This publication asks what lessons contemporary urbanism may learn from a radical French architect of the 1970s, Jean Renaudie. Renaudie rejected the strictures of functionalism and focused instead on creating housing that stimulated social exchange. His political commitment was matched by a striking structuralist sensibility. The low-cost housing at Givors, for example is formed of star-shaped clusters of apartments, each one different, and each one equipped with a garden terrace, while the plans for the new town of Le Vaudreuil seem to borrow as much from science fiction as from the social sciences. Visionary and animated, the architecture of Jean Renaudie has particular resonance today, as we search for means to establish a sense of community and place in our increasingly introverted cities.

This is the first complete monograph dedicated to the work of the Italian photographer, Gabriele Basilico, who is recognised internationally as one of the most important contemporary landscape photographers. With more than 300 photographs included - from Glasgow to Tel-Aviv, from Milan to Beirut - it is a comprehensive overview of a major figure whose career has spanned almost 40 years. Gabriele Basilico first studied architecture, and this early training is reflected in his work and shows in his understanding of the landscape and architectural form. His landscapes avoid human presence and explore the complex interrelationships between the built environment and the natural one. A major retrospective of Basilico's work began an international tour at the prestigious Maison Europeenne de la Photographie in Paris in summer 2006.