Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | eng |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2011
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/66801 |
| _version_ | 1826199680727384064 |
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| author | Durso, Holly Bellocchio |
| author2 | Annette M. Kim. |
| author_facet | Annette M. Kim. Durso, Holly Bellocchio |
| author_sort | Durso, Holly Bellocchio |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:23:50Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/66801 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:23:50Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/668012019-04-10T23:23:44Z Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T Durso, Holly Bellocchio Annette M. Kim. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Urban Studies and Planning. Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-160). Subways play crucial transportation roles in our cities, but they also act as unique public spaces, distinguished by specific design characteristics, governed by powerful state-run institutions, and subject to intense public scrutiny and social debate. This thesis takes the case of the United States' oldest subway system-Boston's T-and explores how and why its spaces and regulations over their appropriate use have changed over time in response to public perceptions, political battles, and broader social forces. I use data collected from historical newspaper archives, published reports, and official agency records to detail how the city's subway authorities-first the Boston Elevated Railway Company, then the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), and presently the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)-have sought to manage and shape these unique underground spaces and simultaneously maintain an image of order and control within them. My research reveals and more closely examines three major factors that have influenced the changing controls over subway space usage in Boston: (1) the highly specific design constraints and unique physical aspects of the city's subway spaces; (2) evolving values and ideologies embedded within the transit agencies that are continuously seeking to promote a positive image of themselves; and (3) persisting public perceptions of subway spaces, many of which revolve around historical fears of the unknown and unfamiliar. By highlighting these complex hidden processes at work within Boston's underground realm, this thesis promotes a careful reexamination of a heavily used yet underappreciated urban space for the purposes of better understanding our experiences with and connections to the city. by Holly Bellocchio Durso. M.C.P. 2011-11-01T19:46:29Z 2011-11-01T19:46:29Z 2011 2011 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/66801 757142668 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 160 p. application/pdf n-us-ma Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Urban Studies and Planning. Durso, Holly Bellocchio Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T |
| title | Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T |
| title_full | Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T |
| title_fullStr | Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T |
| title_short | Subway spaces as public places : politics and perceptions of Boston's T |
| title_sort | subway spaces as public places politics and perceptions of boston s t |
| topic | Urban Studies and Planning. |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/66801 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dursohollybellocchio subwayspacesaspublicplacespoliticsandperceptionsofbostonst |