Today, approximately 7 billion people inhabit the world, and over half of them now reside in dense urban areas. Yet, civilization developed and resided in rural spaces for most of human existence. Hence, cities - living, breathing organisms - are a fairly new idea for society. This matter hence raises the question: how can cities' increasingly crowded spaces adapt to provide citizens comfort, practicality, and charm?
Feng Shui (風水), otherwise known as Chinese geomancy, is a philosophy, practice, and art, which grew from early Chinese cosmology and divination traditions and has been used for over three millenniums (Madeddu & Zhang, p.3, 2021). While today it is commonly sought to arrange private spaces, the concept can be applied to larger extents like urban planning. Feng Shui translates to 'wind' and 'water' - two of the five components vital for the movement of energy and the force of any living entity referred to as qi (氣) in Daoism (Madeddu & Zhang, pp.3 & 4, 2021). In practice, Feng Shui involves arranging an environment's amenities to stimulate harmony, stability, and practicality. As a result, the conscious flow of energy fosters well-being for those living in that environment (Madeddu & Zhang, p.138, 2021). For this reason, particularly in China, cities have adopted Feng Shui in their design to utilize the stream of qi between humans and their inhabited space (Madeddu & Zhang, p.138, 2021). Feng Shui is rooted in cultural and spiritual beliefs but works on concrete principles that evaluate adequacy of the space to serve as a thriving living environment for citizens; these principles include access to water, air, light, greenery, and more.
In April 2021, Manuela Madeddu and Zhang Xiaoqing published Feng Shui and the City. The authors pay special attention to Feng Shui's transformative role: while it was mainly used and based on symbolic considerations, it is increasingly applied as a means of commodification (p.1, 2021). Madeddu and Zhang further evaluate this idea by reflecting on Lefebvre's (1991) view of absolute and abstract spaces and presenting two case studies of Feng Shui in Guangdong and Hong Kong, respectively. Ultimately, seeing that Feng Shui values the bond between humans and their environment, Madeddu and Zhang underline its relevance for our contemporary crowded living settings (p.137, 2021). This book provides valuable insight in understanding Feng Shui's evolving operation in urban spaces, particularly in domestic, public, and commercial spheres. Feng Shui and the City is a significant contribution to the concept's research and is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in cities of harmony, stability, and practicality.
References
Madeddu, M., & Zhang, X. (2021). Feng Shui and the City: The Private and Public Spaces of Chinese Geomancy. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0847-6