Ph.D

Mr Ghahramani Hooman will present his P.H.D thesis on " Redefining urban spaces to adopt globalization circumstances  " at 13:30 P.M on 29 june 2015.

Abstract

Globalization concept created  different meanings in political, economical, social and cultural fields.  In this regard, urban public space has encountered with  changes that should be able  to answer the needs and conditions of globalization era in terms of physical spaces. These changes includes the loss of some of its roles, the highlight of some of other roles, and use of different structures and processes that cause to form it. The main goal  of this research is to determine the characteristics of the urban public spaces in globalization era, in order to achive this goal factors that have definite effect on its changes have  been defined and based on that,  the appropriate urban spaces in Conditions of Globalization have been recognized.  These spaces must be able to make a relationship between city and global networks and also included spatial requirements and prerequisites by which can improve efficiency of city in Globalization circumstances. The research method as a multi-step process includes qualitative content analysis, case study, logical argumentation, and eventualypanel study survey methods. To inquire theoretical principles of “ the impact of globalization on the urban space” selected first hand articles and books have been inspected.  In order to generalized the theoretical outcomes in this research, globalization of six selected Asian cities have been investigated as well  The qualitative content analysis of these relevant literatures were conducted in this stage.  . The outcome of the qualitative content analysis  was extraction of the factors which changed urban public spaces in the process of globalization; it was determined how these factors effect on  different aspects of the urban spaces.  In the process of the this research the validation of criteria of suitable urban public spaces  in globalization condition that extracted from the literature review have been evaluated byselected number of experts  utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods. In order to have a conclusive results, acceptability and the importance  hierarchy  of effective factors in forming of suitable urban public spaces in globalization circumstances were examined based on opinion of the selected experts. Finally, the findings were examined  in three  parts of city of Tehran that each one of these areas have differenct characteristics.  

 According to the findings, a suitable urban public space for the conditions of globalization is a space which affected by modern technologies, is creator of entrepreneurial city, and responsive to the basic and new aspects of the urban economy in these conditions. The influence of modern technologies on urban public spaces – as first component – is created through modern building technologies and informative and communicative technologies. The creation of entrepreneurial city – as second component – is realized through use of private sector investment, improving urban competitiveness and hard branding, and use of international financial and non-financial investment. Third component – being responsive to the basic and new aspects of the urban economy – is created through making a condition for service economy, leisure and city tourism, making a condition for cultural industries, and encourage of consumerism and economy of experience in space. In order to define suitable urban public spaces for the conditions of globalization, the most important component is being responsive to the basic and new aspects of the urban economy. The components of creator of entrepreneurial city and responsive to the basic and new aspects of the urban economy respectively have the second and the third levels of importance. Based on the results, it can be concluded that suitable urban public spaces for the conditions of globalization can be formed based on role of city in network of global cities and local competitive potentials of the city. Providing appropriate and possible strategies for creating the suitable urban public spaces for the conditions of globalization are different based on underlying capabilities of each part of the city and mentioned factors have not similar ability of realization in each place.

Key words: Globalization, Urban public space, Modern technologies, New aspects of the urban economy, Entrepreneurial city.