Cityscapes And Capital

The authors draw on comparative data from 10 medium sized cities and examine 40 city-supported development projects to show how city investment in, and regulation of, development projects is the most effective way for political leaders to control and shape the future of their city. 19 illustrations.

The Opening of the Cybernetic Frontier is the third installment in the Cities of the Prairie project. It completes an ongoing multi-generational, comparative study of ten medium-sized communities located in five Prairie and Plains states--Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado. This long-term study was initiated by Daniel J. Elazar in 1959 to develop a comprehensive theory explaining and forecasting the development of the civil community based upon the changing relationship between internal developments and external factors. In this new volume, Elazar and his colleagues trace developments in these communities during the1980s and 1990s. The study examines how local communities function politically, socially, and economically, and then analyzes the impact that regional, national, and international trends and patterns have on local political systems in general and the cities of the prairie in particular. It revisits these communities at the dawning of a new frontier, the city-cybernetic frontier, which is characterized by a knowledge-intensive economic base made possible by computer and communication technologies. Changing technology has accelerated the settlement patterns that emerged after World War II. Ongoing population sprawl means that individuals are leaving the suburbs to live in the exurbs and beyond, creating a citybelt phenomenon that relies upon new technologies.

The study of sport tourism is on the cusp of moving from a descriptive phase of research into an analytical phase. Consequently, many academics and graduate students are searching for theories upon which to ground their work. This book draws upon theories and concepts from sociology and anthropology (the socio-cultural perspective), sport and tourism studies, and business studies. One of the dangers of a new area of study is that the body of knowledge is built on a range of seemingly unrelated studies. By grounding work in a theoretical perspective, future work can be linked to, and contribute to building a cohesive understanding of various aspects of sport tourism. This book is an edited collection written by some of the top scholars working in a particular domain throughout the world, providing a compendium of theories and concepts that can be used to frame research on various aspects of sport tourism. This volume was previously published as a special issue of the journal Sport in Society.

From the verticals of New York, Hong Kong and Singapore to the sprawls of London, Paris and Jakarta, this interdisciplinary volume of new writing examines constructions, representations, imaginations and theorizations of 'cityscapes' in modern and contemporary culture. With specially-commissioned essays from the fields of cultural theory, architecture, film, literature, visual art and urban geography, it offers fresh insight into the increasingly complex relationship between urban space, cultural production and everyday life. This volume draws on critical urban studies and moves beyond familiar cultural representations of the city by considering urban planning and architecture. Organized under three inter-related themes - image, text and form - essay topics range from the examination of cyberpunk skylines, pagan urbanism and the cinema of urban disaster, to the analysis of iconic city landmarks such as the twin towers, the London Eye and the Judisches Museum Berlin. Covering a diverse range of cities, including Berlin, Chicago, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Paris, and Venice, this fantastic resource for students, scholars and researchers alike, works expertly at the intersections of visual, material, and literary culture.

Saturn in Spring Hill, Tenn.; Nissan in Smyrna, Tenn.; Toyota in Georgetown, Ky.; Honda in Marysville, Ohio.

It has become increasingly evident that effective planning for sustainable communities, environments and economies pivots on the ability of planners to see the possibilities for culture in comprehensive social, historical and environmental terms and to more fully engage with the cultural practices, processes and theorisation that comprise a social formation. More broadly, an approach to planning theory and practice that is itself formed through a close engagement with culture is required. This Research Companion brings together leading experts from around the world to map the contours of the relationship between planning and culture and to present these inextricably linked concepts and issues together in one place. By examining significant trends in varying national and international contexts, the contributors scrutinise the theories and practices of both planning and culture and explore not only their interface, but significant divergences and tensions. In doing so, this collection provides the first comprehensive overview and analysis of planning and culture, interdisciplinary and international in scope. It is comprised of six parts organised around the themes of global and historical contexts, key dimensions of planning and cultural theory and practice, and cultural and planning dynamics. Each section includes a final chapter that provides a case study lens which pulls the themes of the section together with reference to a significant planning issue or initiative.

Cityscapes in History: Creating the Urban Experience explores the ways in which scholars from a variety of disciplines - history, history of art, geography and architecture - think about and study the urban environment. The concept ’cityscapes’ refers to three different dynamics that shape the development of the urban environment: the interplay between conscious planning and organic development, the tension between social control and its unintended consequences and the relationship between projection and self-presentation, as articulated through civic ceremony and ritual. The book is structured around three sections, each covering a particular aspect of the urban experience. ’The City Planned’ looks at issues related to agency, self-perception, the transfer of knowledge and the construction of space. ’The City Lived’ explores the experience of urbanity and the construction of space as a means of social control. And finally, ’The City as a Stage’ examines the ways in which cultural practices and power-relations shape - and are in turn shaped by - the construction of space. Each section combines the work of scholars from different fields who examine these dynamics through both theoretical essays and empirical research, and provides a coherent framework in which to assess a wide range of chronological and geographical subjects. Taken together the essays in this volume provide a truly interdisciplinary investigation of the urban phenomenon. By making fascinating connections between such seemingly diverse topics as 15th century France and modern America, the collection raises valuable questions about scholarly approaches to urban studies.