Between Four Walls and City Streets: Urban Challenges and Domestic Adaptations
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Date
2024-01-22
Authors
Elasmar, Tracey
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Waterloo
Abstract
The practices of domesticity within the city have expanded the
understanding of ‘home’ to encompass a broad range of spaces beyond
the physical boundaries of the dwelling. The city itself, by means of its
own inherent conditions, restructures the physical and psychological
manifestations of domestic space. Among these factors, the issue
of the home as a commodity has restricted the availability of space
within an affordable margin. A series of layered thresholds between
the public and the private have emerged across domestic and urban
spaces. This porosity has developed uniquely within the context of the
metropolis.
Through a series of interviews, this thesis investigates the
dwelling habits of a unique group which have become prevalent
across global cities; those who are fixed in migration. Individual
narratives weave together common themes across two cities, London
and New York, displaying how dwellings support daily practices and
how city dwellers rely on the urban to supplement the facilitation
of domestic activities. Between Four Walls and City Streets draws
explicit connections between public and private life, highlighting
how the commodification of domestic space creates a knock-on effect
that ultimately forces domestic life to spill into the public sphere and
the high turnover that results from the relentless compromise of city
living.
Description
Keywords
architecture, urbanism, domesticity, metropolis, city, dwelling, domestic, transience