Network Time-spaces: Technologies and Urban Chronopolis
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | The paper integrates classical time-geography theory and rhythmanalysis approaches together with selected concepts of relational urban theory. The city is conceptualized here as the ‘the function of circulation’ with a special attention paid to the rhythmicity of urban networks. Rejecting the idea of unitary temporality of the city we analyze how distinct circulation technologies and infrastructures interconnect various urban places into more or less coherent time-space systems. Each of these network systems can be called chronopolis; its spatial structure and internal rhythmicity is defined by specific (mobility) technology involving specific types of actors and pacemakers. There is a plurality of chronopolis that co-exist, overlap and compete within the urban space composing the aggregate city rhythms. The empirical part of the paper take a closer look at the individual and public transport networks and the differences between respective chronopolis of these two mobility technologies. The aim of the empirical enquiry is to bring some deeper insights into the role of mobility technologies in time-space organization of urban everydayness. We construct the automobile and public transport spaces within the middle sized city of Brno (Czech Republic) and examine their internal features especially in terms of prevailing rhythms. The analysis employs several types of available data sets (e.g. timetables, shopping hours, etc.) to draw a chronopolis organized around public transport system contrasting with the chronopolis of urban individual automobility. The empirical results should contribute partly to more general understanding of relations between technology and urban time-space production. |