*Apologies for cross-posting*
DELIVERING AND SUSTAINING THE URBAN RENAISSANCE: Graduate research on the
reconstitution of local governance, built environments and public spaces
Organisers: Ian R. Cook and David Christoffer Lier, University of
Manchester
2nd Call for papers. October 6th deadline - be quick!
http://www.wun.ac.uk/rcc/pdfs/Urb_Renaissance.pdf
Delivering and/or sustaining an urban renaissance seem to be the core
objectives for local governments across towns and cities throughout
Western and Eastern Europe, North America and beyond. In order to do this,
local government services, public spaces and built environments of towns
and cities are been reconstituted and refunctionalised. In some senses,
towns and cities and their elites are following similar strategies and
undergoing similar processes. Government services are becoming
entrepreneurial, efficiency-driven and business-led; public spaces are
being cleansed, secured and privatised; and the built environment is
increasingly catering for gentrified upper-middle class residency and
consumption practices. Indeed, these services, spaces and buildings are
often increasingly geared towards actual and potential visitors, investors
and upper-middle class citizens and consumers. Seducing these groups and
unlocking their finances, it is argued by policymakers, will facilitate
the beginning or continuation of urban renaissance. This session,
sponsored by the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), will examine the
particular strategies utilised to (hopefully) deliver and sustain an urban
renaissance in various towns and cities throughout the world. Papers
within this session can explore any one (or more) of the following
empirical and theoretical issues:
- What is meant by an 'urban renaissance'?
- Who governs, delivers and finances the urban renaissance?
- What regeneration and social control policies and tactics are used?
- How and why has local governance, public spaces and built environments
been reconstituted and refunctionalised?
- How have urban elites sought to continue an urban renaissance?
- What opposition, contestation, negotiation and contradictions are
bounded up in the urban renaissance?
- How successful has the urban renaissance been? Who has benefitted and
who has not?
- How adequate are existing academic theorisations of these
transformations?
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:
If you are interested in presenting at this session please send an
abstract of 250 words or less to Ian R. Cook
([log in to unmask]) no later than October 6th 2006.
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