Description
- Abstract:
- Making the Imagined Real seeks to explain variation in the development of new urban elevated linear parks between 1999 and 2012 using case studies in New York (High Line), Chicago (Bloomingdale Trail) and Philadelphia (Reading Viaduct). In those three locations, nonprofit community groups have attempted to or have successfully created public-private coalitions to re-purpose abandoned urban public spaces into elevated urban linear parks. These three case studies are located in similar cities, the projects started around the same time, the groups are trying to do similar things, and yet the three projects are in very different stages of project development. Looking at these three cases together can shed light on the process of entrepreneurship, particularly in the context of urban public spaces. The role of economic interest in urban development has been well-studied and documented. However, an economics-based viewpoint alone does not explain why individuals without a clear economic interest devote time and effort to making these parks a reality. These advocacy groups use imagery, symbolism, and themes strategically and in different media to manipulate overlapping institutional logics and drive institutional change. I argue that there is a link between project presentation and project progress, and focus on several research questions: • How do Friends of the Park organizations successfully navigate institutional settings to create public spaces? • How do Friends of the Park organizations involved in creating public spaces gain community, private, and governmental support? • How do Friends of the Park organizations involved in creating public spaces influence the imagery, symbolism, and tropes around these proposed spaces? Through field observations, GIS mapping, and interviews I gain insight into the context in which these three projects are operating. I combine this work with content/document analysis, which allows me to categorize the imagery, symbolism, and themes around these projects into themes. Important themes reflect the demographics of the cities, the long development process, influence of elites on the process (real and/or perceived), the challenges of building in these spaces, the ability of the Friends of the Park groups to create a shared common identity around development, etc.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Ph.D. -- Brown University (2013)
Access Conditions
- Rights
- In Copyright
- Restrictions on Use
- Collection is open for research.
Citation
Plavin-Masterman, Miriam L.,
"Making the Imagined Real: How Institutional Entrepreneurs Transform Public Spaces"
(2013).
Sociology Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0TT4PB2
