The Dynamic Metropolis - Report Example

The Dynamic Metropolis D. Chong The modern metropolis comes as a surprise to itself in consideration of its ever growing dynamism starting from its inception to its present state and in its future aspirations. The voyage of the metropolis through the times encompasses a variety of processes and intermediate states of evolution encompassing a multitude of factors like political, social, ethnic and of course those relating to the economic prosperity and the general well being of the urbanites. The issue of urban dynamism and evolution has been discussed in the light of certain headings that follow. From Institutional to Jobless Ghettos: W J Wilson. An issue of central concern in relation to the American poor is the social deterioration of the ghetto(Wilson: From Institutional to Jobless Ghettos). Such deterioration is clearly discernable through the loss of social cohesion among the urban residents which is referred to as the loss of neighboring. This goes in step with the loss of infrastructure which is known as the loss of neighborhood.. The ghetto which was envisaged by the early twentieth century Chicago social scientists as the future assimilation centers between the blacks and the whites did not live up to such promises. It was quite confirmed, by 1945, that a racial color line discriminated against the black in different social and economic areas and this was effectively taking its toll on the entire nation reducing its prosperity and its overall solidarity. Segregated neighborhoods creating discriminatory opportunities had paved the way for a “new urban poverty” very much detrimental to the interests of the community it its entirety. The expected melting pot of the Chicago scientists was a failure. The situation described above is marked by a failure to maintain effective social control to achieve common goals in relation to the ghettos. Failure in homogenizing social groups in the areas of collective responsibility and collective participation led to the “Jobless Ghettos”. These are characterized by poor income and a severe lack of basic standards and fair opportunities. Regulation Theory ,Post Fordism and Urban Politics Post Fordism(Amin, Ash ,1994). relates to the socio-economic phenomena in the late twenties that lead to a dominant form of economic activity in terms of production, consumption and the allied areas. It was marked by a change from mass production of the same type of commodity to the production in small batches of several distinct items in the same production unit with sufficient flexibility to accommodate the whims and caprices of the market. This idea of Flexible Specialization was a dominant concept associated with Post Fordism. Associated with this were the notions: ”Regimes of Accumulation” and the “Modes of Regulation” . The first phrase relates to the systems of production and consumption the second one to the formal and the informal laws governing them. The main impact of Post Fordism was the segregation of the market into different groups. The mass market became less dominant paving the way for smaller fragmented markets like luxury items and the like. This also ushered in changes in the economy and in urban politics. Mass Marketing was replaced by Flexible Specialization. The nature of work force changed . Politically social movements based on region, gender gained predominance over class based politics. Sustainable Development [WCED] Sustainable development (WCED,1987) is concept that associates with the present needs of the society, the aspirations and the requirements of the future generations. Overriding priority to the requirements of the poor are viewed in the light of available technology and social organization. Transformation of the society and the economy should take care of the future needs and the dynamism of the process involved is expected to be in step with the global changes in every conceivable perspective. Dangerous Spaces of Citizenship This term(Holston,2008) is usually applied to the Brazilian democracy but it may be extended across the Latin-American borders to other regions where criminal groups and gangs seek the protection of democracy and rights ensuing from it. They are engaged in a battle to favor pamper unlawful motives by using the law itself. Democracy in these instances has created a feeling of insecurity due to abetment of violence, crime and anti social activities to the extent that the replacement of dictatorial repression by a democratic form is losing its effectiveness in the countries concerned. Gangsters would like to be treated equally like other citizens and enjoy all the benefits of democracy, creating dangerous spaces in citizenship. These spaces are harboring criminals, terrorists and the like -----inviting all possible detrimental effects on the society. Dangerous citizens would raise the slogans of democracy making themselves the spokesmen of such rights as would protect them against vice-full practices Interconnectedness of the World through Globalization: 1)Transnationalism Transnationalism (Smith,,2003) is an important aspect in the perspective of globalization in today’s world. The urban areas of the advanced countries like the USA are inhabited by people having their roots in distant lands. They participate in all possible areas of social and political involvement in the lands from where they originated. There are interesting examples of Croatians living in Bosnia and USA leading to rise of Franjo Tudjman and Mexican communities abroad changing the political complexion of Mexico. All this make it increasingly significant to estimate the future of such interconnected localities across the globe, especially the urban ones, with a view to what is known as “transnational urbanism” 2)Cities and Diversities Diversity (Fainstein,2005) constitutes a key issue in urban planning. Diversity removes the dull sense of monotony associated with a prototype secure life which characterizes the urban concept.. The boredom of city life can have a disastrous effect on the socio economic development of the urban community .Diversity is indispensable and it relates not only to the blending of different types of buildings with interesting architectural features but it goes far beyond that into cultural diversity and ratio-ethnic intermixing that can make a city animate and vivacious----providing a serious impetus to its growth and prosperity. A beautiful city without any life in it is like a graveyard---something least aspired in the psychological well being of the urban community. 3)Zone The expressions of architecture and urbanism reflect a picture of the “globalized” world in a manner far more effective than the associated political trends and diplomatic aspirations. This extrastatecraft stays within the camouflage of political workouts .Yet it portrays in an unfailing manner the interconnectedness in the global urban texture through several expressions. The “zones”( Esterling)are inseparably linked with such a concept. Generally speaking there four basic types of zones: foreign Trade Zone, Export Processing Zone, Special Economic zone and the Free Trade Zone. Their variants are innumerable in number, encompassing in their remit aspects like trade, commerce, finance, communication and a complex set of technologies. These “zones” in their divers capabilities not only advance national prosperity but they help in fostering global well being in the true sense. 4)Urban Planning and Global Climate Change The plan of the cities should be competent enough to cope up with the changes in the Global Climate(Wheeler,City Reader). The rise of temperature due to the excessive presence of the Green House Gases[GHG] like carbon dioxide is an important factor to reckon with. By the middle of the century the global temperature is expected to rise by 20 C(3.60 F). Any failure to include such considerations in the plan of urban areas can prove to be disastrous for the future. SANDIG(San Diego Association of Government Regional Agency) has devised a scheme to extend its light rail and bus transport to curb pollution. Locating houses, offices and commercial centers near railway stations is supportive to such a cause. Government agencies at Toronto and London are pushing their efforts along similar lines. Enhancement in the use of bicycles and pedestrian routes can not only save fossil fuel but serve to control pollution by restricting the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere. The Urban Design Manifesto( Jacobs,Appleyard,Towards an Urban Manifesto,1987) The Charter of Athens and the Garden City movement advocated tall buildings with large spaces around them. This maintained the density criterion appropriate for the urban areas. But tall buildings sitting in space are like isolated islands disconnected from one another with a stunning apathy towards human confluence and intermixing. The inward orientation of human activity confined to such secluded islands fails to conform to the correct and desirable standard of a vivacious urban culture congenial towards the well being of the society and its forward movement into the future. Cities are not meant to be sophisticated farmlands with so much of intervening space between the buildings. Rather buildings surrounding open spaces could prove supportive to social and cultural intermixing and an upsurge of commercial activities with a greater amount interaction between the urbanites. That would usher in an overall positive impact to break the monotonous segregation characterizing life in cities having a calm and a gracious disposition. With garden cities the main thrust is on the garden aspect and not so much on the city itself. It seems to recognize the basic attribute of a city ----something that is supposed to be buzzing with life and full of challenges calling for a spontaneous participation of the residents. A well planned city catering to the best possible amenities but lacking in diversity can at best be a plan for creating monotony in the life of people residing in it. It should be the least preferred option in so far as the psychological aspects of urban life are concerned. Goals for urban life may be listed as: Livability, Identity and control, assess to imagination, joy and opportunities, Authenticity and meaning, urban fabric for an urban life, urban self reliance. The ideas of architect Teddy Cruz in renovating towns on the Hudson, New York, fall in line with the concepts of Jacobs and Appleyard.. The scheme of renovation finds inspiration from the shanty towns of Tijuana, Mexico. Where one may view only squalor and poverty Teddy Cruz saw the vibrant, positive attributes of human life that could be incorporated into the architectural and social framework of a town development. Initially he worked out his methods in the suburbs of San Diego by developing simple housing complexes into a matrix of community spaces that attracted different types of business establishments leading to the creation of highly layered spaces. Later Teddy Cruz was invited by artist David Deutsch who was worried of gentrification on the Hudson. Poorer sections, failing to keep up with the high living costs, got displaced from their former locations. The basic aim of the project was to integrate the poor and the rich into a new mosaic projecting the basic features of a healthy cosmopolitan life . Subtle interconnections between the affluent and the underprivileged were initiated through several programs. The plan included a narrow park running through a series of city blocks commenting the Warren and the State Streets. The eastern edge of the park included a mixed-use housing complex providing apartments arranged like building blocks encompassing a series of public zones meant for interactions of divers nature. Such a plan was in keeping with the idea of buildings surrounding open spaces rather than buildings sitting in open spaces like fragmented islands discouraging mutual interaction. The pictures(Aurossoff,2008) in the slides bear testimony to these assertions. Contested Cities(Harvey, Contested cities) The modern cities face a multitude of contests and conflicts in relation to how they should be designed for the future. These contests incorporate a huge number of factors relating to the environment, socio-economic factors, ethnic and religious factors and several types of conflicting agenda that lead to the attributes of a contest. In the distant past only a small fraction of the world population inhabited the urban areas. The said percentage has increased considerably over the years and by the turn of the century much more than fifty percent of the global population will inhabit the urban areas. Cities are no more a set of artificial discontinuities in the environment but are the natural ingredients of the environment in all its diversities. The processes relating to the design and the transformation of the cities are of an over-arching significance. These processes and their products, that is, the cities are not only inseparable but they contribute towards each other in the process of their mutual evolution. The process of development of a city may include socio economic factors and the city itself may influence or modify the concerned factors-----there is flow in both the directions. It would be interesting to consider some concrete distinct cases in relation to the above statements. Roads and green spaces serve to be vital components of metropolitan composition. But they should not be designed in a manner that confers advantage to one community or socio-ethnic group over the others. They should server to unite people, generate harmony and economic prosperity rather than to segregate them. The design of an urban area and the ensuing processes implementing it should be aimed at a common united welfare with a minimum involvement of vested interests. Road 1 in Jerusalem divides the Israeli and the Palestinian areas and serves to provide a bypass route to the Israelis in order to avoid Palestinians. Due to fear of disharmony or violence there are few roads connecting the two communities. This can create greater segregation between the two groups in the name of peaceful intentions. Interconnections between different communities, different ethnic and religious groups and the ensuing activities like trade commerce and cultural exchange do have a better scope of resolving any existing embitterment. Malls and other commercial establishments can always serve be the confluence of different social and ethnic groups, allowing healthy interactions between them. The universal language of commerce can unite people and these malls are the appropriate venues for such actions. Turkish Cypriots from Nicosia come to the Greek-Cypriotic side to purchase global brands which are not available in their own areas. Similarly, in Jerusalem Palestinians come to Mamilla for shopping. The language is English here and the ambience is less Israeli or less Palestinian----there is sense of neutrality. In another example the city centre at Belfast provides unity between the Catholics and the Protestants through a host of cultural participation, colorful festivals and commercial vibrancy. These “shared spaces” (http://www.conflictincities.org/)can diffuse tension by providing the scope for intermixing and fruitful interactions. Palestinians residing in the French Hill do not usually socialize with the Jewish Israeli neighbors. They avoid sending their children to the Hebrew Language schools popular with the Israelis. Even then, some public and commercial facilities are shared by both the ethno-national groups. This is an encouraging prospect in view towards peaceful co-existence on the same land by contending groups. The forgoing discussion coming under some relevant headings reflects modern thinking in urban planning. It projects the movement from the Athens Charter or the Garden City plan to a new composition of the metropolis that puts a greater thrust on the human dynamism and the psychological factors of hope and aspirations of the urbanites. The concerns of the city development are coming closer to the psychological requirements of the inhabitants. References Amin, Ash (1994). Post-fordism: A Reader. Blackwell Publishing. Economic and Social Research Council of Great Britain,Conflict in Cities and the Contested State,2007. http://www.conflictincities.org/newsandevents.html 7. Esterling, Keller,Zone, http://places.designobserver.com/feature/zone-the-spatial-softwares-of-extrastatecraft/34528/ 6 Fanstein Susan, 2005, “Cities and Diversities”. http://www.feantsa.org/files/housing_wg/Husing%20WG%20Prague%202006/social_diversity.pdf 11. Harvey, David, “Contested Cities”, http://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=q1ZdcL59q0EC&oi=fnd&pg=PA17&dq=contested+cities+david+harvey&ots=v2WIqJdVPr&sig=2YnTOLNiESLk_-wlzTkjiiLNJZQ#v=onepage&q=contested%20cities%20david%20harvey&f=false Holston , James,2008,Dangerous Spaces of Citizenship,Princeton University Press. http://clas.berkeley.edu/Publications/workingpapers/pdffiles/HolstonWeb.pdf Jacobs Allan and Appleyard Donald, 1987,“Towards an Urban Design Manifesto”. http://www.placesfromspaces.org.uk/members/Toward%20an%20Urban%20Design%20Manifesto%20-%20Allan%20Jacobs%20and%20Donald%20Appleyard%20%281987%29.pdf Ouroussoff Nikolai,2008, Learning from teddy Cruz, New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/arts/design/19hous.html Smith, Peter Michael, 2003,Transnationalism and Citizenship. http://hcd.ucdavis.edu/faculty/webpages/smith/articles/transnationalism_and_citizenship.pdf WCED, 1987,Sustainable Development. http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm) Wheeler , Stephen, ”Urban Planning and Global Climate Change”. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=tCBJTQJYgcoC&pg=PA458&lpg=PA458&dq=Wheeler,+Stephen,+%E2%80%9DUrban+Planning+and+Global+Climate+Change%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=rxzRS88zAc&sig=5j4Np2kSbQEy3t3jkqmBrdMrr3Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rdLJULqPIsb9rAfDqYDYCA&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Wheeler%2C%20Stephen%2C%20%E2%80%9DUrban%20Planning%20and%20Global%20Climate%20Change%E2%80%9D&f=false .Wilson,William Julius,From Institutional to Jobless Ghettos. http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/soc235ch18.html Read More