Zoekresultaten

People’s climate in shrinking areas

Chapter of a report that presents a case study of the City of Heerlen, Netherlands, a shrinking city that identifies cultural policy as an important factor in vitalising the city. Heerlen has made significant investments into culture and is experiencing a “cultural spring”. This promotes a positive climate in the city, despite the shrinking and ageing population. This chapter identifies examples of good practice for the revitalisation of the city, in particular how culture and the development of social networks are contributing. It explores: Zachte G Network for Creative Economy: a community of creative individuals in the region of Heerlen, connecting cultural and creative entrepreneurship; and Design for Emptiness-Challenge: a project in which entrepreneurs, artists and project developers build concepts for empty buildings in the town centre. The project mobilises citizens to participate actively in the discussion on shrinking cities. Finally, the chapter ends with conclusions, in which the importance of investing in people’s climate in general and cultural policies in particular, in a shrinking city is emphasised.

(re)CYCLE Limburg 4

Cities are constantly in transition. Spatial production worldwide is generated by governments, business, developers, informal settlers, et cetera; sometimes cities expand, but increasingly there is a process of reurbanisation of existing urban patterns contronted with deterioration, dysfunctionality, or obsolescence. In many situations, funding, power and technology determine how the course of urbanisation. Communities, groups and individuals with limited access to funding, power and technology need empowerment to exercise their right to shape and improve their own evironment, while respecting health, equity and ecology. The research centre for Smart Urban Redesign (SURD) at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences seeks to work on this empowerment for communities. This study presents SURD’s approach to neighbourhood revitalisation.

Ook voor bedrijventerreinen geldt: behaalde resultaten uit het verleden bieden geen garantie voor de toekomst

Talloze handleidingen, artikelen, factsheets en glossy verkoopbrochures hebben ons verteld dat het ontwikkelen van bedrijventerreinen weliswaar moeilijk is, maar dat er genoeg mogelijkheden zijn om functionaliteit te combineren met schoonheid en zelfs duurzaamheid (Novem, 2001a en b; Pellenbarg, 2002; Brand, 2005; Min. Econ. Zaken, 1998; Novem 2003; Provincie Flevoland, 2000; Provincie Friesland; 2000). Kwaliteit wordt aangeboden in allerlei soorten en maten. De technische mogelijkheden zijn bijna onbeperkt en de fantasie van architecten en stedenbouwkundigen kent zeker geen grenzen.   Hiertegenover staat de grauwe en saaie realiteit van de meeste bestaande bedrijventerreinen. Blokkendozen langs de snelweg schreeuwen allemaal om aandacht terwijl wij liever door een mooi landschap willen rijden. Rommelige kavels, verkeersonveilige situaties door parkeren op straat en in de berm, slechte ontsluiting, ontoereikende bewegwijzering en criminaliteit: de problematiek geeft duidelijk aan dat veel van de huidige terreinen kennelijk niet meer voldoen aan de eisen van deze tijd (Heidemij, 1996; CPB, 2001; Min. Econ. Zaken, 2004; Louw, 2004). Recent heeft de VROM-raad een pleidooi gehouden voor een nieuwe koers richting “Werklandschappen” waarin betere regionale samenwerking en private betrokkenheid belangrijke trefwoorden zijn (VROM-raad, 2006). Hebben de planners in het verleden dan alles zo verkeerd ingeschat? Kunnen wij van hun fouten leren om de terreinen voor de toekomst anders en beter te ontwerpen? Of is het gewoon zo dat alle terreinen maar een vrij korte levensduur op hoog kwaliteitsniveau gegund zijn, ongeacht wat wij bedenken?

Transformations in Deaf Studies. Implications for sign language policy, revitalization and rights.

This presentation explores various transformations that inform Deaf Studies research, ranging from transformations in deaf networks to larger sign language networks and transformations in applied linguistics, society, and language ideologies, and the related potential impact on sign language policy and revitalisation. After discussing some new research lenses in Deaf Studies, such as visual methods, the presentation suggests some ways forward for Deaf Studies in terms of research priorities and rights discourses.

The revitalisation of obsolete infrastructures into leisure destinations : the case of the Portuguese railway

Citizens’ initiatives in an onlife world

Citizen participation is booming, especially the number of urban bottom-up initiatives where information and communication technologies (ICT) are deployed is increasing rapidly. This growth is good news for society as recent historical research shows that the more citizens actively and persistently interfere with public issues, the more likely a society will be resilient. And yet, at the same time, a growing number of scholars argue that due to the unprecedented impact of ICT, the public sphere is at stake. How to understand both trends? How do the anti-‘public sphere’ developments relate to the growing number of citizens’ initiatives using ICT? And if these citizen initiatives can indeed be understood as manifestations of public spheres, how can ICT foster or hinder the development of these public spheres? These questions will be explored by analyzing a Dutch citizen initiative called ‘Buuv’ (an online ‘market’ place for and by local residents) from a ‘public sphere’ perspective. The author will turn to The human condition (1958) of Hannah Arendt in order to elaborate a ‘public sphere’ perspective. An Arendtian perspective (as any perspective) highlights, however, some aspects and underexposes other aspects. Furthermore, chances are that Arendt’s thoughts are somewhat outdated, in the sense that we now live in a world where the online and the offline life intertwine — an experience that is referred to with the term ‘onlife’. Bearing these remarks in mind, the author will elaborate on the value of Arendt’s ideas to 1) the endeavor of understanding current trends in society—more urban bottom-up initiatives and anti-‘public sphere’ developments due to the broad uptake of ICT—and 2) the endeavor of revitalizing the public sphere in an onlife world. IEEE copyright