Browsing by study line "USP Peoples"
Now showing items 21-24 of 24
-
(2021)Julkinen tila on kaupungissa keskeinen tekijä ja tori on julkisista tiloista leimallisin. Historiallisesti torien merkitys kaupungissa on suuri ja vaihdellut historian aikana. Tori on mielenkiintoinen keskus kaupungissa: dynaaminen ja eläväinen torikaupan aikoina, hiljainen ja autio niiden ulkopuolella. Julkisten tilojen monipuolistuminen on asettanut torit asemaan, jossa ne eivät enää ole ensisijainen kokoontumispaikka. Tori elää kaupungin mukana ja saa kehityksen tuloksena uusia funktioita. Tutkimus selvittää näitä käyttötarkoitusten muutoksia käyttäen tapausesimerkkinä Porvoon toria 1832–2021. Tutkimus on saanut alkunsa Porvoon kaupungin keskustakehittämishankkeesta, johon liittyen tutkimuksen tekijä laati toriympäristön historiaselvityksen vuonna 2020. Tutkimuksen metodina on temaattinen tarkastelu, joka torin historiallisia vaiheita vertaamalla ja yhteiskunnalliseen kontekstiin asettamalla vastaa kysymykseen, kuinka torin muuttuvat funktiot ovat vaikuttaneet sen rooliin kaupungissa. Lähdeaineisto koostuu arkistolähteistä, valokuvista, sanomalehtijulkaisuista täydennettynä toriyrittäjien haastatteluilla. Kirjallisuus hyödyntää erityisesti julkisen tilan piirteitä sekä Porvoon historiaa selvittäneitä teoksia. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys soveltaa Lefebvren tilan tuotannon teoriaa korostamalla ihmisen oikeutta kaupunkiin ja toria kaupunkilaisten arjen tilana. Teoria tarjoaa perustan kaupunkisuunnittelun historiassa tehtyjen arvovalintojen tutkimiseen. Tutkimus teoretisoi myös tilaa suhteellisena käsitteenä ja tarkastelee paikan merkitystä kaupungissa siihen liitettyjen mielikuvien avulla. Tutkimus jakaa torin neljään toiminnalliseen funktioon, jotka ovat tulleet torille eri aikoina, mutta ovat kaikki läsnä nykyisin. Ensimmäinen funktio, torikauppa, on pitkään hiipuneenakin yhä elävä torin käyttötarkoitus. Toinen funktio on torin symbolisesti merkittävä edustusrooli. Se näkyy paitsi torin varrelle sijoittuneissa instituutioissa myös torin ajoittain korostuvassa roolissa kansalaisaktivismin näyttämönä. Kolmas funktio on kaupungin keskeisenä liikennealueena toimiminen. Keskeinen sijainti on tuonut torille linja-auto- ja taksiasemat, jotka ovat merkittävästi muokanneet torikuvaa 1930-luvulta tähän päivään. Neljäs funktio on tapahtumapaikka, joka liittyy kaupunkikeskustojen kehittämisen trendiin. Tori tarjoaa puitteet niin perinteisten kuin uusien kaupunkitapahtumien paikkana. Lisäksi tutkimus vertaa Porvoon toria kolmeen muuhun suomalaiskaupungin samanikäiseen toriin ja niiden historiaan. Torien taustojen analysointi selvittää, miksi ne ovat kehittyneet eri tavoin ja asettaa Porvoon torin historian laajempaan yhteiskunnalliseen kontekstiin.
-
(2020)The themes of this thesis are alternative, informal, and uncommercial cultural spaces, the scenes using the spaces, and the individual scene participants. The study’s frame is Helsinki between 2000–2019. The study combines relevant theoretical discussion from subculture research tradition and urbanism. The key concepts of the thesis are ‘scenes,’ a cultural definition of ‘subculture,’ ‘alternative cultural spaces,’ ‘DIY culture’ (‘do it yourself’), and ‘enclaves.’ The thesis presents Helsinki’s ‘DIY landscape’ to consist of interconnected actors—scene participants—who are part of a network that revolves around making, performing and facilitating music in a specific urban infrastructure—the city, Helsinki—and in which the alternative cultural spaces create physical ‘hubs’ for the scene. The data has been collected online via a combination of oral history recollections and qualitative surveying. The data was collected in collaboration between Helsinki City Museum and Music Archive Finland in fall 2019. The data consist of 70 individual responses. The data is treated through the epistemology of qualitative research and oral history, and therefore is seen to include both ‘factual’ information and the informant’s subjective interpretations, their experience. On a practical level, the analysis has been conducted mainly via qualitative content analysis (QCA), but also geographic information system (GIS) has been used. The study aims to explicate a widely recognized but poorly known cultural phenomenon. The study’s key results are as follows. Four types of alternative cultural spaces have existed: dedicated buildings, rooms, outdoor venues, and even a ship. All of the study’s 34 spaces have hosted live music events and a variety of other cultural, political, and social activities. The spaces have been acquired for use by renting, squatting, and asking permission, and in two cases are owned by the facilitator. With some exceptions, they are located in the fringe areas of Helsinki’s city center, have a relatively short lifespan (maximum of five years in a set location) and share ‘aesthetics of necessity’ that roots meager or non-existent funding and the use of subcultural symbols and art. The spaces follow certain ‘DIY operating principles’ that aim to create an encouraging and inclusive atmosphere for DIY participation. The spaces, and their users, have faced a variety of challenges, setbacks, and problems. These are rooted in funding, the deficits of the buildings and their facilities, and to other citizens, the police, and the City of Helsinki. The City’s role emerges from the data as ambivalent—a constrainer and enabler. According to the responder’s experience, the City does not have a uniform policy towards the use of vacant urban space, and DIY culture overall is not recognized. For the scenes, the alternative cultural spaces function as platforms where cherish—often ‘marginal’—music and subcultures. Some of the participants connect political and societal ideals to the spaces and DIY activities. DIY activities emerged as—sometimes self-purposefully—social and communal by their nature. In the spaces between scene participants take place socio-cultural ‘cross-fertilization,’ which sometimes leads to new organizational groups and even scenes forming. These might relocate their practices elsewhere, and thus DIY culture spreads to new locations in the urban infrastructure. For the individual scene participants, crossing with the scene represents an important part of finding a social reference group. Some of the responders described going through a ‘DIY phase,’ which is a several yearlong period in their youth when life orientations and identity are intensively connected to DIY culture. The meaningfulness of scene participation lasts to later life, even if the participant’s active years are foregone. For some, the skills and knowledge acquired in the scene creates a basis for a more professional career in cultural production. As the reasons for the diminish or end of the DIY participation are given the closure of an alternative cultural space focal for the participant, challenges in activities, and major life events. In the discussion, the thesis suggests the concept of ‘urban DIY enclaves’ in the toolboxes of urban planners and designers. The DIY enclaves differentiate from the broader urban landscape by their condition, aesthetics, political messages, and subcultural symbols. Socially they have been constructed to advance DIY culture and cherish the creative lifestyle associated with it. The concept is suggested as a device for acknowledging the existence of DIY culture; in other words, its need for space, and its participants’ eagerness to participate in the construction of the urban and cultural landscape.
-
(2021)The Master´s thesis examines the conceived value patterns the city officials use in the context of land-use regulation of small forest fragments. As a theoretical framework, the study utilises Boltanski and Thévenot´s theory on the common worlds with complementary literature, such as Thévenot’s cognitive formats and engagements. In light of extensive scientific research, urban greenspaces have multiple positive impacts to both urban structure and wellbeing of the residents. Small greenspaces, so-called forest fragments with no appointed recreational activities are, nevertheless, often presented as potential sites for infill construction. This appears especially in cities where strong population growth causes pressure for urban development. This Master´s thesis complements existing research in this regard by revealing the diversity of valuation that form the basis to differing interests, perspectives and decisions that direct urban land-use policy in these forest fragments. The empirical phase has been conducted among city officials in the City of Espoo (FI), who represent different operative units and positions. The analysis was conducted through an exploratory and semiquantitative Q methodology. In the study, the respondents (N=27) validated statements (Q=35) related to planning decisions on small forest fragments. The factor extraction was conducted by principal component analysis. The seven analysed factors form consistent value patterns, which may be used when describing and interpreting the justification of urban planning regulation in forest fragments. In each individual value pattern, either valuation of the local landscape, public good or personal advantage is emphasised. From the common worlds, argumentation based on the industrial or the market worlds highlight personal affinity, whereas, for instance, the civic or the domestic world form a basis for argumentation on social values and the common good. Human-centred biophilia is the most explanatory of the value patterns. Based on the valuation, forest fragments are seen as an integral part of the urban structure especially due to their cultural ecosystem services, such as recreational possibilities, effect on residents´ environmental consciousness and stability of the local landscape.
-
(2022)Social and urban scholars have long been concerned with questions of how unknown others encounter and relate to one another in the city. Stranger encounters can happen spontaneously and serendipitously, for example, at bus stops, in trains or on park benches, often viewed as “chance” encounters. Other stranger encounters are carefully planned, for example, by using digital technology including online social networks, websites, and digital platforms. Today, digital platforms are reshaping the way we relate with strangers, yet there is little research on how stranger encounters are reconfigured by practices mediated through digital platforms. Against this background, the thesis attempts to address this research gap: stranger encounters mediated by two location-based digital platforms for social networking in Helsinki. The thesis focuses on two Finnish digital platforms for social networking, Nappi Naapuri and Commu, which are based around neighbourhood and community interactions. Both platforms lower the threshold of communication between strangers which have the potential to help eliminate loneliness, stress, and promote a sense of community. The thesis analyses planned encounters when meeting with other platform users to better understand what types of stranger encounters are emerging from digital platforms. Rather than focusing on the figure of the stranger as ‘other,’ the thesis examines digitally mediated practices whereby stranger encounters are valued and actively pursued by platform users. Through fieldwork encounters with strangers in Helsinki, the thesis analyses six stranger encounter vignettes to argue that by practicing an open and generous attitude towards unknown others can allow for moments of sociable curiosity, escapism, and intimacy to emerge between strangers. Using multiple methodologies including, autoethnography, walking with participants, participant observation and interviews, the thesis aims to better understand the role digital platforms can play in increasing stranger encounters in the city and how they have the potential to bring different people together to learn from one another and work on manners of cohabitation.
Now showing items 21-24 of 24