A reoccurring theme that arises in cultural geography is social norms and how they affect us. Both readings go into great detail of how these social norms and economic forces influence how we as society design and build new landscapes. The landscape I analyzed was Tim Horton’s field. I will look closely at the stadium as a whole and particularly the actually field. This essay will look at the socio-economic factors that decided everything from the choice of the name to the actual design and build of the stadium; there will be direct comparisons of the previous field to reinforce my points.
Tim Horton’s field lies in the middle of an area that used to be Hamilton’s biggest job and economic provider. Throughout the years Hamilton has been
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known as the “Steel City”. By looking at the past we can see that the best place to put a stadium was where it is because the residents in the neighbourhood had more disposable income as a result of working for a booming Stelco or Dofasco. This proves that economic factors influence not only how and with what structures are built with but where. A flourishing neighbourhood was the only logical place to put the stadium. With the building of a new stadium property value around the stadium naturally tends to increase. The main reason for the new stadium is to play host to the Pan Am games. The amount of money it took to build the stadium is seen as an investment. A new state-of-the-art stadium draws many big events to be hosted there. Any time an event brings people from all over the world they bring their money. This means profit and outside income for the city as a result of the stadium. This is evident in the fact every country tries to host the Olympics. The other economic factor that actually influences the look of the field and stadium is advertisement. Advertisement and sports are constantly intertwined. This is evident with the stadium being named after a big corporation, Tim Horton’s field. What better advertisement can a company get than having a cultural landscaped named after the company. The name of the field is broadcasted and displayed everywhere to reinforce the company’s image. The actual field itself can be seen as another canvas for various advertisements. The field has various logos from big companies like Scotia bank and Direct Energy. The more money a company gives the more space the company is given for their logo. Tim Horton’s being the biggest partner obviously has the biggest logo. Another interesting point is where the logos are located. We see all the big companies displaying their logos right in the middle of the field. The smaller companies are advertised on the outer perimeter of the field. Once again this is due to how much a company pays for their place. More people are going to notice the middle of the field rather than the smaller logos on the outside. When the Pan Am games come to Hamilton, I can strongly see that the field will probably be painted with different sponsors thus allowing another source of income. This decision can be seen as an economic one. The previous stadium held more than the new stadium. The new stadium advertises that there is no such thing as a bad view from their newly constructed seats. This gives the impression of quality over quantity and allows them to charge more for the available seats. Many of the economic factors influence how the field was built and how it will look for future events. A huge factor that influences the layout and usage of space is social and cultural impacts occurring in the area. The new stadium has many open spaces displaying green plant life in which the previous stadium did not have. This transition can be seen as a cultural identity change. The first stadium layout reflected Hamilton’s industrial steel town. The new layout reflects how Hamilton’s cultural identity is changing from industrial to more of an artsy diversified place. The exterior of the building demonstrates this by displaying some of the companies’ logos and a modern glass wall rather than then just framework and supports beams like the previous stadium. Underneath the stands there is lots of natural light coming through the glass and bright lights illuminating the area. This is quite a change from the previous stadium being very gloomy and not well lit underneath the stadium. I think this is a strong reflection of how Hamiltonians see themselves; a change in sense of place, no longer viewing themselves as a blue collared steel making industry rather a diverse evolving economy. Other social and cultural factors influencing the building are evident in how the end zones have large open spaces to be use for whatever the event requires.
This gives the people the ability to roam and converse while still being engaged in the event. In the previous stadium you were more confined to your purchased seat limiting movement. This could be viewed as a provider for our ever changing social needs. Just as Stilgoe notes that people in New England first used rocks to construct fences because that was what was readily available to them. In comparison when Ivor Wynne stadium was first built steel was abundant hence the constant use of it in the previous stadium. As time goes on Stilgoe remarks that fences got more and more elaborate depending on where one goes and “explores”. This social change is very evident in the Tim Horton’s field. The modern and social themes being displayed in other public building around Hamilton made it logical for the stadium to follow. This shows how the social and cultural trends can impact the design of stadium. The stadiums modern look incorporates a wide selection of materials rather than just one that is abundant. The cement and steel are obliviously used for structural integrity and to provide safety. But the glass exterior is a definite example of following a cultural trend the city has. The public Library and Market in downtown Hamilton also have this modern technological look. Culture is constantly around us. By taking a more in depth look at the field we see that during the football games only lines painted for a regulation Canadian football game are painted yet the field is built big enough to incorporate FIFA’s standards for a soccer game but contain no soccer lines on it. The field and stadium appeal to its audience needs. When the Pan Am soccer comes, it is guaranteed that the field will have painted soccer lines on it. The field itself is an artificial turf that has to be approved by governing sports leagues.
Why not use real grass? The only answer is because real grass can’t survive year long and takes too much labour to maintain. The decision for the field to be artificial turf is a product of our environment, and a representation of our cultural identity. If we take a second to stop and look at the landscapes around we can learn a lot from it. The analysis I did of Tim Horton's field can be strongly connected to Pierce K Lewis' paper on Axioms for Reading the Landscape. For instances I identify Hamilton's new cultural identity through various buildings around the city. Lewis would view this as the first axiom, “The Axiom of Landscape as a Clue to Culture”. I interpret this as the landscapes around are a reflection of our current cultural trends. Tim Horton's field in comparison to the old Ivor Wynne can be viewed as the first axiom as well as the fourth axiom. In the fourth axiom Lewis states that this cultural change does not happen over time but rather abruptly. I strongly agree with this and quite evident within Hamilton's changing cultural identity. Hamilton went through an economic recession that saw two main economic contributors nearly close for good. This huge change not only spurred a different economy but a different culture as well. This is how Lewis' work made me think differently about the landscape. In conclusion, I used many references to the past stadium. I don’t think one can interpret landscapes without doing so. For instances every man made landscape has a history, a purpose as to why it is there. We must figure out the past to see how the present landscape is affected. What purpose did this generation need to turn that corn field into a suburban sprawl of houses? Once we know the past usage we can see the social or economic changes to the landscape. We see that individuals who belong to a certain area display their cultural and economic status through the buildings they construct. Cultural Geography takes normal everyday things we use and gives them a definition, a reason beyond what social norms declare it to be.
Hines’ article, though not possessing a clear purpose, provides a thorough history of the entire Elysian Park Heights project. He summarizes Chavez Ravine, the architects and their vision, and the downfall of the project due to fears of socialism and a desire for baseball. Hines’ writing effectively triggers a number of emotions, mainly anger and shock that the situation took place. While he provides no introduction to the reader, by the conclusion, Hines definitely provides reason for response.
Space is an essential commodity in setting up an industry. Mr. Crane, a sawmill owner, bought forested land in the north bank of Passaic Falls in August 1827. In September, he turned it into a commercial pleasure garden, announcing that he would reshape the forest in the name of material and moral progress. Crane’s advancement privatizes and commercializes, he as well alters the
To analyze the economic conditions for Tim Hortons, firstly, we will talk about the worldwide economic situation and the specific economic condition in Canada, then shows how these factors that affect operation of Tim Hortons.
Canadiens Hockey Club has a positive impact on the city of Montreal as a whole.
When it comes to the term “Tim Hortons,” what comes to the average person’s mind might have a lot to do with which generation you grew up in. If you had grown up in the 1960’s and were a big hockey fan, you would probably match the name Tim Horton as the legendary defenseman who lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups. You even may match the name to the exotic De Tomaso Pantera, which was given to Horton as a one year signing bonus by the Buffalo Sabres, which Horton later died in during a high speed crash. If you weren’t born and raised during this era, then the name Tim Horton likely pairs up to the popular Canadian trademark of Tim Horton’s coffee and doughnuts. Although Horton did not have the chance to see his company grow into the multi-billion dollar business it is today, his name still rings through the nation and is a major part of the Canadians day.
St. Andrews is a small coastal town in New Brunswick, situated at the end of a peninsula jutting out into the magnificent Bay of Fundy. The Town is conveniently located 30 km from St. Stephen and the Maine border, 100 km from Saint John and 120 km from Fredericton. The Town was founded in 1783, by Loyalists escaping persecution south of the border, on government land grants provided by Governor Parr. St. Andrews grew and flourished for much of the next century and was an important harbour with a healthy shipbuilding industry. At the turn of the last century the Town still prospered. Ship building was a dying industry, but with the building of the Algonquin Hotel in 1889, the Town became an important summer resort town for the “rich”, especially after the CPR took it over at the turn of the century.
This Paper will describe and analyze three articles pertaining to the ongoing debate for and against Glen Canyon Dam. Two of these articles were found in the 1999 edition of A Sense of Place, and the third was downloaded off a site on the Internet (http://www.glencanyon.net/club.htm). These articles wi...
Harm de Blij and his “The Power of Place: Geography, Destiny, and Globalization’s Rough Landscape” truly describes how geography is displayed in the world today. In particular on of the major themes that he discusses is the idea of globalization. He actually calls these people the “globals.” In the very beginning of his book he describes two different types of peoples: Locals and Globals. The difference between these people is that Locals are the poorer people, not as mobile, and more susceptible to the concept of place. On the other hand the Globals are the fortunate population, and are a small group of people who have experienced globalization firsthand (5). This idea of globalization is a main theme that Blij refers to throughout the book, however he also indirectly references the five themes of cultural geography: culture regions, cultural diffusion, cultural interaction, cultural ecology, and cultural landscapes. Through Blij’s analysis these five themes are revealed in detail and help explain his overall idea of globalization in the world today.
Jackson, Kenneth. The Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States. New York. Oxford University Press, 1985.
Thus, the reality of places is constructed through social actions including both individual and collective efforts, through informal associations and institutions of government and the economy, rather than through the inherent qualities (Logan and Lolotch, 1987, p.45). Hence, the conclusion is well constructed. The authors effectively use 'compare and contrast' structure and 'cause and effect' structure in the chapter to build and enhance their argument. They also back up their arguments citing various researchers throughout the chapter, in almost all the sections, making their argument more persuasive. Logan and Molotch enhances the
In the case study, CEO Eisner have idea of American history theme park within area of battlefield in Prince William County, Virginia. Eisner’s idea of building historical theme over property that already made its mark within American would be redundant. Disney’s conceptual plan was to use 650 million and authorized $130 million in local roads to serve it (Argenti, 2013, p.234). The first vulnerable would be the public opinion for and against the proposal land usage. When news first come out of a theme park being place near DC there was fifty anti-Disney rallied in protest while several hundred children was dressed to simulate as 101 Dalmatians in ...
Tony Hiss Author of The Experience of Place brings to our attention that as humans “We react, consciously or unconsciously, to the places where we live and work, in ways we scarcely notice or that are only now becoming known to us…In short, the places where we spend our time affect the people we are and can become.” Place defines characteristics in both human and extended moral communities. Place is not necessarily specific to gender, race, generation or specie. This understanding and recognition of place is fundamental when thinking about institutionalizing ecological and social responsibility.
First, hockey is seen as a Canadian symbol and has impacted Canadian identity. One may believe hockey has impacted Canadian identity because of the way we are seen by the world and what we do to give ourselves this image. An example is in Vancouver, February 2005 protestors blocked off electric Commercial Drive to protest the expansion of the Trans-Canada Highway . The protestors took an interesting approach to this as people decided to express themselves and play a good old friendly game of hockey. The protest of a community coming together to play a game for a cause they believe in shows how much the game of hockey matters to Canadians. Hockey has also impacted Canadian identity by portraying images of hockey on five dollar bills, Tim Horton’s cups and Olympic commercials depicting Canadian love for the game. All of this illustrates hockey to be a Canadian game and played by everyone, it’s adding to the Canadian stereotype that we all play hockey and live in igloos. Lastly hockey has impacted Canadian identity because of the way we celebrate this sport. Scotiabank hosts their annual Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada celebratio...
De, Blij Harm J., and Peter O. Muller. Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts. New York: J. Wiley, 1997. 340. Print.
This was an era where sociology was emerging. Hirsch using Sauer’s work argued that human interaction with the natural landscape created a ‘cultural landscape’. Hirsch uses Gow ‘s (1994) chapter on Amazonian Peru to demonstrate how a cultural landscape develops. The Piro people of Peru use rotational crops to feed their people and share their food among the tribe. When they look at the land it represents kinship structures and social ties. The notion of space and place are entwined in meaning by emphasising the reality but also looking to the potentiality of the place thus creating a ‘space’.