Comments on: Borderlands http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/51 raising awareness of people-centered place design Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:19:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Mathew, Toronto http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/51#comment-29865 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:01:29 +0000 http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/51#comment-29865 Interestingly the German-Polish border is recent. Poland was partitioned in the 1700's and part attached to Germany, and another part to Austria (where my mother came from). The multi-ethnic states were unsuccessful, due partly to the history of conquest and subordination certainly, but also to a failure of "political entrepreneurs" to create a viable larger state. That part of Europe fragmented back again into more ethnically homogeneous states after World War I, as did the Ottoman Empire, where again the Ottomanist Movement --- an attempt to create a pan-ethnic nationalism had failed, the Ottoman Jews being virtually its only believing supporters. Again borders reemerged. I think that borders are actually sometimes more evanescent and impermanent factors than people believe, and usually governments represent them as. On another note, speaking as an ex-Montrealer, if you're looking for that missing hybrid Canuck-Yankee border fusion culture, try parts of Florida in winter where all "'dem sno-birds" go. I speak as someone who has never been there, but is curious about what had emerged. Interestingly the German-Polish border is recent. Poland was partitioned in the 1700’s and part attached to Germany, and another part to Austria (where my mother came from). The multi-ethnic states were unsuccessful, due partly to the history of conquest and subordination certainly, but also to a failure of “political entrepreneurs” to create a viable larger state. That part of Europe fragmented back again into more ethnically homogeneous states after World War I, as did the Ottoman Empire, where again the Ottomanist Movement — an attempt to create a pan-ethnic nationalism had failed, the Ottoman Jews being virtually its only believing supporters. Again borders reemerged.

I think that borders are actually sometimes more evanescent and impermanent factors than people believe, and usually governments represent them as.

On another note, speaking as an ex-Montrealer, if you’re looking for that missing hybrid Canuck-Yankee border fusion culture, try parts of Florida in winter where all “‘dem sno-birds” go. I speak as someone who has never been there, but is curious about what had emerged.

]]> by: Daniel Nairn http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/51#comment-19985 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:30:06 +0000 http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/51#comment-19985 This is an interesting topic. Throughout history it was actual geographical barriers (mountains, oceans) that formed cultures distinctively, but now we have learned how to alleviate some of these "borders". It's interesting how political boundaries, although entirely artificial, have come to serve some of the same purposes. Some hamper mobility more than others, but they all seem to shape what is within them to a certain degree. The big one you didn't mention is the border around Israel. Whatever your view on that conflict, one has to realize how tough it is to politically draw a boundary around a place without the slow historical process of culture-making in place. At least that's my opinion. This is an interesting topic. Throughout history it was actual geographical barriers (mountains, oceans) that formed cultures distinctively, but now we have learned how to alleviate some of these “borders”. It’s interesting how political boundaries, although entirely artificial, have come to serve some of the same purposes. Some hamper mobility more than others, but they all seem to shape what is within them to a certain degree.

The big one you didn’t mention is the border around Israel. Whatever your view on that conflict, one has to realize how tough it is to politically draw a boundary around a place without the slow historical process of culture-making in place. At least that’s my opinion.

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