WEEK 1-GETTING PREPARED FOR THE FIELDWORK

Day 1: Developing a conceptual framework: Understanding de-industrialisation and shrinkage

Zonguldak Field Course took a start today with an introduction to the course. Mentors made presentations on the purpose and the methodology of the course. This introductory seminar was followed by in-class team work and theoretical lectures which aimed to develop a conceptual framework on deindustrialisation and urban shrinkage. 

1. In-class team work
Students were formed into 4 groups of six to discuss and present their answers on the following questions:

The de-industrialisation team:
     What is de-industrialisation and what are the characteristics of a de-industrialising city? Read the assigned article by Lever (1991). In a short essay of 300 words, summarise the characteristics of Glasgow that make Glasgow a de-industrialising city.

The urban shrinkage team:

     What are the causes of urban shrinkage? Read the assigned article by Martinez-Fernandez et al. (2012a). Place your answer into a frame that begins with the following sentence: ‘There are ...(number) main causes for urban shrinkage. First, (state the cause and support it).... Second, ..... Third, .....’. Continue with as many causes as you determine.

The shrinking mining cities team:

     What are the common factors underpinning the shrinkage of the four mining cities in Australia, Mexico, Japan and  Canada? Read the assigned article by Martinez-Fernandez et al. (2012b). In a short essay of 300 words, place your answer into a frame that begins wit the following sentence: ‘There are .... (number) common dynamics that lead to shrinkage in the four mining cities. The first one is ...... (state the dynamic and provide a brief explanation). Second, ... Third, .... Continue as many as you determine.

The challenges of urban shrinkage team:

    Based on your assigned readings, what do you think are the challenges of de-industrialising and shrinking cities that planners and policy-makers have to deal with? Provide your answer in a short essay of 300 words.

References

·         Lever, W.F., 1991, Deindustrialisation and the reality of the post-industrial city, Urban Studies, 28 (6): 983-999

·   Martinez-Fernandez, C., Audirac, I., Fol, S. And Cunningham-Sabot, E., 2012, Shrinking cities: urban challenges of globalisation

·   Martinez-Fernandez, C., Wu, C-T, Schatz, L.K., Taira, N. And Vargas-Hernandez, J.G., 2012, The shrinking mining city: Urban dynamics and contested territory, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 36 (2): 245-260.

We had a very fast and productive beginning. Students discussed the pre-read articles in groups...

...and presented a slide show of their discussions to given questions.

2. Lecture 1
Industrial Decline, Urban Shrinkage and  Emerging Questions for Understanding Change in a Mining City by Güldem Özatağan
In-class team work and student presentations were followed by a lecture which aimed to develop a conceptual framework on deindustrialisation and urban shrinkage and present emerging questions for understanding change in Zonguldak.

The first lecture following the students' discussions at the end of Day 1!

3. Formation of Reseach Teams
The afternoon session started with the formation of research teams and circulation of their research questions. 9 teams were formed
-Research Team 1: The Changing Economic Structure
-Research Team 2: Demographic and Social Change
-Research Team 3: Changing Urban Form
-Research Team 4: Transportation
-Research Team 5: The History of Planning
-Research Team 6: Changing Institutional and Administrative Structure
-Research Team 7: Environmental Change
-Research Team 8: Physical Infrastructure
-Research Team 9: Changing Urban Identity and Urban Conservation

4. In-class Mentor-Research Team Work

In the rest of the day, mentors talked to research teams on the teams' research questions and the data or information that they need to meet the research teams' research questions.