Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemParticipation in architecture: agonism in practice( 2018)Literature about participation in architecture promised architecture the restoration of a moral dimension, arguing that participation would offer opportunities for empowerment and deliver broad benefits. To its disservice, the field of participation has been dominated by a rational ideology, and a focus on agreement and decision-making – incorporated in the term ‘consensus’. The dominant approach to participation has been at the expense of difference, passions, arguments, resistances and tensions present in the participatory process – incorporated here in the term ‘agonism’. Exacerbating this gap between consensus and agonism, a lack of real-world examples and analysis of everyday participation, has led to a quite limited practical language about participation or descriptions of the concrete process of participation in action, and arguably an avoidance to design and critique participatory processes in architecture and urban design. This Doctor of Philosophy attempts to do participation in architecture through a series of Creative Works in practice, by carefully considering approach, and, designing for difference and bottom-up empowerment of others with social, physical, emotional and psychological benefits specific to each project. The methodology exposed the realities of participation in architectural design practice with communities, highlighting social themes for exploration and multiple modes for practice. This research project demonstrates that agonism is an action-orientated way forward for participation, arguing that the tension between architecture and participation is actually productive. It concludes that difference rather than consensus is crucial to participation, suggesting for architectural and urban design practice that the philosophical role of an architect is to consciously create and maintain opportunities to keep alive the participatory process in the world, by critically designing participation.
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ItemTransit and urbanity in Tehran( 2017)A key response to the challenges of car-dependency and urban sprawl has been to build dense, functionally mixed and walkable urban areas around existing and new transit stations – broadly defined as Transit-oriented development (TOD). While the concept of TOD has been extensively researched in Western cities, less formal and more congested cities lack empirical investigation, particularly in the ways TODs work in relation to micro-scale morphology, urbanity, informality and gender issues. This research explores the case study of Tehran to investigate synergies between urban morphology, transport modes and streetlife around five major transit nodes. It examines the ways that different modes of transport variously mesh or compete for the same networks and spaces. The study explores the relations of informal to formal transport and discusses on the prospects for formalisation. It documents the advantages that motorcycles have within this urban assemblage - capacities to slip through congested traffic and narrow streets and between different spatial networks. It also explores the ways that gender-based rules both constrain women's use of public transport and keep the system informal. Using comparative mappings of urban density, functional mix, streetlife, transport access and interfaces, the thesis explores both existing synergies between such properties and possibilities for urban design transformation.
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ItemResilience versus formalisation in the informal city: case study, the city of Golestan( 2015)This thesis is a study of the formalisation of informal settlements within a framework of resilience thinking with a focus on urban design scales and outcomes. Resilience is a framework for dealing with uncertainty and adaptation in complex developments. The thesis studies the effects of the urban formalizing processes in relation to resilience and adaptation capacities. It traces the transformations imposed by urban upgrading regulations by comparing three neighbourhoods in different phases of formalisation in Golestan, Tehran. Informal settlements have become an important part of urbanity due to rapid urbanization, lack of access to affordable housing, disasters, civil wars and climate change. These settlements have taken shape since the 1960s in Iran. Socio-political events as well the modernization process has exacerbated their formation ever since. This research is an urban design study on the effects of formalisation of informal settlements in Tehran, Iran. It will trace the process of change imposed by upgrading urban regulations and how it has affected their adaptation capacities. Resilience and complex adaptive systems as well as assemblage theories and their related concepts will be used as toolkits to conduct this research. The study will be conducted as a multiple case study inquiry on informal settlements in Tehran conurbation. Three case studies are chosen for this study: Soltanabad, where formalisation pricess is recently initiated, Feshargavi, where fast changes are in progression and New Golestan, which is a formally planned area. Drawing on methodological concepts, different techniques will be applied to collect and analyse qualitative data. Archival research, mapping, observation, and interview as well as document analysis are the main methods will employ in this research. This research will contribute to present new perspectives on effects of formalisation process as an agent of change on resilience of these areas.
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ItemNegotiating a people’s space: a historical, spatial and social analysis of the People’s Square of Shanghai from the colonial to Mao to post-Mao era( 2014)This research investigates spatial formations of the People's Square of Shanghai from the 1840s to the 2000s against a shifting history of political and ideological backdrops. The research explores how the Square was formed and reformed, how it was used, how it facilitated and restricted certain social uses, and how it both reflected and subverted, to an extent, a predominant political and ideological control. The thesis reveals new layers of spatial politics of the Square and adds new dimensions to our reading of the meaning of the city centre of the Chinese metropolis.
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ItemConstructing and contesting the nation: the use and meaning of Sukarno's monuments and public places in Jakarta( 2007-10)Architecture and urban design are often powerful expressions of political desires to support and legitimise specific regimes. In many postcolonial cities, architecture and urban design are set out to construct national identity and affirm a political power that departs from the former colonial rule. Architecture and urban design may be used by successive postcolonial regimes to compete with each other to legitimise authority and symbolise power. While such concepts of national identity are established through a constellation of urban forms, national identity is always contested. Places may be used and interpreted in ways that differ from what is intended. Attempts to control the meaning of architecture and built form may conflict with the ways in which spatial practices undermine intended meanings. This research examines the role of Sukarno's monuments and public places and how their meanings and uses have been transformed under successive regimes. It deals with the establishment and the ongoing transformation of national identity embedded in Sukarno's monuments and public places. The study traces the history of central Jakarta as it emerged under the Dutch colonial rule and its transformation under Sukarno when he established a postcolonial national identity through urban forms. It then outlines the transformation of meaning and use of Sukarno's monuments and public places under Suharto and then the Reformasi. It explores how such places and forms embody national identity and political capital; and how they mediate practices of oppression, resistance liberation and democracy. It concludes that Sukarno's monuments and public places exemplify colonial and postcolonial relationships, and their transformation was an expression of different approaches by different regimes and spatial practices over time. While the research examines colonial influences upon the postcolonial era, it does not compare Jakarta with other postcolonial cities. Rather, the research is limited to a discourse on colonialism in Indonesia and how this influences postcolonial symbols and practice.
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ItemPublic open space and walking( 2012)Public open spaces (POSs) such as parks and playgrounds confer many social and physical benefits to communities. In relation to physical activity, POSs are important destinations and settings for walking in neighbourhoods and different aspects of POSs can influence walking. However, little research has explored how different aspects of POSs might influence POS-related walking. This study examined the impacts of proximity and attractiveness of POSs, perceptional qualities of their surrounding built environment and street configurations on two context-specific measures of walking — walking to and within POS. A sample of 335 residents recruited from three neighbourhoods in Melbourne completed a questionnaire about POS-related walking and their perceptions of their POSs and neighbourhood. Geographic information systems (GIS) and Space Syntax measures were used to calculate proximity of POSs and street configurations. The results showed that there were no associations between three proximity measures – distance to the nearest POS, number of POS within 1km, and total area of POS within 1km and attractiveness of POSs with either walking (versus not walking) to or within POS or the total amount of walking to or within POS. As well, distance to the nearest POS and the number of POSs within 1 km was negatively associated with the absolute amount of walking to POSs, and residents who lived in areas in which POSs were located on less integrated streets reported more walking to POSs. Nevertheless, several perceptual qualities of the built environment surrounding POSs including safety from traffic and crime and aesthetics, were associated with greater POS-related walking. In addition, residents who lived in areas with the most integrated street configurations reported less POS-related walking. The results show neighbourhood perceptions and street configurations are key urban design issues to consider in promoting residents’ use of POS for walking. Better understanding of how multiple factors related to POS, and their neighbourhood environments influence walking can provide academics and professionals in urban design and public health with sound evidence on which to base future research and planning aimed at improving residents’ walking.