Changing Space and Landscape

 Response Paper 3

GEOG101

Alice Williams

Changing Space & Landscape

This week we were assigned two readings, Railroad Space and Railroad Time by Wolfgang Schivelbusch, and Fortress Los Angeles by Mike Davis. Schivelbusch’s article addresses the history of Railroad development and the impact on space, time and our perception of landscape. Davis’ book outlines how urban landscapes have developed and changed through security and policing. Both readings look into how humans impact landscapes and how the perception of space and landscape are changing over time. Schivelbusch refers to railroad development as changing our view of landscape to the space between two locations, losing its value or meaning. Davis explains how security efforts and policing give people the ability to control the landscape, to determine how it will be perceived.

In reference to the railroad system development and people's perception of space and time, Schivelbusch states “What is experienced as annihilated is the traditional space-time continuum which was characterized by the old transport technology” (33). Explaining the way time and space earned new meaning with the ability to travel long distances at record speed. Development of the railroad allowed people the ability to travel distances they weren’t able to before, but in turn that space was destroyed and became the “in-between space” (34) and detachment of the landscape. The landscape was referred to as having an aura that was being lost due to mass transit and production, leading to detachment from landscape. As if the landscape was losing its value to people as the expectation of production and speed superseded the appreciation of nature.  

On a similar notion, in Fortress Los Angeles, Davis refers to security and structural efforts in areas of Los Angeles relating to how people see or experience those areas. Often these changes were to appeal to the “upper class,” and reduce accessibility to poor or minority groups. Davis references a city redevelopment plan “to use eminent domain and higher taxes to clear out the poor...from the streets of Hollywood and reap the huge windfalls from ‘upgrading’ the area into a glitzy them-park for international tourism” (169), showing how these efforts were intending to change the perception of the landscape. City officials are making decisions based on what they want certain areas to be perceived as. A high end neighborhood with gated security, a tourist hot spot, or a city shopping center with stores that appeal to the upper class only. All in an effort to attract people that fit a specific demographic, and pushing those who don’t out of business in those areas. What really stuck out to me were specific structural changes and policing in cities and parks to limit areas for homeless people to sit, lay down or access a restroom. In discussing the dangers of Skid Row and many homeless people’s efforts to find safer locations downtown at night, Davis states, “The city in turn tightens the noose with increased police harassment and ingenious design deterrents” (161). This outlines the use of security in efforts to maintain the image or perception of space and landscape of the city.

Both Schivelbusch and Davis outline how human efforts have an impact on how we perceive space and landscape. I find it interesting how people so quickly become accustomed to the new and normal way of things, that we don’t always think beyond the here and now. It’s so great to be able to fly across the country in a matter of hours, but we find set backs or delays frustrating, we're always on a schedule and don't want our travel time to take any longer than expected. We don’t even see the majority of the landscape between points A and B, it simply becomes the Earth below us. We are also marketed to visit certain areas. Like Alaska, as we discussed in class, we show people what’s so great about it but not the negative things. Places advertising for visitors have created the landscape they want people to see, often having special shops just for tourists and location specific merchandise, again highlighting the things we want people to see.