Lecture 25 Experiencing cities

PLACE PLACE PLACE PLACE 

think of city as a place

Intended learning outcomes 

By the end of the lecture you would be able to:

•understand changes to city places
•appreciate how we experience city places
•frame contrasting perspectives of city places

Gentrification 

Salford uays 1988-now
shift in particular place 

•Can you ‘feel’ this transition?
- experience place what was it like when cotton industry like this

•Does it matter if we feel it?
- does it matter we consider the past- what lessons we leart

•Why such ‘feelings’ interest Geographers?

•- Postmodernism

•- De-industrialisation
- industrial belt- deindustrialisation, abandoned gold mines... cities

- inequality growing depending on what youre doing

- what do examples like this tell us 

small spaces

downtown/city

suburb/inner city

jobs mainly located downtown?

people who used to live in old city problem- develop skills.. new job?

employees coming from new places

Another example 

spikey tall building area downtown CBD expansion urban fringe 

deindustrialisation- previous jobs that were there disappeared
jobs mainy loated downtown 

suburbs- further away places

immediate vicinity people who used to live in CBD/older city have a problem- either they upgrade their skills go into new job, not educated to get these jobs - not easy. findig jobs over there for people living here not easy. Employeees coming from differeent parts of the world. 

PostModern transition in terms of location of jobs and who can get it.

Blackbel- where can people get their jobs from? upward job- many jobs disappeared as a result life in ghetto has become bleak.  

Book -  When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor (William Julius Wilson, 1996)

Film called Do the right thing is a narrative saying violence, hate stereotype... but also generation moving out.

As always, there are contrasting framings…

•Social conservatives say ‘the residents are to be blamed’
- problem of the generation
•The liberals blame ‘the systematic discrimination’

Which side would you take?
- analyse situation difffereing viewpoiints then educate yourself informed perspecitve

Write down 3 words to describe how this landscape makes you feel.

• claustophobic 
• rushed
• busy

bigger crowd- unknown .. can become part of it... hide

Rural green space park

Makes me feel:

• peaceful
• calm
• happy

Busy streets as sites of
motion,stress, consumption,
production, service…

Parks and open spaces as
sites of relaxation, leisure
and peacefulness…

These are our essential
social infrastructure.
And, we all pay for these!

Hustle and bustle of city might be attractive:

•Signifies activity – excitement, liveliness
- tourists enjoy.. e.g. london buckingham palace

•Opportunities – cultural, economic, social

•Enjoying rush and anonymity

•Response to natural environments came up in Landscape lectures.

•Biophilia
- philosophical .. we are part of nature, way of thinking... pantheism?
- endorsed by fantasy films?

Biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.
Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book, 
Biophilia (1984).
He defines biophiliaas "the urge to affiliate with other forms of life"

Parkland may be construed as risky or dangerous:

•Bushes that conceal people and hide illicit activities
(and often defined as ecosystem disservices)
•Contact with strangers
•Presence of a wide variety of people

 •Ideas of risk centre on unknown/unknowable including poor lighting and overgrowth.

mobiility affected day/night perception changes... no streetlights? dark? attract certain people... thugs, robbers

•Physical, sensory, intellectual or emotional impairments (illness) or stature (bodily difference) – or caring for someone in this category

•Rights to the city – based on lack of power (resources) and unequal platform for engagement

•Overlap between the two  

v expensive... who will this attract? restricting?

reducing public good to toll good (can only experience this good if you pay)

Faecal sludge passing through from wealthy to low-income areas in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

sh1t from wealthy area... goes to slum

dgaf

•Natural/embedded reaction of self preservation

•Link between emotional and physical response to place.

•Rational approach of taking the shortest route (although minimising risks also rational). 

There are two thngs here, this group is practicing expressing their certain deprivation in their life by vandalism - but humans who enjoy this service have to avoid this confrontation.

How can you tackle this situation?

Some people fight against cars 

 - citiy becoming polluted by use of car... photochemical smog... pollution caused by car exhausts...

- breathe in particiles...

- secondary succession road verges... nitrogen loving plants

Right to cycling in the city- major thing in London- ots of practice of right- exercising what we need in our cities.

Children's right to play

Children's park by the cars on both sides- children deprived of open playing that could be really fun. 

Violence against women - demonstrations take place in city centre 

Homelessness is one element of different experiences of city life- not easy to get a roof over your head. Also many potentially young people are suffering from this.

Guerilla knitting and cultivation

Counter-movements to make productive use of space. For example Guerrilla Knitting and cultivation - city places being cultivated as a public good- who benefits- giving things a nice feel. 

food that is grown source of suplementary diet.

Tiananmen Square,  China, 1989

Tahirir Square,  Egypt, 2011

society changing movement takes place city squares are the places of history movements- 

big squares where society changing movement takes place

•Psychological – temperament 

•Physicality – embodied interaction - can expand idea.. how you wanna characterise cities

•Use of senses/sensory impairment

•Cultural and spiritual background
- some cities characterised by their culture 

•Personal interests and identity– what you’re used to/where you grew up/family hobbies…

•Immediate needs – reason for being there

•Capabilities and resources
- disability access... wheelchair.. blind ... mobilities affected... fair access?
- disability access... wheelchair.. blind ... mobilities affected... fair access?

•Cultural norms and acceptable ways of behaving

•Urban design has traditionally prioritised the needs of working, able bodied, male, city dwellers and commuters – particularly prioritising the commercial/economic function of cities.

•Traditional presumptions in urban design are now being challenged (answering why we are interested in changes to areas such as Salford Quay).

•Appreciating ‘The Right to the City’ (David Harvey)

- idea city owned by citizens... politicians there to serve citizens.. hw do we make this city accessible citizen.. debate

-understand past ability grow futue

- Think about the changes that occur to and within cities – its causes/drivers & consequences
if something happens today what will be the consequence 

- Critically reflect on what you see, how you feel, why you feel like that etc. regarding city places (there is nothing wrong the way we feel – as geography students you to start explaining these feelings)
- how do you feel, why do you feel like that - your right to feel - explain feelings put into context with theories 

- Situate yourself in line with/against concepts such as ‘The Right to the City’ – you will get a lot more on this over the next 3 years.