Miestas: erdvė ir vieta

Abstract

Nagrinėjamos miesto kaip erdvės ir vietos sampratos, pabrėžiamos šių dviejų požiūrių skirtybės ir tai, jog klasikiniais laikais miestas buvo glaudžiai susijęs su vietovės GENIUS LOCI, su jos bendruomene. Moderniojoje epochoje įsivyravo tendencija traktuoti miestą kaip tuščią erdvę, kurią planuotyojas gali užpildyti savo nuožiūra.

The relationship between two different understandings of city as place and space is examined in the article. It is suggested that cities originally came into being as localities defined as places with their own peculiarities naturally structured by landscape and communities of urban dwellers. Historical cities originated from various sources and their establishment was based not only on normative theories, but were related to other factors, including practical and religious ones. Homogenisation of city spaces in contrast to heterogeneity of places is interpreted as a rather recent invention fostered by modem city planning and urban studies. Striking examples of such attitudes toward understanding of city can be found in theoretical writings and practice of Le Corbusier and his followers. It is insisted, however, that despite of totalising tendency to treat cities as merely spaces structured by urban architects and planners, local communities have always perceived cities as places maintaining their genius loci. Though expansion of modem cities was often based by applying instructions offered by Le Corbusier's type of thought as witnessed by the urban planning projects of O. Niemeyer in Brasil and other countries, it is shown that there are serious theoretical and practical attempts of building city communities and treating city space as configuration of unique and peculiar places, having their own history and closely related to their dwellers.