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Learning is one of the critical processes in enabling the international mobility of urban planning and policy ideas. A particularly effective form of learning in this context is an immersive, sensory approach we can describe as ‘inhabiting’. This article illustrates the role that inhabiting plays in facilitating the mobility of the planning model o...
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... plans frequently use photographs and digitally created renderings in an illustrative fashion, usually to show what a design principle or technology looks like, but also to demonstrate the viability of the plan. Figures 1 and 2 are excerpts from a master plan for a new town in South Asia. A team consisting of an American architectural and design firm and a British engineering consultancy prepared the master plan. 1 The figures show two different ways of using images in master plans. ...
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... team consisting of an American architectural and design firm and a British engineering consultancy prepared the master plan. 1 The figures show two different ways of using images in master plans. Figure 1 shows examples of district energy centres. In a district energy system, a central plant distributes heating or air conditioning to buildings via an underground network of pipes. ...
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... proposing the use of a new or unfamiliar technology, consultants have to find ways to persuade their clients to try something different. Images such as those in Figure 1 make the technology seem more familiar. Ideally, it should encourage the client to inhabit the idea by visualizing how a district energy centre might fit into their project. ...
Citations
... For example, Ian Cook and Ward (2012), analyzing a two-day conference on business improvement district policy, noted that practices like note-taking and sharing PowerPoint presentations were common among delegates. Other studies highlight the role of diverse technologies of seduction, including visual media, as sensory tactics that allow policy makers to experience particular best practices in "real environments" and envision potential transformations for their cities (Rapoport 2015;Andersson and Cook 2019). Moreover, while less empirically explored within urban policy mobilities studies, policyrelated documents, such as fact sheets, guidebooks, and reports, seem to be instrumental in reformatting policy imaginaries and influencing the choices of policy actors regarding which policies to adopt (Prince 2010). ...
This paper introduces and discusses the interdisciplinary approach of urban policy mobilities. It begins by reviewing its intellectual antecedents, which the paper argues are rooted in architectural and planning histories, anthropology, cultural and social geography, and political science. Since its emergence in the early 2000s, the approach has expanded significantly. This paper provides a balanced overview of both persistent and still-nascent theoretical and empirical themes or issues structuring the approach. Taking stock of these features and drawing intellectual contributions from within and beyond the social sciences, the paper concludes by arguing for four possible future research pathways for urban policy mobilities.
... Similar to the global dimension of the five books mentioned above, this paper provides research directions for locales in both the global north (e.g., US Southwest, Portugal, Finland) and the global south (e.g., Latin America and India), as well as considerations on the policy transfer and the importation of planning techniques promoted by major international aid organizations and for hire planning consultants highly sought after by governments and business interests mostly in developing countries [31][32][33]. The review This paper's methodology and methods build upon these three distinct approaches and attempts to identify and characterize, even if succinctly, unresolved gaps in an alternative, albeit personal, agenda for the future of urban and regional Planning [29]. ...
... Similar to the global dimension of the five books mentioned above, this paper provides research directions for locales in both the global north (e.g., US Southwest, Portugal, Finland) and the global south (e.g., Latin America and India), as well as considerations on the policy transfer and the importation of planning techniques promoted by major international aid organizations and for hire planning consultants highly sought after by governments and business interests mostly in developing countries [31][32][33]. The review methods employed and the three thematic parts of this paper build upon the now classical sustainability framework of Economy, Environment, and Community [34], as well as the more recent, and somewhat alternative, Soft City approach centered on place (i.e., living locally), movement (i.e., getting about and getting on), and sociability (i.e., living with the weather) [24] (p. ...
Improving, strengthening, and fine tuning, as well as developing, revitalizing, conserving, and preserving, are all words commonly used in an urban and regional planner’s vocabulary. More nebulous are the concepts of it, thyself, which are the other in planning thinking and professional interventions. Who, what, how, when, and where will it be carried out? If conscious and aware of one’s actions, oneself ought to be able to answer these questions without deference to its outcomes. However, it is commonly recognized that we are unable, and at times unwilling, to understand others’ reaction to a proposal, even when put forward according to established common norms and traditions and socio-economic, environmental, cultural, and legal orders. The purpose of this paper is to review various planning challenges derived from earlier lived and or researched experiences that have already occurred, others taking place here and now, as well as others in need of further conceptualization and study. The review methods build not only upon the now classical sustainability framework, but also upon the more recent and alternative Soft City approach centered on place, movement, and sociability. It is believed that the planning topics and methods analyzed in this review can help reach carbon neutrality goals, promote climate urbanism, accomplish higher utilization of renewable energy, and reduce automobility levels, all goals conducive to graceful bliss and authentic happiness.
... Approaches from the field of political economy similarly emphasize the importance of images. Rapoport (2015), for example, refers to the Global Intelligence Corps, an industry of architects, planners, engineers, and consultants from the private sector who play an important role in disseminating planning models and globally transporting a "modernization myth" (Healey, 2013(Healey, , p. 1511 about the universal necessity of development in material and economic terms. In addition to their authority as experts, it is the ability of the CGI actors to "use images and experiences to persuade and seduce" (Rapoport, 2015, p. 321) that mobilizes planning ideas. ...
Renderings are digital visualisations of urban development projects in the field of urban design that aim to create spatial knowledge about future-built urban environments, which we also refer to as imaginaries. In our contribution, we ask how visual artists design renderings, how they try to influence spatial knowledge about future urban spaces, and in which processes renderings are produced. Using the cases of the Eko Atlantic City project in Lagos (Nigeria) and the Hudson Yards project in New York City (USA) as examples, it will be shown empirically how specialized visual artists try to make urban development projects appear convincing and appealing. The analyses show that visual artists particularly use design elements such as photorealistic aesthetics and lighting to make the presentations of the planned building projects desirable. They also attempt to make them appear coherent in their built environment by digitally collaging different imaginary elements. Interestingly, only a limited number of image types are used. They can nevertheless put the imaginary space of the planned building projects in a positive light, create pleasant affective atmospheres, and appeal to a wide audience. By visually constructing imaginaries about urban development projects and thus influencing the subjective spatial knowledge of stakeholders and a broader public, renderings develop power. The constructed—and widely shared—imaginary space can guide investment and influence planning processes and the materialization of the built project.
... The literature on travelling planning concepts has traced the movements of planning ideas and practices (e.g., Harris & Moore, 2013;Healey, 2013). A closely related research has analysed the mobilities of the key agents that carry those ideas, namely, planners and architects (e.g., Cook et al., 2015;Rapoport, 2014bRapoport, , 2015b. ...
Although the production of the built environment is increasingly globalized, and architecture and urban planning (AUP) professionals are known to be the key carriers of mobile ideas, the internationalization of small owner-centred architectural offices has gained little academic attention, compared to the large consultancies that dominate the global market. We bring together the literature on the circuits of urban planning ideas, the international movement of AUP firms and professional ethoses to explore the internationalization of small AUP offices. Using interview data from Finnish offices, we investigate the 'what, where, why and how' and find that they have entered specific geographically delimited AUP circuits demarcated by type of project. We contribute to the literature by identifying motives characteristic of small offices guided by professional ethoses suited to the circuits where they interna-tionalize. Their ethoses may evolve in time and space, as they operate in new circuits. We propose that ethos-circuit coherence may contribute to the successful internationalization of small architectural offices. The findings open avenues for further research on professional ethos not only of architects but also other internationally operating professionals, as it may guide their decisions by other than a narrowly conceived profit motive. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
... Since the turn of the century, the increasing importance of transnational networks and assemblages behind LUDs has received considerable attention in the urban studies literature. The vast majority of studies, however, predominantly focuses on the key role of consultants, (st)architects, politicians, and policy-makers in this process (Bok & Coe, 2017;Bunnell & Das, 2010;Côté-Roy & Moser, 2019;Dixon, 2013;Faulconbridge & Grubbauer, 2015;Heeg & Bitterer, 2015;Percival & Waley, 2012;Rapoport, 2015;Sklair, 2005;Yeung, 2009). Back in 1995, Olds (1995Olds ( , p. 1713) already observed that LUDs, although by no means homogeneous, 'are (1) modelled on each other; (2) often developed and planned by architects, financiers, engineers, and planners who have experience working on or knowledge of previous or ongoing megaprojects in other cities around the world; (3) often developed with both explicit and implicit internationalization strategies in mind; (4) marketed to overseas firms and high-networth individuals for subsequent lease or purchase; and (5) designed to symbolize a global urban "utopia" for the 21 st century'. ...
In this paper, we review the emerging geographical literature dealing with large‐scale transnational real estate development projects (TREDs). Predominantly geared towards (often imagined) upper middle classes through eye‐catching and mixed‐use projects, the distinctive feature of TREDs is that they are facilitated by a formative transnational investor/developer. Based on a literature review and an analysis of fDi Markets data, we discuss the nature of TREDs, where they can be found, which actors and companies are mainly responsible for them, how they emerge and materialize (or not), and why they are so relevant in contemporary economic geography. It is argued that TREDs are both characteristic of and contribute to the rise of authoritarian urban development practices. We furthermore show that both fictitious and symbolic capital play a role and that real estate and geopolitical strategies are inextricably linked with one another. Given that interscalar dynamics between the main facilitators of TREDs are still relatively understudied within economic geography, we end with a call to develop more in‐depth perspectives on these matters.
... Architects use also many other methods and means to produce knowledge, but the image is the most important and used in many phases of design and planning processes -and for many reasons. In essence, the design is illustrated via visual material, and the image gives form to an abstract idea (Rapoport, 2015;Kreiner, 2017). In addition, a key aim posed on the imagery is that it should communicate the relevant knowledge as well as architectural quality by itself (Andersson, Bloxham Zettersten & Rönn, 2013). ...
... On the other hand, visualisations and 3D renderings mimicking the real environment are less technical and, in that sense, easier to read for a layman. This kind of imagery is mainly used in promoting the design, and to seduce and convince the audience or a client (see, for instance, Rapoport, 2015). As such, these images are problematic in a way that is very complicated: they are constructed images that have been explicitly created in order to entice, persuade or even manipulate the viewer (Pallasmaa, 2011). ...
... The process of image-making is connected to what is included in the image -and what is not -and it all begins with the future viewer and an agenda in mind. (Rapoport, 2015;Grubbauer, 2008, p. 108). The images in architectural knowledge production are not only something that carry the knowledge as required by a design task, but they also translate, transform and distort it (Latour, 2005, p. 39). ...
Planning cities and communities is a complex task, which requires knowledge from and interaction between the multiple disciplines involved. In the recent decades, the task has become even more complicated and demanding due to the challenges posed by the environmental and climate changes. A lot is yet to be solved in order to fully understand sustainability of communities, and new solutions and innovations are needed. Planning competition is a specific tool which can be used in exploring transformative solutions and creating knowledge for sustainable community development.
In this thesis, the instrumentality of these competitions as a tool for planning and in generating solutions to promote sustainable community development is investigated. The thesis is framed by case studies of two planning competitions: the Ylläs competition for a new resort community, and the Sibbesborg competition for sustainable community development. With the help of the case study data it is examined how appropriately the competition entries responded to the tasks and goals described in the competition briefs.
A key observation is that the tool itself, the planning competition, creates restrictions to what can be solved with it. Within the competition practices, intrinsic mismatches were found. Further examination suggests that planning competitions are dominated by the traditions of the architectural profession, and thus, effective multidisciplinary collaboration becomes crippled. Other professionals may not be familiar with visual tools as methods of knowledge production. Therefore, they are at risk of receiving a secondary role in a collaborative and multidisciplinary design team and, consequently, competitions do not produce holistic solutions for sustainable communities as expected. The results of this study include suggestions on how competition practices need to be reformed in order to better respond to the demand of transdisciplinary knowledge production. Moreover, the results imply that similar difficulties may be experienced beyond competitions; within the practice of urban planning.
... Similar transactions of meaning use "tactics" (E. Rapoport, 2015, p. 309) "which allows people to 'live the assemblage'" (McFarlane, 'Assemblage and critical urbanism', City, 15 (2), 204-24, cited in E. Rapoport, 2015, p. 321) that employ "sensory… inhabiting" (E. Rapoport, 2015, p. 307) techniques "more akin to salesmanship;" (E. ...
This study looks at ways in which education and practice can find common ground in a concept of visual sustainability. It looks at ways of sifting out the meaning from endless flows of information, to scaffold a theoretical framework from the rhizome-like obstacle of ambiguity and uncertainty. This can be achieved by adjusting our focal length to better see our visual world, and so help better describe the conditions for growth that are so important for sustainable urban development and architectural practice. This study is divided into three parts. Firstly, a declaration of meaning; secondly, how we transact with meaning in everyday assemblages; and lastly, the concept of a spectrum of meaning. It builds on existing discourse around education and practice, with a view to understanding what makes the urban 'tick' (Dovey & KTH Media Production, 2017). So that we can discover what makes us 'tick' in the urban.
... However, the architectural profession is all about image-making and creating visual material, representations of the "real" provoking one's imagi nation (Tähtinen, 2013;Pallasmaa, 2011) and are explicitly constructed to entice their audience (Rapoport, 2015). Architectural representation aims to visualise the imagined environment in a way that does not merely communicate the knowledge embedded in the design, but also creates an illusion of the future. ...
... Visual material illustrates and gives form to an abstract idea or design (Rapoport, 2015), and the images are produced and used for several purposes. Richens (2011, p. 93) has summarised the most common roles as being (1) to originate, (2) to test, (3) to persuade, (4) to instruct, (5) to promote, (6) to explain and (7) to record. ...
... In an attempt to seduce and convince their audience, for example in order to sell a project or an idea to a client, other forms of imagery and visualisations are used (see, for instance, Rapoport, 2015). Being less technical, 3D renderings and other visualisations mimicking the real environment are easier to approach for a nonprofessional. ...
In planning competitions, the design teams produce visual material in order to present their future vision for a given site. Competition briefs include guidelines concerning this imagery, which aim (1) to ensure that it transmits the knowledge essential for evaluation, and (2) to mitigate the challenge of representational differences between the proposals. However, a key part of the art of architectural representation is to visual-ise the imagined environment in such a way that it appeals to the emotions of the viewer. It involves the design teams trying their utmost to create imagery that stands out, persuades the viewer, and provokes the imagination. These efforts put into the image-making render it difficult to compare objectively the knowledge embedded in the designs. Within a research project investigating sustainable solutions for Nordic tourism destinations, a method was developed and tested to mitigate the challenge of the incommensurability of competition proposals. Key features in proposals to an invited competition were redrawn in digital format, and then layered against each other in order to gain a visually "undisturbed" understanding of the differences between them. The findings of this experiment suggest that the contemporary competition practices should and could be revised in order to gain competition proposals that are more readily available for mutual and objective comparison. ISSUE 1 2020 SIGHTS BEYOND ILLUSIONS: TOWARDS COMMENSURABLE COMPETITION PROPOSALS TIINA MERIKOSKI 10
... 3) Following the 'materials': Artefacts facilitating the communication of urban models such as policy reports, PowerPoint presentations, promotional brochures and videos also exert independent agency (Rapoport 2015). These can provide windows into the 'technologies of seduction' (Bunnell and Das 2010) legitimating mobile policy models between stakeholders. ...
Capitalising upon the storied successes in Singapore's programme of rapid industrialisation and economic development since the 1960s, the Southeast Asian city-state has increasingly emerged in global policy and urban planning networks as a paradigmatic example of best practices in urban infrastructure and city-level governance. Key hallmarks associated with Singapore as a model city include efficiency, good governance, rapid economic growth and to add to that malleable repertoire, recent concepts of urban sustainability and the allure of smart-city technologies. Singapore's urban influence and reputation has predominantly been felt most acutely in regional networks of Asian cities. However, developing cities further afield from further areas of the Global South have also increasingly looked to and engaged with public and private sector Singaporean organisations and consultants in seeming bids to replicate its socioeconomic strategies for urban development. One such rapidly expanding 'new frontier' for urban expertise bearing Singapore's reputation and mark is among the network of developing cities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This thesis contextualises, maps and investigates the intersecting networks of urban policymakers and professionals which are involved in the diffusion of knowledge, technologies and resources between Singapore and African cities. This commodification, consumption and representation of Singapore's urban solutions and its exportable capacity is driven by both political and economic interests. This contemporary interregional development phenomenon is a unfolding story of urban comparisons, aspirations and representation in which a diverse array of knowledge, historical narratives, technologies and business strategies is progressively abstracted, transferred and transformed between different political and cultural contexts. Amid what has sometimes been coined as a second "Scramble for Africa" by various foreign investors and governments, Singapore-Africa urban networks are notable for their interconnected pattern of diffusion and an intrinsic focus on capacity-building and knowledge transference. In particular, this thesis focuses on the case of Singapore's involvement in the master-planning of Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, since 2008 and its attendant spillover effects as a regional precedent catalysing the further diffusion of additional and deepened instances of Singapore-Africa urban interactions.
... Advancements in communications and information technology have meant that policy actors' understandings of the world around them are profoundly intermediated by digital technologies. Rapoport (2015) discusses the way circulating images -in her case, digitally-manipulated images of planned urban redevelopments -support the circulation of particular policies by familiarising their audience to the apparent benefits of those policies. In a similar fashion, the availability of digitised reports and PowerPoint slideshows, and one's position in social media networks, create a particular reality or 'policy world' (Shore et al., 2011) that contemporary policy actors inhabit. ...
... Case studies of learning and pedagogical practices have covered diverse fields such as sustainable urban transition management (Sheldrick et al., 2017;Rapoport, 2015), higher education (Moore et al., 2015), transportation (Montero, 2017a;Walker, 2018) and public relations (Park et al., 2014), among others. A key action that supports learning involves comparative analysis and the generation of technical data. ...
