scholarly journals The space of Chisinau as a resource for the formation of urban identity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Ivanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
East European ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The City ◽  
Core Features

This paper examines the case of Chisinau urban milieu in the context of the ongoing process of transition. The capital city of the Republic of Moldova represents the reflection of society as a whole, being not just a political, cultural and economic center of the country, but a migration hub for the rest of the Moldovan population as well. As a post-Soviet and East-European city, it combines features of both modernization and degradation, generating such phenomena as ruralisation, gated communities in the center of the city, semi-public spaces, chaotic parking, lack of city planning, lack of heterogeneity of the urban space, etc. The urban milieu of Chisinau represents a complicated formation of coexisting social strata with different cultures, memories, aesthetics and urban identities, which can be sometimes conflicting. More uniform representations about the city need the actualization of its symbolic capital, as well as the creation and maintenance of a brand, which should unite core features of different urban identities.

scholarly journals Henri Prost in Istanbul: Urban transformation process of Taksim-Maçka Valley (Le parc n°2)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pelin Bolca ◽  
Rosa Tamborrino ◽  
Fulvio Rinaudo
Keyword(s):  
City Planning ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Public Parks ◽  
Urban Planner ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
New City ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Republic Of Turkey ◽  
The City

With the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in October 1923, modernization studies have been started throughout the country. The Republican authorities which adopted a new form of government independent of the Ottoman Empire had expectations for the city planning of Turkey according to the modernization rules of urbanism. After the proclamation of the Republic, the capital of the country was relocated from Istanbul to Ankara and the funds of the Republic were canalized to the construction of the new capital city. Following the creation of Ankara, in 1935, French architect and urban planner Henri Prost was invited directly to conduct the planning of Istanbul.  He worked between 1936 and 1951 with a conservative and modernist attitude. Prost’s plans for Istanbul was based on three principal issues: the transportation (la  circulation), hygiene (l’hygiène) and aesthetics (l’aesthetics). He gave importance on urban and public spaces (espaces libres) and proposed two public parks. One of these parks was considered as an archaeological park at the hearth of the Historical Peninsula (parc n1), the other one was considered as a park with cultural, arts and sports functions into the hearth of the Pera district which was the area extending from today’s Taksim Square to Maçka Valley (parc n2) and wherein these days the modern and new city was built. Only Park No2 (parc n2) was partially constructed in the 1940s following these park plans. However, the park has been transformed by the planning decisions taken over time depending on the political, cultural and ideological changes and this transformation process has been intensively discussed by the academic and professional field on the Istanbul’s and Turkey’s urban agenda.   The focus of this study is to understand and define the process of transformation, and investigate the changing of significances of the Taksim-Maçka Valley from foundation of the Republic of Turkey to the present time. Accordingly, the first part of the paper presents the formation process of the area through the 1:2000 plan of Park No2 (parc n2) and the 1:500 plan of The Republic Square and the İnönü Esplanade in Taksim (la place de la République et l'esplanade İnönü à Taksim) which were prepared by Henri Prost. In the second part, the  transformation process that occurs after Prost was discharged from his position is analyzed. The paper concludes with a discussion on the pros and cons of the transformation. In the study, the “digital urban history method” (telling the history of the city in the age of the ICT revolution) was used through the power of various direct and indirect sources with ArcGIS and 3D modeling techniques.

The Cartographic Capital

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kory Olson
Keyword(s):  
World War I ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Third Republic ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Look ◽  
The City

Through official maps, this book looks at how government presentations of Paris and environs change over the course of the Third Republic (1889-1934). Governmental policies, such as the creation of a mandatory national uniform educational system that will eventually include geography, combined with technological advances in the printing industry, to alter the look, exposure, reception, and distribution of government maps. The government initially seemed to privilege an exclusively positive view of the capital city and limited its presentation of it to land inside the walled fortifications. However, as the Republic progressed and Paris grew, technology altered how Parisians used and understood their urban space. Rail and automobiles made moving about the city and environs easier while increased industrialization moved factories and their workers further out into the Seine Department. During this time, maps transitioned from reflecting the past to documenting the present. With the advent of French urbanism after World War I, official mapped views of greater Paris abandoned privileging past achievements and began to mirror actual residential and industrial development as it pushed further out from the city center. Finally, the government needed to plan for the future of greater Paris and official maps begin to show how the government viewed the direction of its capital city.

scholarly journals Image of Chisinau and its evolution in touristic albums and guides (1964–2008)

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 67-71
Author(s):  
Nina Ivanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
City Image ◽  
Social Construct ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
Historic Period ◽  
The Public ◽  
New City ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The City

The city image presents an important part of urban research, because representations about the city basically underlie urban identities and are connected with its symbolic capital and attractiveness for the residents. Our earlier research of urban identity in Chisinau included images of the city it was based on and showed their inconsistency. Considering that images represent cognitive and emotional matrixes of the historic period of their formation, congruent with the existing social construct, it is important to trace dynamics of formation and contents of the Chisinau images, which are being formed as the public/brand ones in the touristic albums and guides of the Soviet period, as well as in the years of independence of the Republic of Moldova. For this purpose, we selected several sources from the both periods and carried out their comparison according to the identified categories. The results of the analysis proved the existing correlation between the city image from the albums and the main notional trends of the time of their creation. We can trace evolution of creation of the “new” city concept in the Soviet period and flourishing of this idea in 1980s. During the independence period the city image reflects some obvious ideas of identity search, revision of history, a European city, revival of traditional culture as one of the key components of national identity, which will define the appearance of the city as well. It is challenging to continue the research on additional sources from the last 5–10 years.

scholarly journals IMAGES OF THE URBAN IDENTITY OF THE REPUBLIC’s CAPITAL CITY IN THE STRUCTURE OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION (THE CASE OF SARANSK)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-437
Author(s):  
O.A. Bogatova ◽  
E.I. Dolgaeva
Keyword(s):  
Identity Politics ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Mental Maps ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The City

The article based on the data of qualitative and quantitative res earch undertaken by the authors in the capital of the Republic of Mordovia - Saransk, identifies and analyzes the symbolic components of the social identity of the population of the administrative center of the repub lic in structure of the Russian Federation - the images of a capital city on the example of Saransk. There are such levels of metropolitan identity as the level of representations (ideas about the territoriality of the city as a "space of belonging" and its visual images) and the level of social practices, including a set of ideas, assessments and attitudes for the use (individual and shared with other citizens) of urban social sp ace in those spheres of activity and in those territories that are the residence of individuals and groups of the urban population (for example, in certain urban areas). The "representative" components of the identity of citi zens include integral visual images of the city, artistic and architectural sights that perform the fu nctions of "places of memory" and asso ciated performative rituals, traditional "folk" toponyms in the "mental maps" of citizens. The level of representations, as more superficial, is most likely a product of urban and regional symbolic identity politics, while the formation of metropolitan identity at the level of social practices depends on the results of urban development and the degree of participation in it of individuals and population groups that are subjects of urban identity. The soci al construction and transformation of the "practical" level of the capital's identity are mediated by the satisfaction of the population of the capital with the state of the urban environment as a means of meeting various needs, as well as the personal experience of citizen s, in particular, the experience of staying in larger cities, acting as a comparison criterion. Such experience creates limitations to the influence of republican symbolic politics, giving grounds for assessing the status of Saransk as a peripheral city and becomes the basis for a critical assessment of the authorities' activities in th e development of the capital city and the very concept of the capital's identity.

Turkish Basis in Toponimization System

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (121) ◽  
pp. 57-67
Author(s):  
Zh Konyratbaeva
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Urban Design ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Cultural Center ◽  
Cultural Symbol ◽  
Diachronic Study ◽  
Internal Objects ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The City

Recently, three major processes are taking place in the urban space of the capital: 1) the process of national transonymization, ie the implementation of the names of newly established, renamed objects on the memorial principle (including national memoranda); 2) historical and cultural process; that is, the reproduction of object names in the nature of a national cultural symbol; 3) the process of national toponymization, ie the acquisition of common nouns. The main purpose of the article is to reveal and identify the Turkic basis of the layer of onymsformed as a result of this process of toponymization – one of the most productive internal resourcedevelopment in the urban space of the capital. That is, by conducting an etymological analysis ofthe system of urbanonymy, to show that the main source of optimized units belongs to the group ofTurkic languages.In the process of toponymization in the space of urbanism of the capital, the share of internalresource development is predominant, ie most of the layer of onyms on its onomastic map wasformed as a result of the Turkic basis. As a result, the urban design of the capital of Kazakhstan hasbecome the only historical and cultural center that meets the principles of language policy andnaming / renaming of the Republic of Kazakhstan. And we understand that the definition of thelayer of onyms in the laws of naming the internal objects of the city will be revealed in more depthby conducting a diachronic study of them.

scholarly journals Formation of Subcultural Entity under the Influence of Public Sphere

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuliya Kuzovenkova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
The Public ◽  
Youth Subcultures ◽  
Long Time ◽  
New Space ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
Short Time ◽  
The City

The last two decades have been a time of serious transformation of youth subcultures. Researchers speak about the formation of the postmodernism paradigm of subculture and the virtualisation of sociocultural phenomena. The subcultural subject and the power that formed it continue to exist in the new realities, but are undergoing a transformation. Changes having occured to the public sphere were especially significant for a subcultural entity since it is the public sphere where a subcultural entity can present itself to authorities, thereby maintaining its social subsistence. Our research was aimed at studying how the transformation of the public sphere has affected the entity’s subculture. For the study, the authors employed the method of a qualitative half-structurated interview and draw on the disciplinary authority concept suggested by M. Foucault. The analysis was based on materials of interviewing some representatives of the graffiti subculture in the city of Samara (twenty-two people) from 2016 to 2018. The author has established that the subcultural subject is processual and dependent on the practices in use; a change in practices leads to a change in the subject. Changes of practices in the graffiti subculture were a result of the virtualisation of culture. The author has identified the changes that have taken place in the subcultural subject under the influence of the transformation of the public sphere (the ‘short time’ of instantaneous fame prevails over the ‘long time’ of the symbolic capital of the nickname, new space-time coordinates within which the entity exists, the ‘digital body’ of the subcultural entity becomes ever more informative rather than that which was created via sketches placed in urban space). Unlike the public sphere, the private sphere under the influence of a subculture ideology remains unchanged.

scholarly journals A Study on Urban Furniture: Nicosia Old City

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mine Kuset Bolkaner ◽  
Selda İnançoğlu ◽  
Buket Asilsoy
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
The South ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
South Side ◽  
The North ◽  
North Side ◽  
Old City ◽  
Street Furniture ◽  
The City

Urban furniture can be defined as aesthetics and comfort elements that reflect the identity of a city and enable the urban space to become livable. Urban furniture is an important element of the city in order to improve the quality of urban life, to create a comfortable and reliable environment and to meet the needs of the users in the best way. For designing these elements, the social, economic, cultural and architectural structure of the city should be considered and evaluated. It is important to adapt the urban furniture to the urban texture and to the cultural structure achieving an urban identity, in order to ensure the survival and sustainability of the historical environments. In this study, a study was carried out in the context of urban furniture in Nicosia Walled City, which has many architectural cultures with its historical texture. In this context, firstly the concept of urban identity and urban furniture was explained and then, information about urban furniture was given in historical circles with urban furniture samples from different countries. As a field study, a main axis was determined and the streets and squares on this axis were discussed. These areas have been explored starting from Kyrenia Gate in North Nicosia; İnönü Square, Girne Street, Atatürk Square, Arasta Square, Lokmacı Barricade and on the south side Ledra Street and Eleftherias Square. In this context, the existing furniture in the North and South were determined and evaluated in terms of urban identity accordingly. As a result, it can be suggested that the existing street furniture equipments, especially on the north side, do not have any characteristic to emphasize the urban identity. According to the findings, it was determined that the urban furniture in the streets and squares on the north side is generally older and neglected, and does not provide a unity with the environment, whereas on the south side, these elements on the street and square are relatively new, functional and environmentally compatible.Key words: urban furniture, historical environment, urban identity, Nicosia Old City

Sociocultural History of Rio de Janeiro

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Cruz Terra ◽  
Marcelo de Souza Magalhães
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Common People ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sociocultural History ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Political Associations ◽  
The City

The city of Rio de Janeiro underwent profound changes between 1870 and the early 20th century. Its population grew dramatically, attracting migrants not only from abroad but also from other regions of Brazil. It also expanded significantly in size, as the construction of trolley and railway lines and the introduction of real estate capital powered the occupation of new areas. Meanwhile, urban reforms aimed at modernization transformed the social ways in which urban space was used. During this period, Rio de Janeiro went from being the capital of the Brazilian Empire to being the capital of the Brazilian Republic. It nevertheless maintained its position as the cultural, political-administrative, commercial, and financial center of the country. Against this backdrop of change, the city was an important arena for the political struggles that marked the period, including demonstrations in favor of abolition and the republic. Rio de Janeiro’s citizens were not inert during this period of transformation, and they found various ways to take action and fight for what they understood to be their rights. Protests, demands, petitions, and a vibrant life organized around social and political associations are examples of the broad repertoire used by the city’s inhabitants to gain a voice in municipal affairs. Citizens’ use of public demands and petitions as a channel to communicate with the authorities, and especially with city officials, shows that while they did not necessarily shun formal politics, they understood politics to be a sphere for dialogue and dispute. The sociocultural history of Rio de Janeiro during this period was therefore built precisely through confrontations and negotiations in which the common people played an active role.

The production of a new Eurasian capital on the Kazakh steppe: Architecture, urban design, and identity in Astana

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 590-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Köppen
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Economic Prosperity ◽  
The South ◽  
Regional Center ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Contemporary Architecture ◽  
The City

In December 1997, the Republic of Kazakhstan officially proclaimed that the city of Astana would be its new capital. The decision to transfer the seat of government from the city of Almaty in the south to the more centrally located Astana was connected to the process of nation building in a multi-ethnic society where the titular nation represents little more than half of the population. Efforts to transform the rather remote regional center, Akmola (later renamed Astana) into a modern capital city have been underway since the late 1990s. One important component of this transformation is the idea of building a “metabolic” and sustainable “Eurasian” city. As the symbolic center of the whole country, this new capital would function as a showpiece of Kazakh culture and identity. The city would also become a symbol of economic prosperity and the regime's geopolitical vision. While the government's intensions are expressed rather openly, it remains unclear to what extent these politically verbalized leitmotivs are actually being realized through contemporary architecture and structure. This article offers a critical assessment of what has been achieved to date and argues that the production of the new Kazakhstani capital has often failed to translate rhetoric into reality.

scholarly journals Visual Imagery and Construction of Territorial Identity through Iconic Buildings. Case Study: The Romanian Athenaeum

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Florentina-Cristina MERCIU ◽  
Oana-Ramona ILOVAN ◽  
Andreea-Loreta CERCLEUX
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Visual Imagery ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
Territorial Identity ◽  
European Culture ◽  
Political Events ◽  
Special Relations ◽  
Heritage Buildings

The built heritage, through the multiple meanings it associates (oldness, architectural, aesthetic, symbolic, authenticity), is characterized by uniqueness and irreversibility, being frequently related to the cultural and implicitly tourist image of cities. Due to the seniority of architectural heritage and the special relations established with the place and people, under the direct influence of the socio-cultural and political factors, it ensures the accumulation of symbols that codify the urban space. As a result, heritage buildings are associated with elements of territorial identity. Visual imagery is used as an argument to support the process of selecting significant buildings for local / national culture. These are promoted among the general public. Most of the time, the selection process aims at identifying representative buildings, a process that registers the influence of socio-cultural and politic factors. This article focuses on the socio-cultural evolution of the Romanian Athenaeum, a symbolic building of the Romanian culture. Based on a rich background of historical illustrations and recent observations, the authors analysed the symbols associated with the Romanian Athenaeum, in various historical periods. The authors used a sample of picture postcards with representations of the Athenaeum and interpreted the information they provided. The key results show the cultural role of the Athenaeum for the capital city, Bucharest, and its relation with the political factor, as this building was selected as the host for important political events with a deep historical charge, most often having the support of national authorities. In the course of time, the Athenaeum was represented constantly in picture postcards, as cultural building symbol and tourist attraction, due to its unique characteristics which emphasize its role as element of urban identity for Bucharest. At the same time, the interpretation of visual imagery allowed the decoding of the symbols and identification of the identity narrative and politics built around the Athenaeum, which, through the interactions generated by the socio-cultural and political plans, confer it the quality of symbolic building for the national and European culture.

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