The Expression of Cultural Functions in the City’s Spatial Structure ; Kultūrinių funkcijų raiška miesto erdvinėje struktūroje

VILNIUS GEDIMINAS TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Tomas BUTKUS
THE EXPRESSION OF
CULTURAL FUNCTIONS IN
THE CITY’S SPATIAL STRUCTURE
Summary of Doctoral Dissertation
Humanities Sciences, History and Theory of Arts (03H),
Sculpture and Architecture (H32)
Vilnius 2008
Doctoral dissertation was prepared at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University in
2004–2008.
Scientific Supervisor
Prof Dr Zigmas Jonas DAUNORA (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University,
Humanities Sciences, History and Theory of Arts – 03H).
The dissertation is being defended at the Council of Scientific Field of History
and Theory of Arts at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University:
Chairman
Prof Dr Habil Jurgis VANAGAS (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University,
Humanities Sciences, History and Theory of Arts – 03H).
Members:
Prof Dr Rimantas BUIVYDAS (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Theory of Arts – 03H),
Prof Dr Habil Algirdas GAIŽUTIS (Vilnius Pedagogical University,
Humanities Sciences, Philosophy – 0H),
Prof Dr Habil Pranciškus JUškeVIčIUS (Vilnius Gediminas Technical
University, Technological Science, Environmental Engineering – 04T),
Assoc Prof Dr kęstutis ZALECKIS (Kaunas University of Technology,
Humanities Sciences, History and Theory of Arts – 03H).
Opponents:
Dr k ęstutis LUPEIKIS (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Humanities
Sciences, History and Theory of Arts – 03H),
Prof Dr Habil Gintautas MAŽe Ik IS (Vytautas Magnus University,
Humanities Sciences, Philosophy – 0H).
The dissertation will be defended at the public meeting of the Council of Scientific
Field of History and Theory of Arts in the Senate Hall of Vilnius Gediminas
Technical University at 9 a. m. on 30 January 2009.
Address: Saulėtekio al. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Tel.: +370 5 274 4952, +370 5 274 4956; fax +370 5 270 02;
e-mail: doktor@adm.vgtu.lt
The summary of the doctoral dissertation was distributed on 29 December 2008.
A copy of the doctoral is available for review at the Library of
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Saulėtekio al. 14, LT-10223 Vilnius,
Lithuania).
© Tomas Butkus, 2008
2 3VILNIAUS GEDIMINO TECHNIKOS UNIVERSITETAS
Tomas BUTKUS
kULTŪRINIŲ FUNkCIJŲ RAIškA
MIeSTO eRDVINĖJe STRUkTŪROJe
Daktaro disertacijos santrauka
Humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra (03H),
skulptūra ir architektūra (H312)
Vilnius 2008
2 3Disertacija rengta 2004–2008 metais Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitete.
Mokslinis vadovas
prof. dr. Zigmas Jonas DAUNORA (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos univer-
sitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra – 03H).
Disertacija ginama Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universiteto Menotyros
mokslo krypties taryboje:
Pirmininkas
prof. habil. dr. Jurgis VANAGAS (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universi-
tetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra – 03H).
Nariai:
prof. dr. Rimantas BUIVYDAS (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universite-
tas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra – 03H),
prof. habil. dr. Algirdas GAIŽUTIS (Vilniaus pedagoginis universitetas,
humanitariniai mokslai, filosofija – 01H),
prof. habil. dr. Pranciškus JUške VIčIUS (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos
universitetas, technologijos mokslai, aplinkos inžinerija ir kraštotvarka – 04T),
doc. dr. kęstutis ZALECKIS (Kauno technologijos universitetas, humani-
tariniai mokslai, menotyra – 03H).
Oponentai:
dr. kęstutis LUPEIKIS (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitetas, huma-
nitariniai mokslai, menotyra – 03H),
prof. habil. dr. Gintautas MAŽe Ik IS (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas,
humanitariniai mokslai, filosofija – 01H).
Disertacija bus ginama viešame Menotyros mokslo krypties tarybos posėdyje
2009 m. sausio 30 d. 9 val. Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universiteto senato
posėdžių salėje.
Adresas: Saulėtekio al. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lietuva.
Tel.: (8 5) 274 4952, (8 5) 274 4956; faksas (8 5) 270 0112;
el. p. doktor@adm.vgtu.lt
Disertacijos santrauka išsiuntinėta 2008 m. gruodžio 29 d.
Disertaciją galima peržiūrėti Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universiteto bibliotekoje
(Saulėtekio al. 14, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lietuva).
VGTU leidyklos „Technika“ 1573-M mokslo literatūros knyga.
© Tomas Butkus, 2008
4 5GeNeRAL CHARACTeRISTIC OF THe DISSeRTATION
stTopicality of the problem. At the beginning of the 2 century when cities
are taking over important geopolitical power leverages from states, new spaces
for economic competition are being created. In this way not only new accesses to
local cultural resources are opened, but possibilities to use them at a global level
are increasing as well. What is the importance of cultural functions here? They
determine that transnational companies with a progressive and creative thinking
refuse cheaper workforce, significantly lower prices for real estate and choose the
environment that is more expensive, however, more tolerant. Cities that are not
able to offer an adequate variety of services, entertainments and comfort for this
new social class sign their death sentence and the competition is won by locations
which attract creative and talented people. Cities that are able to attract progres-
sive, modern-technology oriented industries ensure such quality of institutional
environment, without which a modern post-industrial society cannot be imagined.
Institutional environment also conditions the quality of social and physical envi-
ronment, meanwhile its improvement is described as the key objective of the poli-
cy of post-industrial urban culture. Hence, at strategic cultural policy planning
and management level in the Western Europe as well as North America, Australia
and other countries a solution of urban issues is emphasised by employing cul-
tural functions encompassing three links of the city’s spatial structure – physical,
social and institutional. The planning of cultural functions does not mean only the
nurturance of old towns or the setting up of traditional cultural facilities (theatres,
museums, libraries). In addition to all of it, cultural functions are also directed to
the preservation and development of a certain cultural infrastructure – cafes, art
galleries, walkways, parks and squares – as well as to the creation of new niches
for economic activities. In other words, to a complex of factors, the dissemination
field of which is the city’s spatial structure and the result – urban realm, the area
aimed at inspiring internal needs of citizens.
Aim and tasks of the work. For at least four decades urban planners and
culturologists have been examining new conditions for urban development, which
Fredric Jameson called the cultural turn. This phenomenon is related not only to
physical changes in the urban structure, but to changes in the spatial organisation
as well. In the space of the cultural turn a cultural gap between the West and the
East is disappearing, network society emerging, creative economy formed. Urban
development processes lay in the epicentre of this phenomenon, especially those
that are based on various regeneration programmes, which pay great attention to
the formation of public spaces, development of creative industries, security and
4 5use of recreational resources and cultural heritage. However, experiences of the
USA and other countries of Western Europe or post-soviet countries are rather
different in this field. Even though the post-soviet experience may be considered
to be a certain identity of Lithuanian urban planning, methodological principles
of this work are based on the Western tradition. The main objective of the
work is: to assess the importance of cultural functions for the city’s spatial struc-
ture (A) and urban development processes (B).
The tasks set for the achievement of the objective are as follows:
z To formulate and methodologically reason a conception of cultural func-
tions taking into account new conditions of urban development.
z To identify a system of nominal values and, given it, to determine sectors
of the city’s cultural potential.
z To examine the most typical forms of expression of cultural functions and
development examples abroad and to present concrete models that could be
applied in the practice of urban planning in Lithuania.
z To define principles of the development of cultural functions in the city’s
spatial structure, formulate measurements of the urban-cultural frame-
work.
Research object. In a broad sense, the work analyses physical, institutional
and social environment with spatial character, displaying itself as a whole of arte-
facts possessing a certain cultural code, which covers the environment created by
the humanity as well as the natural environment transformed (culturalised) by it.
In an objective sense, the research object of the dissertation is cultural func-
tions of Lithuanian and foreign cities and types of their operation and expression
in the city’s spatial structure. That is:
z Systems of the city’s spatial structure or their individual elements, which
were able to preserve their features during the development period.
z Elements of the city’s spatial structure, which can serve as a basis for the
recreation of a whole of microstructure (of historical suburb, urban comp-
lex, etc.) and which emerged as power symbols of certain historical (period,
style) or socia