Mythologizing urban project: case of Barona Street in Riga

Mythologizing urban project: case of Barona Street in Riga

PDF

Authors: Helena Gutmane

Volume/Issue: Volume 25: Issue 1

Published online: 14 Jun 2022

Pages: 81 - 91

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ahr-2022-0011

Abstract

The paper attempts to deconstruct the production of the myth associated with a street renovation project in Riga’s historical centre. During and after the reconstruction of Barona Street, it was widely used as a public image of street renovation failure. Professional and civil society blamed ad hoc planning, wrong traffic organisation, inappropriate design, and poor construction quality. It is this association of solely spatial aspects with the failure to create qualitative public space that constitutes the core of the Barona Street Myth of Failed design. The article postulates that interaction of social identity and social emotions underline communicative landscapes when significant public spaces are being transformed and induce mythologizing of urban projects. Built on the analysis of the related reflections and criticism in media and public discussions, the thick description of the Barona Street project’s events attempts to show how socially and emotionally shaped perception of design and implementation process by involved social groups has contributed to the mythologising the renovation of Barona Street. The conclusions emphasize socio-psychological framing of urban analysis. The emotional implication of the Barona Street myth induces reattribution of the responsibility for Failed Design to individual political leaders, designers, and involved municipal workers, shifting public attention away from structural and governance inability to engage with public spaces and creating preconditions for involving urban project as a tool in political power games.

Keywords: public space, myth, emotions, social identity

PDF

References

Baum, H. S. (1987). The invisible bureaucracy: The unconscious in organizational problem solving. Oxford University Press.


Baum, H. (2015). Planning with half a mind: Why planners resist emotion. Planning Theory & Practice, 16(4), 498–516. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2015.107187010.1080/14649357.2015.1071870


Bristol, K. G. (1991). The Pruitt-Igoe myth. Journal of Architectural Education, 44(3), 163–171. https://doi.org/10.1080/10464883.1991.1110268710.1080/10464883.1991.11102687


Brown, R. (2000). Social identity theory: Past achievements, current problems and future challenges. European journal of social psychology, 30(6), 745–778. https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-0992(200011/12)30:6<745::AID-EJSP24>3.0.CO;2-O10.1002/1099-0992(200011/12)30:6<745::AID-EJSP24>3.0.CO;2-O


Butters, C. (2021). Myths and Issues about Sustainable Living. Sustainability, 13(14), 7521. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1314752110.3390/su13147521


Clare, A. (2017, January 11). Busting Urban Planning Myths. Things are good. https://www.thingsaregood.com/2017/01/11/busting-urban-planning-myths/


Dimitrov, D., Ali, B. B., Shaar, S., Alam, F., Silvestri, F., Firooz, H., Nakov, P. & Martino, G. D. S. (2021). Detecting propaganda techniques in memes. arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.08013. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2109.08013


Garcia-Prieto, P., & Scherer, K. R. (2006). Connecting social identity theory and cognitive appraisal theory of emotions. Social identities: Motivational, emotional, cultural influences, 189–207. https://doi.org/10.4324/978020300297110.4324/9780203002971


Geertz, C. (1973). Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture 1973.


Gehl, J. (2013). Cities for people. Island press.


Gunder, M., & Hillier, J. (2004). Conforming to the expectations of the profession: A Lacanian perspective on planning practice, norms and values. Planning Theory & Practice, 5(2), 217–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/1464935041000169176310.1080/14649350410001691763


Gunder, M., & Hillier, J. (2009). Planning in ten words or less: A Lacanian entanglement with spatial planning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/978131524669710.4324/9781315246697


Gunder, M. (2016), ‘Planning‘s “failure” to ensure efficient market delivery: A Lacanian deconstruction of this neoliberal scapegoating fantasy‘. European Planning Studies, 24(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2015.106729110.1080/09654313.2015.1067291


Gutmane, H., & Schreurs, J. (2015). Recycling the past: the case of the intensive training programme in urbanism. Landscape Architecture and Art, 7(7), 29–38.


Gūtmane, H. (2017). Barona ielas atgūšana: meklējot “celiņu vājredzīgajiem”, Latvijas Architektūra. LILITA, Rīga, 2(130), 35–39.


Hoch, C. (2006). Emotions and Planning. Planning Theory & Practice, 7(4), 367–382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1464935060098443610.1080/14649350600984436


Karpova, Z. (2008). Quality of living Environment in Latvia. situation today. Architecture & Urban Planning, (2), 180–193. https://web.p.ebscohost.com/abstract?-direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=16914333&asa=Y&AN=37587047&h=ShBr0GSI8Z8po1i5OEFbbMngiSIQBnjClgjtd%2fR%2bZMZf-POUTdLwryzqUDUufoHKSABdvJkGbFrO1D2K%2fFfE-uZg%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&re-sultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d16914333%26asa%-3dY%26AN%3d37587047


Krišjāna Barona iela. (2018). ALPS.ARCHI [Photograph], by Luize Elizabete Ruksane, ALPS ainavu darbnīca. http://www.alps.archi/portfolio/kr-barona-ielas-labiekartojumaatjaunosana-posma-no-aspazijas-bulv-lidz-brivibas-ielai/)


LA.LV. (2015, September 1). Sākas Krišjāņa Barona ielas rekonstrukcija. Šogad izmaksas – 2,6 miljoni eiro. https://www.la.lv/sakas-krisjana-barona-ielas-rekonstrukcija-sogadizmaksas-26-miljoni-eiro


Latvijas republikas tiesību akti. (2014, 30. septembris). Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr.574, par Latvijas būvnormatīvu LBN 008-14 “Inženiertīklu izvietojums“. https://likumi.lv/ta/id/269200-noteikumi-par-latvijas-buvnormativu-lbn-008-14-inzeniertiklu-izvietojums


LTV Dienas ziņas. (2020, July 27). Uzsāk remontdarbus Rīgā, Bruņinieku ielā. https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/uzsakremontdarbus-riga-bruninieku-iela.a368492/


Pérez-Gómez, A. (2008). Built upon love: architectural longing after ethics and aesthetics. MIT Press.


Pilsēta cilvēkiem. (2018, October 17). Foto: Ieva Leiniša, LETA, Jauns.lv. [http://jauns.lv/.../33622-piketa-pie-rigas-domes-pieprasa...] This [photo]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/PilsetaCilvekiem/photos/2222992127914072


Pilsēta cilvēkiem. (2018, October 17). Foto: Ieva Leiniša, LETA, Jauns.lv. [http://jauns.lv/.../33622-piketa-pie-rigas-domes-pieprasa...] This [photo collage]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/PilsetaCilvekiem/photos


Pilsēta cilvēkiem. (2018, December 1). Dāņu pilsētplānotājs: Kr. Barona ielas rekomendējošās velojoslas ir apkaunojums. Šonedēļ Rīgu apciemojušais pasaulslavenais dāņu pilsētplānotājs Mikaels Kolville-Andersens intervijā. This [photo]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pilsetacilvekiem/posts/2248373925375892/


Pilsēta cilvēkiem. (2020, August 27). Kura ir briesmīgākā vieta velosipēdistiem? Mēra amata kandidāti gandrīz vienprātīgi kā bīstamāko vietu Rīgā velosipēdistiem nosauca Krišjāņa Barona ielu. This [video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/PilsetaCilvekiem/videos/668108020467651


Porter, L., Sandercock, L., Umemoto, K., Bates, L. K., Zapata, M. A., Kondo, M. C., Zitcer, A., Lake, R. W., Fonza, A. Sletto, B., Erfan, A.& Sandercock, L. (2012). What‘s Love Got To Do With It? Illuminations on Loving Attachment in Planning. Planning Theory & Practice, 13(4), 593–627. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2012.73121010.1080/14649357.2012.731210


Rapoport, A. (1977). Human aspects of urban form: towards a man – environment approach to urban form and design. Pergamon Press.


Riga City Council. (n.d.). Pakalpojumi. Segumu atjaunošana pēc darbu veikšanas no. 2017. gada 15. marta. Traffic department. Retrieved April 2, 2022, from https://www.rdsd.lv/uploads/media/61d2b4b5eaaf6.pdf


Scherer, K. R. (1984). Emotion as a multicomponent process: a model and some cross-cultural data. Review of personality & social psychology, 5, 37–63. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1986-17269-001


Scherer, K. (1997). Profiles of emotion-antecedent appraisal: Testing theoretical predictions across cultures. Cognition & Emotion, 11(2), 113–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699939737996210.1080/026999397379962


Scherer, K. (2009). The dynamic architecture of emotion: Evidence for the component process model. Cognition & Emotion, 23(7), 1307–1351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0269993090292896910.1080/02699930902928969


Scherer, K., & Brosch, T. (2009). Culture-specific appraisal biases contribute to emotion dispositions. European Journal of Personality, 23(3), 265–288. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.71410.1002/per.714


Schon, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. vol. 5126, Basic books.


Tajfel, H. & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. The social psychology of intergroup relations, 33(47), 74.


The Social Democratic Party “Harmony“. (2022, April 2). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democratic_Party_%22Harmony%22


Treija, S., Bratuškins, U., & Suvorovs, E. (2010). The Use of Public Open Spaces in Large-scale Housing Estates in Riga. Architecture & Urban Planning, 10(4), 44–50.


Turner, J. C. (2010). Towards a cognitive redefinition of the social group. In T. Postmes & N. R. Branscombe (Eds.), Rediscovering social identity (pp. 210–234). Psychology Press.


Voronov, M. & Vince, R. (2012). Integrating emotions into the analysis of institutional work. Academy of Management Review, 37(1), 58–81. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2010.024710.5465/amr.2010.0247