Community and Communication in Changing Urban Areas

Community and Communication in Changing Urban Areas
-------------------------------------------------

Part 1: Urban Studies, Theoretical Perspectives & Telematics How we view technology & impact is grounded in our theoretical perspectives: Technological Determinism: * Change in the city is a direct result of change in telematics OR reaction to technological innovation/invention * Urban change = inevitable, unalternable, predictable * Physical change (buildings, roads, parks etc.) & SES (socioeco structures) is determined by technology being utilized Utopianism/Futurism: Telematics Technology →Solutions to Social, Econ, Spatial & Physical Problems * Similar to ↑ but judges the nature of the changes induced by technology * Resulting changes are positive and telematic innovations make the city a better place to live and work * Not all past changes have been improvements but future technological advances will correct all problems * City development = continuous cycle of innovation Dystopianism (Political Economy viewpoint) * Telematics innovation and adoption = social process, not separate/distinct from society * Telematics are used as an instrument of capitalism therefore technology is not a determinant of urban change or wonderful solution to difficult problems but changes can occur as a consequence of capital accumulation * It is only used to accumulate capital SCOT (Social Construction of Technology view point) * Technology is a part of society as a whole and have a role to play in implementing or rejecting telematics innovation and urban change and it is also influenced by capitalism but more minimally than Dystopianism * Society shapes the way in which technology is adopted * There is also a historical context which conditions current decision-making particularly socioeconomic and technological processes and how they became important Part 2: An Introduction to Urban Studies Urban Studies – understanding cities, towns and villages and their built environments (buildings, roads, rail lines, parks, utility networks, water and sewer lines – etc) in relation to complex processes that are constantly changing and shaping the city around them Why Study Cities: * Characteristics of cities: * Inherently complex * Dynamic * Always in transition * Very exciting * In order to plan cities more effectively, we must understand their processes: What are cities? * Louis Wirth: large, dense, permanent, heterogenous population * Lewis Mumford : hub of civilations, where cultre and values evolve * Canada Census: continuously built-up area with [population] = 1000 + & population density = 400+/sq. km * Very wide definition that cover many small places as well * Definition differs between nations * Two important universal dimensions of urban defined: * Size of urban place * Density of the urban place What do these widely divergent places have in common: * Commerce – carrying on of business, few exceptions include religious or education based cities * Primary Economic Activites - Non urban economic activites such as agriculture, foresting, mining etc. * Secondary Economic Activities - manufacturing occurs in urban places * Tertiary Economic Activities – service sector firms occur in urban places * NOTE: large urban places exert considerable influence over smller urban places and surrounding rural areas by virtue of their economics * More Urban Characteristics: * Built Environments – urban places have a distinct look and feel from the closeness and largeness that is associated with them * Centres of invention and inovation (technological, social, political, economic) * Open cultural environment * Displacement – proportional to levels of innovation, there are huge social and political problems where people are displaced fromt heir traditional ways which creates a strain on society when trying to deal with consequences of rapid change The Four Properties of Cities: * Proximity: people and activites group together * Production: vital to health and growth – creates jobs & serves some of the local market. Imports are needed and usually from immediate hinterland, rest of the country or international markets * Results in specialization of production * Highly influenced by technology * Capitalization: urban land is scarce and expensive due to it’s proximity therefore it is heavily capitalized and modified * Also includes public services such as sewers, water, roads, etc. * Cities are constantly in flux with new needs, conditions and policy which require capitilization to rebuild the city * Management: urban areas require specialized adminisation * Proximity requires control, cooperation and well maintained infrastructure, consultants and a respected legal system * Urban planning – central management of the city * Tends to favour the wealthy * Addresses issues such as natural environment, quality of life, safety etc. Part 3: The Study of Urban Systems What is an urban system? * Allan Pred: * “System of cities” is a national or regional set of cities (urban units) which are interdependent that any significant change in economic activities, occupational structure, total income or population of one member city will directly or indirectly bring about some modification in the economic activities, occupational structure, total income or population of one or more other set members * Urban units – metropolises, cities, towns, villages, hamlets etc. The Canadian Urban System * * Important in terms of population size, economic and political clout (influence) * There are 33 urban palces defined as metropolitan areas (pop = 100,000 +) * 17/33 – located within the Windsor – Quebec corridor and account for 45.5% of Canada’s population Top 10 Urban Places in Canada: Toronto | Montreal | Vancouver | Ottawa-Gatineau | Calgary | Edmonton | Quebec (Lévis) | Winnipeg | Hamilton (Burlington) | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo |

The Historical Development of the North America Urban System: * Demonstrate the relationship between an evolving economy, technological change and processes of urbanization Vance’s Mercantile Model (1970): * Model of settlement and urban growth in a predominantly pre-industrial economic setting * Data sources were types of occupations that were representative of the wholesaling industry (wholesale merchants, customs officials, carters and teamsters, shipping agents, bankers, port workers, railway works etc.) * Location and concentration of these activities were noted Wholesaling Video Summary: - Important component of Toronto’s economy - Develops close to water front and railway - Goods came from MTL and NY then cleared in customs and stored in warehouses - Wholesalers occupied their own buildings in TO - Chartered banks cater to long distance trade with branch offices in Toronto - Transportation, telegraphs offices, commercial and credit agencies occupied commercial buildings in the wholesale district - Moving goods from Europe or US to local retailers and interland was complex and required many people with specialized skills that enriched the local economy of Toronto - Wholesale process resulted in Toronto economy acquiring other specialized functions such as processing long distance financial transactions and they came to dominate such transactions in Southern Ontario by early 20th century - Now Toronto has become the financial centre of Canada

While Reading The 5 Stages of Mercantile Model, keep in mind: 1) Physical Landscape of North America: Physical barriers were overcome by technology Landscape presents barriers and opportunities for trade and settlement

2) Technology that was available during this period because long-distance trade, resource exploitation and settlements were highly dependent on knowledge, innovation and technology The Five Stages of Mercantile Model: Stage 1: Exploration: * Europe – base for expeditions to explore new lands (North America) * Goal – bring back info about natural resources and suitability for colonies Early Map of North America: * Map does not resemble modern map at all * Sea monster at the bottom represents unknown nature of the passage and danger that might follow an early explorer * This map = valuable information *

Stage 2: Harvesting of Natural Resources * Europe capitalizes on info brought back of the new land * Cod fisheries off Newfoundland’s Grand banks were a major source of activity followed by harvesting beaver pelts and timber * New towns built were not thought of permanent residences but as control centres in the collection, coordination and shipping of resources * Huge technological undercurrent for all activities Resource Exploitation in North America, 1645 – 1785 Video: * Graph depicts export of beaver pelts to Europe * Exportation is sporadic, why: * Ships did not come because of market conditions in Europe * Poor weather conditions * Nobody wanted to go there! Relation to Technology: * Fishing took a camp base needing basic tools of construction then setting up docks, cleaning, drying and storage * “salting and drying” the most important technology that allowed the preservation of fish during the 6 week voyage Early Newfoundland Fisheries Video: * Graphics depict variations of fishing activities 1. Migratory inshore dry fishing: * Ship brings fish and supplies in the right season then temporary fishing settlements were established and small boats fished each day and brought the fish back where they were washed and salted then a larger fish returns the fisherman 2. Migratory Banks Fishery: * Directly to Grandbanks without setting up coastal settlements and all salting happened on the ship therefore quicker turnaround 3. English Variant: * More sophisticated and fragment * Fisherman would set up small settlements and similar to Migratory inshore dry fishing * At end of seasons “sacs” ships would take the produce back to Europe and fishing ships would return to home ports Stage 3: Emergence of Farm-Based Stable Production: * Forests are cleared and permanent settlements, farms and plantations are formed and increase in numbers * Resources still exploited and sent to Europe but have expanded into agriculture such as grain, salted meat, indigo, tobacco and cotton * “Mercantilism” begins, wholesale merchants controlled trade * As trade of good flourishes so too do the urban centres in Europe that benefit from this trade * Transatlantic trade is key to settlements * Seaports were important for collection points and centers of long distance trade to European markets * Key nodes/collection points were established along major waterways * Fortified to protect their primary function: coordination, collection and shipment to European markets * Only secondarily serviced the local population * Technology was highly dependant on nature and how to exploit it * Level of technology in tool making, communication and transportation were important elements in harvesting, production and marketing goods Exports from Quebec, 1736 * Graph represents volume of exports * North American Colonies, Ile Royal, West Indies colonies of France get relatively small value of shipment * Largest volume is exported to France and the types of goods are the staple goods such as fish, furs and processed hydes Le Fier: * Involved in trading activites between North America and Europe * Cargo: * From Quebec = 40 tons & cash/profits * From France = 70 tons of small foods, manufactured household goods, wine and brandy Stage 4: Establishment of Interior Depot Centres * Increase in population and spread of settlements to cope with stable export demands for Europe * Transportation was basic (foot, ox drawn carts, small boats, rafts etc.) and essential * Indian trails and waterways became vital routes and focal points for settlement in the interior * Towns were established at strategic locations and became depots of staple collection * Coastal towns, initial “points of attachment” became even more important * Urban systems begun to exhibit some production of manufactured goods that were oriented to other urban markets in North America with trade amongst villages, towns and cities Le Marie Joseph et Le Revanche : * Internal trade developed within North America * Quebec shipped tobacco to Labrador, Gaspe and colonies further to the South * La Revanche – growing trading interdependency * Trading between Carribean, Louisberg, Quebec and St. Loius Valley Stage 5: Economic Maturity and Central Place Infilling * Interdependance of North American urban system * Growth of urban centres and settlements on the interior provided substantial and growing domestic market for manufactured goods produced in the new land and became no longer dependent on European made goods * Replacing the network of staples collection points along major transportation routes was a more complex and integrated network of urban centres that supported local markets, production (manufacturing) and long distance trade * “Points of attachment” grew, building on their initial advantage (economic and urban infrastructure) * These centres dominated a local region, hinterland, long distance trade and the national urban system * Transportation was vital component of growth and maturity * Linked urban systems together and made local/long distance trade possible * Helped initiate settlement of new regions and growth of new urban centres * Network of rail lines, roadways, waterways and canal systems become important focal points for settlement and industry Toronto Region and Niagara Peninsula, 1825: * European settlement didn’t begin till 1700s * Settlement is oriented to lake Ontario because early settlers were dependent on water based transportation BOSNYWASH, 1830 * Complex integrated chain of urban centres extending from Boston to New York to Washington DC * All with good harbours and at the eastern end of a major trade route on the interior