This paper uses an interdisciplinary, multiperspectival approach to analyze biketivism and various anticapitalist biketivist projects in Austin, Texas, in the hopes that a “glocalized” exploration of past and current biketivist struggles can help locate potential sites for political agency in ways that more placeless rhetorical studies cannot. Because the form and content of present-day bike politics in Austin are heavily dependent on biketivism’s historically tense articulations with capitalism, a historical analysis of biketivism as an outgrowth of Progressive Era and Appropriate Technology narratives reveals its crystallization around issues of technological, spatial, and social politics. Three case studies then apply this framework to different sites within the Austin bike community: the sales rhetoric of pro-custom bike shops, the debates over installing a Bike Boulevard in downtown Austin, and the missions and forms of several bike-related cultural organizations. Together, these perspectives on Austin’s bike community indicate that the incorporation (and sometimes outright co-optation) of biketivists’ technological and spatial demands and practices into mainstream culture may fragment the movement into physical and social agendas, but this fragmentation does not necessarily silence biketivism’s more radical social politics. At least in Austin, co-optation of biketivism may paradoxically be helping biketivists meet their goal of bringing (pedal) power to the people. / text

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This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of using alcohol sales as an indicator of development or lag associated with development in Kentucky counties using summary statistics, shift-share analysis and an econometric model. The summary statistics are used to evaluate possible lines of causality and the Shift-share analysis and econometric model deal the specific characteristics of the county that are assumed to be influenced by the sale of alcohol. Limitations to the county level data were limiting to the time period evaluated in this thesis. As a result, much of the findings were inconclusive as to the relationship between county level economic development in Kentucky and the sale of alcohol.

The issue of downtown revitalization has been much studied over the past several decades. However, much of the existing knowledge base pertains to our largest urban centres. This leaves a significant information gap with regards to mid-size cities. As a result, past renewal attempts in these cities have often been scaled down versions of what has worked in larger cities. In most cases, this has resulted in detrimental rather than reviving effects. The current trend in cities of all sizes is the implementation of Creative City Theory. This thesis seeks to study this trend and its specific relevance to the mid-size city. The scope of research will then build on the current theory by exploring the effects of well-designed public spaces and their ability to not only unleash the creative spirit but to revitalize the post-industrial mid-size city downtown. This information will then be applied to a design study for Hamilton, Ontario where failed renewal attempts have crippled the city’s downtown. The design will concentrate on Jackson Square (formerly known as Civic Square), a superblock within the very centre of downtown Hamilton. Through a redesign of Jackson Square, the thesis proposes to create a place that not only fosters creativity, but is once again meaningful and significant to Hamilton citizens. While the application of research to Hamilton is specific, the goal is to produce a body of work with principles that can be applied to any number of mid-size cities across the post-industrial world.

163f. / Submitted by Suelen Reis (suziy.ellen@gmail.com) on 2013-05-08T17:34:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Cesar Franca.pdf: 911842 bytes, checksum: 5be566b9f2b3ca79106c35e5662523d2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Alda Lima da Silva(sivalda@ufba.br) on 2013-05-08T19:26:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Cesar Franca.pdf: 911842 bytes, checksum: 5be566b9f2b3ca79106c35e5662523d2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-05-08T19:26:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Cesar Franca.pdf: 911842 bytes, checksum: 5be566b9f2b3ca79106c35e5662523d2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Esta pesquisa apresenta informações sobre as indústrias criativas, um conjunto de atividades econômicas relacionadas com o segmento cultural, que evidenciam a crescente imbricação entre a esfera da economia e da cultura. A investigação se concentra na identificação das principais características dos ocupados em indústrias criativas na Região Metropolitana de Salvador (RMS), no sentido de se formatar um perfil dos mesmos e compará-los com os demais ocupados em atividades econômicas na região. No primeiro momento, realiza-se uma revisão da literatura que trata da relação entre cultura e economia. Apresentando o processo de submissão da cultura à lógica mercantil no início do século XX, e a incorporação de insumos intangíveis, inclusive culturais, no processo produtivo, vale dizer, nas mercadorias carregadas de atributos simbólicos. Entre esses insumos, destaca-se a criatividade. O termo indústrias criativas surge no final dos anos 1990, concebido como instrumento de políticas públicas voltadas à promoção do desenvolvimento econômico regional, articulado com a economia global. Do conceito indústrias “criativas” se desenvolve a idéia de cidades criativas, que designa a aplicação de políticas dessa natureza à regeneração de antigas cidades vítimas do processo de desindustrialização. Neste contexto, ganha centralidade a controversa teoria da classe criativa, que vincula o desenvolvimento regional à presença de um grupo de profissionais do setor de serviços intensivos em conhecimento. Esses seriam atraídos para locais que desenvolvessem os 3T´s - talento, tecnologia e tolerância. Nessa dissertação, buscase, através de uma ótica multidisplinar, identificar, a partir de fontes de dados secundários disponíveis, quem são e como se caracterizam os trabalhadores do segmento criativo da RMS, região que se destaca no contexto cultural do país. / Salvador

This thesis explores how creative professionals, i.e. designers, artists and media workers, among others, experience and understand the multicultural and gentrifying neighbourhoods they live in. These neighbourhoods are Dalston in London and Reuterkiez in Berlin, two areas that have a significant immigrant population, experience gentrification and are well-known for their creative industries. Interviews with a total of 48 respondents in both locations, as well as ethnographic observations, reveal that the relationship these creatives have with diversity and gentrification are positive and critical on the surface but often ambivalent and selective underneath. This thesis argues that diversity and multiculture are understood as inspiring for creative work through material and sensory influences. However, not all forms of difference are valued equally. This thesis furthermore describes how gentrification has become a ubiquitous discourse in which respondents locate themselves between fellow gentrifiers and existing working class and/or minority ethnic residents; between wanting to belong and 'being part of a problem'. Lastly, this thesis argues that there are different understandings of multiculturalism in London and Berlin. Whereas multiculturalism in London describes ethnic minorities, in Berlin the term is increasingly used to refer to international, cosmopolitan and mainly white Western Europeans. This is problematic, it is argued, because it renders the defence that participants present of multiculturalism in opposition to its failure less meaningful. This thesis furthermore argues that because of the value of diversity within discourses of creativity and the lack of interaction with minority ethnic neighbours in private networks, many creative professionals have high expectations towards everyday encounters. They are therefore not 'indifferent to difference'. When these expectations are not met by minority ethnic shopkeepers, for example, this can lead to disappointing encounters and ascriptions of self-segregation and lacking openness. These findings are relevant for better understanding how urban multiculture in gentrifying neighbourhoods is experienced by members of the creative class, a demographic that is promoted by urban planning. When neighbourhoods like the two field sites of this study are celebrated for diversity and creativity, the latter is a more powerful discourse and can contribute to the displacement of poorer residents.

Population growth is something that many Swedish municipalities strive for. Out of the 290 municipalities in the country, 115 of them have population targets and 103 state that they are targeting an increased population. Umeå in the north of Sweden is one of those municipalities and has a vision to have 200,000 inhabitants by the year of 2050. This study aims to critically exam Umeå municipality’s likelihood on fulfilling its vision to have 200,000 inhabitants. Furthermore, the aim is to illustrate the municipality’s planning regarding the spatial distribution of this population growth. This is done by comparing historical average growth data with population projections and the average growth which is required to fulfill the vision. Neither the historical average growth, latest ten years or the population projection done by Umeå is sufficient for the municipality to reach 200,000 inhabitants. Among other growth processes, the number of employments in the municipality need to increase to be able to reach the population target. The municipality estimates that 94,000 jobs are required, which is an additional 33,800 from current levels. Neither the historical growth rate last 32 years or the more current last ten years’ rate is sufficient for the number required year 2050.The assessment is that it is unlikely that the municipality will achieve its population target as the rate of growth required is that much higher than both current growth levels and the projected levels in the near future. Even if the goal would to be unattained, the question can be asked if it should be considered as a failure since the municipality still is projected to be under growth, just not to the extent of the targeted levels.

abstract: There are many different approaches to the analysis of regional economic growth potential. One of the more recent is the theory of the creative class, and its impact on creative centers. Much of the criticism surrounding this theory is in how the creative class is defined and measured. The goal of this thesis is to explore alternate definitions to better understand how these variations impact the ranking of creative centers as well as their location through space and time. This is important given the proliferation of rankings as a benchmarking tool for economic development efforts. In order to test the sensitivity that the creative class has to definitional changes, a new set of rankings of creative centers are provided based on an alternate definition of creative employment, and compared to Richard Florida's original rankings. Findings show that most cities are not substantially affected by the alternate definitions derived in this study. However, it is found that particular cities do show sensitivity to comparisons made to Florida's definition, with the same cities experiencing greater variations in rank over time. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.U.E.P. Urban and Environmental Planning 2014

The subject of this theses is the sector of creative industries a its behaviour at the time of economic crisis. The theses presents teories that study creative industries and its existing conclusions, while putting into contrast different views on the premise that creative industries are the source of economic growth and employment. Creative industries have been so far studied only during the time of prosperity, however, the 2008 economic crisis enables us to study them during recession. The analytic part of this theses is therefore dedicated to studying the economy of Great Britain, and on the basis of three economic indexes describes the behaviour of the creative industries during the crisis and immediately thereafter. The theses concludes that the creative industries indeed experienced growth, however, it also points out the limitations of all existing studies, including this one.

This study concerns the urban development of the former industrial district Sofielund, Malmö. The area is widely know for it’s mix of cultures, activity and grass root culture, which provides the city of Malmö with a large social and culture arena. Sofielund’s central location makes it highly attractive in a planning perspective and a group of property owners, along with the municipality of Malmö, have created a BID-constellation to further develop the district. The BID-association, Fastighetsägare Sofielund, is the areas most influential development actor today and it’s also the outsourcer of two planning documents, which intends to ensure sustainable development in the area. This thesis questions the everyday use of sustainable development and critically analyze the two planning documents discursively, as well as in relation to common planning ideals. The study examine what values and assumptions the reports are based on and how they correlate with the social and cultural values Fastighetsägare Sofielund, with Malmö stad, claim to strive for in the development of Sofielund.