"Saving metropolis" : Body and city in the "Metropolis" tales"
literature, film, catastrophe, destruction, architecture, body, Metropolis, Lang Fritz, Osamu Tezuka, Rintarô
The image of the destruction of the city has a long history, and resonates disturbingly with current events. It seems to question the very possibility of creating an architecture – that is, of giving the world a form and thereby a meaning. This thesis charts mutations of that imagery as it emerges in three visual narratives punctuating the last century: the "Metropolis" tales. These are Fritz Lang's film of 1926, Tezuka Osamu's manga or graphic novel of 1949, and the 2001 work of anime or Japanese animated film by director Rintarô. Despite their differences, these tales exhibit a fundamental overlap of concern: each deals in its own way with crises in modern conditions of life, crises articulated not only in the imagery of the city but also in that of the broken bodies central to it. The thesis argues that this imagery, hovering at the brink of and ultimately passing beyond the line of apocalypse, articulates an undiminished human yearning to engage in a life project. In our time this yearning, this desire, takes on a new form in which the city and the body adopt a precarious and problematic relationship to their image. But perhaps the seeming instability of this condition as articulated in disrupted bodies and cities is a more faithful reflection of the fundamental human anxiety reflected in myth, and the more foundational destructuring involved in our perception and making of the world, than any whole and healthy body, than any utopia.
Weimar cities : Assimilating urban modernity in the Weimar Republic, 1919-1933
economics, city politics, governance, local management, local authorities, urban history, Weimar Republic
Many Germans perceived the Weimar Republic of the 1920s as an "urban republic" dominated by the power and cultural preeminence of the large metropoles, particularly Berlin. German cities had new and important roles after the war, firstly as the biggest spenders in reconstruction efforts, and secondly as the administrators of new welfare and unemployment programmes. Yet at the same time, municipal finance was undermined by the Reich's new centralized tax structure, in which cities were last to receive distributed revenues. State bureaucrats, bankers, and the private sector exhibited strong hostility towards city governments, accusing them of corruption and nepotism, irresponsible borrowing, and improvident spending. In sum, it was just as Weimar's cities assumed considerable new responsibilities, administering social services that were central to the nature and success of the republican experiment, that they were denied the financial and political support necessary to carry out their new roles. This dissertation examines the Deutsche Staidtetag (German Congress of Cities) as a focal point for the larger issues associated with city power and efforts to manage urban modernity in the republic and, by extension, the feasibility of the experiment itself. Dynamic agents of modern change, cities viewed themselves as regulated by state and financial administrations bound by traditional forms and practices, and saw their financial weakness as part of a larger, systemic failure to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly sophisticated network of urban centres. Through the Stadtetag, municipalities campaigned actively in the later 1920s for firm institutional connections with Reich ministries, an official place in the federal parliament, and seats on various bodies that managed the Weimar economy. These initiatives ultimately failed. Sliding deeper into depression and crisis after 1930, local governments were last in line for federal financial aid. As a consequence, they experienced financial hardship out of all proportion to their roles in the republic's power structure, and suffered a critical loss of authority and legitimacy when state-appointed commissioners implemented unpopular cost cuts and imposed new taxes. In 1933, subverting and taking over local governments was one of the primary objectives of Hitler's National Socialists; many local studies have shown the ease with which they achieved their goal.
urban space, urban density, urban morphology, urban form, urban planning, spatial planning, Spacematrix
The concentration of humans – in some cases judged as too high, in others not high enough – and the problems connected to this, have resulted in discussions on density. Prior to the 20th century, density in European cities was merely an outcome of complex circumstances. During the second half of the 19th century, high densities in industrializing cities were argued to be one of the major causes of fires, diseases and social turmoil. In this period, density was introduced as a tool to analyse and diagnose the quickly growing and often overcrowded cities. In a following period of increased state intervention, the concept expanded into an instrument used to propagate alternatives and prescribe maximum densities in order to guarantee certain physiological and social qualities of urban environments (such as air, light and privacy). We can observe a shift from urban density as a mere result of city development and migration to a tool used to analyse problems; and, later on, to an instrument applied to offer improved solutions. More recently, minimum densities are argued for to support amenities and public transport, and as part of the solution to produce more sustainable urban environments with potential for vital human interaction (‘urbanity’). In spite of the practical advantages of the concept of urban density in urban planning, critics have argued that the use of density for anything but statistical purposes is questionable, as it is perceived as a too elastic concept. Many professionals, as well as researchers, hold the opinion that measured density and other physical properties are independent of each other. Besides the argued lack of relationship between density and form, density is also considered with suspicion because of the confusion regarding the definition of plan boundaries and the scale at which these are measured. There is no one accepted measure of density in or shared by different countries. This research takes off with a critical review of the origin, content and practical usefulness of the concept of urban density, and aims at revising and reviving the concept to the benefit of both the planning and design process, and scientific research. This doesn’t mean that an old instrument is just taken out of the basement, dusted off and reignited. No, the shortcomings of the existing density measurements methods in conveying information about urban form and performance are certainly very real, as others have pointed out. Those shortcomings, however, have led many to the conclusion that the concept as such is flawed and even dangerous. We insist, though, that the problem with the most commonly used density measurements methods is one of representation and resolution, and not of the concept itself. The development of the Spacematrix method to measure density and identify a series of associated properties is the main result of this research. We have redefined density as a multivariable and multi-scalar phenomenon to counter the existing Babel-like confusion in the terminology currently being used by those working in the urban field. Further, through the use of this multivariable and multi-scalar approach, density can be related to potential urban form and other performances. This makes it possible to reposition the concept of density in the field of urban planning and design, and research. From an instrument to prescribe the programme of a given area, density can become a tool to guide both quantitative and qualitative ambitions, and thus fuse urban planning and design into true urbanism.
Unruly urbanisation on Delhi's fringe : Changing patterns of land use and livelihood
urbanisation, peri-urban, peri-urbanisation, outskirts, land use, environment, living environment
From the introduction : Metropolitan cities grow beyond imaginable proportions, particularly in the developing world. Urban issues therefore warrant - and receive - increasing attention. The national capital of India, Delhi, is a city where indisputable economic progress related to urbanisation is accompanied by tremendous environmental concerns, congestion, poverty, and housing shortages. This thesis focuses on the rural-urban fringe, which is the ultimate 'battlefield' of the environmental and socio-economic change brought about by urbanisation. The population of urbanising villages is confronted with new problems and possibilities regarding their livelihood and living conditions.
Decline and regeneration : Policy responses to processes of change in post-WWII urban neighbourhoods
neighbourhood, housing, council housing estates, housing policy, participation, social mix, social cohesion, housing complex
The large carefully planned housing estates built after the Second World War were once attractive places in which to live. Nevertheless, across Europe the reputation of many of these areas has changed for the worse. In addition to general impoverishment, in some areas social tensions, high levels of unemployment, crime, social exclusion, and physical decay prevail. With the emergence of the problems, the political as well as the scientific attention paid to large housing estates has increased. Existing studies on regeneration policies on the local level are often limited to the analysis of just one policy strategy. In the research reported here, the focus is on several key-aspects of regeneration policy, which have all obtained increased attention during the past decade. Some of the strategies or aspects focus on the housing stock (demolition/new-building), while in others the local population is central (residents’ participation; social cohesion), and again others concentrate on the cooperation between different actors (integrated approach; public-private partnerships). By contrasting the situation in the Netherlands with various other European countries, the research also brings out the differences in the way problems are encountered and enables them to be explained. It is demonstrated that the institutional framework determines to a large extent whether and how particular policy strategies are implemented; not every country encounters the problems in the same way. Moreover, local characteristics are of influence on the way a strategy is put into practice and thereby on its effects. In addition, it is put forward that particular regeneration strategies might oppose rather than strengthen each other.
Towns, tenements and buildings : Aspects of medieval urban archaeology and geography
street, urban form, urban development, Middle Ages, spatial analysis, archaeology, urban planning
This thesis will argue that the most effective way of understanding the physical development of medieval towns, particularly the larger, more complex, towns and those which lack extensive and detailed contemporary documentation is by a structured integration of the data derived from the archaeological investigation of individual sites with detailed town-plan analyses following the methodology introduced and developed by Conzen. This will be demonstrated by two case-studies, designed to explore the Interaction of the different sources of evidence at two different scales of investigation. The first case-study is a detailed analysis of the plan and development of the whole of a large medieval town,(Worcester), the second is a study of a single street (Pride Hill) in Shrewsbury. The analysis of Worcester illuminates, in particular, the boundaries and internal layout of the late 9th-century burh, suggesting that it was an extension to the pre-existing Roman earthwork circuit and incorporated an area subject to regular town planning, possibly following Wessex models, and an area of irregular settlement that included the bishop of Worcester's haga recorded in 904. The defences were, it is argued, partly dismantled for the extension of urban settlement. The Shrewsbury case-study examines an unusually concentrated building pattern of halls behind the street frontage, and sets this in its contemporary context by an analysis of the contemporary plot-pattern, identified in part by its association with surveyed medieval undercrofts. The earlier history of the area is explored through further analysis of the plot-pattern which predates and is cut by the town wall. It is suggested that the area in question was, like other sectors of the early medieval urban fringe, possibly subject to some type of regular land-allotment for grazing and access to the riverbank. Issues, illustrating the mutually-illuminating character of town plan analysis and urban archaeology, arising from the two case-studies, are discussed. These include the role of archaeology in reconstructing morphological change, the problems of the chronology of urban extensions, archaeology and the interpretation of cartographically-recorded features, and the role of plan-analysis in establishing a contemporary spatial context for individual and multiple archaeological investigations in early medieval towns.
Urban environmental problems in Ghana : a case study of social and environmental injustice in solid waste management in Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi
waste, waste management, urban environment
Unsustainable urbanization in Ghana has resulted in poor environmental conditions in urban settlements in the country. Solid waste disposal, in particular, has become a daunting task for the municipal authorities who seem to lack the capacity to tackle the mounting waste situation. This study investigates the nature of the solid waste problem in two Ghanaian cities, Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi. It describes the waste situation in the study areas and identifies the causes of the problem from the perspective of key stakeholders in the waste sector. The delivery of solid waste collection services across different socio-economic groups of the urban population and the siting of waste disposal facilities are also examined in relation to the concepts of social justice and environmental justice respectively. For the empirical investigation, a mixed methodology was used which combined questionnaire and interview data from stakeholders in the waste sector, together with documentary and observational data, to examine the issue of solid waste disposal in the two study sites. The key issues identified by the study include: that Ghanaian cities are experiencing worsening solid waste situations but the municipal governments lack the capacities in terms of financial, logistical and human resources to cope with the situation; that while several causes of the urban waste crisis can be identified, the lack of political commitment to urban environmental management is the root cause of the worsening solid waste situation in Ghanaian cities; and that social and environmental injustices are being perpetuated against the poor in the delivery of waste collection services and the siting of waste disposal facilities in Ghanaian cities. Based on these findings, it has been argued that the solution to the worsening environmental conditions in Ghanaian cities lies in the prioritization of urban environmental management and commitment of Ghana’s political leadership to urban settlement development and management.
Signs in time : An interpretive account of urban planning and design, the people and their histories
urban planning, urban culture, urban history, urban design
From the General Introduction : This dissertation is... about urban planning and design as well as it is about people, history and place. Urban planning and design are linked, as people history and place are. Boundaries between planning and design are considered to be contingent, dependent on context and culture, result of ever renewed negotiations. The triad of history, people and place holds central place in the book. We intend to explore the relations between them, in order to answer our reasearch question : how can history, historical knowledge and historical objects, play a positive role in urban planning and design? We intend to show that answering this question requires a careful scrutiny of history, people and place. Using history implies there is a goal to reach. What could the use of history be? We want to assume - and this is an assumption - that history can be useful in planning and design and that we just have to investiage carefully what this use might be. In this book history can mean old things and places, under and above the ground, visible and invisible, it can refer to characteristics of a given place and to stories attached to a place. History is simply the past of people.
Revisiting "slums", revealing responses : Urban upgrading in tenant-dominated inner-city settlements, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
slum, slum upgrading, tenant, inhabitants, urban space, housing, inner city, gentrification, activist network
About eighty percent of Addis Ababa’s settlements are considered “slum”. The study examines the phenomenon of urban upgrading in tenant-dominated non-planned inner-city settlements of the city. It focuses on tenants’ responses and spatial transformations. The phenomenon is investigated through the analysis of case studies located in three localities. The data are primarily collected through qualitative techniques supplemented by a quantitative technique. The investigation is carried out from the perspective in which upgrading is viewed as a process embedded in a dynamic context, rather than a decontextualised static project. Based on the case studies analytical generalizations are made.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU
Segregation for aggregation? The pattern and logic of spatial segregation practices of young affluent heads of households in the post-war city of Beirut
residential segregation, urban segregation, social segregation, social mix, urban space, neighbourhood
This thesis describes, conceptualizes and explains the segregated spatiality of everyday life of young affluent heads of households in post-war Beirut, Lebanon. It tracks how young affluent heads of households have come to produce the living spaces of their everyday life in a spatially segregated way that rejects the local and is stretched out over the totality of the city. Its main objectives are to contribute to the literature on spatial segregation by (1) conceptualizing segregation in its residential and non-residential manifestations as actively and passively practiced by a certain profile of affluent individuals and (2) explaining the logic behind this type of segregation from the point of view of affluent individuals that are actively pursuing segregation. This research has utilized an ethnographic research approach that started from observing and understanding the motivations of individuals who are actively pursuing segregation. Based mainly on a qualitative research methodology, this research has utilized ethnographic field notes, qualitative interviews and participant observation with young affluent heads of households. The findings of this qualitative research have been supported by questionnaires that were distributed in five elite childcare nurseries in Beirut in which young affluent heads of households were outcropped. A total of 118 questionnaires were collected. The four core chapters of this thesis discuss the relationship of affluence to the local place around the home, to places of play, to non--places and to places of passage in post war Beirut. They conceptualize the spatiality of affluence in Beirut and propose the concept of the layer as one that captures the pattern of this spatiality and unlocks its logic. This thesis concludes by raising questions related to the changing role of neighbourhoods in Beirut and the changing nature of its urban condition. Indeed, to affluent individuals in Beirut the neighbourhood has become a space with which they avoid getting in contact, while, paradoxically, the city is perceived as a small neighbourly space where everyone knows everyone else.
Urban transportation problems in the Muscat area, Sultanate of Oman
public transport, urban networks, urban transport, parking, urban traffic, transport policy
The economy of Oman, was traditional in character before the development of the oil sector which set in motion the present structural transformation. Economic prosperity gave the opportunity to the public to possess their own private means of transport, thus resulting in a rapid increase in the number of vehicles in the country, particularly in the Muscat Area the capital city of the country. Free essential services such as health and education, and no taxes and duties have led to high disposable household income. Therefore, Muscat is witnessing rapid and successive land-use changes, expansion of the urban area and multi-car owning households. In the last two decades the population of Muscat increased considerably. This population growth was accompanied by a substantial expansion of Muscat's boundaries to provide homes, work places and other facilities. The topographical nature of the area limited the flat land available for housing, shops, schools, and other elements of the infrastructure. The resulting competition for space had as one of its consequences that insufficient land was allocated for car parking in the major activity centres, and the result was an acute shortage of parking spaces in these areas. The expansion of the Muscat Area was accompanied by changes in the employment and residential pattern. This resulted in a significant increase in number of vehicles, trips and commuting, and so the need for effective transport services and facilities became greater than ever before. The topographical features made it more difficult to provide sufficient transportation facilities. Development planning neglected the importance of arranging urban activities in such a way that the need for vehicle movements would be greatly reduced. It also resulted in low density population areas with street patterns mostly not designed for public transport services. This study sets out to discuss the problems of urban transportation in the Muscat Area and seeks to answer the following questions: What are the trip characteristics? How far do the natural topographical features inhibit the development of the Muscat road network? How does the existing network serve the needs of the area? How far can it cope with the traffic movement? Will the proposed major roads solve the present problems of traffic congestion and alleviate future ones? What are the main causes for traffic accidents? To what extent are car parking facilities adequate at the major activity centres? What is the role of Oman National Transport Company buses within the public transport system? The Muscat Area faces problems of traffic congestion and accidents, high demand on parking facilities and inadequate public transport. The situation is liable to deteriorate sharply in the next few years, unless effective action is taken. There is a need for a study that can provide immediate practical solutions and propose guidelines for future policy to ensure that the transport system is expanded and improved to cope with the needs arising from future growth. This study identifies factors contributing to the existing traffic problems with the intention of providing useful information which can help traffic planners and decision makers in understanding the nature of the problems, and finding solutions and guidelines for future policy. As far as methodology is concerned, a literature review is supported by fieldwork involving questionnaires and contacts with relevant authorities. Four types of surveys were conducted in order to collect information that can identify some of the factors that are contributory to the present problems. On the basis of the analysis of the data collected, urban transport problems are identified and discussed together with some possible solutions and recommendations.
Tradition, continuity and change in the physical environment : The Arab-Muslim city
architecture, urban form, built environment, Islamic city, Arab city, urban change
Issues within the context of the present cannot be isolated from their spatial or temporal context. Neither the past (tradition) nor the future (modern technology) can provide solutions to the problems of the present. Their value lies in the fact that they represent "resources" which broaden our choices and inform us as to how similar issues were or could be dealt with in different times and places. However, a society's past and the way that society conceives of its past provides modes of continuity which give the present its authenticity. If we are to deal with the issues of the present and hope for an authentic future, the authority of the past or tradition cannot be blindly accepted though its authenticity and relevance to the present must be recognized. The problem addressed here is that of a present physical environment in the Arab-Muslim city which is totally different from the traditional one. As a result of this difference, a sense of discontinuity and alienation has developed among the inhabitants of these cities. The purpose of this study is to understand how this process came about and how a sense of continuity with the past can be reestablished. To achieve this purpose four main issues are addressed here : (1) the origin and process of formation of the traditional physical environment; (2) the disparity between the traditional and the contemporary environment; (3) the origins of the disparity; and (4) the possible notions which might be suggested by way of reestablishing a sense of continuity between the past and the present. The legal system is used as a means of analysis in this study. This has helped us to see the physical environment within its socio-cultural context, by informing us about the ideological or structural level of the society and by pointing out accepted social norms and conventions and the mechanism of their social effectiveness. The law has helped us to point out the differences between the traditional and the contemporary process. In the traditional city, the process relied on rules of conduct or social conventions which proscribed certain actions on the part of the inhabitants. In the contemporary city, the rules are physical and prescriptive in nature. They prescribe in physical terms not only what is to be done but also how it is to be implemented. Implied within the traditional process is a reciprocal and possibilist relationship between form and use while the contemporary process advocates a determinist approach to the relationship of form and use. Several factors are believed to have worked in favor of the shift from the traditional process to the contemporary one in the Arab-Muslim city. Important among these are: the existence of certain implied ideologies; changes in the scale of development, power and technology; and problems within the field of architecture and urbanism and their relationship to the Arab-Muslim context. Only by being aware of these processes and factors can we conceive of an appropriate approach to reestablish a sense of continuity with the past that stems from the needs of the present and aspirations for the future.
Urbanisation in Qatar : A study of the residential and commercial land development in Doha city, 1970-1997
urban growth, urbanisation, urban development, land, land use
The state of Qatar provides an interesting illustration of a nation that has recently witnessed spectacular urban development worthy of investigation. Indeed, during the past three decades huge oil revenues have enabled the country to embark on unprecedented national development. The main thrust of this research study is urbanisation and urban development in Qatar and the impact this phenomenon has had on the urban growth of its capital city, Doha. This study sets out to examine a set of issues caused by the urbanisation process within the framework of urban growth and land use development. The present study examines urbanisation and its impact on the city development in the Arab Gulf states (GCC) in general and in Qatar in particular. The main objective of the study has been to trace the influence these changes have had on the general growth of the city and the land uses particularly the residential and commercial land development with particular emphasis on the political and socio-economic factors which form the main thrust of this research. In addition, the examination of the emerging urbanisation phenomenon has aimed to establish the necessary background before dealing with the topic at the scale of the capital city. Following these objectives, the study has adopted a combined approach, which can be described as historical and empirical. The historical setting provides the changing nature of urbanisation in the Gulf States (GCC) and Qatar by establishing the evolution of this phenomenon until the present time. This is clearly done through defining the evolutionary periods reflecting the urban development stages, which included two distinctive phases : the traditional (pre-oil period) and modern/contemporary periods. The empirical/analytical part focuses especially on the city of Doha with respect to its recent urban development, socio-economic characteristics and the changing land use patterns of which the residential and commercial development represents one of the most rapidly growing and changing land use types that took place in a relatively short period (1970-1997). Clearly, the empirical research begins by investigating the socio-economic and physical features of the city. The analysis points out the enormous scale of development that occurred in the city benefiting largely from massive urban development plans engendered by the remarkable growth of the country's oil economy. Subsequently, the research separately examines additional dimensions pertinent to the residential and commercial land development. The findings show to what extent the growth of the city has influenced the emerging patterns of land use that were drastically changed. Also, the findings always reveal the existence of a strong correlation between the overall economic performance of the country and the changing residential and commercial uses. Indeed, the economic and social transformations of Qatar have resulted in new emerging patterns that were utterly unknown before the advent of oil. The thesis presents this research topic in three main parts. The first consists of two chapters, which introduce the methodology and approaches adopted by the study and the theoretical aspects relevant to urbanisation, urban development and urban internal structure along with definitions and concepts as well as previous studies done for Qatar. The second part includes three chapters, which deal with urbanisation in the GCC and Qatar. Chapter three provides an historical perspective of urbanisation and urban development pertaining to the Arab Gulf States. Chapter four presents an in-depth analysis of urbanisation and urban development in Qatar. This is followed by another chapter, which exclusively deals with the overall characteristics of population in Qatar. Part three of the thesis is entirely concerned with the city of Doha. It is divided into five chapters. Chapter six is concerned with the evolution and development of Doha; its changing demographic aspects and the factors affecting the population structure of the city are examined in chapter seven. The remaining three chapters of this part (8,9 & 10) deal with the city's land use development in general and with the residential and the commercial land development in particular. For this purpose, chapter eight investigates the overall characteristics relevant to land use in the city. The central aim is to establish an objective understanding of the evolution of land uses, the major factors influencing their development and the present distribution patterns over the 1980-1997 period. The latter analytical stage involves examining the emerging patterns of the residential land development in an attempt to explore the changing patterns and the housing characteristics. In the third analytical phase, the analysis proceeds to consider the changing patterns of the commercial development within the city. A final summary of the findings, conclusion of the study and suggestions for future research are provided in chapter eleven.
A comprehensive approach to the study of the housing sector in Iraq with special reference to needs, standards, inputs, density and costs as factors in the analysis of housing problems in Baghdad
housing, urban growth, urban density, urban planning, housing policy
Iraq has a stock of buildings, particularly dwellings, many of which are neither physically fit nor capable of meeting the economic and social needs of today. Many people, particularly in the cities, live in overcrowded and insanitary conditions. Many dwellings are badly located and mixed with derelict land. Population is expected to grow and even without any rise in standards, this would greatly increase the need for building and works of all kinds. At the macro level the main cause of the housing problem must be attributed to the process of migration and urbanization, which have contributed to the creation of slums and squatter settlements. At the policy level, the existing machinery of planning is scarcely adequate. Housing has conventionally received only scant attention in national development plans and this central neglect is mirrored by a similar failure at the municipal level. At the micro level, with which this study has primarily been concerned, it must be emphasised that housing is not simply an economic commodity but has deep social and political as well as environmental implications. The increasing gap between incomes and housing costs has to be contained and this can only be done by operating on a number of fronts simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to examine the housing sector in Iraq with special reference to the city of Baghdad-from the point of view that housing is not only a shelter which provides protection from the elements but a synthesis in which social, economic, physical and political forces interact. The study also develops an argument that housing density is not simply another planning index to be used with others in the formulation of town plans but a crucial variable which once fixed will have far reaching effects not only to the inhabitants of the housing areas but also to the social, economic and physical environment of the urban structure as a whole. The study adopts two related approaches. The first approach is a general survey of the causes and effects of housing problems and the interrelationships of housing aspects. Then, having identified particular topics of concern, the study examines some of these, such as housing needs, standards, housing inputs, i. e. land, finance building materials, labour and the construction industry, housing densities and costs relationships, in some detail. The study stresses the need to establish principles and processes of comprehensive analysis stems from the importance of housing as a community problem area, since housing is a major land use and its form reflects and influences, in a critical way, the pattern of urban experience and activity. Throughout, the aim has not been to produce a model or concrete figures so much as to analyse present trends and suggest some likely future developments in the hope that, with modification and. improvement, this study could act as a basis for further detailed study of the housing sector and assist in the formulation of long - term housing programme.
Urban metamorphosis and change in Central Asian cities after the Arab invasions
urban history, Islamic city, urbanisation, urban form, rabad
This work is a study in urban history, in particular, one that examines a crucial period in the rise and development of large cities and metropolises in the region of Sogdiana within Central Asia, between the seventh and tenth centuries. The primary focus of inquiry is to show the effects of inter-relationships between social change, intense urbanization and religious conversions that occurred within Sogdiana at this time. All of these processes were initiated as a result of the Arab invasions between 625 and 750 A.D. Sogdia or Sogdiana, along with the regions of Bactria and Khwarazm, were incorporated into the Islamic world through the process of conquest that followed these invasions, but once resistance was extinguished and Islam widely accepted among the populace, these regions became among the most vital centers of urban life in the Islamic world. Sogdiana, among these three regions, witnessed the rise, change and unprecedented development of many large metropolises that were distinct in several ways from the cities in other parts of the Islamic world. Traditional cities in the Islamic world further west and south of Central Asia had a dense structure within an encircling wall, and eventually the residential areas were found to extend beyond the wall, only themselves to be eventually protected by another wall. However, in Central Asia yet another further stage of development took place. Here the main administrative functions and markets moved out into this outer residential area and abandoned the central core. This outer area of the city (the rabad) became the locus of political and commercial activity. In due course the process repeated itself - the residential areas overflowing beyond the walls of the rabad, only themselves to be surrounded by a third outer wall. In this way the Central Asian city developed into a distinct type, markedly different from cities further west and south.
Henri Lefebvre and the concrete research of space : Urban theory, empirical studies, architecture practice
Lefebvre Henri, urban space, spatial planning, architecture, urban planning, habitation
This dissertation discusses the mainly unpublished empirical, or "concrete", studies of urban space by Henri Lefebvre (1901 - 1991) and demonstrates that Lefebvre's theory of production of space cannot be understood without taking these studies into account. Based on archival research and interviews with former collaborators of Lefebvre, this dissertation allows for a re-reading of the theory of production of space that demonstrates its relevance for today's urban research and design practice in architecture and urbanism. While Lefebvre's work, since its rediscovery in the 1990s, has contributed to the theoretical renewal of sociology and geography, its significance for empirical analysis and design disciplines has been hardly recognized. This dissertation fills this gap by showing that the crucial sources of the main questions, methods and arguments of the theory of production of space were Lefebvre's engagements in empirical studies on the everyday practices of habitation in the 1960s and 1970s in France and his analyses of suburban housing and collective estates. This allows situating the key concepts of Lefebvre's theory of space within the political, economic, intellectual, urbanistic, and architectural transitions of post-war France.
Civitas et urbs : The idea of the city and the historical imagination of urban governance in Spain, 19th-20th centuries
governance, imaginary, urban history, city politics, urban policy, local authorities
A thesis on the imagination of historical forms of modern governance in Spain in the 19th and 20th centuries. Contents : 1. The city and the historical imagination 2. From the ancient to the modern city 3. The city and the state 4. The regulation of the city 5. The municipal autonomy of the modern city 6. The city as historical representation 7. From the modern to the ancient city Appendix I : The contents of municipal ordinances Appendix II : Figures
Managing megacities : A case study of metropolitan regional governance for Dhaka
city politics, megacity, governance, region
Megacities of over 10 million population are a phenomenon not seen before in human history. Among 19 Megacities, 14 are in developing countries and 11 are in Asia. Dhaka represents one of the most extreme examples of rapid Megacity growth having a mere 129,000 at the start of the 20th century, 417,000 by 1950 and more than 12 million in 2001. How can a city be governed that has increased 30 times in size over a person’s lifetime? This thesis makes a case for integrated Metropolitan Regional Governance (MRG) of the Extended Metropolitan Region of Dhaka. The growing problems of Asian Megacities in general and Dhaka in particular are outlined, showing how governance has developed in a sectoral and national way rather than being place oriented. This has fractured and become totally inadequate as a means of solving the deep environmental, social and economic problems of the Megacity. The governance issues of Megacities are traced to the primary problem of the need for integrative functions in strategic and statutory planning as well as development facilitation of the Extended Metropolitan Region (EMR). Ten core principles of Metropolitan Regional Governance are established. Without this, the Megacity’s functions of infrastructure, investment, housing, environmental management, employment etc. are not coordinated or prioritised in ways that lead to ‘common good’ sustainability outcomes. The ten principles are applied to four Asian Megacities – Metro-Manila, Tokyo, Bangkok and Jakarta – to confirm their relevance and application before applying them to Dhaka. The problems of Dhaka are outlined then an analysis of Dhaka governance options is attempted based on the ten core principles of MRG. Four possibilities are analysed and a way forward is suggested combining the options. The proposed structure will build on the present system with greater responsibilities for strategic planning, statutory planning and development facilitation. It will also build up municipalities through a more transparent and engaged local planning process and create partnerships for infrastructure development. The proposed governance structure would use the dynamism of the Megacity to create sustainable solutions and hope for the future of the city. The key to implementation will be finding the political solution to make such painful change, and training professionals in the broad integrative skills of urban sustainability and community engagement that are required for the region as well as the participation and partnership skills at local level.
In whose interest? A critical approach to Southeast Asia’s urban transport dynamics
transport policy, public transport, transport, infrastructure
During recent decades, urban transport systems in Southeast Asia’s industrialising high growth economies were transformed. The ownership and use of privatelyowned cars and motorcycles grew in all cities, simultaneous to the introduction of new forms of public transportation including rail rapid transit in the larger metropolises. While these cities all experienced dynamic change, the relative rate and direction of the changes to urban transport systems varied greatly as did levels of success. Singapore emerged as a highly efficient transit metropolis whilst Bangkok and other cities gained notoriety as some of the world’s great traffic disasters. Why these differences emerged, particularly given a regional and global context of increasing interaction and exchange of ideas and of capital flows, presents a compelling question largely unanswered by previous research. A review of the general state of knowledge about urban transport worldwide reveals fundamental disagreements over basic questions such as the social value of motorisation, the relative merits of specific modes and technologies, and prescriptions for change. However, there is a general consensus that interest groups or rent-seekers influence urban transport, which can not be understand in solely technical or value-free terms. A literature review focused on Southeast Asian cities finds that in contrast to theoretical perspectives on cities of the industrialised world, there is less acknowledgement of interests and values and more emphasis on instrumental knowledge which can be used to address immediate problems such as rapid growth in motorisation, traffic congestion, and pollution. Questions such as who wins and who loses from changes to urban transport systems are not systematically examined in the existing literature on Southeast Asian cities. In order to address this gap, a case study analysis of three key cities, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore is undertaken. This analysis utilises policy and planning documents, monographs and academic works, newspapers and archival materials, discussions with key informants, and participant observation, to reveal the significant actors and processes which shape urban transport. The study finds that the presence or absence of actors and complexions of interests in the development of urban land, urban transport equipment, infrastructure construction and operation, and local environmental improvements are linked to specific urban transport outcomes. The findings provide a basis for future research, particularly in cities of the developing world characterised by economic growth, rapid motorisation of urban transport systems, and substantial inequalities of wealth and power.
The magic of the city : Representing places of the dead in the contemporary Western metropolis
urban culture, magic, cemetery, graveyard, memorial, dead
This thesis posits that throughout history, the Western city has been made and understood according to a shared image of the cosmos. It argues that though the contours of this cosmos have changed over time and place, collectively held understandings of the city endure to the present day. Drawing on literary and cultural theory, this way of understanding the city may be conceptualised as "magical", that is incorporating knowledge which is hermeneutic and mythical, as well as empirical. The specific example of places of the dead, understood as cemeteries, memorials and other locations at which the dead are actually or symbolically interred, is used in this thesis to test the notion that that the city may continue to be understood as a reflection of world view. Places of the dead provide an appropriate test case for this task, as their forms and locations have clear associations with temporally and culturally specific understandings of the city. This thesis applies textual analysis and discourse analysis to seven case studies of contemporary places of the dead in order to examine the way in which the magic of the city may operate in one typology of place. It considers the representation of these case studies in a large array of texts, with particular emphasis on fictional, and thus potentially "magical", texts such as novels, television series and architectural drawings, as well as postcards, movies, cartoons, photographs, songs and paintings. The results of the case studies are used to argue not only that the city continues to be understood using a wide variety of ways of knowing, but also that these alternative epistemologies offer insights into contemporary cities which are not gained through the use of conventional methodologies.