The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how the research library of Linnæus University is used by students as a meeting place. Building upon Putnam's theory of bonding and bridging social capital and Audunson's conception of high and low intensive meeting places, it aims to explore the research library's potential for creating social capital and thus strengthening both learning and democracy in a university context. Borrowing part of the survey design from a study conducted as part of the Norwegian PLACE project, this study collects responses from 134 students as to their use of the library as a meeting place. The results show that the Linnæus University library is used for a variety of meetings of both high and low intensity, why it should provide a good setting for the creation of social capital. There seems to be a connection between how often one visits the library, as well as to which department one belongs, and how one uses the library as a meeting place. The thesis concludes that the research library may aid the creation of social capital and that emphasizing this role would benefit both learning and democracy.

The aim of this thesis is to examine the affects of mobile communication practices on urban public places, particularly on meeting places in urban space. The contribution of mobile communication technologies into daily practices and rapid penetration of them into everyday-life is quite obvious in the last decade. The inevitable presence of mobile phones in everyday-life practices encourages urban researchers to consider their impacts on urban social context and consequently on urban public places. The objective of the research is to understand the incompatibility between the existing urban image and the mental image of mobile society. Mobile phones enable people to organize meetings independent from the scheduled program. This device not only increases the mobility of the user within the city but also enhances the individual&rsquo / s ability to develop coherent cognitive maps / because it gives the freedom of choice to pick-up the location for &ldquo / meeting places&rdquo / . For instance, beside landmarks, paths have been given new identities by mobile society. An increase in the number of indoor or outdoor meeting places (some being entirely random in selection), contributes to the cognitive maps and thus to the identity of the city. This stands as a contradicting argument to the classical understanding of the city and its parts, which is by and large accepted to be based on visual experiences. The predetermined and limited components (nodes, landmarks) which help individuals meet (and socialize) are now modest items of a larger inventory of settings. This thesis is aiming to analyze the behavioral and perceptual changes that derive from mobile communication practices. Through this research, the architectural and spatial qualities of the old and new inventories of meeting places are also a part of the study to reveal the differences, if any.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-09-05T12:24:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 brunaalvesnovaes.pdf: 5820284 bytes, checksum: b06e84755b8dca21ea1c200ed40ce304 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-09-06T11:26:08Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 brunaalvesnovaes.pdf: 5820284 bytes, checksum: b06e84755b8dca21ea1c200ed40ce304 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-06T11:26:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 brunaalvesnovaes.pdf: 5820284 bytes, checksum: b06e84755b8dca21ea1c200ed40ce304 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-15 / O fato é que, estamos interligados de várias maneiras a todo tempo. As pessoas já se “conectavam”, socialmente, por meio de uma rede de sinais, códigos, linguagens e, principalmente, interesses em comum, muito antes do advento da internet. Mesmo a ideia mais simples de rede, pode ser um emaranhado de pequenas interligações, mas, também pode vir seguida de uma grande e rica teoria do Continuum Umbandista. Quando um continuum se forma no espaço físico, off-line, passa a se constituir também online, espaço virtual. Esse fenômeno merece atenção sob diversos aspectos. Muito mais se todo esse processo envolver um tema que permite ligações entre vários “mundos”, além do físico, com é o caso da religião. Neste trabalho foi estudada a maneira pela qual as mudanças tecnológicas e a formação de novos ambientes comunicacionais são apropriadas por uma rede de práticas sociais, rituais, religiosas vinculadas à Umbanda. Procurou-se entender como essas conexões podem alterar ou não o modo e as possibilidades para a compreensão do continuum na Umbanda “recente”. / The fact is, we are intertwined in many ways at all times. People have already "connected" socially through a network of signs, codes, languages, and especially common interests, long before the advent of the internet. Even the simplest idea of networking may be a tangle of small interconnections, but it may also be followed by a large and rich theory of the Umbandist Continuum. When a continuum forms in the physical space, offline, it becomes an online, virtual space. This phenomenon deserves attention under several aspects. Much more so if this entire process involves a theme that allows connections between various "worlds", in addition to the physical, as is the case with religion. In this work, we studied the way in which technological changes and the formation of new communication environments are appropriated by a network of social, ritual and religious practices linked to Umbanda. We sought to understand how these connections may or may not alter the mode and the possibilities for understanding the continuum in the "recent" Umbanda.

The study is thesis is the information design program with a spatial design focus. The study investigates which spatial elements can promote social community with other students at a university.The thesis has been using methods such as physical site analysis, semi-structured interviews, workshops and A/B Testing. These methods were applied in the study to investigate what needs the students have regarding social contexts and in what way a spatial meeting place could promote a social community among the students.In combination with collected data and theories, a design proposal has been developed. This is based on what the students at Mälardalen University in Västerås find important regarding social community. The design proposal exemplifies how the design of a physical meeting place on a campus can be designed with the aim of promoting social meetings between students and enabling an area that is not in need of, for example, the student union and its staff. / Studien är ett examensarbete inom programmet informationsdesign med inriktning rumslig gestaltning. Studien undersöker vilka rumsliga element som kan främja social gemenskap med andra studenter på ett universitet. Studien har genomförts med hjälp av metoder såsom fysisk platsanalys, semistrukturerade intervjuer, workshop och A/B Testing. Dessa metoder applicerades i studien för att undersöka vilka behov studenterna har gällande sociala sammanhang och på vilket sätt en rumslig mötesplats skulle kunna främja en gemenskap bland studenterna. I kombination av insamlade data och teorier har ett gestaltningsförslag tagits fram.Detta grundar sig i vad studenterna på Mälardalens universitet i Västerås finner viktigt gällande social gemenskap. Gestaltningsförslaget exemplifierar hur utformningen av en fysisk mötesplats på ett campusområde kan utformas i syfte att främja sociala möten mellan studenter samt möjliggöra en yta som inte drivs av exempelvis studentkåren och dess personal.

In sparsely populated municipalities, there is a large increase of elderly people in relation to people of working age. This will entail a great need for housing for the elderly, and at the same time resources for the care of the elderly. The aim for this study is to examine how older people within Storuman-, Sorsele and Vilhelmina municipality perceive their current housing and other forms of housing for the future, and also to analyze how the housing demand is met now or in the plans for future development within the municipalities. Interviews have been conducted with both elderly but also with people who work with housing issues within the municipalities. There are incentives that the demand of shared housing will increase. The elderly feel a lack of meeting places and they prefer shared forms of housing over regular apartments. The municipalities have different challenges and different housing supply and therefore they have different approaches and plans to cope with the future housing demand for elderly.

Denna studie handlar om hur utformningen av den fysiska miljön påverkar den sociala hållbarheten i områden med socioekonomiska svårigheter. Fokus ligger på hur kommuner, fastighetsbolag och andra berörda aktörer arbetar med frågor rörande gestaltning, boende, fysisk miljö, trygghet och säkerhet, hälsa, inflytande och delaktighet. Syftet är att samla kunskap om ämnet samt belysa innebörden av det. Målet är att ta fram riktlinjer för social hållbarhet som stöd till upprättande av en social hållbarhetsplan eller utveckling av ett område. Forskning som berör ämnet samt intervjuer med kommun, fastighetsbolag och sakkunnig har varit centrala i framtagandet av riktlinjerna. Intervjuer och tidigare forskning korrelerar med varandra och visar att den fysiska miljön har en inverkan på människans välmående. Studien ställer viktig forskning i samband med en inkluderande samarbetsprocess och ger förklaring till att involvera inblandade aktörer och befintliga invånare i utvecklingen av områdets fysiska miljö. En blandning av bebyggelse och verksamheter är viktigt. Tillsammans med en öppen och attraktiv fysisk miljö kan detta på lång sikt bidra till ökad rörelse och trygghetskänsla. Kollektivtrafiken i samband med verksamheter och bra förbindelser kan underlätta för boende att knyta sociala kontakter. / This paper illustrates how the built environment affects the social sustainability in areas with socio-economic difficulties. The focus is on how municipalities, real estate companies and other actors work on issues concerning design, housing, physical environment, security and safety, health, influence and participation. The purpose of this study is to gather knowledge about the subject and to highlight the meaning of it. The aim is to develop guidelines for the establishment of a social development plan or during the development of a region. Research that focuses on the subject as well as interviews with municipalities, real estate companies and an expert has been central to the preparation of the guidelines. Interviews and previous research correlate with each other and illustrate how the physical environment has an impact on the residents and their well-being. The study places important research in connection with an inclusive collaboration process and provides an explanation for involving concerned actors and existing residents in the development of the area's physical environment. A mix of buildings and operations is important. This together with an open and attractive physical environment, can in long terms contribute to increased movement and feelings of safety. Public transport in relation with activities and good connections can make it easier for residents to establish social contacts.

Studien har genomförts efter ett förslag från ÅWL Arkitekter och handlar om hur utformningen av den fysiska miljön kan påverka känslan av trygghet. Studien behandlar ett torg i förorten Husby i norra delen av Stockholms stad där människor upplever otrygghet. Stadsdelen byggdes under det så kallade miljonprogrammet. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka faktorer i den fysiska miljön som har inverkan på människors upplevelser. Målet är att ta fram förslag på hur platsen kan fungera som en mötesplats där invånare känner sig trygga, säkra och välkomna. För att uppnå syftet och målet har undersökningar gjorts via intervjuer och egna observationer. De åtgärder i den fysiska miljön som tycks ha störst inverkan på människors upp-levda trygghet, och som ligger till grund för förslagen, är belysning, mötesplatser, verksamheter och växtlighet. Trygghet är en komplex fråga som innehåller många olika aspekter. För att lösa trygghetsproblemen krävs många olika åtgärder på flera olika områden. Utformning av den fysiska miljön kan vara en bidragande faktor. / This study is conducted on behalf of ÅWL Arkitekter and is about how the configuration and design of the physical environment can influence the perceptions of security. The study is about a square in the suburb Husby, in northern part of Stockholm. Husby is characterized by insecurity. The district was built during the so called “million apartment program”. The purpose with the study is to examine which factors in the physical environment has an influence on people’s experience and perceptions. The goal is to present a design for the square in order to make it to a meeting place, which can contribute to inhabitants’ feelings of security and safety. The study is based on interviews and observations. The actions within the physical environment that has the greatest influence on people’s perceptions of security, seems to be lightning, meeting places, common activities and vegetation. The design and proposals is based on these conceptions. Security is a complex matter and it contains various aspects. It takes a lot of actions in several areas to solve issues regarding security. The design of the physical environment can be a contributory factor among others.

No description available.

Public spaces have through history formed an important function as meeting places for people living in the city. According to some critics, the prevailing planning ideals during the era of the Modernism neglected these functions, thus creating neighbourhoods characterised by low interaction among the citizens. Present urban planning is once again appreciating the value of creating vibrant and liveable neighbourhoods with a human scale in mind. Given the high development pressure in Sweden and around the world has however entailed great challenges for the urban planning practise, which in some cases seems to fail in supplying the most essential settings for creating the liveable city. The aim of this study is to explore how public spaces can contribute to the creation of liveable cities, looking at a specific case study of the neighbourhood Eriksberg in Uppsala. This study stands on an assumption of the existence of a connection between physical design and human behaviour and explores how the environment affects our behaviour. Eriksberg is currently undergoing a regeneration and densification process. Carrying out a literature study, a survey, interviews and observations have resulted in the identification of a number of liveability factors. The liveable city is created through participation, collaboration and integration. Furthermore, an urbane and liveable city can be described with words such as diversity, density, a high concentration of people, an open physical structure and features of a variety of different functions and activities. Eriksberg is currently an area with weak connections and poor urban qualities, although strongly characterized by its proximity to the nature. The results from this study highlight the importance of taking advantage of existing values in order to create a liveable city. The nature appeared to be a valued living factor in the case of Eriksberg, highly appreciated by the residents in the area. By implementing a development approach for Eriksberg focusing on a higher accessibility, a greater range of primary functions and different activities, a neighbourhood that is perceived as more liveable than in the current situation can be created. / De offentliga rummen har i alla tider utgjort en viktig funktion som mötesplatser för stadens invånare. Planeringsidealen som rådde under modernismen anses bland en del kritiker ha försummat dessa funktioner med följder i skapandet av stadsdelar med låg interaktion bland dess invånare. Dagens stadsplaneringsideal eftersträvar att skapa levande stadsdelar som är stadsmässiga och utgår från den mänskliga skalan. Det höga exploateringstrycket i Sverige och världen över har emellertid medfört stora utmaningar för stadsplaneringen som inte alltid lyckas skapa den levande staden. Syftet med denna studie är att utifrån en fallstudie undersöka hur de offentliga rummen kan bidra till att skapa städer som är mer levande. Studien utgår från att det finns ett samband mellan den fysiska designen och människans beteenden och undersöker närmare hur omgivningen påverkar vårt beteende. Eriksberg är en stadsdel i Uppsala som för tillfället genomgår en förnyelse- och förtätningsprocess. Genom en litteraturstudie, enkätundersökning, intervjuer och observationer har olika levandefaktorer kunnat identifieras. Enligt litteraturen skapas den levande staden genom deltagande, samarbete och integration. En stadsmässig och livfull stad bygger på mångfald, täthet, en hög befolkningskoncentration, en öppen fysisk struktur och inslag av många olika funktioner och aktiviteter. Eriksberg utgörs i dagsläget av ett svagt sammankopplat område med få stadskvaliteter, men som är starkt präglat av närheten till naturen. Resultaten från denna studie belyser vikten av att ta vara på befintliga värden för att skapa en levande stad, i fallet Eriksberg utgör naturen en värdefull levandefaktor som stadsdelens invånare värderar högt. Genom att utveckla Eriksberg till en stadsdel med högre tillgänglighet, med ett större utbud av primära funktioner och olika aktiviteter kan en stadsdel som upplevs som mer levande än idag skapas. / Social life & Urban Form