavarity can be understood as a socio-cultural performance, echoing the specific combination of urbanity and rurality and contributing to a shared creative process among all participants.

"Bavarität: Krisenbewältigung im baukulturellen Raum" is available from Springer Spektrum and all booksellers.