The New Normal

Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture, and Design was founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Alexander Mamut in 2009 to change the cultural and physical landscapes of Russian cities. The institute promotes positive changes and creates new ideas and values through its educational activities. This thorough, inspirational book is the first major publication emerging from Strelka's The New Normal program. The institute's most ambitious research unit focuses on research and design for Moscow and explores the opportunities posed by emerging technologies for interdisciplinary urban design practices. Strelka is a speculative urbanism think-tank and a platform for the invention and articulation of a new discourse and new models. The New Normal has been conceived by the American sociologist and architectural theorist Benjamin H. Bratton, who is known for his unique mix of philosophical and aesthetic research, organizational planning and strategy, and for his writing on the cultural implications of computing and globalization. The book features seventeen lavishly illustrated contributions by international researchers and designers that outline the scope of The New Normal's output, held together by a thematic essay in nine chapters by Bratton. Highly topical, this first comprehensive survey of research work produced by The New Normal program will appeal to all readers interested in the future of cities and urban design.