Asian Alleyways

"The rich ethnographic data provide insights into how to address the central question posed in the book, which asks what the future roles and functions of the old alleyways are in the modern city. Each chapter elucidates the potential of alleyways by examining their transformations and functions, explaining the conflicts and initiatives, and underlining concerns and uncertainties. Together, they develop new perspectives on the laneways through the concepts of marginalization and reintegration. [...] Asian Alleyways opens up questions that will interest architects, urban planners and designers, as well as policymakers interested in the spatial qualities and dynamics of these alleyways."
- Ha Minh Hai Thai, School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, Journal of Urban Design, 2021

"Within the mainstream study of cities, East Asian and everyday ordinary spaces, forms of long vernacular traditions, remain less-known urbanity. Asian Alleyways contributes to this field within cross-cultural dialogue and lenses of ubiquitous semi public-semi private urban spaces. Focusing on the Other, which escapes the globalisation and current verticalization processes, where intimate scale, a vibrant urban life and dwelling defines alternative urban spaces the book takes a case study approach to diverse human scale emergent urbanism. The book is an engaging review of East Asian alleyways that instigates discussion beyond nostalgia, exploring possibilities qualities and relevance of local processes of ordinary urban landscapes and contributes to broadening theoretical questions."
- Milica MuminoviC, PhD, Lecturer, Architecture, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra

"Asian Alleyways make an important contribution to Urban Studies at two levels. At the micro and local scale, alleyways exist as extensions of the home, and are intimate spaces of the self and the community of users. The informality and intimacy enable such spaces to be creatively managed resulting in dynamic mixes of different uses. At the metropolitan scale, alleys and lanes as traditional spatial forms have an uneasy existence in the modern city. The different chapters of Asian Alleyways highlight the important local textures that go into the making of city character and yet alleywaysare under threat from redevelopment and gentrification as Asian cities undergo rapid change."
- K.C. Ho, Associate Professor of Sociology and Research Leader, Asian Urbanisms, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

"This dynamic collection brings to life the hidden veins of contemporary urbanity by focusing on an array of alleyways across different cities in Asia. In interweaving colourful sensory aspects of these passages with both granular insights and broad structural critique, Gibert-Flutre and Imai have assembled a multidisciplinary arsenal of chapters that opportunely punctuate and challenge state-of-the-art debates on urbanization in the region and beyond. A must-read and a valuable resource for researchers and students of urban studies, sustainability and everyday life."
- Dr Kelvin E.Y. Low, Associate Professor/ Deputy Head Of Department, Department Of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences National University of Singapore