Matjaz Ursic is an Associate Professor and Research Counselor at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Spatial Sociology. His research interests focus on the processes of socio-cultural transformation of cities and contemporary urban phenomena in the circumstances of globalization. Phone: 0038615805349 Address: Matjaz Ursic
UL-FDV,
Kardeljeva ploscad 5,
1000 Ljubljana,
Slovenia - SI
Lex localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 2015
Local urban development is not determined by a collection of non-political and essentially techni... more Local urban development is not determined by a collection of non-political and essentially technical measures prepared by professionals and civil servants in municipalities, but in fact strongly depends on the political nature of policy decisions and organised local interests. The planning of local urban development is, therefore, significantly influenced by political decisions based on the promises set out by political parties in their programmes. Thus, the direction of local development and the dynamics of urban growth cannot be fully understood without a thorough understanding of the views presented in party programmes. This paper aims to map the differences in Slovenian parliamentary party preferences related to local urban development across the political spectrum as well as over time (from 1990 to 2014). By implementing computer-assisted content analysis of 96 party programmes and election manifestos conventionally recognised as thematic text analysis, we identified an alarmin...
Lex localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 2015
Local urban development is not determined by a collection of non-political and essentially techni... more Local urban development is not determined by a collection of non-political and essentially technical measures prepared by professionals and civil servants in municipalities, but in fact strongly depends on the political nature of policy decisions and organised local interests. The planning of local urban development is, therefore, significantly influenced by political decisions based on the promises set out by political parties in their programmes. Thus, the direction of local development and the dynamics of urban growth cannot be fully understood without a thorough understanding of the views presented in party programmes. This paper aims to map the differences in Slovenian parliamentary party preferences related to local urban development across the political spectrum as well as over time (from 1990 to 2014). By implementing computer-assisted content analysis of 96 party programmes and election manifestos conventionally recognised as thematic text analysis, we identified an alarmin...
The eye of the beholder may describe the state of things from a particular position that has a sp... more The eye of the beholder may describe the state of things from a particular position that has a specific cognitive and theoretical origin. Therefore, it is important for us to be aware of the "contextual distance" (Bargh, 1994; Demetriadis, Papadopoulos, & Tsoukalas, 2005; Öztürk & Aamodt, 1998), which refers to the potential differences in the interpretation of the same situation. We have both been researching the subject of urban creativity in Tokyo for years, collaborating with local scholars, but neither of us originates from Tokyo or Japan. Consequently, we might speak from a position that can, from some perspectives, be seen as westernized, privileged, or hegemonic. Nevertheless, while reflecting critically upon our potentially ideologically contaminated viewpoints, we argue that our research, analysis, and subsequent argumentation are based on empirical work and data collected in the field, following specific methodological and conceptual standards. Furthermore, in interpreting the collected data, we consider a variety of social, cultural, and historical factors to heighten our sensitivity and awareness of our particular position. We therefore attempt to present multiple perspectives that shift or decentralize the customary views on urban creativity in Tokyo. While our gaijin (stranger, outsider) status in Japan might blur our perspective, it also arguably offers us an unconventional, front-seat position, enabling us to identify and evaluate contradictory information, break the ordinary paradigms, and provide different views on the subject. 1
This book focuses on overlooked contextual factors that constitute the urban creative climate or ... more This book focuses on overlooked contextual factors that constitute the urban creative climate or innovative urban milieu in contemporary cities. Filled with reflections based on interviews with a diverse range of creative actors in various local neighborhoods in Tokyo, it offers a rare glimpse into the complex set of elements that provide long-term, physical, and sociocultural support to urban creativity. Ursic and Imai highlight the interplay between physical and soft (social) factors in the process of place-making and explore how a city’s creativity is influenced by financial support and accessible infrastructure, as well as the sets of informal networks, services, and tacit, locally embedded knowledge that provide the basic layers of stimuli needed for creativity to fully develop. The authors show how the future development of creativity and the overall development of a city depend not only on the (top-down) planning strategies of formal authorities, but also on the appropriate (bottom-up) inclusion of heterogeneous elements that are provided and embedded within the small, hidden context of city spaces.
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