An exact definition of the term “urban studies” does not exist even in Europe. This term usually refers to different areas of professional activity, to one degree or another related to the city. Nevertheless, in Russia this concept has acquired more distinct semantic forms - it’s another matter that its scope is quite extensive. In the simplest sense, urban studies is a complex of knowledge about the urban structure, which can be used by specialists from various fields. In particular, sociologists, cultural figures, designers, and, of course, architects are somehow connected with urbanism.
Traditional Understanding of Urbanism
If you reveal the term with a utilitarian approach, much will become clearer and more distinct in the view of urban studies. From this perspective, it can be considered as a complex area, including such areas as design and management of the urban environment. In other words, urban studies are a set of tools and methods that allow you to plan and implement a project. That is, it is not at all necessary that the term must exist in relation to a specific city. The practical use of the meaning of this concept begins even from the moment of developing the concept of the plan of the future urban massif.
But do not simplify the activities of urbanists, which may have a continuation after construction. The finished complex becomes a platform for the embodiment of the ideas of architects, engineers and artists. A separate place in this matter is occupied by designers, whose hands form urban urbanism in the form of an aesthetic design. For example, the style of buildings, the design of parks, the configuration of infrastructure facilities - all this is realized including with the participation of design specialists.
Features of Applied Urban Studies
Specialists whose professional activities are related to urban studies usually consider this concept as a scientific field. The fact is that in practice this area requires high accuracy in understanding its tasks. The planner, for example, must have an understanding of the mathematical models for the implementation of transport lines, have the ability to calculate communications, do not forget about the shape of the city and take into account sociological aspects. This will be applied urban studies, which is engaged in solving real problems. Of course, in the first place, urban planning is associated with architecture and direct construction, but there are other aspects that complicate the tasks of planners. For example, even at the stage of project development, urbanists are calculating possible conflicts of interested parties - these may include ordinary citizens, investors, representatives of the administration and commercial organizations.
Architecture and Urbanism
Still, the architectural component is central to the understanding of urbanism. Between the processes of developing a city plan and the construction of its facilities, there is a rather crucial stage in which architects participate. They develop a stylistic concept, which further determines the appearance of the buildings of the city massif. Nowadays, architecture and urbanism also mean taking into account the nuances of management. Such a multilateral approach to planning allows you to initially prepare for the optimization of social processes, thereby relieving tension and improving the quality of life. A competent specialist should approach with equal responsibility the development of the architectural concept of business centers with offices and salons, as well as housing estates for low-income families.
Urban Studies and Sociology
During the industrial era, specialists working on the urban structure found a number of contradictions between the technocratic approach to arranging residential neighborhoods and the norms of comfort with the concepts of humanism. Similar problems arise in post-industrial times, but today sociology is addressing them. Specialists in this field help to design a less aggressive and at the same time comfortable and technically developed city. Urban studies seeks to minimize the harmful effects of industrial complexes, but at the same time not worsen the situation with jobs. As you can see, sociology in urban studies is sometimes forced to solve conflicting tasks. Nevertheless, the solution is in a variety of areas - including through improved infrastructure, more efficient organization of transport support and improved economic models.
New trends in urban studies
The modern look of cities is largely changing thanks to technological progress. The same innovations in the field of transport support promise to radically change the urban infrastructure. Urbanists can only properly dispose of the fruits of progress. Nevertheless, in Russia, which has experienced stagnation in the development of urban studies, the emergence of new creative concepts is delayed. On the one hand, modern urban studies got rid of the standard approaches dictated by the state. For example, there are companies that offer original solutions in planning and architecture with design. On the other hand, the introduction of new principles of urban planning still meets the skepticism of the conservative users themselves. At the same time, a new direction, called “liberal urbanism”, has long been gaining strength in the West.
What is liberal urbanism?
We can say this is the logical principle of the modern structure of the city. Rather, approaches to its organization. To understand this trend, we should turn to the meaning of democracy. This means that not a narrow group of authorized people is involved in the formation of the urban environment, but all its inhabitants, including ordinary citizens and business representatives. It turns out that liberal urbanism is a universal compromise reached through an agreement between different groups of the population. But this is not a complete definition, since the mandatory principles of such a device in the city are also provided. In particular, we are talking about the idea of humanism and comfort - this is how Western cities, built in accordance with liberal urbanism, are primarily characterized.
