Increasingly, it is understood that in order to realize healthy cities the urban environment must include viable and accessible open space. In order for urban planning and development agencies to ensure the presence of open space within cities, it is necessary to understand what constitutes ‘quality’ open space and the impediments to its creation. The focus of this thesis is to further understand the issues surrounding planning and management of open space in the Msunduzi Municipality in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A case study of the Camps Drift Waterfront Project, a local open space area that is currently being developed, is investigated through both key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders and through a comprehensive survey of written information. The thesis reveals a further understanding of how open space is planned locally, the issues surrounding creating quality and accessible open space and the key areas for further research. Finally, this thesis highlights how the case study of Msunduzi can broaden the debates and concepts in open space theory and planning. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2008-08-29 16:19:29.922

Indigenous planning continues to emerge globally, with increasing emphasis being placed on Indigenous autonomy and planning practices. By discussing an urban example of Indigenous planning – specifically the values and characteristics of the Neeginan project or vision for the North Main area of Downtown Winnipeg – this thesis aims to shed some light on urban Indigenous planning, as well as how it may differ from, and overlap with, other forms of planning and other types of spaces and built environments within the city. In doing so, it offers not only an assessment of Indigenous planning as it has been undertaken in a particular urban context. It also offers an assessment of how planning in general can continue to decolonize its practices as it learns to better support and relate to Indigenous priorities and planning approaches.

Indigenous planning continues to emerge globally, with increasing emphasis being placed on Indigenous autonomy and planning practices. By discussing an urban example of Indigenous planning – specifically the values and characteristics of the Neeginan project or vision for the North Main area of Downtown Winnipeg – this thesis aims to shed some light on urban Indigenous planning, as well as how it may differ from, and overlap with, other forms of planning and other types of spaces and built environments within the city. In doing so, it offers not only an assessment of Indigenous planning as it has been undertaken in a particular urban context. It also offers an assessment of how planning in general can continue to decolonize its practices as it learns to better support and relate to Indigenous priorities and planning approaches.

This thesis examines the tension and cooperation between politics of conformity and difference that are embedded in urban spaces, such as burials and mosques in Britain and beyond. It examines the social, political and cultural ideologies and complexities of the historical past and present by focusing on death, belonging and architecture. It will show that the past has become re-imagined and embedded into the postcolonial concrete present. Thereby, carving out new national traditions and memories that travel through time and space. The study suggests that urban space, although often ignored is important not only for our everyday consciousness and social realities, but is pivotal to examine and study especially in relation to national policies, such as “multiculturalism”.

In this studio based visual arts project I am exploring through representational painting and compositing, perceptions, conjunctions and disjunctions in space and time in the urban environment. My approach situates the stranger as the phenomenological self, the perceptual being, at the centre of the research who explores the spatio-psychology of the city in the light of contradictory philosophies that move between seeing the city as a place of social malaise to seeing it as a malleable space for each individual within it.

In this studio based visual arts project I am exploring through representational painting and compositing, perceptions, conjunctions and disjunctions in space and time in the urban environment. My approach situates the stranger as the phenomenological self, the perceptual being, at the centre of the research who explores the spatio-psychology of the city in the light of contradictory philosophies that move between seeing the city as a place of social malaise to seeing it as a malleable space for each individual within it.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-10-10Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:48:10Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 iaochite_jc_dr_rcla.pdf: 1030557 bytes, checksum: e16bfea42393f67aec0ef5945d73d74e (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo pauta-se na análise da produção do espaço urbano, suas transformações e persistências. Propõe-se a discutir o processo de inércia espacial no município de Santa Gertrudes a partir das complexas relações existentes entre os agentes produtores deste espaço, a comunidade, a iniciativa privada (empresários do setor cerâmico) e o Poder Público Local. Desenvolve uma análise das inércias espaciais como áreas potenciais de brownfields e de como estes devem ser abordados dentro de uma política pública local que contempla o desenvolvimento sócio-espacial. Observa-se nesse espaço urbano lógicas arcaicas e lógicas modernas, sendo as primeiras representadas por antigas espacialidades, firmadas por resistências; e as últimas identificadas pelos novos tempos. Desta forma, têm-se presente no espaço urbano de Santa Gertrudes, de um lado as inércias espaciais, e, de outro, o Pólo Cerâmico que representa o dinamismo econômico. / The present study is ruled in the analysis of the production of the urban space, his transformations and persistence. The process of spaces inertias is intended to talk in the Santa Gertrudes from the complex existent relations between the producing agents of this space, the community, the private enterprise (businessmen of the ceramic sector) and the Public Local Power. It develops an analysis of the space inértias like potential areas of brownfields and of as these must be boarded inside a public local politics that contemplates the social-space development. It is observed in this urbane space logical archaic and logical modern, when there are the first ones represented by ancient spaces, secured by resistances; and the last ones identified by the new times. In this way, present has been in the urbane space of Santa Gertrudes, of a side the space inertias, and, of other, the Ceramic Polo that represents the dynamic economy.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-06-14Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:08:47Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bueno_ep_dr_rcla.pdf: 5528721 bytes, checksum: 5733b5c5ecc4863b41226b6538f898e8 (MD5) / A questão central desta pesquisa envolve a análise da qualidade de vida na cidade de Catalão (GO), através da avaliação do desenvolvimento humano verificado entre 1970 e 2000. A pesquisa tem como eixo de reflexão as grandes transformações sociais, econômicas e espaciais que afetaram a organização do espaço urbano e da sociedade Catalana e, que estabeleceram ao longo do tempo, os diferentes níveis de qualidade de vida da população. Esta pesquisa utiliza a inovadora proposta metodológica elaborada pela ONU para avaliar o desenvolvimento humano. / The central subject of this research involves the analysis of the life quality in Catalão (GO), through the evaluation of the human development verified between 1970 and 2000. The research has as reflection axis the great social, economic and space transformations that affected the organization of the urban space and of the society Catalana and, that established along the time, the different levels of quality of life of the population. This research uses the innovator methodological proposal elaborated by UN to evaluate the human development.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-10-23Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:06:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 loboda_cr_dr_prud.pdf: 5569448 bytes, checksum: abac79c978d174a6077e166f905821f0 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Por meio dessa pesquisa, realizamos uma reflexão acerca do espaço público no contexto da cidade. Num momento em que a sociedade clama por direito à cidade, procuramos enfatizar que lugares do espaço urbano podem contribuir para a formação de uma noção de espaço público enquanto lugares de sociabilidade urbana. Assim posto, esse trabalho aborda o processo de produção do espaço urbano na cidade de Guarapuava, Estado do Paraná, considerando sua dinâmica e relação com o espaço público, por meio das práticas socioespaciais que lhes são inerentes. Do ponto de vista teórico-conceitual, buscamos uma noção mais clara de espaço público, frente a uma generalização das acepções em torno do conceito, fato que leva à incompreensão do que, realmente, seja o espaço público na cidade, considerando as atuais circunstâncias. A partir desses pressupostos, trabalhamos com algumas acepções e perspectivas sobre o espaço público, destacando certas distinções teórico-conceituais que possam subsidiar a qualificação e atribuição de um estatuto a determinados lugares da cidade, enquanto espaços públicos. Ainda, no que concerne aos aspectos teóricos, essa pesquisa visa contribuir para os estudos da cidade e do urbano, enfatizando as práticas socioespaciais enquanto mediadoras das múltiplas formas de utilização e apropriação do espaço público, ou seja, os conteúdos que dão movimento ao processo de constituição da cidade, enquanto um espaço complexo e de múltiplos lugares e identidades. Tendo como base o trabalho de campo (instrumental empírico), associado ao referencial teóricometodológico, voltados a dimensões analíticas apoiadas nas idéias de centralidade e acessibilidade, além da opinião dos diferentes sujeitos sociais, buscamos compreender, com base na articulação dialética desse conjunto de procedimentos, como o espaço... / The aim of this research was analyzing public spaces in urban contexts. When society demands its right to the city, we have sought to emphasize which locales in urban space may contribute to develop a public space concept as a place for urban sociability. This investigation, held in Guarapuava, a city in Paraná State, had its focus on the process which produces urban space, taking into account its dynamic and relation to public spaces, by means of its intrinsic social-spatial practices. On the theoretic-conceptual point of view, we have tried to clarify the idea of public spaces, since this concept generalization has not helped to understand the real meaning of urban public spaces, considering the current circumstances. Based on this premise we have analyzed some public spaces perspectives and acceptations, considering theoretic-conceptual distinctions which permit classify certain city locales by attributing them the status of public space. This research aims also to contribute to city and urban studies, giving emphasis to the role of social-spatial practices as mediators of the multiple ways public spaces are used and appropriated, in other words, the elements responsible for the city constitution as a complex space with many locales and identities. After having performed field work (empirical procedure), related to theoretic-methodological reference, focused on analytic dimensions based on the ideas of centrality and accessibility, as well as on different social individuals’ opinions, and trying to articulate dialectically all these procedures, we have sought to understand the way public spaces appear in city constitution processes by studying the expression of different social-spatial practices. Starting with these assumptions, public spaces have been analyzed as socially generated places, considering their general dynamic... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Arthur Magon Whitacker / Banca: Everaldo Santos Melazzo / Banca: Sandra Lencioni / Resumo: Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo realizar uma análise do processo de reestruturação urbana, enfatizando as mudaças geradas na centralidade urbana. Para isso, tomamos como recorte territorial o município de Itu - SP. Desse modo, buscamos compreender as transformações que se processam na área central do município de Itu e que podem ser observadas na relação entre as formas herdadas e as novas dinâmicas que lhe são impostas pelo desenvolvimento econômico, pela expansão de seu tecido urbano e pelo crescimento populacional. Essas novas dinâmicas modificam o centro, atribuindo-lhe novos conteúdos, identificáveis, entre outros, pela intensificação de seus fluxos, implicando em novas centralidades. Com isso, gera-se o descompasso entre formas e funções no centro histórico. Procuramos apreender essas transformações indentificando suas conseqüências no plano da morfologia urbana, por meio da criação de novas centralidades. Para o desenvolvimento dessa pesquisa, priorizamos o enfoque econômico, por meio de análise das empresas existentes em nossa área de estudo. Os dados evidenciaram aspectos do centro que permitiram um maior entendimento de sua dinâmica e estrutura, bem como o conteúdo informacional existente nas novas centralidades que se configuram. / Abstract: This research had the objective to achieve an analyze of the restructuring urban process, emphasizing the changes generated in the centrality urban. For this, we assumed as territories bound the Itu municipality - SP. This way, we tried to understand the changes that occurs in the central area of the Itu municipality and it can be observed in the relation between the inherited forms and the new dynamics which are attributed for the economic development, for the urban tissue's expansion and for the population increase. These new dynamics change the center, attributing to it new contents, identified, among others, for the intensification of its flows, resulting in news centralities. So, generate itself the incompatibility between forms and functions in the historical center. We tried to apprehend these changes identifying its consequences in the urban morphology's plane, through the creation of news centralities. For this research's development, we priorited the economic point, through the analyze of the companies existent in our study area. The datuns evidenced centre's aspects that allowed a greater understanding of its dynamic and structure, as well as the informational content existent in the new centralities that configures itself. / Mestre