Using examples from different countries and historical periods, Memorials as Spaces of Engagement explores how the design, use and meaning of memorials, both formal and informal ones, generate different physical, cognitive and emotional relationships between commemorative sites and their visitors.
"Having long believed that 'what happens' in a memorial is the exchange between visitors and the spaces they inhabit, I find this work to be as enthralling as it is insightful. It is the first full-length, in-depth examination of the memorial's evolution, a brilliant compendium of late-modern memorials and an authoritative analysis of how they work." - James E. Young, Distinguished University Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Author of The Texture of Memory and At Memory's Edge
"Memorials as Spaces of Engagement highlights the embodied experiences and creative practices of contemporary memorials. The rich and well-illustrated historical and current-day examples, along with the focus on memorial use, design and responsibility, makes Stevens and Franck's volume a welcome addition to discussions about urban public space in heritage and urban studies. " - Karen E. Till, Senior Lecturer of Cultural Geography, Maynooth University, Ireland
"Stevens and Franck elegantly situate the complexity of memorials in a clear typology, offering a close-up look at the interrelationships among spatial strategies, cultural meanings, and management practices. Memorials as Spaces of Engagement shows these public places in their full intricacy, revealing charged territories that afford multiple and often contradictory opportunities for contemplation, contestation and play." - Lawrence J. Vale, MIT, Author, Architecture, Power, and National Identity?
