| 1. |
- Brauer, Rene, et al.
(författare)
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Digitally modeling regional development in Europe: A new methodological approach to policy analysis
- 2013
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Ingår i: Integrated development of cities and regions. Man-City-Nature, 9th International Conference, 14-15 October 2013, Toruń, Poland.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sustainable regional development faces the complicated task of integrating socio-demographic, environmental and economic goals into a functioning policy proposal. The challenges of the 21st century are further complicated by the new nature of rural-urban relations that render traditional dichotomous approaches counterproductive. The latest EU rural development initiative proclaims itself as a fundamental break from older efforts that primarily focused upon agribusiness. This new humanistic vision includes improved quality of life, environmental sustainability and economic diversification alongside traditional agricultural tenets. New research takes this realization further, expressing a need for new conceptual tools to handle this ‘new rural’ reality seen as a composite of material and social aspects. Since older conceptualizations of the rural as agriculturally dominated might still linger on, the achievement of new humanistic planning goals is a complicated task. Policy planning – a complex actor-network of different interests – heterogeneously engineers different interests into a unified framework. In this case, the major refocus within policy planning, including re-conceptualizations of the ‘new rural’ and the new rural-urban relations, should, accordingly, be accommodated within the actual policy documents. If not, the proclaimed focus of the regional development goals could strike as empty political rhetoric. Due to their size, policies are often summarized. A policy summary should consequently be an unambiguous representation of the policy as a whole. Qualitative summarizations, however, may be problematic due to human biases. To circumvent this problem, this study borrows a technique from the digital humanities called topic modeling. This technique was applied to the framework of EU’s rural development policy for 2007–2013 and compared with the proclaimed development goals. First indications of the analysis show that there are indeed attempts to accommodate these new conceptualizations. However, the primary focus is still on agribusiness. Thereby, the humanistic focus of seeing the rural as more than agriculture-dominated areas does not appear to be strengthened. By adhering to a rationale different than the assumed one, such tendencies may possibly complicate the fulfillment of sustainable socio-economic development goals.
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| 2. |
- Brauer, Rene, et al.
(författare)
-
Digitally modeling regional development in Europe: A new methodological approach to policy analysis
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Integrated development of cities and regions. Man-City-Nature, 9th International Conference, 14-15 October 2013, Toruń, Poland.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainable regional development faces the complicated task of integrating socio-demographic, environmental and economic goals into a functioning policy proposal. The challenges of the 21st century are further complicated by the new nature of rural-urban relations that render traditional dichotomous approaches counterproductive. The latest EU rural development initiative proclaims itself as a fundamental break from older efforts that primarily focused upon agribusiness. This new humanistic vision includes improved quality of life, environmental sustainability and economic diversification alongside traditional agricultural tenets. New research takes this realization further, expressing a need for new conceptual tools to handle this ‘new rural’ reality seen as a composite of material and social aspects. Since older conceptualizations of the rural as agriculturally dominated might still linger on, the achievement of new humanistic planning goals is a complicated task. Policy planning – a complex actor-network of different interests – heterogeneously engineers different interests into a unified framework. In this case, the major refocus within policy planning, including re-conceptualizations of the ‘new rural’ and the new rural-urban relations, should, accordingly, be accommodated within the actual policy documents. If not, the proclaimed focus of the regional development goals could strike as empty political rhetoric. Due to their size, policies are often summarized. A policy summary should consequently be an unambiguous representation of the policy as a whole. Qualitative summarizations, however, may be problematic due to human biases. To circumvent this problem, this study borrows a technique from the digital humanities called topic modeling. This technique was applied to the framework of EU’s rural development policy for 2007–2013 and compared with the proclaimed development goals. First indications of the analysis show that there are indeed attempts to accommodate these new conceptualizations. However, the primary focus is still on agribusiness. Thereby, the humanistic focus of seeing the rural as more than agriculture-dominated areas does not appear to be strengthened. By adhering to a rationale different than the assumed one, such tendencies may possibly complicate the fulfillment of sustainable socio-economic development goals.
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| 3. |
- Brauer, Rene, et al.
(författare)
-
Using topic modelling to analyse EU’s Rural Development policy
- 2013
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Ingår i: Systematizing and digitalizing Nordic policy studies: Emergent perspectives within Swedish and Finnish research, Symposia, Aalto University, 27 November 2013, Helsinki, Finland.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Any social research at some point always touches upon issues dealing with the situatedness of the researcher. Policy analysis is no exception, and there have been many quantitative attempts to mitigate problems that arise from human biases. The general concern is that, for the most part, these methodological approaches remain fairly basic (e.g. word frequencies) in comparison to the semantic nuances a human reader would normally experience. In that light, the here presented approach explores the possibility of using topic modelling as a way to quantitatively assess policy without forgoing those finer nuances of human analysis. In this presentation, the material subject to topic modelling is EU’s Rural Development policy for 2007–2013 (RDP). It proclaims itself as the first European rural policy to in its conceptual framework cover aspects labelled as quality of life (QOL). In this paper, we treat this particular statement as a hypothesis, to which topic modelling is used to investigate if this really is the case. For any concept (not just QOL) to be incorporated into a policy and to retain its influence, it must be both mentioned and linked to other parts of that same policy, elsewise it could strike as merely a rhetorical strategy. Thereby, the hypothesis is that the more themes (topics) relate to a particular concept the more relative importance the policy allocates to that particular concept. In order to gauge this relative importance of QOL within RDP, we created a categorisation based upon: (1) the RDP’s own conceptual understanding of QOL, and (2) definitions provided by contemporary cutting-edge research dedicated to QOL. The analysis shows that only about 4 % of the topics found within the RDP relate to the issues of QOL. These particular topics only mention aspects of QOL without any explicit signs of implementation. This marginal position of QOL within RDP has been corroborated by other audits of the RDP using traditional qualitative techniques. Therefore, with further methodological development, this experimental application of topic modelling in policy analysis might represent one potential alternative to traditional qualitative methods.
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| 4. |
- Brauer, Rene, et al.
(författare)
-
Using topic modelling to analyse EU’s Rural Development policy
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Systematizing and digitalizing Nordic policy studies: Emergent perspectives within Swedish and Finnish research, Symposia, Aalto University, 27 November 2013, Helsinki, Finland.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Any social research at some point always touches upon issues dealing with the situatedness of the researcher. Policy analysis is no exception, and there have been many quantitative attempts to mitigate problems that arise from human biases. The general concern is that, for the most part, these methodological approaches remain fairly basic (e.g. word frequencies) in comparison to the semantic nuances a human reader would normally experience. In that light, the here presented approach explores the possibility of using topic modelling as a way to quantitatively assess policy without forgoing those finer nuances of human analysis. In this presentation, the material subject to topic modelling is EU’s Rural Development policy for 2007–2013 (RDP). It proclaims itself as the first European rural policy to in its conceptual framework cover aspects labelled as quality of life (QOL). In this paper, we treat this particular statement as a hypothesis, to which topic modelling is used to investigate if this really is the case. For any concept (not just QOL) to be incorporated into a policy and to retain its influence, it must be both mentioned and linked to other parts of that same policy, elsewise it could strike as merely a rhetorical strategy. Thereby, the hypothesis is that the more themes (topics) relate to a particular concept the more relative importance the policy allocates to that particular concept. In order to gauge this relative importance of QOL within RDP, we created a categorisation based upon: (1) the RDP’s own conceptual understanding of QOL, and (2) definitions provided by contemporary cutting-edge research dedicated to QOL. The analysis shows that only about 4 % of the topics found within the RDP relate to the issues of QOL. These particular topics only mention aspects of QOL without any explicit signs of implementation. This marginal position of QOL within RDP has been corroborated by other audits of the RDP using traditional qualitative techniques. Therefore, with further methodological development, this experimental application of topic modelling in policy analysis might represent one potential alternative to traditional qualitative methods.
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| 5. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek
(författare)
-
Changing landscapes and rural-urban awareness: Conceptualizing rurality and urbanity through the prism of experiential space
- 2013
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Ingår i: Changing European Landscapes: Landscape ecology, local to global. IALE 2013 European Congress, 9-12 September 2013, Manchester, UK.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Throughout the developed world, rural areas are in economic, social, and visible transition, to a significant degree as a result of urbanization. Realizing that a changing society is in constant need of redefinition, the rural-urban distinction is especially important to look into on a systematic basis. One reason is that although the outdatedness of the rural-urban dichotomy is widely acknowledged it is still largely sustained, not least in rural and urban development policies which are still conducted separately. Such practice may seem questionable in the face of the progressive blurring of these concepts, making them all the more subjective. In that light, there is a need to capture that subjectivity’s logic and anchor it locally, where the effects of policy eventually materialize. As such, taking into account the perception of local residents could help mitigate the subjectivity enclosed in the referential framework of those who exert power, mainly specialists and planners. In this paper, it is assumed that the concepts of rurality and urbanity are not only a result of the changing conditions in particular places but also of the changing theoretical perspectives on what is regarded rural or urban. In result, both tracks equally affect the material – i.e. the very real – lives of people who inhabit these areas. Ultimately, when some seemingly innocuous awareness-shaping processes coupled with the broader concepts of rural and urban are ignored, there may be ramifications when the locally perceived and the centrally defined fail to converge. Consequently, this paper is not about ideas on how ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ areas should be organized and managed. Rather, it foregoes such actions by focusing on the cognitive phase that precedes any kind of labeled development. By assuming a humanistic perspective, the concepts of ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ are discussed with emphasis on local perception and experiential space as important factors in their current understanding. There are indications that this dimension is locally significant and that the perception of rurality/urbanity is much derived from the physical characteristics of the lived environment, despite the rural and urban having been lately largely regarded as social constructs. In light of the critique of the emergent material turn, the potential of the concept of ‘landscape’ is explored, here seen as a bridge holding together the physical and the subjective tenets of rural-urban awareness. It is argued it could serve as a useful conceptual tool for creating context of the conflicting envoys on how rurality/urbanity should be understood, and particularly so in times of extensive land use changes induced by urbanization.
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| 6. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek
(författare)
-
Degraded towns in Poland as cultural heritage
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Heritage Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1470-3610 .- 1352-7258. ; 19:7, s. 613-631
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses how the concept of cultural heritage is currently used in relation to the so-called degraded towns (i.e. deprived of their urban status) in Poland. It shows the role of heritagisation in the process of restitution of urban status, and addresses the effects of the ongoing revitalisation of degraded towns in order to restore their lost urban glory. I argue that the Polish understanding of urbanity is ambiguous, muddling formality with cultural connotations. I address how such convolution both rewrites history and affects modernity by the imposition of values and foreclosures. I also discuss how alterations to the built environment made in the name of cultural heritage (revitalisation) are often conducted with disregard to identity, authenticity and historical hybridity, and how the introduction of ‘history’ into a modern arena affects the local society. I conclude that considering degraded towns as a special form of cultural heritage is a new construction, where coupling of the disconnected dimensions of the Polish understanding of urbanity becomes even more apparent. I stress that this field is neither sufficiently differentiated nor problematised, and that cultural heritage relating to degraded towns is often taken for granted.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek
(författare)
-
Local perception and experiential space as useful resources for mitigating the rural-urban dichotomy
- 2013
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Ingår i: Responsible Geographies. Nordic Geographers Meeting 11-14 June 2013 - Reykjavik, Iceland.. - 9789979997689 ; , s. 176-177
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although the outdatedness of the rural-urban dichotomy is widely acknowledged, the rural-urban distinction is still largely sustained. Moreover, with a plethora of aspects to define these two concepts, in practice only a few are effectively taken into account when formulating policies for rural/urban development respectively. Such conduct might seem questionable in the face of the progressive blurring of these concepts, making them all the more subjective. In that light, the logics of such subjectivity should be captured and anchored locally, where the effects of policy become directly tangible. Using examples from formally rural yet largely de-agrarized settlements in Poland this paper discusses the concepts of ‘rural and ‘urban’ by emphasizing local perception and experiential space as important factors in their current understanding. Field studies and discussions in local media indicate that this dimension is locally significant and that the sense of rurality/urbanity is much derived from the physical characteristics of the lived environment rather than from its mere degree of socio-economic development (despite the latter being at the center of debate). There are also suggestions that divergence between the locally perceived and the centrally defined concept of rural/urban (along with the specific paths of development the latter entails) may result in popular discontent. This paper suggests that in order to better understand and to more efficiently conceptualize the ‘new rural’ (particularly in a cross-cultural context), more attention should be paid to the perception of the locals, concurrently striving for a greater convergence between the generic, the experiential and the emotional.
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| 9. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek
(författare)
-
Managing “lesser urbanity” in light of the assumptions of revitalization
- 2013
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Ingår i: Integrated development of cities and regions. Man-City-Nature, 9th International Conference, 14-15 October 2013, Toruń, Poland.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enhancing the quality of life in rural areas was inscribed as one of the three core policy objectives for EU’s 2007–13 rural development. In small rural towns, conservation and upgrading of the local heritage became an important part of that objective, to a large extent mediated through the concept of revitalization. Understood contemporarily as granting a place its lost values, to be effective, revitalization must go hand in hand with the intellectual process of restoring memory. In regard to ruralized towns dating back to Middle Ages (or being later morphological derivatives of), such restoration is largely vested in the historical element – their urban past. Therefore, the intent of revitalization in this particular context is often that of visually enhancing or restoring the towns’ deteriorating urban character. However, despite good intentions, many such projects may strike as feeble, uncoordinated, unnecessary and even pernicious, often as a result of deficient knowledge and/or understanding of the local context, particularly in terms of historicity. With a visual approach to “lesser urbanity”, this explorative paper combines theory and field observations to encapsulate the problematic nature of public space in environments where “urbanity” has a clear cultural foundation. It aligns small-town centers with certain conceptual foundations which in this context are indispensable for imparting an unambiguous air of urbanity that is culturally acquired and therefore expected. It also takes into account factors such as scale and residuality, arguing that lege artis implementation of highly urban traits within extremely underpopulated and/or heavily ruralized towns is confusing to the locals and therefore questionable. The purpose of such presentation is, partly, to reveal the real-life conditions of small-town centers in light of the assumptions of revitalization, and, partly, to spawn a discussion on how they could be organized by adding alternative perspectives to the aesthetic/functional discourse currently impregnating trends and policies in urban design.
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| 10. |
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