New Museums: Intentions, Expectations, Challenges

What is the role of the museum in society today? In this time of fundamental economic and social change, should museums be safe civic spaces or open a floor for challenge and change? Can museums contribute to the economic development of communities? If so, how best to guard against the effects of gentrification so that they do not further limit opportunity for low-income residents? How should museums respond to concerns about environmental sustainability? These are just a few of the questions museum professionals, planners, and architects must carefully consider when developing plans and choosing a location for a new museum. New Museums explores these questions by talking to the people behind twenty different museums on six continents, both realized projects and speculative design proposals. Among the museums discussed in the book are the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of Africa