Nordic Journal of Architectural Research / Nordisk Arkitekturforskning
Not a member yet
1153 research outputs found
Sort by
Improved Swedish Accessibility Hindered by a Housing Imbroglio
No full textThe quest to make Sweden accessible for all has a long tradition. Stemming from initiatives of charitable organisations in the early 20th century, accessibility became a physical requirement through the Swedish building act of the 1960s. It promoted a type of physical barrier-free architecture for the welfare state. The socio-political ambitions of the 1970s propelled Sweden to become a world-leading nation in the creation of equal opportunities and social inclusion. Architectural design was expected to meet the demands of people with cognitive, physical or sensory disabilities and, on signing the UN convention on equal rights for persons with disabilities in 2007, existing legislative frameworks were complemented with additional guidelines on removing physical barriers. By focusing on the national tripartite definition of accessibility, Sweden has paid little attention to the development of the universal design concept. Instead, accessibility has been associated with the elusive concept of usability in order to promote a user-environment fit. Since 2013, the increasing shortage of housing in densely populated areas has impeded work to create an accessible and inclusive welfare state and has fostered the notion that accessibility increases building costs. This study provides an overview of the Swedish development of accessibility in order to promote participation and social inclusion by removing physical barriers in the built environment and introducing user-oriented assistive technologies
Postmodernism and Urban Life Style in Finland
Get PDFPostmodernism and Urban Life Style in FinlandLiisa Knuuti, Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, Technical Research Centre of Finland (TKK).Many people have heard of Postmodernism but do not have a very clear idea of what it means. Yet after more than twenty years, the Post-Modern Movement has achieved a revolution in western culture which has affected films, music, dance, religion, politics, fashion and almost every activity of contemporary life.Charles Jencks defines postmodernism as a movement starting roughly in 1970 as a set of departures from modernism. Key definers are philosophical and stylistic pluralism and a dialectical or critical reaction to preexisting ideology. The modern person wanted to break down all taboos, to deny myths and undress the artificial.Then quantum physics gave us a world which is a matter of probability, paradox and irony. After new insights came the consciousness of pure relationalism. The postmodern consciousness realises that despite breaking down taboos and undressing the artificial, it is possible to find the real ego, the true individual. Endlessly a new surface emerges.The postmodern consciousness knows this and will deliberately dress itself in the artificial.Is the postmodern consciousness possible? This article includes the story of Leena 31, a currency dealer from Helsinki. The story tells about her values and life style. Can one talk of postmodern consciousness in Leena's case? In some ways, yes. Powerful hedonism and the need to live for herself, having fun and consumerism are parts of the postmodern life style. As values and the life style changed, the business world caught the ideas faster. But people also need something other than consumerism.It is important to take city space and urban scenery into consideration in planning. The postmodern way of planning tries to include the space, experience and history of our environment.When surveying the structure of a community prior to making plans, one must examine the city's historical, material and physical structure, what people talk about, their life styles, homes, experiences and conditions for action and, finally, the power structure. To planners the only way to follow the process of development is to increase their knowledge of the everyday life of the residents of the city
