How to govern the city? Polish debates about urban policy during the First World War

The subject of the article are Polish debates on urban policy during the First World War. This four-year period of time was, on the one hand, a huge economic and humanitarian crisis in the cities of the Kingdom of Poland. On the other hand, society achieved the possibility of self-organization through the organization of civic committees, but later also by taking part in municipal elections to councils established in the areas occupied by Central Powers and political campaigns in Warsaw or Łódź – two biggest and the most important cities in the Kingdom of Poland. Author analyzes the most representative aspects of an urban discourse from that period (including press and specialist literature published in Warsaw and Łódź), with particular emphasis on the issue of the dispute about the optimal shape of urban policy, scope of the self-government and the proper direction of urban development on the eve of Poland’s regaining independence and other Central and Eastern European countries. although the issue of municipal self-government appeared in almost every newspaper at that time, the new framework for city politics in Poland emerged in discussions between specialists and authors with the biggest knowledge and longtime experience in writing about this subject.

The Nature of Chinese and Russian Subcultures in Urban Discourse

The paper seeks to examine the communicative aspect of modern Chinese and Russian urban subcultures. The nominations of urban social groups representing young people in Russia and China and their connection to modern communication practices are viewed from the perspective of urban communication studies, which provides an opportunity for a new comprehension of issues connected with verbal and nonverbal constituents of urban discourse. The indicates that the subcultures in the Russian urban landscape are reflected in such nominations as фрики (freaki), мажоры (majory), хипстеры (hipstery), брейк-дансеры (break-dancery), байкеры (bikery), etc. The Chinese subcultures are known under such names as shamate, xiaoqingxin, tuyayawenhua, erciyuanyawenhua, egaoyawenhua and many others. We argue that in both countries the unity of social subgroups is based not so much on ideological preferences, but rather on lifestyles, hobbies and interests, many of them formed under the Western influence. The subcultures discussed in the research represent a broad panorama of Chinese and Russian social life. They reflect the sociocultural dynamics of attitudes, values and lifestyles influenced by globalization but acquiring nationally specific features, which transform them into unique sociocultural phenomena.

Efficiency of Machine Translation in Urban Discourse

This article aims to analyze the use of Yandex.Translate, an online machine translation system, in translating urban discourse texts on the web. The authors use integrative linguistic-and-pragmatic approach to assess machine translation quality in a global digital setting. The aim is to show the efficiency of a state-of-the-art machine translation system and to investigate its usefulness in practical application. The authors perform a detailed analysis of the Paris city website content, which is automatically translated from French into Russian with Yandex.Translate. The data selection is justified by the absence of official foreign versions of this website, which points to the need of machine translation engines integrated in a web browser. Less than 20% of the analysed machine-translated texts demonstrate high language quality, whereas 60% can be referred to as acceptable – the text preserves the meaning of the source but contains some errors and inaccuracies in the target language. About 20% of the machine-translated text contains blunders, which violate Russian language norms. It causes source text contents distortion and communication failures. In the end, a classification of the system errors is presented. It is also concluded that machine translation would substitute middle-skilled human translators in the future. However, the use of such systems will enforce standardisation and simplification of the target language.

Art, land reclamation and green governmentality in Indonesia: Teja Astawa's Dewa Murka and Tita Salina's 1001st Island — The Most Sustainable Island in Archipelago

The artworks 1001st Island — The Most Sustainable Island in Archipelago (2015–16) by Tita Salina and Dewa Murka (2016) by Teja Astawa are compared as a means to provide insight into ways artists have been interrogating recent urban discourse in Indonesian contemporary art. This article engages with the critical vocabulary proposed by urban historian Abidin Kusno, which analyses green discourse in the changing Indonesian urban landscapes of the post-Suharto era, and explores how these two artworks reflect Kusno's analysis. Salina's multi-media installation and Astawa's painting address two land reclamation projects in areas that have faced rapid urbanisation: Jakarta and Bali. The artworks evoke questions about tradition, spirituality, environmental sustainability and socioeconomic inequality. The artworks are formally and contextually analysed before being compared and evaluated in relation to Indonesian urban history and discourse. Both artists reflect Kusno's critical analysis of green discourse in Indonesia. Salina's work shares parallels with the tools applied by the government in Jakarta, as her artistic practice similarly requires communities to participate in its creation. Meanwhile, Astawa's work mostly reflects the narrative of green discourse. This conclusion invites further investigation into the Java-centrism of urban discourse and the varying ways in which green discourse may be taking place across the Indonesian archipelago.

The formalization of temporary urbanism in Toronto and proposed equity-based regulatory framework

In the past decade since the introduction of temporary urban discourse promising “faster, lighter, and cheaper” planning and a radical reorganization of power between regulators, land owners, and the public, temporary urbanism has become increasingly integrated in formal planning structures. This paper explores how temporary urbanism is being practiced in Toronto and what impact this formalizing process has had on its ability to achieve its claimed goals of democracy, equity, and diversity. This paper specifically assesses the impact that the City of Toronto’s regulatory framework has had on these goals. It concludes by examining how three other cities have created temporary use frameworks, Amsterdam, London, and Vancouver and highlights what lessons can be transferred to the context of Toronto. Key words: temporary urbanism, policy, equity

The formalization of temporary urbanism in Toronto and proposed equity-based regulatory framework

In the past decade since the introduction of temporary urban discourse promising “faster, lighter, and cheaper” planning and a radical reorganization of power between regulators, land owners, and the public, temporary urbanism has become increasingly integrated in formal planning structures. This paper explores how temporary urbanism is being practiced in Toronto and what impact this formalizing process has had on its ability to achieve its claimed goals of democracy, equity, and diversity. This paper specifically assesses the impact that the City of Toronto’s regulatory framework has had on these goals. It concludes by examining how three other cities have created temporary use frameworks, Amsterdam, London, and Vancouver and highlights what lessons can be transferred to the context of Toronto. Key words: temporary urbanism, policy, equity

Industrial Archaeology As Urban Informer: The Wellington Destructor

The city identity, city image and the recognition of its industrial past are at question in a quickly developing post-industrial urban context. The voices of industrial archaeology, of obsolete infrastructure, of unintended industrial monument in dialogue between fast developing new urban and past locus are all ingrained in the city’s memory. This urban discourse, if allowed to happen, will inform the development of contemporary urban fabric. It is vital that continuity of the built environment structures the contemporary post-industrial city identity This thesis engages with the Industrial artifact of the Wellington Destructor and suggests a conservation strategy for the obsolete and abundant industrial built artifact that will inspire new development and integrate within the masterplan. It will activate city’s past and future dialogue and it will inform the emerging urban development while preserving the continuity of urban heritage with industrial past. Industrial Archaeology becomes agent to changing urbanity.

Industrial Archaeology As Urban Informer: The Wellington Destructor

The city identity, city image and the recognition of its industrial past are at question in a quickly developing post-industrial urban context. The voices of industrial archaeology, of obsolete infrastructure, of unintended industrial monument in dialogue between fast developing new urban and past locus are all ingrained in the city’s memory. This urban discourse, if allowed to happen, will inform the development of contemporary urban fabric. It is vital that continuity of the built environment structures the contemporary post-industrial city identity This thesis engages with the Industrial artifact of the Wellington Destructor and suggests a conservation strategy for the obsolete and abundant industrial built artifact that will inspire new development and integrate within the masterplan. It will activate city’s past and future dialogue and it will inform the emerging urban development while preserving the continuity of urban heritage with industrial past. Industrial Archaeology becomes agent to changing urbanity.