IntrodIntrod 22Metropolis: The City as TextMetropolis: The City as Text

Concept City vs. Concept City vs. Lived CityLived City

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OutlineOutline

Starting Questions Review and MapReview and Map Concept C (2): Concept C (2): Vienna’s Ringstrass Lived C (2): Lived C (2): G. Simmel Concept C (3): Concept C (3): Le Corbusier Lived C (3): Space of FlowsLived C (3): Space of Flows

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Review QuestionsReview Questions1. What are the advantages and limitations in the ideas of

‘concept city’ and ‘lived city’? How do we experience a city?

2. What have we known so far about urban planning? The metaphors some theorists used and their implicit ideologies?

3. City as grid: What do you think about the prevailing surveillance system in a city?

3. The differences between the city as space of rationalization, and as magic space? The connections between Baudelaire and Benjamin?

4. What is a flâneur? (439) Can we be flâneur or flâneuse? Are there other ways of walking in the city?

Concept City vs. Lived City Concept City vs. Lived City

Planned CityPlanned City Lived CityLived City

Kay-Shuttleworth (Manchester 1804-1877)

1. Baudelaire (1821-1867).(439-442) Benjamin

1. Baron Haussman(Paris 1809-1891)

2. Georg Simmel (1858-1918) (445-47)

Vienna’s Ringstrass Sitte & Wagner (pp. 443-44)

Louis Wirth next time(1897 - 1952 )

Le Corbusier (1887 – 1965) (pp467-69).

Michel de Certeau (1925-1986) (435-37)

Concept C (2): Vienna's Concept C (2): Vienna's Ringstrasse Ringstrasse

The Ringstrasse is a wide avenue which encircles the old city of Vienna, Austria.

Vienna's RingstrasseVienna's Ringstrasse

Vienna's Ringstrasse: Vienna's Ringstrasse: Problems Problems

The Ringstrasse source.

Due to Due to the massive naturethe massive nature of the Ringstrasse, the of the Ringstrasse, the buildings served to draw attention to the open buildings served to draw attention to the open space, an inversion of these Baroque ideas. (space, an inversion of these Baroque ideas. (source))

Roads leading inwards towards the inner city from Roads leading inwards towards the inner city from the suburbs, did not continue uninteruppted to the the suburbs, did not continue uninteruppted to the city center, city center, but were drawn into the circular flow but were drawn into the circular flow of the Ringstrasseof the Ringstrasse, causing a seperation of city , causing a seperation of city and suburb, not physically, but by urban design.and suburb, not physically, but by urban design.

Similar? The roundabouts in TaipeiSimilar? The roundabouts in Taipei

Vienna's Ringstrasse: Vienna's Ringstrasse: Problems Problems

Furthermore, the buildings constructed along the Furthermore, the buildings constructed along the Ringstrasse were not organized towards each Ringstrasse were not organized towards each other, but other, but towards the streettowards the street itself, further itself, further focusing the attention on the Ringstrasse. focusing the attention on the Ringstrasse.

Two critiques: Two critiques: • Sitte: finds that Ringstrasse betrays traditional Sitte: finds that Ringstrasse betrays traditional

values; wants to return to baroque-style, values; wants to return to baroque-style, seeing the city in organic terms, seeing the city in organic terms,

• Otto Wagner, prefers modern aesthetic forms. Otto Wagner, prefers modern aesthetic forms. (444)(444)

What do we learn from this example? In what ways are What do we learn from this example? In what ways are

our lives and personalities shaped by urban design?our lives and personalities shaped by urban design?

London: Past & PresentLondon: Past & Present Past: Sir Christopher Wren Past: Sir Christopher Wren

(1632 --1723 (1632 --1723 London's Great Fire London's Great Fire of 1666 gave Wren a chance to of 1666 gave Wren a chance to present a scheme to rebuild the city. present a scheme to rebuild the city. Utopian in concept, it was only Utopian in concept, it was only partially realized.partially realized. E.g. St. Paul E.g. St. Paul Cathedral Cathedral source))

Present: Present: • Manhattanization of its Manhattanization of its

business center business center • Dorkland renovation & renovation &

gentrificationgentrification

Georg SimmelGeorg Simmel (1858-1918) (1858-1918)

Urban mentality: Urban mentality: The blasThe blaséé attitude attitude ––1.1. DefinitionDefinition: dictionary: : dictionary: bored or not bored or not excited, or wishing to seem so.excited, or wishing to seem so.2. cause: bombardment of the senses 2. cause: bombardment of the senses + involving one fragment of + involving one fragment of personalitypersonality"boundless pursuit of pleasure makes "boundless pursuit of pleasure makes one blasone blaséé because it agitates the because it agitates the nerves to their strongest reactivity for nerves to their strongest reactivity for such a long time that they finally such a long time that they finally cease to react at all.“(468)cease to react at all.“(468)

Blasé Blasé

Proposition: The psyche of the Metropolis inhabitant is over stimulated through the "intensification of nervous stimulation" resulting in an inability to react at all. It is felt that this is an inverse relationship. As the stimulation increases so does the inability to react. Whereas, one could presume that if the stimulation was intermittent, one could react intermittently. Furthermore, if the stimulation ceased, one could react always. (source) p. 468

• See our excerpt for different types of impression and their influences-- p. 466

• E.g. moving through traffic, “a series of shocks and collision”; in a large city – looking at but not talking to people.

Sources of indifference: Urban Sources of indifference: Urban EnvironmentEnvironment

Dominated by money economy + Dominated by money economy + intellectualism (466) + excessive stimuli intellectualism (466) + excessive stimuli

matter-of-fact attitude matter-of-fact attitude

indifference to individuality. (also 469)indifference to individuality. (also 469)

calculative mind.calculative mind. P. 470 loss of individuality and personal P. 470 loss of individuality and personal

lifelife

Simmel: City vs. CountrySimmel: City vs. Country

In a rural or small town context we find a personality born of the “smoothly flowing rhythm of the sensory-mental phase”, it “rests more on feelings and emotional relationships”;

in the city, meanwhile we find an “intellectualistic” psyche which through an “intensification of consciousness” has developed a “protective shield” with which to survive rapid “fluctuations and discontinuities in the external milieu.”

the urban psyche:the urban psyche:summarysummary

Has mastered instrumental calcuHas mastered instrumental calculationlation, , the quantification and assimilation of the quantification and assimilation of diverse datadiverse data

Has become indifferent towards others Has become indifferent towards others (blas(blaséé) )

Has gradually suppressed feelings or Has gradually suppressed feelings or emotionsemotions

Do you agree? Are all of our responses Do you agree? Are all of our responses similar to nervous reflexivity?similar to nervous reflexivity?

Le CorbusierLe Corbusier

Total modernism Total modernism Clear the city of its cesspools (e.g. Clear the city of its cesspools (e.g. slums,slums,

etc. p. 447)etc. p. 447) Develop and separate a cityDevelop and separate a city’’s s fourfour

functions: housing (high rises), work, functions: housing (high rises), work, recreation and traffic recreation and traffic (from pedestrians)(from pedestrians)

Utopian – turning the city into a parkUtopian – turning the city into a park Re-design our lives. Re-design our lives. middling middling

modernism and public housing projects modernism and public housing projects

Le CorbusierLe Corbusier

Villa Savoye, by Le Corbusier, at Poissy, France, 1928 to 1929.

Le CorbusierLe Corbusier

Lived City (3):Lived City (3):The Global City The Global City Global city: gentrification, Global city: gentrification,

globalization and ghettoizationglobalization and ghettoization the “rest” in the West: the the “rest” in the West: the

important contributions of important contributions of immigrants (455)immigrants (455)

Conclusion Conclusion

ReferencesReferences GreatBuildings.comGreatBuildings.com

http://www.greatbuildings.com/gbc.html http://www.greatbuildings.com/gbc.html Vienna's Ringstrasse Vienna's Ringstrasse

http://www.macalester.edu/courses/geog6http://www.macalester.edu/courses/geog61/aaron/ 1/aaron/

Le Corbusier Le Corbusier 1. 1. http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Chttp://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Centre_Le_Corbusier.html entre_Le_Corbusier.html

2. 2. http://www.tu-harburg.de/b/kuehn/lecorb.hhttp://www.tu-harburg.de/b/kuehn/lecorb.html tml