Ugly and uglier: defining value and politics in architecture

Abstract

This article seeks to broaden theoretical and methodological approaches to urban aesthetics by introducing the sociology of (e)valuation and Q-sort methodology. In explaining which elements of urban design matter and to whom, existing research deploys concepts such as cultural capital and taste. The article proposes an alternative perspective, which focuses on individuals’ critical capacities to judge and qualify the built environment. The analysis shifts focus from studying taste to studying valuation. The findings expand the idea of aesthetic value as something not divorced from social order, but rather reflective of its complexity.