Planning, Space & Recourses – Portfolio

Joakim Kirkegaard Genz

Number of characters: 16.772

 Table of Contents

PRODUCT #1 – LIQUID CITIES ..................................................................................................................... 3

PRODUCT #2 – PLACE, POWER AND “A GLOBAL SENSE OF PLACE” ............................................ 4
PRODUCT #3 – ORIENTALISM ..................................................................................................................... 5
PRODUCT #4 – ARCHITECTURE AS A CATALYST FOR YOUTH SOCIALIZATION ...................... 6
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................................. 9

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Product #1 – Liquid cities
This session is focused on water in cities. Water is described as a scarce resource. And with
scarcity rising so is hydro-diplomacy. This is due to water flows reflecting socio-political
and economic contexts in urban environments (Allon, 2020).
When looking at Mumbai it becomes clear how access to water reflects everyday
inequalities (Gandy, 2014).
In order to understand the importance of water it is important to understand water
services. Water is delivered via underground infrastructure and sewers. Meaning that cities
become connected underground, making it impossible to see and hereby also harder to
grasp. This means that water becomes socially constructed through technical evolution.
Focusing on Gandy and the portrayed views of Mumbai, we see that these underground
flows are controlled by people having social power and being of a certain class (Gandy,
2014). This could for example be the construction of a new pipeline providing to an area in
favour of this controlling class. This underlines how water access becomes more and more
of a socially constructed phenomenon. It also raises a new concept were water acts as socio
natural. This occurs when, ecological tendencies are shaped by social activity. This could
for example be the value of water. There is a given value using it domestically and because
you need it to survive. But the value can increase if water is used in religious or cultural
contexts. This also shapes the behaviour of people. Everyday patterns are affected by water
access. It is portrayed in the documentary “Liquid City” where it is a necessity in the lower
classes to collect water at a community tap – uncertain of how much water will come out
(Gandy 2007).
It is important to remember that technology is constantly evolving in the same way that
cities evolve. This contributes to these flows becoming more hidden indirectly also hiding
these previous mentioned socio ecological relations. This change and new attitudes can be
created by activities and relationships that is driven by seeking profit.
Despite seeing conflicts and forms of polarization when working with water (Gandy, 2014),
water in cities is important for the space being made. As it represents nature, and the
nature of a city. Cities draw on natural recourses like water to create an urban nature.
Thus, making cities natural. This is known as a cyborg phenomenon and contributes to
how ecological relations are made and becomes political. (Gandy, 2014).
When applying this to a project a research question could be: “How water is used as a
power tool in a transnational conflict?”

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Researching this with previous mentioned approaches would be fitting as it investigates
not only how the control of water becomes socially, economically, and politically loaded
but also how that power is controlled by certain groups. And how that social power has an
influence on the behavioural patterns of those under the influence of the social power
related to controlling water.
Since conflicts between nations are under constant influence from many power relations
and hereby also many different power tools. The control of a scarce recourse like water is
therefore only one factor and cannot be used solely as argumentation for how nations act
in a conflict. But it can give an indication, especially when presented along with other
theories.

Product #2 – Place, power and “A global sense of place”

This session is based on the understanding of place. Down to what makes a place and how
it’s a combination of many things. It can be determined by coordinates, locale, and social
bounds to a place (Cresswell, 2020). These factors combined creates what Cresswell
describes as a site – combining both the physical place and the social meaning. This also
means that places are nor static or fixed. Due to the influx of new meanings and
materialistic changes places are dynamic. The only way a site can achieve to become a non-
place is if there is a lack of social attachment (Cresswell, 2020). Space and place are
therefore much more reliant on the social norms rather than the actual materially
construction present.
The main concept when talking about places and power is the time-space compression.
The concept of a distance becoming lesser due to there being established flight lines,
trains, in general more efficient flows of transport (Massey, 1994). This also creates a
situation where people have different relations to these flows. There are groups controlling
them, achieving power. There are communities being cut off, previously reliant on cultural
exchanges on a less globalized level. This have bred protectionism and nationalism
(Massey, 1994). When looking at this social power gained when controlling these “flows” it
can be reflected in social classes and patterns. There is a class controlling flows, gaining
from them there is also those on the receiving end. It becomes complex as there is a
cultural exchange on an abstract level. Culture and trends being transferred via these
flows. For example, south American music to the nightclubs of Paris. The people enjoying
it have never been to Rio de Janeiro (Massey, 1994). This means there is a social variation

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in movement and control when it comes to gaining from these flows (Massey, 1994).
In this way a group is also creating a frame where a certain social activity is expected, as a
place is conceptualized by a wider geographical context. Having a wider geographical
context is important to explain the social behaviour of a place. Making any place almost
infinite as you can always zoom further out in order to gain a larger geographical context.
Context and perspective are therefore the foundation of the definition of a place – as it will
change in the light of context and perspective (Massey, 1994).
When using Doreen Massey and the concept of time-space compression in a project it
could be related to social power and class injustices. To make this relevant it should be in a
confined space. And then research and discover how that space is constructed. The result,
according to Massey would be a sample or mash-up of different social relations and
meeting points. A relevant research question could then be: “Who controls the shared
water recourses between Israel & Palestine?”.
Massey is more focused on people coming together despite large distances and cultural
differences, but the theory can also apply when looking at who controls the flows. The
flows do not have to be transportation of humans or cultures it can also be used when
looking at goods. Especially when power is also in the equation. The Israel-Palestine
conflict is a long and ongoing so there is also an established power relationship. But just
like “place”, power relationships are also dynamic and looking at the social power gained
from controlling transnational recourses like water could be useful for understanding an
element of the large and complicated Israel-Palestine conflict.

Product #3 – Orientalism
Working with orientalism in social sciences is mainly regarding orientalism as a result of
post-colonialism (Haldrup & Kofoed, 2020). In the perspective of Edward Said the concept
of orientalism is a Eurocentric point of view that portrays the west as being better than the
orient or the middle east. Orientalism is seeing eastern cultures as static and
underdeveloped in comparison of western societies (Said, 1978).
This discourse and afterburner of western colonialism leads to an orientalist perspective in
policy initiated towards the orient (Haldrup & Kofoed, 2020).
The fact that orientalism portrays the orient as being almost dangerous due to
underdevelopment highlights how the west is superior when engaging in policies with
countries in the orient (Haldrup & Kofoed, 2020: Said, 1978). This prejudice towards

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oriental culture creates an inequality between the cultural exchanges and how we act
towards cultures from the orient. This is aligned with Foucault, that we act in a certain way
due to the expectation that is created in the social discourse and the space where the
interaction takes place. There is a difference between facing the orient in the western world
and in the eastern world (Haldrup & Kofoed, 2020).
It is important to understand that orientalism is not a result of misinformation or
perception of the orient but rather used as a power tool that can be used in foreign policy
(Haldrup & Kofoed, 2020).
When using post-colonial theory and orientalism in a project it is relevant to look at
inequalities in power relations as the orientalist view represents the difference between the
colonized and the colonizer. It is therefore useful for looking at a problem area with
different international actors. To apply orientalism in an innovative way a project could
present a research question in the lines of: “Is censorship on social media pro-West?”.
Censorships on social media is common to manage explicit and racist interactions but
could this censorship broaden and reflect a view where the west is once again seen as
superior? If this is the case the project could use orientalism to discover a xenophobic
discourse uniting users against a foreign and dangerous orient. The censorship and
discourse will create a Western domination that is characteristic for orientalism.

Product #4 – Architecture as a catalyst for youth socialization

Problem Area
School is one of the greatest social relations and is almost seen as primary contra to the
household as the youth enters the realm of education at such a young age and stays there
for a long time. School is a framework of learning but also a framework for socializing and
learning how to act amongst others. Interactions take place with people at the same age
but also both younger and older in the form of co-students and teachers. School is
therefore an important asset to develop the youth and prepare them for life (Nadon,
2020). It is therefore a huge tragedy when individuals of all ages see them self not fitting in
this framework and are having to socialize outside of the school environment. This often
leads to crime as poor attendance to school is one of the main reasons of juvenile crime
(Baysinger Henson Reimer & Cresswell PLLC, 2018).
Can this tendency be turned around by using architecture and city planning to facilitate an
alternate framework where similar assets are provided to the youth?

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 Research question
Can architecture provide a framework for the youth to gain important socializing assets
without the use of an educational institutions?
Working questions
How does the establishment of skate parks affect youth socialization?
What is necessary for a public space to allow (positive) socialization?
Do the surroundings have a larger impact on behavioural patterns than personal natures?
Concept #1 Public space is formed through social rules
The concept being that the public spheres are dependent on the arena, thereby having an
impact on our actions in that public space. Establishing social rules and behavioural
patterns that most of us are unaware of – we simply do what comes natural to mind in that
space. Public space therefore becomes a facilitator of action. Examples of this is routines.
How we act at home, at a bar or at school (Collins et al., 2020).
This applies to youth socialization in the public space as the arena becomes one of the most
important factors of behaviour. Informally the arena can be used to promote youth crime
but if a space is created where the social rules and behavioural patterns promote
interactions across ages it is possible to establish a tendency where elements of the youth
that is not fit in the framework of school can learn from and exchange assets with peers
and elders. An arena where this is common is in the skating environment. The physical
space facilitates a meeting point for most generations but also provides social rules of
giving everybody space and exchanging dialogue to help each other develop.
Despite this being assets that are similar in the framework of a school there is also
limitations as behavioural patterns vary from city to city. There is a difference in how we
interact at a bar in Copenhagen and in Accra – so for this concept to be applied it should be
modified to fit in with the already existing social rules.
Concept #2 Livelihoods
The concept being that one’s precense and financial predetermination varies from
household to individuals and how cultural issues have influence on the survival of a
livelihood. Essentially the family is shaped by social capital and that creates power
dynamics in society (Owusu, 2020).
This applies to providing assets to the youth in an alternate framework in the way that,
trade is seen as a measurement of survival rather than a macro-intervention and political
structural changes (Owusu, 2020). Even though trade is meant as economical it can also be

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interpreted to social assets that are vital in life. Once again these are interactions and
decency that can be spoiled if the youth end up in juvenile. To establish positive
socialization outside an institution the cultural structure must be formed in a way that it is
a necessity to exchange social assets in order to assure “survival”. If this can be done in an
arena where the lack of social capital, due to lack of education is a common factor the
power dynamics of the arena are more equal. Making it beneficial to have a social structure
that promotes exchange of social assets.
This can make it difficult to implement as a concept as it changes the focus from capital to
social norms but it also rewarding as investigates how gain can be achieved by changing
cultural household relationships in an informal arena.
Concept #3 A global sense of place
The concept being relevant to socialization of youth is the cultural imports we experience
from globalization. Our experience of space is determined by various forces (Massey,
1994).
This can be applied to understanding the surroundings impact on our behaviour. If the
purpose of the arena is to make an impact on how the youth socialize and exchange assets,
you must consider that the youth is also globalized. Bringing cultures from all over the
world to this space that shall facilitate similar assets as an institution. You can therefore
explore how the architecture reflects multi-cultural tendencies and how they affect the
space in question. The arena can have multiple identities according to the cultural imports
the users bring. And if the public space can extract from this it can be a source of cultural
exchange, an important asset in understanding social behaviours. It is also a limitation at
can also spark conflict if different relations are made by different individuals working
against the informal framework (Massey, 1994). But it can provide a prevailing perspective
on how our world is under the influence of globalization, also in the aspect of youth
socialisation.

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Bibliography
Allon, F. (2020). Water resources. In: International Encyclopedia of Human Geography,
vol. 14. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp.233–240.

Baysinger Henson Reimer & Cresswell PLLC (2018). Factors contributing to juvenile
delinquency. [online]

Collins, Damian and Stadler, Sophie 2020, 'Public spaces, urban.' In Audrey Kobayashi,
ed., International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Volume 11, Amsterdam, Elsevier,
pp. 103-111.

Cresswell PLLC. Available at: https://baysingerlaw.com/2018/03/factors-contributing-

juvenile-delinquency/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2022].

Cresswell, Tim 2020, 'Place.' In Audrey Kobayashi, editor, International Encyclopedia of

Human Geography, Volume 10, Amsterdam, Elsevier, pp. 117-124.

GANDY, M. (2007). Liquid city. [London], UCL Urban Laboratory.

Gandy, M. (2014). Water, Poverty, and Urban Fragmentation in Mumbai. In: The Fabric of
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Haldrup, M. & Koefoed, L. (2020) “Orientalism.” In International Encyclopedia of

Human Geography, edited by Kobayashi, A.

Massey, Doreen 1994, 'A global sense of place.' In Doreen Massey, Space, Place and
Gender. Cambridge, Polity Press, pp. 146-56.

Nadon, M.L. (2020). Making the transition: How asset building services can promote
positive adult outcomes for foster youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 115.
doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105083.

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Owusu, F. (2020) “Livelihoods.” In International Encyclopedia of Human Geography,
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Said, E., 1978. Orientalism. Penguin, London.

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