Local Public Spaces Research Articles

Cars, compounds and containers: Judicial and extrajudicial infrastructures of punishment in the 'old' and 'new' South Africa.

This paper examines non-state infrastructures of vigilante violence in marginalized spaces in South Africa. I argue that car trunks, shacks, containers, and other everyday receptacles function as the underside of official institutions, such as prisons and police lock-ups, and bear historical imprints of the extrajudicial punishments inflicted on black bodies during colonialism and apartheid. I focus on two techniques: forcing someone into the trunk of a vehicle and driving them around to locate stolen property, and confinement in garages, shacks, containers, or local public spaces. Whereas in formerly 'whites only' areas, residents have access to insurance, guards, gated communities, fortified fences, and well-resourced neighbourhood watches, in former black townships and informal settlements, this is not the case. Here, the boot, the shack, the shed, the car, and the minibus taxi play multiple roles, including as vectors and spaces of confinement, torture, and execution. Thus, spatiotemporality affects both how penal forms permeate space and time, and how space and time constitute penal forms. These vigilante kidnappings and forcible confinements are not mere instances of gratuitous violence. Instead, they mimic, distort, and amplify the violence that underpins the state's unrealized monopoly over the violence inherent in its claims to police and punish.

Long Live Marketization for Local Public Spaces: A Study of Scandinavian Managers’ Satisfaction with Private Provider Performance

Continued critiques, evidence and newer reform trends have increasingly contested the use of market-centered models–the competition prescription–for urban public space maintenance as well as other local services. This article adopts a contextualized contingency perspective on the competition prescription and questions the contested status of market-centered models in a survey-based study of the current use of and satisfaction with private providers for maintenance of parks/greenspaces and road/streets in Scandinavian local governments. The study finds widespread use of and satisfaction with private providers. However, satisfaction depends on national context and multiple contingencies. The study challenges the contested status of market-centered models, highlights that different models serve different strategic objectives, and directs attention to discussions of context and key contingencies that define how well market-centered models perform.

The Construction of Placeness in Traditional Handicraft Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Suzhou Embroidery

Traditional handicrafts are rooted in the idea of the place, and their revival can trigger a construction of place in terms of physical buildings and cultural ambience. This study focuses on traditional Suzhou embroidery and analyses the effect of its revival on the construction of placeness and sustainable development within its specific social context. The results showed that (1) reviving traditional handicrafts triggers changes to local public spaces, the reshaping of local architecture, and the development of a cultural landscape; (2) The revival of the handicraft in terms of local activities is reflected in increased efficiency and creativity and in the stable inheritance of skills. The traditional farming lifestyle of Zhenhu has been transformed, leading to better quality of life and social networks; (3) The revival of Suzhou embroidery has updated the place through renovating its image. The local residents’ awareness of the benefits of their handicrafts has also increased, and their increased dependence on place will strengthen their belongingness and attachment to it. These local changes exert positive impact on the realization of sustainable goals by boosting decent work and economic growth, ensuring environmental sustainability, building sustainable cities and communities, and enhancing community stability and cultural diversity. Thus, the revival of handicrafts can guide a place to refocus on local economic growth and cultural development towards sustainable development, bringing about an organic inheritance of its history and the reinforcement of placeness.

The Festivalisation of Edinburgh: Manifestations, Impacts and Responses

The Festivalisation of Edinburgh: Constructing its Governance was published in Scottish Affairs 30.1. It showed how the city council, Scottish Government and the events, festivals and tourism industries worked in partnership as a growth coalition. This follow-up article describes some of the results they achieved. It focuses on Edinburgh's August and Winter Festivals, as these are the largest scale festival events. It also analyses the project that sought to re-imagine West Princes Street Gardens. It explores the meaning of ‘festivalisation’ both through its direct impacts on the use of urban space, but also in its relation to the commodification of public space and austerity urbanism. Festivalisation has normalised the flow of value from local public spaces to geographically dispersed asset owners. However, opposition emerged from some local residents and community councils, with the long-established civic amenity charity, the Cockburn Association, playing a catalytic role. The Covid pandemic disrupted this process in 2020, opening up further debates about the role of festivals and tourism in the recovery.

ANALYZING SPATIAL-PHYSICAL LAYOUT OF URBAN BAZARS: A WAY TO BRING BACK THE PUBLIC SPACES INSIDE MARKETPLACES WITH A CONSIDERATION FOR SAFETY ISSUES

The acceleration of diversified retail in urban streets and bazars, reachable from homes and work have become a common phenomenon in achieving an environmental, social, economic and sustainable neighborhood. Fostering social cohesion, such settlements encompass, groceries, confectionaries, soft drinks, magazines and newspapers, tobacco products, restaurants and cafes which help to build community. Local employment is also generated by such local trade points. Despite the popularity of street trading, the system of growth of such establishments remains chaotic and they lack public spaces within the market. This study analyses the dynamics of urban streets and bazar and social life at the local public space inside the market keeping in mind the current safety situation of the pandemic in three cases of Dhaka city and proposes possible opportunities to overcome the anarchy

The significance of digital media in local public space crisis management: The case of Poland, the United Kingdom and Italy

This article recognizes the potential and possibilities of digital media in COVID-19 crisis management in different democratic systems. It is the comparative analysis of information management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, the United Kingdom and Italy. From the theoretical approach, the crisis management usually deals with two main models. The first one is defined as the post-reactive model, which is based on reacting to events after the first symptoms of the crisis and the communication model remains the top-down process. The second one is described as the pro-reactive model, which is based on building a dialogue space with the participatory community and it is the bottom-up communication process. In this case, the community becomes an active partner in bridging the crisis. The main goal of the proposed article is to examine the ways in which digital media influences the quality of strategic communication management in local public spaces and what type of crisis management strategy is applied to each political culture. The article discusses the pros and cons of information distributed through digital platforms by both the media and public institutions in terms of community awareness and crisis governance. The article applies a mixed method approach, which includes content analysis (media and governmental digital services), interviews (with the authorities’ members and media representatives) and social media network analysis (mainly Facebook). The analysis has been ongoing since the beginning of the pandemic in Europe (March–September 2020). The research has demonstrated that the shape and distribution of information during the pandemic were of great importance for the quality of information strategy activities. The problem was noticeable disinformation at all levels, which was the result of a lack of control over the message and the pursuit of sensation or conspiracy. It was clearly observed that without the support of crisis communication during the pandemic by the media, mainly digital platforms, it would be impossible to implement it. In all three countries, social media was the ‘information management centre’ in the COVID-19 era, but the activity of individual municipalities was slightly different. As far as the urbanized and semi-urbanized level is concerned, some consistency can be observed. In all three cases, communication on social media platforms was conducted very intensively and with the use of various tools (texts, statistics, instructional videos, scientific articles, infographics, etc.). All the ‘organizers’ of the local public sphere (presidents, mayors, journalists, service representatives) tried to keep in touch with the inhabitants.

The optimistic utopia: sacrifice and expectations of political transformation in the Angolan Revolutionary Movement

The optimistic utopia: sacrifice and expectations of political transformation in the Angolan Revolutionary Movement

Public spaces and physical activity in adults: insights from a mixed-methods study.

Public spaces could promote health equity by providing a place for people to engage in physical activity. Whereas most studies show a positive association between public spaces and physical activity, there are still mixed results, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of this mixed-methods study were: (i) to assess the quantitative association between access to public spaces and physical activity; (ii) to assess the modification of the association by public spaces quality, area-level walkability, and social stratifiers; (iii) to explain the quantitative results using qualitative data. Quantitative data were obtained with a household survey in two arid-climate Mexican cities in 2017-2018. physical activity was measured with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Access to public spaces was measured in buffers centered on survey blocks, walkability with area-level indicators, and public spaces quality with the Physical Activity Resources Assessment. Qualitative data were obtained with semi-structured interviews and neighborhood observation. No quantitative association between access to public spaces and physical activity was found, as well as no interactions between access to public spaces and other variables. Walkability was positively associated with physical activity. Qualitative analysis showed that local public spaces were rarely used by adults because they were perceived as small, unequipped, unattractive, and unsafe. The results shed light on the relationship between public spaces and physical activity, highlighting the improvements in design and upkeep of public spaces that are necessary to achieve their potential health benefit.

Art and Ecology at the Edge of Osaka, Japan

City as Nature is an ecological art and media studio based primarily in Kitakagaya, a former shipbuilding district on the outskirts of Osaka, Japan. Working with local and international practitioners, and public and private organizations across multiple disciplines and sectors, they produce ecological art projects that re-connect people, process, and place with the ecosystems in which we dwell. Two narrative project studies in Kitakagaya are presented here: 1) The Branch Osaka, a physical ecological space built inside a typical wood-and-earth row house in an 80-year-old marketplace—rebuilt by City as Nature, using locally recycled materials, it now serves as a residence and ecological art space, with a natural garden and donation-based programming; 2) City as Nature Festival, an ecological neighborhood “happening,” taking place in multiple local public and privately-owned spaces. The festival explores urban relationships with the nature through art-driven dialogs between practitioners, the general public, and the urban space itself. From these projects, City as Nature hopes to explore approaches to cultivating relationships—individual, meaningful relationships between designers, executives, civic leaders, citizens, and the communities of ecosystems in and around our cities. Through an ongoing, truthful dialog with the environment, people might just discover the possible city, an equitable place for all beings.

Cachureando por Santiago. Reconociendo la inteligencia urbana situada

Durante la última década, el modelo Smart Cities ha alcanzado una creciente relevancia y protagonismo en la manera cómo se está pensando el desarrollo urbano en Chile, a partir de cuatro tendencias principales: mediante la conformación de una importante red de actores públicos y privados que promueven intervenciones smart en los centros urbanos; el creciente uso de nuevas tecnologías de la comunicación y la información para la producción de datos; la constante capacitación y especialización de los recursos humanos que operan en los centros urbanos; y la proliferación de intervenciones urbanas que se replican en las principales ciudades del país, entre otros. No obstante, dicho modelo presenta una escasa pertinencia territorial, una insuficiente vinculación con actores y agentes locales, e insuficiente reconocimiento y visibilización de iniciativas ciudadanas sustentadas en saberes y prácticas cotidianas que, perfectamente, pueden ser consideradas como parte de una “inteligencia urbana” basada en conocimientos situados de los habitantes de dichos territorios. Lo anterior abre la siguiente interrogante: ¿cómo comprender la inteligencia urbana en la actualidad?A partir del trabajo etnográfico desarrollado en una feria libre de la comuna de San Joaquín en la ciudad de Santiago, este artículo identifica y describe saberes, prácticas y estrategias que permiten a sus habitantes resolver problemas cotidianos por medio de diversas formas de informalidad, autogestión y redes de asociatividad. Ellas constituyen “inteligencias urbanas situadas” o saberes que emergen por medio del uso y apropiación territorial de los espacios públicos locales, las cuales se observan en las prácticas de recolección, reuso y reciclaje.

Emerging public space in rural Laos

While urban settings stand at the forefront in discussions about public spaces in socialist East- and Southeast Asia, rural public spaces in the region have been hitherto largely unexplored. Drawing on two different upland cases from the northern part of Laos, this contribution identifies local vernacular public spaces on the one hand, and emerging state-connected public spaces on the other. The latter will be argued to comprise: (1) state-controlled public places, (2) public as opposed to private land, and (3) spaces in which the collective identity of the village in relation to the nation-state is displayed. We compare the sociality in vernacular public spaces with the sociality in state-connected public spaces, giving emphasis to socio-spatial practices and sonic dimensions. The contemporary transformation of public spaces in rural upland Laos can eventually be approached through the lens of the “fragmentation of space”, to quote Lefebvre’s felicitous expression, and allows original insights into spatial state-making practices and local efforts (with varying success) to relate to the state.

Do neighbourhood characteristics act together to influence BMI? A cross-sectional study of urban parks and takeaway/fast-food stores as modifiers of the effect of physical activity facilities.

Studies exploring associations between neighbourhood environment and obesity often overlook the fact that neighbourhoods are multi-dimensional and that the effects of one environmental exposure may be modified by another. We examine whether associations between neighbourhood density of formal physical activity (PA) facilities and body mass index (BMI) are modified by the density of neighbourhood green spaces and takeaway stores. We used cross-sectional data from the UK Biobank cohort and linked UK Biobank Urban Morphometric Platform (UKBUMP) for 345,269 urban-dwelling adults aged 40-69. We examined associations between objectively measured BMI and the number of formal PA facilities (gyms, pools, etc.) within 1km of each individual's home, testing separately for interactions with the number of local public green spaces, and number of takeaway stores, within the same 1km buffers. We estimated modifier-stratified associations using multivariable, multilevel models to account for a clustered sampling design and potential confounding. Likelihood ratio tests were used to assess statistical interaction. We found that the association between a greater number of local PA facilities and lower BMI was stronger among people with fewer urban green spaces in their neighbourhood than among those with more green spaces (Pinteraction=0.021). The same relationship between PA facilities and BMI was also noticeably attenuated among those with more takeaway stores near home, compared with people with none (Pinteraction=0.014). We conclude that formal PA facilities may buffer against a lack of informal, green resources for PA in areas where the latter are scarce. However, the potential benefits of formal PA facilities in terms of obesity risk may be undermined by an unhealthy food environment close to home. Locating formal PA facilities in places with fewer public green resources and reducing the prevalence of takeaway stores in areas with formal PA resources may maximise the health benefits to be derived from these neighbourhood resources.

Recruiting a representative sample of urban South Australian Aboriginal adults for a survey on alcohol consumption

BackgroundPopulation estimates of alcohol consumption vary widely among samples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians. Some of this difference may relate to non-representative sampling. In some communities, household surveys are not appropriate and phone surveys not feasible. Here we describe activities undertaken to implement a representative sampling strategy in an urban Aboriginal setting. We also assess our likely success.MethodsWe used a quota-based convenience sample, stratified by age, gender and socioeconomic status to recruit Indigenous Australian adults (aged 16+) in an urban location in South Australia. Between July and October 2019, trained research staff (n = 7/10, Aboriginal) recruited community members to complete a tablet computer-based survey on drinking. Recruitment occurred from local services, community events and public spaces. The sampling frame and recruitment approach were documented, including contacts between research staff and services, and then analysed. To assess representativeness of the sample, demographic features were compared to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing.ResultsThirty-two services assisted with data collection. Many contacts (1217) were made by the research team to recruit organisations to the study (emails: n = 610; phone calls: n = 539; texts n = 33; meetings: n = 34, and one Facebook message). Surveys were completed by 706 individuals – equating to more than one third of the local population (37.9%). Of these, half were women (52.5%), and the average age was 37.8 years. Sample characteristics were comparable with the 2016 Census in relation to gender, age, weekly individual income, Indigenous language spoken at home and educational attainment.ConclusionElements key to recruitment included: 1) stratified sampling with multi-site, service-based recruitment, as well as data collection events in public spaces; 2) local services’ involvement in developing and refining the sampling strategy; and 3) expertise and local relationships of local Aboriginal research assistants, including health professionals from the local Aboriginal health and drug and alcohol services. This strategy was able to reach a range of individuals, including those usually excluded from alcohol surveys (i.e. with no fixed address). Carefully pre-planned stratified convenience sampling organised in collaboration with local Aboriginal health staff was central to the approach taken.

Local government public space CCTV systems in Australia

The rapid and sustained growth in use of public space closed-circuit television (CCTV) is well-documented. However, there are mixed findings as to the efficacy of CCTV in public places as a crime prevention or crime control measure. Analysis and exploration of findings from a national online survey of local councils across Australia conducted (by the Australian Institute of Criminology) in mid-2014 was conducted and is reported here. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the determinative factors in local councils’ decisions to install and maintain CCTV, the corresponding mechanisms of the network, and the prevalence of evaluations of public space CCTV systems across Australia. The findings illustrate a need for greater consideration of the objectives of CCTV which align with the purpose and perceived benefits of the systems, as well as the coverage and operational framework available to support ongoing implementation. Moreover, robust evaluations which assess the benefits of CCTV for deterrence, reduction or investigation of crime in demographically and geographically diverse areas is needed.

The impossible and necessary coexistence of agricultural development models in the Pampas: the case of Santa Fe province (Argentina)

This article’s objective is to highlight the different forms of agriculture present in the Argentinian Pampas, to analyse their logics, in particular in their relationships to the territory, and to discuss the relationships they have with each other. The theoretical framework adopted is that of “territorial pacts”. This framework makes it possible to define for each form of agriculture through three dimensions of its local integration into the territory (territorial mediation) and through four dimensions of its integration into institutions (agricultural development model). This theoretical framework was taught and put into practice by a team of 7 or 8 researchers and teacher-researchers and 80 fifth-year students of agronomy within the framework of a 1-week study trip repeated in three consecutive years in Santa Fe province. This is an interesting province for studying this subject because of the historical importance of family farming and the growth of large business farms. The method includes analyses of the agronomist’s skills and reflections with students. Three agricultural development models could be distinguished and analysed: business farming, small-scale family farming and conventional farming. These models highlight the roles of technicians, cities, markets, symbolic issues and personal projects. In conclusion, it appears that relationships between these different models are more along the lines of a co-presence and not of a coexistence. The latter would require the construction of a local public space and a profound change in the models’ current strategies. Nevertheless, a plural conception—and one that is open to dialogue—of the study programmes of the university faculties of agronomy could be a first step towards coexistence, since it appears that these faculties are at the centre of the tensions arising from co-presence.

The Availability of Social Space in The Urban Yogyakarta, The Case Study of Umbulharjo District

Social interaction for the elders is one of the important activities as self-actualization in the community which can be done by involving themselves in various activities in the neighbourhood. The phenomenon of increasing elderly living in urban areas requires cities to be able to provide an environment which accommodates the physical limitations of the elderly. Yogyakarta City, which has an elderly population of 12.87% of its total, needed to provide comfortable facilities for the elderly as an effort to improve their quality of life. This study aimed to describe the elders’ social activities in Yogyakarta City and identify the facilities provided by the government to meet the needs of elderly activities. This study used primary data obtained through structured interview to the elderly and field observation. The results showed that most of the elderly’s social activities in Yogyakarta were carried out near their homes due to physical limitations. Most of the locations are public places within the housing area provided by the government such as the local citizen hall and public open space. The Yogyakarta city government needs to improve infrastructure to facilitate the elders’ activities, especially in certain area like river bank.

Local authorities, housing, public spaces and reception of outsiders

The concentration of financial, administrative and cientific activities in a few cities led to the build-up of opportunities in places with specific characteristics, which became attraction hubs for people all over the world. Its common in these places supply crisis in the affordable dwelling market. Not obstantly, the ones more hardly affected by this crisis are immigrants and refugees. Access to jobs is also another crucial issue for this population, specially those without work permission. This essay aims to reflect on this process and explore the possibilities that local governments could provide for life conditions that are more adequate for habitants that live in this specific situation of exclusion.

Memperkokoh Posisi Tawar Politik Pegiat Sistem Penyediaan Air Minum Berbasis Masyarakat Lewat Komunikasi Lingkungan

The limited ability in providing a good water services to all citizens, as well as the fact that water is a public good, the involvement of citizens in drinking water supply is one way to achieve this goal. The existence of a community-based drinking water supply system in the form of the Community Drinking Water User Association (HIPPAM) needs to be maintained to ensure the sustainability of its social services. The sustainability of the HIPPAM social enterprise is determined by internal aspects such as governance and institutional performance, financial management, technical performance of water distribution services. Other things related to external aspects such as the support of stakeholders such as customers, community members, environment activist and village government related to the issue of conservation as well as environmental sustainability and good water governance. Discussing these issues with all stakeholders in drinking water in the available local public space can be referred to as environmental communication that is hoped will be able to create awareness and citizen’s collective action citizens on the importance of good water governance. This study uses qualitative data with interviews and in-depth interviews as data collection techniques, the informants of this study consisted of the management of the HIPPAM Mangga Dua. The result showed that administrators had sufficient environmental and ecological literacy. For them, water is spiritual and social energy sources that enable them to develop dan enhance the community’s social capital.

Will the children use it?—A RE-AIM evaluation of a local public open space intervention involving children from a deprived neighbourhood

Knowledge on how to improve public open spaces in deprived neighbourhoods to increase active living among children is scarce and comprehensively evaluated public open space interventions are needed. Firstly, the aim was to explore if involving 39 local fifth-grade children (10–11 years old) from a deprived neighbourhood in creating playable installations in a public open space influenced their use of this space. Secondly, we wanted to explore if the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework (RE-AIM) was useful for evaluating different stages in the intervention project. RE-AIM was applied through a convergent mixed-methods triangulation design using survey, accelerometer, GPS, and interviews as data sources. Effectiveness outcomes revealed that on average the space was used less by the 39 children after the intervention. The implementation and maintenance dimensions revealed aspects of why most children involved in the project did not use the space after intervention. The evaluation cast light on children’s perceptions of their role, and importance of maintenance when the intervention was completed. In future, all dimensions of built environmental projects would benefit from being planned and evaluated in a collaboration with all project partners using an evaluation framework integrated and applied from the beginning of the project.

Impact of Tall Buildings on Urban Views - the European Approach

The research focuses on the visual impact of tall buildings on the city interior space (i.e. streets, squares, undeveloped land, parks, lawns, palace gardens). These are areas where we can experience tall buildings every day. The study searches for relations between tall buildings and their surrounding development that enhance the value of the latter, and consequently improve the quality of the local public space. The research was designed to implement two goals. The first one was to formulate basic rules of harmonious development of tall building and fitting them into the internal cityscape of European cities while maintaining spatial cohesion with the existing housing development, including historical one. The second one was to assess the possibilities and limitations of using digital techniques and 3D city models for objective examination of relations between a tall building and the city (in line with rules defined).