The diploma thesis concerns my life project ZaBřehem and my activity in this project, which has the character of cooperation, organization, DIY, home design, web design, painting, crafts and over time also cultural organization and curation. The work goes through several components of the whole project and aims to defend the role of the artist in creating a new place that has the ambition to change the approach to people diagnosed with mental illness. At the same time, it focuses on the space specifically of one of the rooms, the layout of which the author considers her own work, as well as the method of transferring this space to the school premises for defense, which will create another site-specific installation.

Subject of thesis are suburban zones of cities in direct contact with willages. Their phisical urban structures as well as their development in time and processes witch affects these changes. Despite that a different european countries has different systems of spatial planning, they allwys have three main levels of planning process. These layers are: Strategic planning, regulation level and execution level. What differs is tunig of this system and wights of importance set on different „layers“. This tuning has a substential impact on way how are the cities and urban structures developer. This tuning of spatial planning systém has huge impact on physical structure and form of cities. Every setting of system brings differnt possibilities of solving problems. In both schort-term and long-term development processes. This thesis will therefore examine affects of different settings of spatial planning system in Czech Republic and Federal Republic of Germany (In specific terms – Free state of Bavaria, region of Upper Palatinate) and its long-term afffects on phisical structure of cities. With empahsis on ways in which historical village structures integrate in city structure and transform in cities districts. Goal of thesis is effort to analyse results of these two spatial planning systems. And mainly in suburban zones affected by development axes of bigger cities. Thesis will compare urban and suburban structures of two cities in two different countries. Analysed example for Czech republic is Brno. As Bavarian example stands Regensburg (as a city of comparable structure). One of important criteria is ability of systéms to effectively capture and use all of territorys development potential and possibiliteis and therefore – ability to create viable and susteinable land systems. In suburban spaces where City systems meets suburban and village systems is intensive use of existing structures and active work with subcenters crutial to susteinable development of cities.

Department of Business Management / MPM

Cette recherche porte sur la définition des mécanismes qui ont amené à la mise en place du système proto-urbain en Mésopotamie du Nord au début du 4ème millénaire. Grâce à l'analyse de l'assemblage céramique et des ateliers de potiers de Tell Feres al-Sharqi, des chaînes opératoires traditionnelles ont été identifiées en tant que marqueurs de l'identité technique des artisans et des relations sous-jacentes aux systèmes de production entre l'Obeid récent, le LC1 et le LC2. La pertinence chrono-culturelle des dynamiques de compétition et coopération entre les différents groupes de producteurs - mises en lumière grâce à l'évolution des chaînes opératoires céramiques et à leur répartition spatiale a été vérifiée sur la base des transformations des habitats, des architectures et des provinces céramiques. L'émergence des institutions proto-urbaines apparaît ainsi comme l'effet d'une transition entre un système obeidien, où de grandes maisonnées encadraient une production à base familiale dans des réseaux hétérarchiques mésa-régionaux, à une organisation lignagère des activités céramiques et des pratiques redistributives. L'essor des premières productions en série (telles les Coba bols), l'apparition éphémère d'une architecture proprement monumentale et l'introduction du tour pour des récipients fins constituent des étapes du parcours par lequel de grands lignages se structurent en institutions hiérarchiques proto-urbaines et instaurent, vers le début du 4ème millénaire, une forte homogénéisation de la culture matérielle dans tout le monde nord­-mésopotamien, entre le Levant septentrional, la Mésopotamie centrale, le Zagros et le Caucase du Sud. / This study focuses on defining the mechanisms that led to the proto-urban system in the early 4th millennium northern Mesopotamia. Through the analysis of the ceramic assemblage and pottery workshops of Tell Feres al-Sharqi, traditional chaînes opératoires have been identified as markers of the technical identity of the craftsmen, as well as of the relationships underlying Late Ubaid, LC1 and LC2 production systems. Cooperation and competition dynamics amongst different groups of producers have been highlighted through a synchronic and diachronic study of the ceramic chaînes opératoires and of their spatial distribution. Then, the chrono-cultural rhythms of this process have been verified on the basis of the evolution of architectural traditions and ceramic provinces in northern Mesopotamia. The emergence of proto-urban institutions appears as the effect of a transition between the Ubaid system -where large families arranged a domestic-based production in meso-regional heterarchical networks -to a lineage organization of ceramic activities and redistributive practices. The spread of the first serial productions (such as Coba bowls), the ephemeral appearance of a truly monumental architecture and the introduction of the potter's wheel for some rare refined vessels are some hallmarks on the path whereby major lineages became hierarchical and centralized proto-urban institutions. Thus, they had a central role in the early 4th millennium B.C. material-cultural homogenization throughout northern Mesopotamian world, between northern Levant, central Mesopotamia, Zagros and southern Caucasus.

Utvecklingen i samhället går i riktning mot att glesbygden avbefolkas, serviceställen och fysiska servicepunkter försvinner. Detta är något som påverkar landsbygden mycket. Denna studie syftar till att beskriva hur en digital transformation i form av en digital butik påverkar ett litet samhälle i Norrland. Studien är en undersökande studie med en kvalitativ metodologi, analys och datainsamling. De teoretiska referensram som ligger till grund för studien och som används i analysen är digital transformation, digitaliseringsstrategi, smarta byar och den digitala klyftan. De slutsatser studien kommer fram till är att införandet av en digital lösning har lett till framtidstro, förenklat vardagen samt gett en mer levande glesbygd. Genom digitaliseringens möjligheter har man hittat en lösning som är ekonomisk gångbar. / Developments in society are moving in the direction of depopulation of sparsely populated areas, and the disappearing of service points and physical service points disappearing. This is something that affects the countryside a lot. This study aims to describe how a digital transformation in the form of a digital store affects a small community in the most northern part of Sweden, Norrland. The study is a research study with a qualitative methodology, analysis and data collection. The theoretical frames of reference that form the basis of the study and that are used in the analysis are digital transformation, digitization strategy, smart villages, the digital divide. The conclusions of the study are that the introduction of a digital solution has led to hope for the future, simplified everyday life and provided a more vibrant sparsely populated area. Through the possibilities of digitalization, a solution has been found that is economically viable.

No Abstract Provided / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

This dissertation studies a critical facet of Chinese politics, inspections by higher Chinese government to villages. Principally, it looks at how village economic development determines government inspection decisions and how inspections, once conducted, impact village politics. Specifically, I argue that villages perceived as destabilizing to the Chinese regime, villages with higher levels of economic inequality and villages located at the two extremes of economic development, should see more inspections. In addition, I argue that inspections, in return, drive village politics: they increase village leaders' governing efficacy and raise villagers' political awareness. This theory has received strong support from both field work and quantitative empirical tests using the Chinese Household Income Project (2002) dataset.

Des magasins d’usine accolés aux sites de fabrication apparus au début du XXe siècle jusqu’aux « villages » de marques actuels, le concept commercial a suivi différentes formes et l’évolution de leurs localisations rend compte d’un détachement des sites industriels au profit d’une logique territoriale « hors sol ». Ces facteurs mettent en lumière le passage d’un concept à l’origine industriel, devenu un produit commercialo-touristique. La naissance du concept puis sa « mise en tourisme » trouvent toutes deux leurs origines aux Etats-Unis. Leurs importations en Europe n’ont pas reproduit à l’identique la formule américaine mais ont suivi des modèles s’en inspirant de plus en plus fortement, notamment par le biais de la montée en puissance des opérateurs anglo-saxons qui figurent parmi les leaders incontestés du marché européen. L’annonce de projets de villages de marques suscite quasi-systématiquement de vives tensions entre leurs opposants et leurs défenseurs, révélant que les enjeux territoriaux liés à ces équipements sont nombreux. La multiplication des projets est notamment favorisée par une demande croissante des élus dans un contexte de mise en compétition des territoires. Cette situation, qui constitue une réelle opportunité pour les opérateurs, aboutit depuis peu à la création de partenariats public-privé destinés à tirer profit de la présence des centres de marques en favorisant les synergies avec leur territoire d’implantation, notamment en couplant le tourisme commercial avec d’autres types de tourisme. Cette thèse vise à mettre en lumière le développement et l’évolution du concept commercial en Europe ainsi que leurs implications en matière de nouveaux enjeux territoriaux. / From Factory Outlet shops located on manufacturing sites which appeared at the beginning of the 20th century to the current outlet “villages” today, this distinct retail concept has followed various forms in its evolution. There has been a detachment from locations on industrial sites for a strategic improvement creating, a new territorial logic which is targeted on an agglomeration of brands in modern purpose built buildings with good access and facilities. These factors show the evolution of a concept originally adjacent to a manufacturing base, it has become a distinct retail and tourist product. The birth of the retail concept and its “touristification” finds its origins in the United States. The import of which into Europe drew reference from the American formula but followed new models inspired by Anglo-Saxon developers who created a different style and they now appear among the uncontested leaders of the European market. However, the announcement of new outlet projects, even after 20 years still arouse quasi-systematically deep tensions between the opponents and the defenders of the concept, revealing that the territorial stakes of these centres are multiple. The increase of the number of projects is favoured in particular by an increasing demand of the elected representatives in a context of competition between territories. The current situation constitutes a real opportunity for developers, and it has recently involved the creation of public-private partnerships. Their intended goal is to benefit from the setting-up of outlet centres by favouring the positive elements within their territory, in particular by coupling retail tourism with other forms of leisure tourism. This research aims to study the development and the evolution of the outlet concept in Europe as well as their implications regarding new territorial stakes.

La Syrie centrale connaît au début de la période byzantine, et en particulier au Ve et au VIe siècle, un fort mouvement d’expansion des sédentaires vers l’est, qui coïncide avec une importante mise en valeur de ces nouveaux territoires. Comme pour d’autres régions de Syrie et du Proche-Orient à la même époque, un optimum climatique – pourtant déclinant – semble avoir permis la conquête et l’exploitation agricole de nouveaux terroirs dans une zone marginale qui n’avait jusqu’alors connu qu’une occupation sédentaire ponctuelle. La Syrie centrale est caractérisée par des milieux aux potentiels agronomiques très différents, souvent imbriqués. Le peuplement et la mise en valeur y sont soumis à la double contrainte de l’aridité climatique et édaphique, qui s’exerce avec une prégnance croissante vers le sud et l’est. Ces conditions, qui s’améliorent localement à la faveur de niches écologiques, ont permis à des politiques de mise en valeur et à des économies distinctes, souvent complémentaires, de voir le jour.Dans une région où les cités paraissent en grande partie absentes, l’économie repose d’abord sur les villages et sur quelques bourgs qui possédaient manifestement une orientation commerciale spécifique. Aux côtés des agglomérations, et souvent d’autant plus nombreux que les conditions d’implantation sont délicates, des fermes et des monastères s’affirment comme des acteurs économiques apparemment indépendants et souvent prospères. Des entités géographiques relativement homogènes ont donné lieu à une répartition des différentes formes de peuplement et à des économies microrégionales spécifiques. Si l’agriculture vivrière reste la règle, il semble bien cependant qu’on observe une spécialisation locale des productions : culture du blé et accessoirement plantations à l’ouest, oléiculture et peut-être viticulture dans les plateaux basaltiques du nord-ouest et vraisemblablement un élevage spéculatif, qu’on doit probablement attribuer à des populations sédentaires, dans les secteurs sud et est. / In Late Antiquity, especially between the 5th and 6th centuries, Central Syria witnessed a strong expansion of sedentary settlements eastward, which coincided with a significant agricultural development of these new territories. As for other areas in Syria and Near-East at the same period, a waning climatic optimum seems to have allowed byzantine population to settle down in marginal areas which barely experienced hitherto sedentary occupation and farm nearly unbroken lands.Central Syria is made up of various landscapes, sometimes deeply nested, with contrasted agricultural potential. Settlements and agricultural exploitation are affected by an increasingly significant climatic and edaphic aridity eastward and southward. These conditions, which may locally improve thanks to ecological niches, enabled specific and often complementary substance strategies to develop.In a country whence cities are virtually absent, villages and a few market towns seem to be at the very root of the regional economy. Along with agglomerations, scattered habitats – namely farmsteads and monasteries –, more numerous under heavy bioclimatic constraints, would appear as independent and apparently prosperous economic players.Homogeneous geographic areas led to specific settlement patterns and different economic orientations. Food-producing agriculture remains the rule, but a local productive specialization may be noticed: mainly wheat production and incidentally plantations westward, olive-growing and maybe wine-growing as well in the north-west basaltic plateaus and presumably speculative livestock exploitation eastward and southward, probably mostly due to sedentary populations.

Thesis (MPhil (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The word ‘ecovillage’ is evocative of a kind of human settlement that exists in complete harmony with nature and examples of such settlements are indeed in existence almost everywhere in the world, some nearly half a century in the making. The Gqunube Green Ecovillage near East London can hardly be described as one of a proliferation of such settlements in South Africa, but it is anticipated that an examination of that project will contribute to the limited academic literature on the topic of sustainable human settlement. In Chapter 1, this thesis introduces the Gqunube Green Ecovillage and, in the following six chapters, traces its origins and demonstrates how models for ‘ideal’ human settlement developed. It explains how and why an international ecovillage movement reached South Africa and how Reverend Roger Hudson responded to that movement by starting the Gqunube Green Ecovillage in South Africa. The conclusion is that Reverend Hudson has achieved his primary objective, namely the establishment of an ecovillage, but the challenges described in this thesis have been significant. One of the most significant potential stumbling blocks to the future smooth management of Gqunube Green is its own regulatory environment that dictates the relationship between the settlers and their ecovillage. The proposed sociocratic management style, combined with a strongly spiritual, eco-theological objective, is driven by a strongly worded and rule-orientated ecovillage constitution that is shown in Chapters 2 and 3 to have the potential to both alienate and unite the inhabitants of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage – depending on how it is interpreted and enforced. The external regulatory environment, both enabling and restricting development, is analysed in Chapter 4. National, provincial and local government legislation, policies and guidelines intersect to influence the progress of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage, creating opportunity for controversy between conservationists and developers. However, the debates between the various interest groups over the appropriateness of various development options for the east bank of the Gonubie Estuary were largely incidental and somewhat irrelevant to the delays in the development of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage that are described in Chapter 5. Although bureaucratic delays in the formal process of development have restrained the full rollout of the ecovillage project, the Gqunube Green Ecovillage was eventually established at the end of 2005 and the chronology leading to this milestone is described in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 of this thesis examines the timing of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage project within a changing and enabling paradigm shift, enabled by cooperative local government and efforts at the integration of legislation and policy to align with the constitutional aims of sustainable development. The concept of an ecovillage is not always acceptable to everyone as the ideal development model, especially when big business has a stake. However, it has been argued that the very fact that the establishment of an ecovillage has succeeded where big business was about to establish itself is a victory in itself for the founders of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage.