Name: Tutor: Course: Date:
Phoenix Urban Walking Tour: Urban Studies
1. According to Lyn Lofland, the public space has six functions (Hutter 238). During the tour of Phoenix city, the various uses of the city were evident, in some cases from different places and in other situations, only at a single place or location. The first function is that of a learning center, and it was met at the Civic Space Park, where I encountered and talked to at least five strangers. During the second encounter, the lesson learned was the importance of greeting people, before asking them for help or information that they know about a question of interest. During the first encounter, the not greeting the stranger led to a somehow rough interaction, and at one point, she reminded me that I should learn to greet people. During the second encounter, I applied the lesson, and the reception, openness, and acceptance offered were very high. The same lesson was reinforced during future encounters with strangers. The second function was applied at the Civil Space Park, at around 12 noon, when a new friend led me to a café at the center. When taking coffee and snacks, I saw that the availability of opportunities for refreshments and relaxation was a crucial function of public spaces.
From the short conversation we had, the African historian informed me that the building was opened in January 1931 and that artists Lescher and Mahoney designed it. Apart from telling me about the building, the African man informed on the African society and culture, and that
demonstrated the usefulness of the public space as a communication center. The fourth function of public spaces is that of practicing politics, and it was evident during interactions with Jane, a lady attending a regional convention at the Phoenix Convention Center (Hutter 238). After a short discussion, the interactions with the lady took me to the convention meeting center. There, we met a California politician in attendance was discussing his political ideas and philosophy with his friends, as they debated the strengths of his views and the future of American politics.
The fifth function of the public space is that of showcasing and enacting policy, political, and social plans. The function was demonstrated at the Phoenix Convention Center, during the session that followed after the break. The session was started by a drama by one of the
Visual Aid 1: Picture of Civic Space Park
Visual Aid 2: Picture of City Scape
3. The Disneyfication of the city of Phoenix was evident at the Civic Space Park, considering the ways that it is distinguished by the theming style that makes it unique from other public spaces. From the picture of the Civic Space Park, the large lighting mold suspended in the air depicts the evidence of Disneyfication (Hutter 253). The Disneyfication of the park is evident from the wide range of consumption options available at the site, including enjoying nature, the availability of food carts, and the showing of television shows on screens, among other services. Despite the high levels of Disneyfication, the existence of open spaces feels natural, noting that it shows evidence of the signature style of an attractive public space for relaxation. By comparison, the City Scape appears highly unnatural, considering the ways every surface is paved with concrete, preventing any contact between visitors and nature. Similarly, at the Civic Space Park, the suspended mold feels unnatural to the nature of the park because it makes it appear highly technology-oriented, making it seem like a theme park or a lit street. The locations that showed little evidence of Disneyfication included the Bank of America, and the Phoenix Convention Center, and the respective environs (Hutter 253). The reason for the position is that the areas are not themed like a Disney center, no hybrid consumption patterns, and the employees at the place do not operate like performers and entertainers.
to change the face of the city, instead of refurbishing the aging Arizona center before developing a new icon of development. To the critics, the cost of developing the new shopping complex was the major concern, but upon examining the effect that building new world class shopping
complexes in places like Dubai has had on the people and the economy, it becomes evident that building the new center was a better development option, despite the higher cost. Further, the development of City Scape catered to the demand for office and business space, noting that the space available at Arizona Center was already overstretched (Hutter 436). In the short term, the refurbishment may have looked like a better option, but in the long-term, building a new icon for the city and the state was the better option.
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