Multiple Tallinn – following an archipelago of islands?

Subject: Invitation to participate in a panel discussion

Place and time: Tallinn, 20^th of May, 19:00, Arts Academy

Initiated by Bauhaus Kolleg IX – Border Cities, Dessau, Germany

Multiple Tallinn – following an archipelago of islands?

Based on the research undertaken by Bauhaus Kolleg IX – Border Cities, detected a sharpening of the historically developed archipelago like city pattern of Tallinn. The addition of global connections and the integration of different time layers in the city, we want to discuss the possibilities, potentials and obstacles to Tallinn’s future spatial development.

With regard to the status quo of the city’s future development, we state that the original spatial structure of an archipelago, strengthened by the Helsinki-Tallinn relation, now reverses and will blur into the direction of a more isotropic city structure. In this process top-down initiatives or real estate speculation guiding the gentrification processes would negate the existence of bottom-up initiatives in less defined areas. The bottom-up developments loose their significance in urban development.

The questions that could arise are stated below:

. exchange value vs. use value

[Who owns the city? What’s the value of local bottom up developments compared with economic interests? Alienation of locals to rapid changes in city development. How is the city negotiated? Participatory systems in city planning.]

. gentrification – the possibility of a directed deliberate city-planning

[spatial impact of dynamics within the city. How to direct city development in an atmosphere of neo-liberal, market orientated economics? Forces within the city – bottom up vs. top down vs. real estate speculation.]

. archipelago structure vs. Isotropic city – advantages and disadvantages

[Archipelago vs. Isotropic city? Would the maintenance of an archipelago structure necessarily lead to hierarchical and social segregation as well as to stigmatisation? Is it possible to maintain characteristic qualities of different areas without negative impact?]