Finding The Soul Of The City

A professor of sociology at York University, Blum is now entering his fifth year as the director of the Culture of Cities project, a major research endeavour that explores the "essential rhythms" unique to different cities. The Culture of Cities research centre, located in the vibrant, bustling Annex neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, provides the perfect vantage point for Blum's own work within this larger project.

"When we talk about the culture of a city," says Blum, the noise of traffic audible just outside, "we usually mean its food, fashion, music, architecture – its art. But a city has a rhythm – an identity – that goes deeper than the aesthetic surfaces of a culture. A city has a 'soul' – even a heart of darkness – and this is something researchers can discover because a soul quite palpably marks a city the way a scar or stigma points to its own specific peculiarity, its physiognomy."

But according to Blum, the desire of world cities to look the same drives them all into a spiral where each seeks to distinguish itself by adding whatever every other city has, thus intensifying the very uniformity that each tries to avoid. This results in a kind of dialectical whirlpool where all cities look the same and yet aspire to be special.

Blum also points out that globalization has brought the soul of many cities into sharp relief. Different urban communities, for example, have different thresholds to change, congestion, civility, innovation and trust. New initiatives can push a community's buttons, exposing these thresholds.

"Open a McDonalds or a Starbucks in a seemingly quiet neighbourhood," says Blum, "and you'll quickly learn a lot about that neighbourhood because reactions provide openings for case studies."

Top 25 Urban Elements Design Listed by Monocle Magazine

Reported by City Slickers, “Monocle believes that the measure of a city is everyday wonders – pavements, well-designed schools, punctual transport – rather than one off,, grand projects. Here’s our list of the top 25 urban elements that make a city”. Singapore is the only one from South East Asia, here are the complete list :

1. Airport road, Singapore,
2. Bike lockers, Chicago, USA,
3. Trams, Various cities, Europe
4. Outdoor cinemas, Athens, Greece
5. Well-designed apartments, Steinhausen, Switzerland
6. Urban landscaping, Melbourne, Australia
7. Child’s play, Tokyo, Japan
8. Summer houses, Copenhagen, Denmark
9. Street clocks, Prague, Czech Republic
10. Green space projects, New York, US
11. Fire station, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
12. Public loos, Tokyo, Japan
13. Wi-Fi spots, Malaga, Spain

Glosari Hari Ini

Dislokasi

1. Satu perubahan atau pemindahan lokasi; 2. Dok perenggangan persendian pd patah tulang; 3. Geo pergeseran lapisan tanah krn gerakan tektonis; 4. Mil pemindahan atau penyebaran kesatuan militer dr suatu pangkalan atau pertahanan ke daerah lain; 5. Ling pemindahan unsur kalimat ke awal (sbg topik) atau ke akhir kalimat (sbg penegasan)

Disorganisasi

1. keadaan tanpa aturan (kacau, cerai-berai, dsb) kerana adanya perubahaan pada lembaga sosial tertentu

Pameran Sejarah Perbandaran Dan Perancangan Bandar Di Semenanjung Malaysia

Layari web (klik) rasminya..

Jiwabandar : Sebuah Kajian Fotografik

Kampung Baru 1960an

Kuala Lumpur 1978

KLCC 1993

sumber : http://mforum.cari.com.my

Glosari Jiwa Bandar 2012-2013

A
Argumen 

1. Diskusi yang melibatkan sudut pandang yang bertentangan; 2. Demontrasi bukti dengan menggunakan alasan logik untuk mempengaruhi

B 

Bandar  

1. Sekumpulan sistem-sistem perbandaran yang saling berkaitan antara satu sama lain. Sistem-sistem itu meliputi pelbagai hal, baik dalam sistem ekonomi, sosial, pengangkutan, dan juga sistem politik; 2. Terdiri daripada tiga komponen iaitu sistem pentadbiran, tempat hiburan dan kawasan padang. 

Bandar Mati 

Gambaran pada sesebuah ruang bandar yang tidak lagi bernyawa atau tidak bernadi- tidak lagi mempunyai interaksi dengan alam sekeliling

Benda budaya/Artifak 

Barang-barang buatan manusia (terutamanya alat perkakas, senjata) yang merupakan peninggalan sesuatu zaman

D 

Diskripsi 

Keterangan yg bertujuan utk menyampaikan gambaran mental ten­tang sesuatu yg dialami.

Dorongan 

Sejenis model yang menggambarkan beberapa aspek setengah-setengah sistem atau proses yang masih wujud, yang telah lepas, atau berbentuk hipotesis. Model itu selalunya adalah satu permudahan mengenai kebenaran sepenuhnya. (Charles F. Herman) 

E 

Ekologi 

1. Kajian tentang hubungan antara organisma hidup dgn persekitarannya; 2. Hubungan antara tumbuhan, binatang dan manusia dgn persekitaran: keseimbangan sistem ~ mengalami kerosakan sehingga menimbulkan pelbagai bencana. 

Elemen 

1. Anasir; 2. Sesuatu yang menjadi bahagian dalam sesuatu keseluruhan unsur

Slide Pembentangan Sains Kelestarian