This study examines the effects of globalization on state restructuring and the status of cities and local governments. I conduct a comparative case study of two Japanese world cities, Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. Existing globalization theories offer…
In the rapidly urbanizing world, the informal settlement has been forming a significant part of the common urban scene in many cities in the developing countries. It holds a particular role in the city as it houses millions of urban poor who has no…
The idea of a “historic city” is a rather recent phenomenon. As a conceptual framework, it evolved over the course of the 1970s and 1980s from the intellectual foundations of modernist urban design. This is especially well illustrated in East Berlin,…
This thesis was motivated by an interest in the phenomenon commonly labelled as ‘new regionalism’ and in how ‘new regionalism’ underwent a change as attention turned to cities and city-regions from around the year 2000. The main objective of this…
This thesis deals with the urban phenomenon of minority clusters, which are invariably referred to as 'ghettos'. A review of the literature on 'ghettos' suggests that the clustering of identifiable minorities is commonly associated with segregation -…
Following decades of sweeping social change, a 'new' Thai middle class emerged to become the main agents of the mass demonstrations which have rocked Bangkok for the better part of the past four years. Yet, the academic literature reveals a marked…
It is hard to overestimate the scholarly impact of Saskia Sassen’s global city theoretical framework, which revolves around the impact of economic globalization on the social, economic, and political reality of cities in advanced economies. Yet, more…
In the 1990s, the Chinese housing reform reached a pivotal moment. The dismantling of the old public housing system and the high price of the commercial housing left the housing needs of a large number of the population unresolved. In 1998, a new…
Amusement space embodies hegemonic and Utopian dialogue concerning urban conditions. Throughout the twentieth century, two rival urban visions have reigned: the Coney Island model, a chancy, participatory theatre where patrons can confront head-on…
While a panorama view of a city is a fairly commonplace and distinguishable image it remains without critical inquiry. The word panorama was coined in 1792 to market a large-scale circular painting that gained international popularity during the…
There are a number of debates currently taking place in the 'North' that suggest that faith-based organisations (FBOs) are better placed to address urban poverty and to facilitate grassroots regeneration than the state. Accordingly, religious…
Cities in the world are changing rapidly. In the Western societies, changes are driven by the transformation from Fordism to post-Fordism and postmodernism. In the East, changes are triggered by profound social and economic reforms. Changes in the…
My dissertation examines the city making process of Wuhan out of three different towns. The three towns, Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang, located at the confluence of the Yangzi River and its largest tributary, the Han River, were divided by water and…
The bases of the present dissertation from the point of view of the sources are historical and biographical. The study of the people of al-Qayrawän, which is largely dependant on the study of the Tabagat, has been carried out with a view to…
Over the last four decades, cities - especially those in the developing world - have been expanding exponentially. With this growth in 'urbanization' and as a consequence of a rise in urban poverty, the issue of urban problems is now a topic of…
Following the inauguration of the newly constructed capital of Brasília in April 1960, the former federal district and Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro was transformed into the city-state of Guanabara. Although Rio lost its status as the political…
Notre thèse porte sur l’analyse du gouvernement de la circulation urbaine pour la période allant des années 1910 aux années 1960. Elle s’appuie sur un travail de terrain constitué principalement d’une monographie du cas lyonnais que nous avons…
Les villes brésiliennes sont composées d'une mosaïque de logements populaires, généralement en situation irrégulière par rapport à la législation en vigueur. Ainsi en est-il des favelas qui, à travers le clivage qui les oppose à la ville formelle,…
This thesis examines the nature of Early Mediaeval trading and manufacturing settlements in Scandinavia, and in the Scandinavian-influenced area of England. Using previously unpublished material from the 1990-1995 excavations at Birka, in Sweden,…
L'histoire des formes urbaines en France entre 1789 et 1848 forme le thème général de cette recherche. Celle-ci montre que la première moitié du XIXe siècle, encore largement méconnue à cet égard, est décisive pour la mise en place des cadres…
