One, Three, Nine , A Thesis Proposal

ONE- You Can't Fight City Hall? : An Investigation into the Spatial Requirements of Democratic Participation and Governance in the 21st Century


THREE- The ultimate success of a democratic society is contingent upon an active and informed citizenry.  Traditionally, in Western Democratic Societies, the city/town hall has been the locus of activity, providing a space for debate, dissemination, and decision making.  However, over the last century, and moving forward into the next, the relationship between the city/town hall as the tangible place of governance and the citizens making up the community under its jurisdiction has, and is, becoming increasingly fragmented.


NINE-  The City Hall of the 21st Century needs to reassert itself once again as the locus of municipal civic life.  Advances in technology have radically changed the way communities define themselves and interact with each other.  Yet the typology of the city hall has altered little.  Additionally, the traditional role of town hall as meeting place is moving towards obseletion, accelerated along its path by alternate forms of information dissemination and telecommunications.  Concurrently, the viability of the municipality as a governing body is being challenged across the country, as budget constraints are encouraging consolidation, or at the very least an increase in efficiency attune to doing more with less.
  Finally, the nature of public space in the contemporary urban condition is increasingly becoming privatized, limiting outlets for public demonstration and discussion.  These factors have led to an increasingly polarized society that is reflected in our use of space in the city.  The symbolism of classical civic architecture has been subverted from its ideals, communicating elitism, and furthering this polarization.
  In order to maintain relevancy, the city hall needs to adapt to these societal changes through a reevaluation of its purpose and its realization.