Explorations of Young People’s Sense of Place Using Urban Design Qualities in Surabaya, Indonesia

This study aims to assess a sense of place in the context of an Indonesian city through real-time walking experience. With rapid urban development, the cityscape may change, leading to a lack of a sense of place. Here, the sense of place was measured by utilizing individual reactions to different urban design qualities and perceptual qualities during walking. Previous methods on visitors’ evaluation of places, walking experience and photographing, were adapted by adding two more stages: in-depth interviews and a workshop, obtaining participants’ opinions and behaviours. The analysis results showed that the participants experienced the sense of place through physical and non-physical features corresponding to walking speed. While the old buildings and ornament details attracted participants’ attention, this study demonstrated that the two-way interaction with residents also strengthened the sense of place. The major finding was that the participants were concerned about improving pedestrian infrastructure and the conservation of old buildings in the area. With the assistance of in-depth interviews and a workshop, participants’ perspectives were visually reflected in a comprehensive way. This study may be helpful for urban planners to manage the sense of place in historic city centres under the pressure of rapid urban development.

The Modernization of a Historic City as the Construction of a Soviet Utopia: Case of Vilnius

The article looks at urban planning and construction processes in Vilnius during the Soviet era from a point of view that has not been widely explored in the existing historiography. The approach is based on analysing relations between the existing city and the city-in-construction within the context of Soviet urban modernisation. Interpreting the communist city as a utopia, the analysis looks at its role in shaping negative attitudes towards the historic city as well as what tangible forms this utopia assumes in the process of being realised. The article argues that this process, purportedly a rational way towards the utopia and characterised by a fragmentary implementation of development projects, is one of the main factors behind the disintegration of the urban space in the Soviet era.

Trzy projekty gdańskich terenów rekreacyjno- -wypoczynkowych z lat siedemdziesiątych XX w.

Leisure and recreational areas in Gdańsk during the times of the Polish People’s Republic is a poorly researched subject. There are very few lectures, publications, or studies on the topic; however, the state of research is not surprising because of the somewhat ambiguous nature of Gdańsk. The city is seen as a university centre, industrial centre, but not strictly as a place where the recreational function dominates. The article focuses on architectural conceptions of leisure and recreational areas during the seventies; it is fascinating how the architects of the time tried to create everyday recreational areas in this historic city, where two kinds of structures coexisted, combining solemn buildings from the past with everyday forms for the present man. The author’s main aim was to expose and describe in detail three of the most curious, but unrealized projects: ‘the seaside Park of Culture and Leisure in the Gdańsk agglomeration’, ‘the recreational centre over the flow of the Motlava River’ and ‘the bathing beach at the outlet of Karol Marks Street’.

A City of Promenades

Studying old maps showing the transformation of Mexico City can unveil possible footprints of historic facilities and utilities that have disappeared in the process of urban modernization. The objective of this exercise is to uncover the location of old structures of Pre-Hispanic and Colonial Mexico City as a basis for creating a new footprint of urban memory and identity. A city of promenades proposes the remembrance and use of public space, such as the recuperation of lost cultural and geographic landscapes. It takes the routes and paths, the aqueducts, the roads, the moats, the ramparts, the gates of the historic city and its connections to other villages, which now conform this great metropolitan area and it revives them in order to bring communities together. Inhabitants experience a sense of belonging to a meaningful place, while looking back to the past of a growing city. These paths will serve as initiators of projects and actions which will improve patterns of use and sense of identity, offering landmarks, establishing linear parks as connectors of different scales of existing parks and, through modern design, creating a rediscovered footprint of monuments, landscapes and infrastructures long gone. This proposal is an integral project for the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. It begins at the neighbourhood level and forms part of an urban park system; connecting the surrounding natural landscapes and woodlands, the urban parks, sports clubs, neighbourhood parks, squares, bridges, central reservations, sidewalks, tree and flower beds, chapels, rights of way, unused railways, roads, avenues, greenhouses, agricultural trails, cemeteries, brooks and waterways, ravines, canals, terraces, balconies, cloisters and convent patios, archeological sites and unbuilt urban block cores. The city of paths and strolls, of boulevards, of old roads to haciendas and convents, of dikes, gateways, old custom house gates, water fountains and springs, canals, causeways, watermills and aqueducts is an academic exercise with students and teachers to find a meaningful representation of the layers of history that builds a city and creates identity.

TOURISM-RELATED URBAN REGENERATION OF HISTORIC CITIES: A REGENERATION STRATEGIES FOR KOCHI, KERALA

The process of reinducing life into decaying assets and developing future potential with the growing tourism of a historic city is known as tourism-related urban regeneration. The assets and potential for such heritage cities consist of built heritage, traditional industries, or cultural resources. The research is based on a study of a historic city in southern India called Kochi in Kerala state, which is famous for its built heritage, cultural evolution, and traditional economic industries. It is globally known for its historical spice trade. However, at present these assets are degenerating due to their low interest in public participation in conservation and regeneration. From the 12th to 17th century, the city Kochi (Cochin-Travancore) achieved global prosperity because of its sea-trade route, linkages with major continents, political patronage, and its existing natural resources. After independence, the city growth gets affected by inadequate development policies and low participation. With the passage of time, the city retained the built heritage and multi-shaded culture with its historical settlement patterns. The city today has shown a strong potential for tourism as there are plenty of heritage buildings, heritage settlements, and the traditional culture of the region. The city’s socio-economy is dominated by traditional industries of skilled craftsmanship and service providers. But at present, this traditional economic potential and cultural heritage of the city are struggling to grow with maximum potential due to the high rate of urbanization and participation failure. Therefore, the research looks into the city’s assets and its economic turbulence that could be a potential for the tourism-related urban regeneration of the region.

Traffic calming in historic city centres - a case study

The aim of the paper is to compare the existing transport service solutions in the city centers of Bydgoszcz (Poland) and Hasselt (Belgium) that use the widely understood idea of calming the movement. The method of elaboration consisted of analyzes of the literature on the subject of the article, analyzes of available documents and local visits. The solution has been operating in Hasselt since September 2018, and in Bydgoszcz also since September, but 2019. Analyzed solutions in terms of traffic calming goals in these areas, implemented principles, methods used and traffic calming measures that are to lead to a consensus between traffic and the accessibility of the area and making centers living areas. The analyzes carried out confirm that the primary effect of leading to obtain areas centers as areas of “livable city" is to eliminate traffic not associated with a given area, the implementation of restrictions on the availability of cars while maintaining accessibility to public and residential buildings and creating preferences in terms of accessibility for pedestrians, bicycles and public transport. In both cities significant attention was paid to shaping public spaces for pedestrians and development of street fronts with facilities for attractive functions for center users and tourists. Analyzed examples of Bydgoszcz and Hasselt show that the implementation of a separated cycling infrastructure in the historic structure of centers is very difficult. For achievement of “livable city", special emphasis is placed on functional solutions and forms of pedestrian areas, taking into account the requirements of conservation protection, aesthetics and road safety.

The Riverside Roads of Culture as a Tool for the Development of Aitoloakarnania

Cultural routes are a well-established development tool to highlight and promote a region’s cultural and environmental reserve, as well as having a positive impact on a region’s socio-economic development. Underdeveloped or rural areas, which have limited financial and technological resources available, often envision cultural routes as a useful development tool to cater to their needs. However, unless these cultural routes are designed and implemented based on the principles of a circular economy or while respecting the region’s cultural identity and heritage, their impact will not be significant. The region of Aitoloakarnania is the poorest prefecture of Greece. The prefecture served as a case study to demonstrate that the utilization of its cultural and architectural heritage can be based on the identification, documentation, and the reveal of paths of cultural tourism along the region’s main natural features, namely its rivers, lakes, lagoons, and coastline. Τhe density and the representative distribution of the monuments in the area, in combination with the unique natural environment of the prefecture, led to the configuration of a mild design of cultural routes, promoting the revealing of both the cultural and the natural landmarks of Aitoloakarnania. In this framework, certain cultural paths were defined. The first one, along the Acheloos River, includes sites of natural heritage, ancient and medieval monuments (castles, fortifications, monasteries, churches, burial sites, archaeological sites, etc.). The other cultural path regards sites along the Evinos River and Trichonida Lake, which includes similar monuments and traditional settlements. A similar cultural path regards cultural sites and points of interest along the coastal parts of the prefecture, and in particular, a path initiating from the historic city of Nafpaktos and following the route to the west, it reaches the Venetian castle of Plagia, opposite of Lefkada. These cultural paths fuse along their routes sites of natural heritage, sites of archaeological and cultural interest, and sites of historic importance to the region. This amalgamation of different types of cultural sites, integrated into a single cultural entity, provide the means for the local and regional development in a sustainable approach while ensuring and disseminating the region’s brand and history.