Community

Community

By: Van Dwinnells

        What is the definition of community?   Some may say that it is a family brought together by similar beliefs and value systems.  Others may take the standpoint that it has less to do with beliefs but overall general proximity to one another and how spaces are utilized.  Yet another may lend itself to the notion a community is actually a machine and each individual and/or individual family unit serves a function and rather is an integral component of a collective whole.  Even in this new age, a community may only be based online where the only form of contact may be from creating a series of electrical transmissions.  Albeit, the truth is relative and can represent all of these models, but to be further criticized, broken down and subsequently isolated into respectable classifications (respected parts that create the whole if you will)  so they may be subjected to tests and analyzed so that we may use this as a process for developing functional, communal guidelines for urban development and planning.

In all cases, communication is key whether it is direct through audible, verbal language or physical through means such as sign language.  It may be eve indirect through the interpretation of body language or even technological communication through online media such as email, text messages, twitter, and even forums and blogs.  In any case there must be a common language and the means to express it.

        There must be a common struggle(s) or goal(s) that bind them together and direct and focus their actions.  This then creates the need for positions of power.  Positions that collectively gather the views of the community and represent it thereby speaking out for it.  This representational government must have places to gather and the facilities to perpetuate action.

        There must be connections.  In Kevin Lynches urban planning studies, in The Image of the City, a 5 year study on the perception and spatial organization of cities, he found 5 Elements that help define and connect the urban setting. - Wikipedia

paths - the streets, sidewalks, trails, and other channels in which travel occurs

edges -  perceived boundaries such as walls, buildings, shorelines, etc.

districts - relatively large sections of the city distinguished by some sub-identity or character

nodes -  focal points, intersections, convergences of elements

landmarks - readily identifiable objects which serve as reference points

        He states that these elements help form the Environmental Psychology.  [Environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field focused on the interplay between humans and their surroundings. The field defines the term environment broadly, encompassing natural environments, social settings, built environments, learning environments, and informational environments.] - Wikipedia

        These concepts are subcategories that help in the extraction of information.  The architectural design works as a contextual whole implementing these elements to form the environmental psychology of space.  They are the responses to the sociocultural issues and ideologies of the time and region.  The space can be symbolic, staples to current active thought, or be the immediate and currently agreed upon solutions.  On the other hand, they could also act as catalysts to the current way of thinking proposing questions against or aside from it.  These elements have the capability to either directly or indirectly carry meaning and have the capacity to make statements that are representative or juxtapose the dispositives of the  community.

        I am currently looking for unique implementations of community and new urban planning mechanisms that  can act as case studies in my research.  Do you have any ideas or concepts?  Any comments or suggestions?  Please post, as I welcome any advancement of these or similar ideas.