Print Email Facebook Twitter Forum Romanum in Varna: A landscape-based strategy for the integration of marginalized Roma settlements through a sequence of public spaces Title Forum Romanum in Varna: A landscape-based strategy for the integration of marginalized Roma settlements through a sequence of public spaces Author De Louw, R.M.J.G. Contributor Nijhuis, S. (mentor) Sepulveda Carmona, D. (mentor) Forgaci, C. (mentor) Faculty Architecture and The Built Environment Department Urbanism Programme Landscape Architecture Date 2015-06-30 Abstract The city is a cultural object. It is a place where social life reflects the values and habits of communities. Every city is characterized by centralities and marginalities, with specific socio-spatial concentrations of maximum significance, while others lack in value. The political landscape of Eastern Europe has dramatically changed over the past few decades. The challenges in the contemporary urban landscape are the result of technocratic approach to the spatial planning system and society during Communism. Its process of urban systematization to create a mask of national homogeneity on a complex ethnic patchwork has affected and changed the cultural landscape. Paradoxically, this policy of assimilation has resulted in the enhancement of ethnic boundaries and led to the contemporary fragmented cities in which increased social injustice is visible. Roma are generally considered ‘outsiders‘ by the ethnic Bulgarians, as there is little shared national culture among the dominant national culture and the specific culture of the Roma minority. This vulnerable position of Roma in the socio- economic hierarchy is reflected in their spatial position in the urban landscape. The Roma, or: ethnic minorities in general, ask for a new vision on the urban planning systems, whereby multi-cultural diversity and self-managing communities form the core of the urban development strategy. There might be limitless ways to integrate communities within the socio-spatial reality of a city. Yet, the defining feature of every community is its connection with the landscape. The operative landscape approach defines the landscape as a constantly evolving medium that takes notion of programmatic and ecological dynamics and uses landscape to direct communities to an inclusive whole by incorporating change over time and maintaining an active project agenda. This thesis explores an ethnic minority as Cultural Enclave to understand how the cultural identity of an ethnic group could be used as a defined feature with potential in itself for integration. Thus fragmentation becomes diversity and is something to be celebrated rather than conquered. Subject landscape architectureRomain situ upgradingcultural enclaveethnic minoritystrategic spatial planning To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4c0178f4-ef6d-4ecf-bae6-bfc865c5e315 Embargo date 2015-09-01 Coordinates 43.211134, 27.889866 Part of collection Student theses Document type master thesis Rights (c) 2015 De Louw, R.M.J.G. Files PDF ReflectionReportp5Robinde ... 294165.pdf 138.08 KB PDF p5RobindeLouwPresentation.pdf 158.13 MB PDF RobindeLouwForumRomanumth ... eport2.pdf 34.63 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:4c0178f4-ef6d-4ecf-bae6-bfc865c5e315/datastream/OBJ2/view