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Towards a narrative typology of urban planning narratives for, in and of planning in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki

URBAN DESIGN International volume 22, pages 318–330 (2017)Cite this article

“The city should be thought of as a story”

Tuomas Rajajärvi, former head of the Helsinki City Planning Department.

Abstract

Urban planning and theory have witnessed an increasing interest in narratives. There remain, however, diverging notions of what is meant with narratives, and of their function and use. This article provides a taxonomy of narratives in the context of planning, illustrated by the redevelopment of Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. Three distinct types of narrative can be identified in the context of urban planning: narratives for, in and of planning. This paper argues that a narrative typology of urban planning that draws on concepts from narrative theory could bring new insights into the discursive urban practices that have appearing during past decades.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to express his gratitude to the Kone Foundation for funding this research.

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  1. School of Language, Translation and Literary Studies, University of Tampere, Kanslerinrinne 1, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Lieven Ameel

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  1. Lieven Ameel
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Ameel, L. Towards a narrative typology of urban planning narratives for, in and of planning in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. Urban Des Int 22, 318–330 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-016-0030-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-016-0030-8

Keywords

  • urban planning
  • waterfront development
  • Helsinki
  • urban form
  • narrative