Monday, December 7, 2015 2:30 pm
-
2:30 pm
EST (GMT -05:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled: The
Making
of
Chang-Shin District
:
A
Study
in
Top-Down
and
Bottom-Up
Urban
Development
Abstract:
This
thesis studies
the
process
of
urban
development
as
a
mass
phenomenon
involving top-down and bottom-up paradigms,
which
work
as
a
whole
to
achieve
distinct characteristics
seen
in
urban
neighbourhoods.
In
this
study,
the
top-down paradigm
describes
the
ways
in
which
the
governing
authorities
frame
a neighbourhood’s
development
by
controlling
major
urban
factors
affecting
the overall
city,
whereas
the
bottom-up
paradigm
describes
the
ways
in
which individuals
collectively
build
up
their
own
neighbourhood
through
emergent patterns
resulting
from
the
decisions
of
each
resident.
In
the
final
analysis, the
workings
of
top-down
and
bottom-up
urban
development
can
be
described
as
a cooperative
process,
where
the
on-going
dialogue
between
the
two
paradigms allow
them
to
work
synergistically.
As a key place of industry and commerce throughout Seoul’s history, Chang-Shin has maintained its historical and cultural characteristics even in the midst of the powerful forces of modernization that have changed the face of the city as a whole during the twentieth century. Remarking on the district’s unique characteristics and its complex urban structure, this thesis probes around three questions: how did the district come to be? How does it function now? And how could the existing urban characteristics be effectively utilized to enrich the urban life in the district?
The intent behind the thesis is to analyze the rich and intricate urban phenomena observed in Chang-Shin, and further, to propose a design strategy that could improve the use of the district as a whole through working with local, small-scale components within the existing urban environment. The design proposal distinctly focuses on public space as a key urban element where both the urban characteristics and social functions of the district are most strongly manifested, highlighting the advantages of the bottom-up paradigm in fostering the cultural character of a given space, as well as those of the top-down paradigm in providing overall assessments of the district, out of which more substantial levels of resources and commitments can then be directed and focused. At a time when the cultural authenticity of Seoul’s urban environment has diminished drastically, current management of Chang-Shin could lead either to the gain or loss of the meaningful cultural heritage in the city.
The examining committee is as follows:
As a key place of industry and commerce throughout Seoul’s history, Chang-Shin has maintained its historical and cultural characteristics even in the midst of the powerful forces of modernization that have changed the face of the city as a whole during the twentieth century. Remarking on the district’s unique characteristics and its complex urban structure, this thesis probes around three questions: how did the district come to be? How does it function now? And how could the existing urban characteristics be effectively utilized to enrich the urban life in the district?
The intent behind the thesis is to analyze the rich and intricate urban phenomena observed in Chang-Shin, and further, to propose a design strategy that could improve the use of the district as a whole through working with local, small-scale components within the existing urban environment. The design proposal distinctly focuses on public space as a key urban element where both the urban characteristics and social functions of the district are most strongly manifested, highlighting the advantages of the bottom-up paradigm in fostering the cultural character of a given space, as well as those of the top-down paradigm in providing overall assessments of the district, out of which more substantial levels of resources and commitments can then be directed and focused. At a time when the cultural authenticity of Seoul’s urban environment has diminished drastically, current management of Chang-Shin could lead either to the gain or loss of the meaningful cultural heritage in the city.
The examining committee is as follows:
Supervisor:
Rick Andrighetti, University of Waterloo
Committee Members:
Adrian
Blackwell,
University
of
Waterloo
Val
Rynnimeri,
University
of
Waterloo
External Reader:
Donald Chong, Williamson Chong Architects
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Monday
December
7,
2015
2:30PM
ARC
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.