Aesthetics in Contemporary Cities

Dear Colleagues,

We live in a rapidly changing world. Visual change only reflects the intrinsic process of the social and economic evolution of ideas, philosophies, and fashions, though the latter is what an ordinary observer notices as the first signal of change. So, the space “becomes” the way we “are”. Additionally, and conversely, the aesthetics of the environment in which we live are probably the most unconsciously influential determinant of our wellbeing. Thus, we would like to describe the beauty and grotesqueness of our cities through the eyes of artists, who “can feel more”. We would like to recognize alterations to our sense of beauty from the cityscapes we experience every day. As the cityscape becomes our dominant visual environment, we should focus on all dimensions of urban aesthetics. How does the appearance of the urban environment shape our attitudes towards our society, its heritage, the surrounding nature, and the technology we use?

This issue should remind us that the spiritual aura radiating from the cityscape is no less important than any elation experienced in museums and art galleries. So, do we care about the appearance of our cities? Are they fresh and healthy? Do they deserve cosmeticizing?

Manuscripts submitted to this Special Issue can be theoretical or applied; can be state-of-the-science reviews or individual case studies; and may refer to details or to the cityscape as a whole. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The evolving aesthetics of our living environment;
• The perception of aesthetics among different groups in society;
• The meaning of beauty in an urban context;
• The influence of aesthetics on human wellbeing and behaviors;
• Different philosophical approaches to urban aesthetics;
• Heritage preservation in cityscapes;
• Experiments in shaping the image of the future city.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Maciej Lasocki
Dr. Martina Koll-Schretzenmayr
Dr. Antonella Contin
Dr. Claudia Westermann
Dr. Aura Luciana Istrate
Dr. Álvaro Clua Uceda
Guest Editors

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