3.1.2025
Doctoral thesis on spatial dynamics in Finnish cities during the latter half of the 19th century
M.A. Niklas Rapo’s doctoral thesis in Nordic History will be put forth for public defence at The Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology at Åbo Akademi University.
The thesis is entitled Förstäder och rumslig dynamik. Marginalen och urban utveckling i 1800-talets Finland.
The public defence of the doctoral thesis takes place on Friday 10 January 2025 at 1PM in auditorium Armfelt, Arken, Tehtaankatu 2, Turku. Professor Pirjo Markkola, University of Tampere, Finland, will serve as opponent and Professor Johanna Ilmakunnas, Åbo Akademi University, as custos.
Summary
The dissertation focuses on spatial dynamics in Finnish cities during the latter half of the 19th century. Its focus is the relationship between unregulated urban areas that emerged spontaneously and the planned core of the city. The aim is to shed light on urban development and social conditions by examining the dynamics between planned and unplanned urban spaces. The empirical material consists of four peer-reviewed articles addressing suburbs and urban dynamics from various perspectives. The case studies analyze unregulated areas outside the cities of Pori, Porvoo, Tampere, and Vaasa.
The dissertation demonstrates how urban fringes served as contrast to the modern city and urban life. They represented a discursive antithesis to the modern, organized urban environments and were perceived as primitive and stagnant areas, which at the same time highlighted the development and progress achieved in the planned city.
The dissertation provides new perspectives on societal transformations in the 19th century and on urban spaces. It also contributes to existing research on marginalized groups in society by introducing a spatio-theoretical discussion into this research tradition.
Niklas Rapo can be reached by email niklas.rapo@abo.fi.
The doctoral thesis can be read online through the Doria publication archive.