Abstract

This study looks at ways in which education and practice can find common ground in a concept of visual sustainability. It looks at ways of sifting out the meaning from endless flows of information, to scaffold a theoretical framework from the rhizome-like obstacle of ambiguity and uncertainty. This can be achieved by adjusting our focal length to better see our visual world, and so help better describe the conditions for growth that are so important for sustainable urban development and architectural practice. This study is divided into three parts. Firstly, a declaration of meaning; secondly, how we transact with meaning in everyday assemblages; and lastly, the concept of a spectrum of meaning. It builds on existing discourse around education and practice, with a view to understanding what makes the urban ‘tick’ (Dovey & KTH Media Production, 2017). So that we can discover what makes us ‘tick’ in the urban.