scholarly journals Biblical garden – a review, characteristics and definition based on twenty years of research

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zofia Włodarczyk

Abstract Biblical gardens have existed in the public space for almost 80 years, and yet still up to this moment no scientific definition of this type of garden layout has been developed, nor has any detailed characterization of them been published. Multifaceted, interdisciplinary research carried out in the years 1996-2017 made it possible to gather detailed data pertaining to 63 biblical gardens all over the world, primarily including the oldest ones. The fundamental characteristics of existing sites were determined on the basis of these results, including their naming in different languages, presentation through a logo and motto, plant selection along with the manner of its presentation, the symbols that they employ, street and garden furniture being used and the arrangements of miniature landscapes. An in-depth analysis of the material that had been gathered made it possible to formulate a scientific definition of a biblical garden as a specific type of greenery arrangement. The specifics of biblical gardens lie in the fact that they possess significant semantic value and are an illustration of the sacred texts of the Bible, one of the greatest works of literature. Various artistic works are being used in their arrangement, in addition to modern forms of design, which highlight sensory values through referring to the senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste.

Author(s):  
Elīna Gailīte

The article “Problems of defining folk dance in Latvia today” examines the aspects that affect the current situation in Latvia, where folk dances are understood as both folk dances that have not been modified by choreographers, dances passed down through generations that can be danced every day, and stage folk dances, which are a type of art performed by folk dance ensembles, created by choreographers and dances adapted to the stage performance. The research aim is to identify and describe the problems that currently exist in the Latvian cultural space, where the definition of folk dances creates tension in the public space and ambiguous opinions among dancers. Nowadays, it is possible to identify such concepts as, for example, folk dance, ethnographic dance, authentic dance, traditional dance, folklore dance, folk dance, folk dance adaptation, field dance, folk ballet, etc. Consistent use of concepts is rarely seen in the documents and research of cultural policymakers and the historical and contemporary works of choreographers and researchers. Often they are only described in general terms. A survey conducted in 2019 shows that dancers consider stage folk dances to be folk dances, and often this separation of dances is not important for them. Another problem is the designation of folk dance ensembles where stage folk dance dancers are dancing. The term misleads; it suggests that folk dances are danced there. However, this designation is linked to its historical time of origin. It is not insignificant that the stage folk dance is more popular, more visible, and massively represented at the Song and Dance Festival. Thus, a part of the society associates it with our folk dances.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Francesca Menichelli

This article investigates what happens to urban space once an open-street CCTV system is implemented, framing the analysis in terms of the wider struggle that unfolds between different urban stakeholders for the definition of acceptability in public space. It is argued that, while the use of surveillance cameras was initially seen as functional to the enforcement of tighter control and to the de-complexification of urban space so as to make policing easier, a shift has now taken place in the articulation of this goal. As a result, it has slowly progressed to affect the wider field of sociability, with troubling consequences for the public character of public space. In light of this development, the article concludes by making the case for a normative stance to be taken in order to increase fairness and diversity in the city.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimazono Susumu

Abstract Until the 1990s, a commonly held view in Japan was that Buddhism had withdrawn from public space, or that Buddhism had become a private concern. Although Buddhist organizations conducted relief and support activities for the people affected at the time of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, they were often seen to be out of place, and little attention was given to them by the media. However recently there are areas in which Buddhism can be seen as playing new roles in the public sphere. Religious organizations seem to be expected to perform functions in fields that lie outside the narrow definition of religion. These expectations are becoming stronger among Buddhist organizations as well. In this paper, I describe some areas in the public sphere in which Buddhist groups are starting to play important roles including disaster relief, support of the poor and people without relatives, provision of palliative care and spiritual care, and involvement in environmental and nuclear plant issues.


IDEA JOURNAL ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 88-101
Author(s):  
Menna Agha ◽  
Els DeVos

In 1964, indigenous Nubians were displaced from their original land – the land between what is now Egypt and that of Sudan – to modernised settlements built by the Egyptian state. The Nubians dissatisfaction with the novel built environment translated into transgressive public spaces. One of the most common transgressions was the addition of an external bench called Mastaba. Since power relations between men and women have changed, the built environment now acts as a catalyst in the exclusion of women from formal public spaces such as conventional coffee shops and squares. Mastabas function as liminal spaces, spaces which blur the boundaries between public and private spheres. As these spaces do not suit the formal understanding of public spaces, we investigate these liminal spaces in order to reveal the spatial tactics of the marginal. We argue that the existence of these spaces raises issues of spatial justice and spatial resistance.    The behaviour of liminal public spaces varies; they have the ability to transform adjacent spaces. This research investigates the role of the Mastaba in opening up the public space for women, thereby giving them the ability to contribute to the writing of their social contract. We base our analysis on extensive fieldwork, consisting of auto-ethnographic observations and participation, informed by a feminist epistemology. We use tools of spatial analysis to explore an alternative public space offered by liminality. To question the binary notions of private and public space, we ask ourselves: where does that space start? As spatial professionals, we also wonder: can we contest the hegemonic definition of public space and contribute to spatial resistance? Drawing lessons from the case of the Mastaba, we propose contingencies for designing the liminal that serve the marginal.


2020 ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Elisa Pozo Menéndez

ResumenEl presente trabajo aborda el reto del envejecimiento activo desde la perspectiva del diseño urbano: ¿son los espacios públicos de las ciudades españolas “amigables” para las personas mayores? Se ha realizado una caracterización de las necesidades específicas del adulto mayor y los elementos de diseño del espacio público que deberían tenerse en cuenta en proyectos de renovación urbana. Esta caracterización, junto con una revisión de guías y documentos técnicos, ha dado como resultado la selección de 25 elementos para la evaluación de un caso de estudio en el casco urbano de la ciudad consolidada de las 3 ciudades españolas más pobladas. Los resultados muestran un mínimo de habitabilidad y accesibilidad de los espacios públicos, pero un déficit en los parámetros de calidad para favorecer entornos “amigables” con las personas mayores, como zonas estanciales con bancos ergonómicos, elementos de apoyo cada cierta distancia o señalética accesible para orientarse en las calles.AbstractThis study addresses active ageing from the urban perspective: are public spaces in Spanish cities age-friendly? A characterization of the older adult has been done identifying the elements of the public space that should be considered in projects of urban renovation. From this characterization, as well as a review of guides and technical documents, 25 elements have been proposed in order to evaluate one study case in the urban city centre of the 3 largest cities in Spain. Results show a minimum quality of habitability and accessibility in the built environment. However, there is a lack of quality parameters in order to promote healthy and age-friendly urban environments, such as ergonomic benches in places to stay, minimum distance between supports or signals to support way-finding in streets.


PMLA ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-635
Author(s):  
César Domínguez

A conventional definition of cosmopolitanism stressesrelationships to a plurality of cultures understood as distinctive entities. (And the more the better; cosmopolitans should ideally be foxes rather than hedgehogs.) But furthermore cosmopolitanism in a stricter sense includes a stance toward diversity itself, toward the coexistence of cultures in the individual experience…. It is an intellectual and aesthetic stance of openness toward divergent cultural experiences. (Hannerz 239)In the foundation of comparative literature as a distinctive discipline, cosmopolitanism was valued for its “exoticism”—namely, the feeling of being “a citizen ‘of every nation,’ not to belong to one's ‘native country’” (Texte 79), which in (French) literature translated as the openness toward other (northern European) literatures (xi).Defining cosmopolitanism in relation to national loyalties, multilingualism, and mobility overlooks the fact that the cosmopolitan is much older than the nation and that not all multilingual abilities and mobilities are accepted as cosmopolitan, especially when they lack “sophistication.” Since I have partially discussed these issues elsewhere, I will not pursue them here but will restrict myself to Hannah Arendt's future-oriented concept of cosmopolitanism as global citizenship. My aim is to stress the elitism in many theories of cosmopolitanism and to show how comparative literature can challenge this elitism by looking at “hidden traditions.” To do so, I will draw on two essays by Arendt—“The Jew as Pariah: A Hidden Tradition” and “Karl Jaspers: Citizen of the World?” As for the first essay, I will introduce Gypsy next to Jew, the latter being Arendt's exclusive interest despite the implications of her use of the concept of the pariah. In the second essay, Arendt discusses acting qua human, the rights granted by membership in a (cosmo)polis, and what “citizen of the world” (cosmopolitan?) means in relation to the public space, and she stresses the value of communication, with the living and the dead. Furthermore, Arendt differentiates between cosmopolitan and European. I argue that postwar European integration challenges in unexpected ways Arendt's view both on rights as linked to nationality and on citizenship in a cosmopolitan polity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1065-1069 ◽  
pp. 2803-2807
Author(s):  
Lenka Jurnickova ◽  
Dagmar Kuta ◽  
Renata Zdarilova

The paper deals with problems of independent movement and orientation of blind persons in public space. It adverts to the importance of understanding the public space in context with needs of the blind for orientation elements, points, lines and signs. The paper follows these sets of elements in public space more closely. The objective of this paper is to get a comprehensive insight into the problems and the definition of elementary orientation elements for provision of independent movement of blind persons in public space that are reflected subsequently in technical regulations.


Author(s):  
Marina Perez

The current city calls for the reconsideration of a close relationship between gray infrastructure and public spaces, understanding the infrastructure as a set of items, equipment, or services required for the functioning of a country, a City. Ambato, Ecuador, is a current intermediate city, has less than 1% of the urban surface with use of public green spaces, which represents a figure below the 9m2/ hab., recommended by OMS. The aim of this paper was to identify urban public spaces that switches of green infrastructure in the city today, applying a methodology of qualitative studies. With an exploratory descriptive level analysis, in three stages, stage of theoretical foundation product of a review of the existing literature, which is the theoretical support of the relationship gray infrastructure public spaces equal to green infrastructure. Subsequent to this case study, discussed with criteria aimed at green infrastructure and in the public spaces of the study area. Finally, after processing and analysis of the results, we provide conclusions for urban public space as a definition of the green infrastructure of the current city of Latin America; in the latter, the focus is to support this article.


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