P
ANAYOTISP
ANGALOS– V
ASSILIKIP
ETRIDOUINFOCITY: New Cities Reading & Promotion System
The current way of understanding and knowing cities is characterized by speed of travel, interest in new destinations, the aging of older centers of interest and the appearance of more modern sites. In the near future the development process of the EU Member States is committed to building a new flexible entrepreneurship adapted to the characteristics and possibilities of freedom of movement and citizens’ access. In this direction, it is important to understand the critical role that the concept of STRUCTURED INFORMATION plays in an environment of competitiveness and innovation, both at national and at European level. Young citizens, either as permanent residents or as moving populations (work, tourism, recreation, health) increasingly feel the lack of methodical, reliable and immediate guidance and information on elements which they may choose from, through multiple options that a place offers in the modern era. Local governments’ modern strategies should invest in enhancing the quality of products and services in the region with a simultaneous assimilation of an operational value-oriented system of innovation, adaptation to specialized knowledge, effective use of local wealth and in creativity and harnessing opportunities emerging from technological progress.
Consequently, the introduction of methods of Research, Identification, Registration, Evaluation and Promotion of the specific features of cities is to determine the growth and competitiveness in economic terms (Evans 2005). Once the cities of developed countries are prepared to offer their space even through virtual reality, in Greece reading and viewing local features of an area is still based on traditional methods, resulting in the field of city tourism and cultural marketing not being as competitive as in other countries.
Investigating the above in real time, we have constructed and propose a new methodological enhancement tool of the multicultural identity of cities by repositioning their destinations. The proposed system is the creation of a CITY IDENTITY WORKSHOP (CIW), which will be undertaking the construction of a renewed and competitive image of a city, using a new way of reading and presentation with emphasis on linking local data with those of other international areas.
There are Urban Study Workshops in many universities around the world as well as independent organizations such as: IPCity (research consortium partly funded by EU Sixth Framework Programme - Integrated project on Interaction and Presence in Urban Environments); the Foundation Gramsci Emilia-Romagna (Italy);
the International Laboratory of Civil planning Villard (Italy); the organization SPUR [San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association] (USA; the international organization PanUrban Intelligence; the Urban Institute (Washington, USA); CPANDA [Cultural Policy & the Arts National Data Archive] (U.S.); the UCRC [Urban-Culture Research Center] (Osaka, Japan); the GHAMU [Groupe Histoire Architecture Mentalités Urbaines] (Paris, France);
the CPSCC [Centre for Policy Studies on Culture and Communities] (Vancouver, Canada) etc.
Unlike other countries (De Carlo et al. 2008), in Greece the study of urban phenomena is restricted to either university laboratories of Urban and Regional Planning, or in the field of academic courses of Urban and Town Planning programs for undergraduate and graduate studies. The implementation of a multicultural and economic reading of cities in Greece in combination with an integrated repositioning system of their image as thematic tourism destinations and use of the material generated to highlight and promote cities in socio-economic status has not yet become possible even at high level.
Development of the methodology of the proposal
This paper presents a proposal for the design, organization and operation of a cutting-edge City Identity Workshop (CIW), which will produce material to be used in highlighting & promoting cities at a socio-economic
Earlier version of the study has been published as: Old cities as a new destination: promotion and development of the multicultural identity of the city Patras – Greece, in the Proceedings of the 3rd National Conference on Urban Planning and Regional Development, Volos, 27-30 September 2012, ISBN 978-960-9439-13-8, 978-960-6865-52-7
level. The proposed method includes RESEARCH and MAPPING of cities with major reading axes such as architecture, art, religion, collective memory, museums, archives, public places, cultural events, economic and productive functions of civilization. The city of Patras is defined as the scope used in this proposal.
The working method of the City Identity Workshop (CIW) will be based on two main components:
Α) On an Integrated ANALYSIS System of the city and its special features, which combines the advantages of modern technological methods, reading, organizing. And classifying information will lead to a comprehensive Historical Research (Identification, Registration, Documentation) of archaeological sites, architectural works (buildings and settlements), museums, archives, design of public space, recording facts and elements of collective memory, tracking, recording and study of events in the city, recording of the generated experience, identifying, recording and study of production areas and availability of local produce, track and research points of special tourist interest, etc. Such a system can read images of the city, which until now have remained on the sidelines or not yet emerged (Parkerson, B. and Saunders J. 2005).
Β) On an Integrated PROJECTION System of the city and its particular characteristics. Using online viewing media may produce a renewed image of the city with a full update on the features, products and services available in the city. A series of new maps of the city are considered important to design: a. Archaeological, b.
Artistic, c. Architectural, d. Religious, e. Memory & experience, f. Archives & museums, g. Public property, h.
Cultural happenings, i. Economic & business, with multiple paths and information to create new images of the city.
Feasibility, importance and contribution of the proposal The main objectives of the proposal are:
1) to elevate the city as a new tourist destination (internal & external)
2) to project the potentials of the city to welcome new investments and thus increase the economic mobility of the city,
3) to create a new perception for the inhabitants of their town by presenting a renewed image of its components
An important element of this proposal is the intention of proceeding this investigation from the theoretical-analytical part in practical scope through to efficiency in economic terms. Specific objectives include:
The analysis and photographic mapping of production sites and distribution of local products.
The labelling of key and critical elements would be desirable to distinguish a broad economic map based on financial products and markets.
Mapping in full detail the economic cultural products (agricultural, livestock, craft and industrial production), so that they become available through modern means of access.
The formulation of detailed communication proposals and special communications equipment to all potential visitors, after comparative analysis and synthesis of all the above with a focus on the advantages - disadvantages, strengths - weaknesses and possibilities for their implementation.
The case of the city of Patras- Greece
The existing literature on the Greek cities, among which the city of Patras is limited to historical content texts fails to present a modern dynamic and comprehensive view of the modern city. The tourist or professional city guides feature fragmentary material of low quality and financial information unrelated to other features of the city. The organization and movements within the immediate surroundings is not intended to update nor to facilitate displaced residents and visitors. Therefore, the manufacturing and disposal of such information requires a comprehensive analytical procedure using new technologies that will yield a set of coordinated data (cultural, historical, economic, etc.) on the current urban reality.
Special mapping of Patras
The new mapping of a city aims to collect information which may fuel the renewed image of the city. The reading of the city is expanded beyond the conventional conceptions. For example, among the Greek, Roman and industrial ruins, as far as their definition is concerned, there is no substantial difference. As carriers of memory, ruins are still considered to be industrial buildings of the 20th century, buildings that in the near past constituted the dynamic elements of the city. Each era is historically evaluated by its ruins. Also a city is not only what it appears to be on its surface, a great treasure of knowledge is hidden underneath its soil. For example, the history of networks (water supply and sanitation, electricity, telecommunications) and other infrastructure, form the structure of an organization, which quietly supports the operation of the city but also represents an important part of its life. The emergence of this secret part of the urban reality is a new unknown element that can enrich the city's image. Analyzing the various networks over time, we can also gain a new wealth of information about the historical development of the urban fabric in relation to policy choices. Finally, the main economic products of the region are not only a monetary input, but can be seen as a cultural factor that can link Patras with other production centers, resulting in creating a visibility network of the city through new common features. For example, the wine business of Patras can be connected to other similar Mediterranean cities. That way Patras and its history will show a new multicultural identity that will strengthen its ties with other international centers.
TOPIC FIELD PROJECT PRODUCT
(Identification, Inventory, Design) RELIGIOUS - ARTISTIC MAP 4.
Utilization of the results
The aim is to draw conclusions on the most popular means of communication for the successful promotion of the city as a new destination: tourism, investment, scientific cooperation The key assumption underlying the research is that the features and general profile of the places of production and marketing of local products should be transformed into powerful and useful information. In this way a new economic map of the city of Patras can be created. Multicultural records of the status quo will lead to export direct conclusions on issues of critical importance. Some of the applications of log analysis and enhancement of sites, areas and points, social, economic, cultural, historical, religious and scientific interest, may provide answers to very critical issues that require decisions, such as:
On social interactions within the urban area.
On Thematic Tourism development planning (Religious Tourism, Ecotourism, Caving Tourism, Cycling Tourism, Climbing Tourism, Marine Tourism, Web Tourism, Diving Tourism, Hiking Tourism, Business Tourism, Health Tourism, Sport Tourism).
On winter tourism development planning (tourism in Mountaineering, Ski centers).
In educational programs for training in cultural / tourism.
On policy towards basic social problems (targeting the disabled, weaker social groups, immigrants, minorities, etc.).
On the need for a strategy on issues of environmental protection and sustainable development.
On the planning and on upcoming infrastructure projects.
On cultural initiatives and participation in international and domestic cultural institutions.
On the allocation of state resources to cultural activities.
On the architectural identity of the area, the parameters and rules for restoration and landscape regeneration.
On preservation or change in directions of the public space.
On unexploited tourist resources.
On a strategy for the production and distribution of new products.
On a strategy for the effective promotion of existing products.
On planning routes and schedules of public transport.
On economic opportunities.
On the design principles of the new urban fabric.
Contribution of the proposal
Progress is expected to contribute to the proposed research lines at several levels:
GENERALLY
Increase the economic mobility of the city through new lines of thematic tourism.
Presentation, organization and promotion of unknown elements of the city that aim to change the perception of residents about their city and positive influence on young people (OECD 2009).
Highlighting elements that will lead to improved quality of life and safer living (e.g measuring social elements that will involve decisions by local authorities).
Developmental progress of the city by creating a new competitive image internationally and projection of the capabilities of Patras in order to receive new investments.
SPECIFICALLY
The interdisciplinary nature of the research will promote interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cooperation in general, and grounded pockets of interface will be created between researchers from different scientific fields, but in every scientific field separately, the proposed research will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in all themes included in the project. Therefore, in a sense, the progress achieved with the proposed research will have both horizontal (interdisciplinary
and inter-institutional foreshortening) and vertical (deepening and specialization of knowledge within each scientific field).
The proposed project and the resulting scientific research will enhance the progress of Greek academic research and its competitiveness abroad.
Conclusion
The proposal is a methodological tool, focused on the city of Patras, but with extensive use, relating to increased economic mobility of the city through new lines of thematic tourism, presentation, organization and promotion of unknown elements of the city that aims to change the perception of residents about their city and positively impact on young people, highlighting elements that will lead to improved quality of life and safer living (e.g.
measuring social elements that will involve decisions by local authorities), and developmental progressive city by creating a new competitive image internationally and projection of the capabilities in order to encourage new investments. The usefulness of this research is clearly crossing the boundaries of many, completely different disciplines, such as history, archeology, art, architecture, marketing, advertising, psychology, information technology, etc. Thus creating a City Identity Workshop promotes interdisciplinary foreshortening and cooperation as it may become a magnet for scholars and researchers from different scientific fields. Moreover, the existence of a City Identity Workshop is the first step in producing applied research, the results of which, because of their innovativeness, will both enhance the competitiveness of the Greek academic community at an international level and the other, will be channeled to other the Greek cities, thereby enhancing the capabilities of local governments to absorb and generate new knowledge to solve economic, social, cultural, technological problems and to innovate.
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