scholarly journals The role of ethnic malls in placemaking: a case study of First Markham Place

Author(s):  
Philip Liu

This study examines the role and effectiveness of suburban, ethnic shopping centres in providing an alternative to public space. It is a response to the suburb's lack of good public spaces, and the resulting lack of community and sense of place, and is informed by the development of 'ethnoburbs' across North America. This study explores themes revealed by both literature and a series of field observations and intercept interview. A case study analyzing First Markham Place and how its mall patrons use the space revealed implications regarding the effectiveness of these malls as public spaces. The author found that the mall's role as a community hub provides opportunities to satisfy both practical and innate desires for cultural goods, services, and co-ethnic interactions, encourages a 'public life' not seen in conventional suburban malls, and creates a unique sense of place for members of the target ethnic community as well as non-members.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Liu

This study examines the role and effectiveness of suburban, ethnic shopping centres in providing an alternative to public space. It is a response to the suburb's lack of good public spaces, and the resulting lack of community and sense of place, and is informed by the development of 'ethnoburbs' across North America. This study explores themes revealed by both literature and a series of field observations and intercept interview. A case study analyzing First Markham Place and how its mall patrons use the space revealed implications regarding the effectiveness of these malls as public spaces. The author found that the mall's role as a community hub provides opportunities to satisfy both practical and innate desires for cultural goods, services, and co-ethnic interactions, encourages a 'public life' not seen in conventional suburban malls, and creates a unique sense of place for members of the target ethnic community as well as non-members.


2021 ◽  
pp. 25-46
Author(s):  
Aseel Naamani ◽  
Ruth Simpson

The issue of public spaces is increasingly at the core of civic movements and discourse of reform in Lebanon, coming to the fore most recently in the mass protests of October 2019. Yet, these most recent movements build on years of activism and contestation, seeking to reclaim rights to access and engage with public spaces in the face of encroachments, mainly by the private sector. Urban spaces, including the country’s two biggest cities – Beirut and Tripoli – have been largely privatised and the preserve of an elite few, and post-war development has been marred with criticism of corruption and exclusivity. This article explores the history of public spaces in Beirut and Tripoli and the successive civic movements, which have sought to realise rights to public space. The article argues that reclaiming public space is central to reform and re-building relationships across divides after years of conflict. First, the article describes the evolution of Lebanon’s two main urban centres. Second, it moves to discuss the role of the consociational system in the partition and regulation of public space. Then it describes the various civic movements related to public space and examines the opportunities created by the October 2019 movement. Penultimately it interrogates the limits imposed by COVID-19 and recent crises. Lastly, it explores how placemaking and public space can contribute to peacebuilding and concludes that public spaces are essential to citizen relationships and inclusive participation in public life and affairs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent Gilliard

Public space is important to a city’s economic and social quality. Downtown Toronto is not known for its public spaces but Melbourne is widely recognized for recently revitalizing its city centre with improved public spaces. A case study of Melbourne investigates its comparability to Toronto as well as the details of its "renaissance." It is concluded that Melbourne is, in fact, highly comparable to Toronto. Interventions in Melbourne were characterized by the principles: long-term vision, emphasizing local strengths, investment in quality, making space for people on foot, and using effective arguments and evidence. To emulate Melbourne’s city-centre revitalization, Toronto first should facilitate a civic conversation about the long-term vision for its downtown; second, it should initiate a public life survey of the downtown; third, it should invest is the physical quality of downtown public spaces; and fourth, it should begin an incremental program to reclaim roadway space from cars in locations of high pedestrian use.


Author(s):  
William Adiputra Dharmawan ◽  
Doddy Yuono

Modern people have a demanding and busy life. Jakarta is not an exception. Whose people is growing rapidly in terms of socio economic standing into middle class.This class requires different types and patterns of usage of space. They prefer to live in suburubia, spends time in malls instead of local places, and usually have 9-5 jobs.The mall’s role as a public space is problematic as it can siphon away public life that could’ve happen in local place which can shape a strong sense of place and character. Other than that, malls also requires a significant energy commitment to get to it, doesn’t create community around it, exclusive to lower class people, etc. A local third place is proposed as a solution. To pull back public life into the suburbia. Something smaller in scale, making the visitors into people not mere consumer. A personal place, A place that forms communities, a palce that is local so people don’t have to spend a lot of energy going to the place. A place that is open to all. A Third place. In this final project, the chosen site is right in the middle of a housing complex in Pulomas. Local residents would only have to walk no more than 5 minutes to visit the place. It provides public spaces that are in demand by local residents, such as food hall, gym, study space, archery hall, eventspace, etc in smaller scale. Public life that is stolen from the mall is taken back into the local place, creating a sense of place and community. AbstrakMasyarakat modern memiliki tuntutan kehidupan yang sibuk dan padat. Tidak terkecuali penduduk Jakarta. Yang strata sosio-ekonominya bertumbuh secara cepat menjadi kalangan menengah ke atas. Kalangan ini memiliki kebutuhan ruang dan pola penggunaan ruang yang berbeda. Mereka memilih untuk tinggal di perumahan, menghabiskan waktu di mall dibanding di tempat yang lokal, dan umumnya memiliki pekerjaan 9-5. Penggunaan mall sebagai tempat publik berpotensi menjadi masalah, ketika kehidupan publik yang bisa menjadi karakter suatu tempat di alihkan ke tempat yang anonim seperti  mall. Kurangnya kehidupan publik mengikis sense of place dan social capital yang dimiliki sebuah tempat. Selain itu mall juga membutuhkan komitmen energi yang besar untuk mencapai mall, pengunjung yang tidak menjalin komunitas, ekslusifitas terhadap kalangan menengah kebawah, dlsb. Third place yang lokal di usulkan sebagai solusi, untuk menarik kembali kehidupan publik di perumahan. Sebuah tempat yang mempunyai skala lebih kecil, menjadikan pengunjungnya sesama manusia, personal, membentuk komunitas, lokal sehingga kita tidak perlu banyak energi untuk mengunjungi tempat itu, dan terbuka bagi semua, sebuah third place. Di proyek tugas akhir ini, dipilih site tepat di tengah perumahan, di Pulomas. Warga lokal hanya tinggal jalan kaki tidak lebih dari 5 menit untuk mencapai site. Menyediakan tempat publik skala kecil yang dibutuhkan oleh warga lokal seperti food hall, gym, ruang studi, lapangan panahan, eventspace, lounge, dll. Kehidupan publik yang sebelumnya dicuri oleh mall dan tempat lain dilokalisasikan, menciptakan sebuah sense of place, dan sense of community.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent Gilliard

Public space is important to a city’s economic and social quality. Downtown Toronto is not known for its public spaces but Melbourne is widely recognized for recently revitalizing its city centre with improved public spaces. A case study of Melbourne investigates its comparability to Toronto as well as the details of its "renaissance." It is concluded that Melbourne is, in fact, highly comparable to Toronto. Interventions in Melbourne were characterized by the principles: long-term vision, emphasizing local strengths, investment in quality, making space for people on foot, and using effective arguments and evidence. To emulate Melbourne’s city-centre revitalization, Toronto first should facilitate a civic conversation about the long-term vision for its downtown; second, it should initiate a public life survey of the downtown; third, it should invest is the physical quality of downtown public spaces; and fourth, it should begin an incremental program to reclaim roadway space from cars in locations of high pedestrian use.


Ensemble ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol SP-1 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59
Author(s):  
Sanjukta Sattar ◽  

The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed public life world-wide. The need for maintaining physical/social distance has led to a change in the order and nature of human activities across public spaces. As a result, the usual rhythm of activities in public spaces has come to be disrupted. Taking this into consideration, the study delves into the disrupted rhythm of the urban public spaces under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequently imposed lockdown. By adopting a case study-based approach, an in-depth analysis has been carried out to comprehend the change in the daily rhythm of a local road in the wake of the pandemic and lockdown. Lefebvre’s technique of ‘rhythmanalysis’ has been applied to carry out this study, as it is highly suited in studying the flow of everyday life in a spatiotemporal context. The article traces the change in the rhythm of activities in the study area during the pandemic and lockdown in comparison to the usual rhythm of activities that existed in the area before the pandemic. The findings of the study reveal that the pandemic has taken a toll on the study area, where the pre-existing rhythm of the public space has been overtaken by a disrupted rhythm that has given rise to chaos and confusion.


2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-41
Author(s):  
Paweł Pistelok

Abstract A city’s public spaces ought to meet a number of requirements to serve their main purpose, that is to foster public life. They need, for instance, to answer people’s needs, fulfil certain social functions, and let people use their basic rights, among them the most important right of access. In Katowice, one of the most prominent examples of the regeneration of public spaces is now the Culture Zone. The aim of this paper is to discuss the development of social functions in the area mentioned, a fine example of the post-industrial heritage of Upper Silesia. Applying some of the qualities of public space identified in the theories adopted, the paper discusses how the Culture Zone [in Polish: Strefa Kultury] fulfils the above-mentioned demands and requirements. Is it accessible? Does it meet the need for comfort? Does it function as a leisure space? By referring to analyses and opinions presented in the literature and comparing them with the results of the author’s own empirical research, this article discusses the importance, opportunities, and shortcomings of the Culture Zone as a public space.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-169
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mehdi Nasiri Khalili ◽  
,Mohammad Reza Zand Moghaddam ◽  
Syed Jalaldin Daryabary ◽  
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2020 ◽  
pp. 177-192
Author(s):  
Iman Hegazy

Public spaces are defined as places that should be accessible to all inhabitants without restrictions. They are spaces not only for gathering, socializing and celebrating but also for initiating discussions, protesting and demonstrating. Thus, public spaces are intangible expressions of democracy—a topic that the paper tackles its viability within the context of Alexandria, case study Al-Qaed Ibrahim square. On the one hand, Al-Qaed Ibrahim square which is named after Al-Qaed Ibrahim mosque is a sacred element in the urban fabric; whereas on the other it represents a non-religious revolutionary symbol in the Alexandrian urban public sphere. This contradiction necessitates finding an approach to study the characteristic of this square/mosque within the Alexandrian context—that is to realize the impact of the socio-political events on the image of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square, and how it has transformed into a revolutionary urban symbol and yet into a no-public space. The research revolves around the hypothesis that the political events taking place in Egypt after January 25th, 2011, have directly affected the development of urban public spaces, especially in Alexandria. Therefore methodologically, the paper reviews the development of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square throughout the Egyptian socio-political changes, with a focus on the square’s urban and emotional contextual transformations. For this reason, the study adheres to two theories: the "city elements" by Kevin Lynch and "emotionalizing the urban" by Frank Eckardt. The aim is not only to study the mentioned public space but also to figure out the changes in people’s societal behaviour and emotion toward it. Through empowering public spaces, the paper calls the different Egyptian political and civic powers to recognize each other, regardless of their religious, ethnical or political affiliations. It is a step towards replacing the ongoing political conflicts, polarization, and suppression with societal reconciliation, coexistence, and democracy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-459
Author(s):  
Kin-Ling Tang

This article argues that in order to understand the resistance potentials of taking space movements, the temporal dimensions and spatial practices implied cannot be neglected, or else there would be a tendency to be overoptimistic about resistance in these movements. Using the Umbrella Movement that took place in Hong Kong in 2014 as a case study, this article notes that representational space and spatial practice by protesters were guided by a dualistic view of the public and the private, which in turn is the dominant ideology in neoliberalism, and that their acts of resistance were not able to go beyond the confines of conceived space. In the movement, protesters reclaimed public spaces through privatizing them. Based on the work of Lefebvre, this article argues that only with a radical critique of neoliberal values embedded in capitalism including the public-private dualism can any real transformations of everyday life and hence revolution be possible.


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