Introduction to the special issue : The vital city

Abstract

The theme of this special issue is the vital city. Being vital and having vitality are not mere descriptions, but highly desirable attributes. Although 'vital' can simply mean critical and indispensable, its richer associations are with life and living. In such a context, it is remarkable how many discussions of cities are replete with biological, natural or organic analogies and metaphors. At one level, vitality involves that state of simply being alive and able to survive that distinguishes the living from the non-living. At another, it refers to a higher state of living, to the distinction between animal and plant life, and to the capacity not just to survive but to grow and develop. And at yet a third level, vitality refers to a certain physical or intellectual energy or vigour. This is the vital force or life force, the elan vital - that mysterious, immaterial power that variously generates life, enables survival, produces growth, and gives health, energy and vigour. Consideration of vitality and cities thus raises a set of interrelated research questions, which include: What do we mean by vitality in an urban context? Which spatial arrangements and governance arrangements are most likely to foster urban vitality? In this issue, we present five papers each offering a valuable perspective on urban vitality. The papers were originally given at the September 2007 European Urban Research Association conference held at the University of Glasgow, with the overarching theme of 'the vital city'. The first paper, by Moa Tunstrom, examines the urban renaissance discourse with particular reference to Sweden. Two themes are prominent in this discourse - historical concepts of the traditional city, and the essence of the city being its core. Wendy Tan and Ina Klaasen's paper is an exploratory study of the phenomenon of 24/7 environments. Asking why such environments are more strongly evident in some cities than in others, the authors identify different types of 24/7 environments and outline the socio-cultural, economic and spatial conditions influencing their existence or non-existence. Rachael Unsworth presents a detailed study of residential development and citycentre living in a major English city. Arguing that city-centre living could contribute significantly to urban vitality, she recounts how city living developments, largely driven by demand from buy-to-let investors, have failed to fulfil this potential. Unsworth concludes that inadequate controls combined with developers' incentive structures have produced an outcome that is economically precarious, socially elitist and environmentally ambiguous. Examining the growing urban research agenda around the small city and the nature of innovative institutional sub-municipal governance in securing vitality at the local level, Greg Lloyd and Deborah Peel relate the concept of elan vital to changes in the governance of Inverness, Scotland. Arguing that both philosophical and empirical approaches are needed, they advocate more focus on the softer, intrinsic and more spiritual dimensions of understanding change. In the fifth and final paper, Ivan Tosics moves up a geographical and governmental scale to explore the contribution of cityregions to the sustainability, competitiveness and vitality of urban areas. Activity, space and governance A key challenge for practitioners and researchers of the 'vital city' is that of definition. As Tunstrom explains, since vitality is socially constructed, the way in which its concepts are labelled and named, and its examples or references selected, directs the search for solutions to particular urban problems. Thus, dominant discourses effectively define what is understood as vital. Furthermore, policies themselves are shaped and framed by wider discourses. It thus becomes essential to understand the extent to which such discourses can be mobilised to the advantage of powerful interests. Concepts such as urban vitality, citycentre living and 24/7 environments have both positive and negative aspects. …