Design for a democratic society was an urgent matter in postwar Europe. Swiss sociologist, journalist, professor and the founding father of strollology, Lucius Burckhardt (1925-2003) pioneered an interdisciplinary analysis of man-made environments focused on both the visible and invisible aspects of our cities, landscapes, political processes and social relations. Acutely aware of how our interventions and decisions shape the world, and how the changing world shapes us, his life-long concern was not only the prerequisites of architecture, urban planning and design but also their long-term impact. Teaching and practice in all three disciplines are still much indebted to his keen observations and critique. This compilation, the first of Lucius Burckhardt's texts to appear in English, introduces his groundbreaking theory of environmental design, in posthumous tribute to a prescient thinker.