Phase II: Analytical Framework

// PHASE II: ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

The analytical phase was thought for researching and mapping the urban environment, bringing together historical, social, political, economic, ecological and territorial phenomena within a time and spatial frame, as well as making sense of the hybrid character of today’s spaces experienced through (virtual) urban explorations and data collection. Narratives here could create interesting relations between fact and emotion, provide means to make sense of and understand social phenomena and individual experiences, reflecting the urban environment and its use.

The digging into every day surroundings was done through creative mappings of the cities Halle, Hannover and Flensburg – following pre-given research topics. Here the idea was not only to work on an analytical level, but also to create a first conceptual interpretation. Tracing cosmopolitan factors, atmospheres, accelerators and actors in each city, the focus lied on framing them on an urban level as mapped representations and spaces directly lived through their associated images and symbols, and hence the space of inhabitants and users (Lefebvre 1991).

As “CREATIVE MAPPINGS” found stories related to the understanding of existing resources and networks of the city (spatial contexts, user constellations, expert and non-expert views, as well as personal reflections on subjectively perceived elements, flows, and processes) were collected, interpret and communicated, and brought together the performative and stable characters of the cities in cartographic mappings in various scales, as well as an additional open format that helped to communicate the mappings and work on a way of storytelling to complete the survey (video, collage, writing, social media linked to the Cosmopolitan Habitat - website).

References for the creative mapping formats, the research collections and approaches of the urban projects were given with the “Palermo Atlas” by OMA and the “Migropolis” Project by Wolfgang Scheppe. Some more ideas what creative mapping could be, were found in the project of “mil casas en tu casa” by arquitectos de cabezera and “mappings-animations” on the platform of tracingspaces.net

To facilitate the search and collection of information, each topic and group was provided with an initiative or direct contact person, that should help to bring together the relevant material and give insights to the selected research topics of each city.

Analysis “Als Pacman die Autobahn fraß”, Anna Pape and Julia Theis

A) The University- and Knowledgecity is routed on the existence of various knowledge and science facilities in the cities of Halle and Hannover, that can be shown as larger networks. A focus here lies on the Universities landscapes and connections. Which institutions are important to name/map? How can the networks within the city but also the connections to other cities be shown? Which (historic) or actual topics and projects can be connected to the research? And which facts and information about the universities and their users contribute to understand them as important source for the city?

B) International Inhabitants is based on the demographic transformation of the cities and their cultural and ethnographic mix. Here the topic of migration, the different appearances and inhabitants of the specific urban quarters or in this context happening meetings and events can be integrated into the research. Which places/locations are relevant and how are they interconnected?

C) “Kultur-Stadt” / City of culture (Focus on Music) follows Hannover being a UNESCO city of music with historically grown and emerging places and institutions, for example the music school or the Kulturzentrum Faust. Here an Introduction about already discovered and emerging paces and networks were given by another student Sabrina Reith) In Halle not only Georg Friedrich Händel was born, but also the city offers many music events, musicians and a large sub cultural (underground) music scene with places like the Charles Bronson or the Radio station Corax.

D) “Messe-Stadt” – Fair city Hannover ..nearly explains itself, experiencing the city, when the Hannover fair is going on. It lead not only to a huge offer of private over night stays, but also to many services for visitors and exhibitors and an international digital and non-digital network.

E) “Postcolonial City” Flensburg is based on understanding the immaterial and material post-colonial traces of the city of Flensburg. Flensburg, as well as the neighbour city Charlotte Amalie are strongly characterized by the harbour area and its post-colonial connection which has to be newly determined.