To the rhythm of shopping—on synchronisation in urban landscapes of consumption

Abstract

This article deals with the impact of retail rhythms on urban life and urban landscape, with a special focus on tendencies toward synchronisation. The article is divided into three sections. First, the history of synchronisations in public space is traced, and it is argued that the retail business has become an increasingly important actor in the production of urban temporal landscapes. Second, six different types of spatial synchronisation are discussed, derived from studies of the city of Malmö, Sweden. Finally, I discuss the problems associated with increased spatial synchronisation, as imposed by retail businesses, on public life and space, arguing that urban synchronisations might lead to isorhythmic tendencies and a decrease in the territorial complexity of public space.

Cet article traite de l'impact des rythmes de vente sur la vie urbaine et le paysage urbain, portant un intérêt particulier aux tendances vers la synchronisation. L'article est divisé en trois parties. Premièrement, l'histoire des synchronisations dans l'espace public est retracée, et il est affirmé que la vente est devenue un facteur de plus en plus important dans la production des paysages urbains temporels. Ensuite, six types différents de synchronisation spatiale sont présentés, issus d'études de la ville de Malmö, en Suède. Enfin, je présente les problèmes associés à la synchronisation spatiale accrue, comme imposée par les affaires de vente, sur la vie publique et l'espace publique, en remarquant que la synchronisation urbaine peut mener à des tendances isorythmiques et une diminution dans la complexité territoriale d'espace publique.

Este articulo se trata al impacto de ritmos al detalle en la vida urbana y la paisaje urbana, con un foco especial en las tendencias por sincronización. El articulo se divide entre tres secciones. Primero, se examina la historia de las sincronizaciones en el espacio público, y se discute que el almacén al detalle se ha crecido a ser un actor importante en la producción de paisajes urbanas temporales. Segundo, se discute seis tipos de sincronización espacial, obtenidos de estudios de la ciudad de Malmö, Suecia. En fin, discuto los problemas relacionados con la sincronización espacial aumentada, impuesto por los almacenes de detalle, sobre la vida publica y especial, discutiendo que las sincronizaciones urbanas pueden llevar a tendencias isorítmicas y una reducción en la complejidad territorial del espacio público.

Keywords:

• rhythmanalysis
• territoriality
• public space
• landscapes of consumption

Keywords:

• rythme-analyse
• territorialité
• espace public
• paysages de consommation

Keywords:

• análisis rítmico
• territorialidad
• espacio público
• paisajes del consumo

Acknowledgements

The supportive suggestions of the anonymous referees are gratefully acknowledged. The work reported in this paper was financed by the Swedish research council FORMAS.

Notes

1  Certainly, other kinds of ‘mobile vendors’ exist as well, for example in the genre of domesticated leisure and consumption (on-line shopping, dial takeouts, home deliveries, watching movies on-line, etc.). However, in this article I focus on the impact of retail on the activities of urban public places. Although relations between public life and the increase in domesticated on-line shopping have been noted (mostly negative), they are not the focus of this paper.

2  Cf. Carlstein: ‘The synchronization of resources and the substitution between resources must thus be seen in spatial context of how they are synchorized in space and coupled in time-space’ (1978: 157).

3  A palimpsest is, according to De Quincey in his text ‘The Palimpsest of the Human Brain’, ‘a membrane or roll cleansed of its manuscript by reiterated succession’ (1896: 341). Freud later used the same metaphor, comparing the human brain to the city of Rome (Amin and Thrift 2002: 19 ff.).

4  This description bears some resemblance to public space as seen through the eyes of, for example, Goffman, Jacobs, Lofland and Sennett (Madanipour 2003).