This document discusses experiences in cityscapes. It defines an experience as a multisensory, memorable event that can lead to personal change. Experiences are becoming more important in the experience economy where they command premium prices. Cities are competing to attract creative professionals by offering experiences that feed the creative mind. The document contrasts the rational, top-down approach to city planning with a more organic approach that facilitates diversity and mixed uses. It advocates for denser, more experiential urban planning and development.

1. |
KULTTUURITEHDAS KORJAAMO
EXPERIENCES IN
CITYSCAPE
Raoul Grünstein
TEKIJÄN NIMI 25.11.2014

2. WHAT IS AN EXPERIENCE
• An experience is a multisensory, significant and
memorable event lived through, which can lead
to personal change.
• Experiences can be integrated into a person’s
every day understanding and personality
• An experience is significantly more than a
pleasant feeling or good service.

3. EXPERIENCE ECONOMY
Raw materials
Services
Products
COMPETITION
Differentiated
Market price Premium price
PRICE
Experiences
Transfromation
Gilmore & Pine
Homogenic

4. EXPERIENCES AND CREATIVITY
• Richard Florida:
The developed societies are heading towards creative
economies
• Creativity is the leading economic force
• Finland has 30 % of work force in Creative Class
• Means of production is inside the heads of creative people
• Experiences feed the creative mind
• The conflict between creativity and control
• Participatory recreation, street-level culture
• Desire for active, intense experiences in the real world
• The cost is not money, but time
• Aversion of inauthentic commercialization of experience

5. RATIO OF CITY PEOPLE
0 %
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
50 %
60 %
70 %
80 %
90 %
100 %
1953 2013 2050
Other
City

8. THE POWER OF PLACE
• How do we decide where to live and work?
• The place is all important, the end-of-geography theme of
the internet age is dead
• A praise for creative centers and communities where a
critical mass of people wants to live in clusters
• One attracts the people and attracts the industries that
employ them and the investors who put money into the
companies
• Cities and city districts compete of the professional and
creative minds
• Experiences are used in building competitive advantage of
areas and building urban brands

9. THE RATIONAL APPROACH
• The rationalistic planning of cities consider cities as
giant machines
• Central planning and control performed by city
institutions
• Top down approach to urban development
• Efficiency is top priority achieved by rational planning
and engineering
• Homogenous city districts: housing, commercial,
industrial

10. THE MODERNIST TRADITION
• Form follows function
• Minimalistic architecture
• Geometric shapes
• “Pure materials”
– Concrete
– Glass,
– Metal
• Black, white, gray
• Strong homogenous trends: concrete brutalism, glass
palaces, metal facades…

11. THE ORGANIC APPROACH
• Organic metaphor of the city
– Cities as living complex networks (“internet”)
– Facilitating instead of controlling
– Diversity of the city is a priority
• Jane Jacobs advocated "four generators of diversity”:
1. Mixed primary uses
2. Short blocks, allowing high pedestrian permeability
3. Buildings of various ages and states of repair
4. Density

15. KOSTAMUS

16. MERIHAKA

21. TAPIOLA

24. KIASMA

30. MUSIIKKITALO

33. SANOMATALO

37. TÖÖLÖNLAHTI

40. SINISEN HUVILAN KAHVILA

41. KAHVILA TYYNI

42. SKUMPPAKELLUNTA

43. KALJAKELLUNTA

44. KULTTUURISAUNA

46. TÖÖLÖNLAHTI

47. TAPIOLA

48. MERIHAKA

49. ITÄ-PASILA

50. TÖÖLÖ

51. MAMMA ROSA

52. PUNAVUORI

53. MAXILL

54. MOCO

55. MARKET HALL

59. MARKET SQUARE

60. VALLILA

61. KALLIO BLOCK PARTY

62. FLOW FESTIVAL

63. TEURASTAMO

64. STREET FOOD FESTIVAL

65. RESTAURANT DAY

66. KARHUPUISTO

67. WDC PAVILJONKI

68. ICE PARK

70. Ilmakuva luoteesta
ALLAS

75. GLASS PALACE

76. HELSINKI LETS
1. Let us admit that top down city planning has given
many boring results.
2. Let us build denser.
3. Let us think Big and Small.
4. Let us think in street language.
5. Let us be part of do-it-ourselves movement.
6. Let us dream of urban life with encounters and
experiences.
7. Let us build temporary structures.
8. Let us plan for change and facilitate diversity
9. Let the many flowers have water.
10. Just let us.