Granì (Apr 2014)
Sociological conceptualizations of a post-modern city: tendencies and perspectives
Abstract
The article analyses the sociological conceptualization of the postmodern city. It notes that in the era of globalization, urbanization processes become more complex due to the emergence of new visions of city planning and modernization of the cities with relatively long histories. Competition is increasing; lifecycles and rhythms of city life are changing. The article argues that Richard Florida’s theory on modern cities’ development strategy in the conditions of the latest economic “revolution”, whose main benchmark is the emergence of creative economy, deserves particular attention. Florida proposes that we view cities as ecosystems, where a person’s creativity grows and manifests itself. Harmonization of all of city characteristics and parameters acts as the guarantee of its transformation into an environment inhabited by creative people with a variety of lifestyles and life choices. The article emphasizes that cities’ development strategies envisage the existence of certain common basic preconditions for success. Florida concluded that sustainable city development requires the socalled “3 T’s”, namely technology, talent and tolerance. It is argued that transformation of the vision for the successful city development strategy progressed from creating an attractive business climate to creating an attractive human climate. The cities as such have transformed into the major corporations, the key modern businesses. The need for reconceptualization of cities and their suburbs is also explained. The “megaregion” concept is defined. It is emphasized that generalizing Richard Florida’s theoretical explorations provides us with a key to understanding urbanization in Ukraine. The immediate goal of the country’s modernization is an elaboration on the tasks which would lead to its accomplishment. One of these tasks is the development of Ukrainian towns and cities and their critical selfexpression within the structure of the global landscape and with due regard to the realities of the Ukrainian existence.
