Cities as Fragmented and Divided (S01-EP05)
Conrad Hamann’s discussion of Cities as Fragmented and Divided describes stressed and dystopian urban environments—places rendered irreconcilable by ideology, religion, or ethnicity. His discussion is highly charged, employing terms such as ghetto, apartheid, and redlining. It conjures an urban image shaped not only by walls and barbed wire fences, but also by invisible virtual or administrative borders. Names like Berlin, Belfast, Soweto, Harlem, Jim Crow, and Gaza evoke powerful images of conflict and separation in the urban realm.
This is contrasted with cities separated from their surroundings by protective walls, or with twin cities united—such as Budapest or Minneapolis–St Paul—and the tendency of metropolises to absorb and connect villages, with London and Tokyo standing as prime examples.
We must also acknowledge that our conversation takes place on a city grid built upon unceded land, shaped by the displacement of its original custodians. Australian cities once operated under formal apartheid systems—for example, Perth’s CBD exclusion zone for Aboriginal people, which existed until 1954, and the ‘Boundary Streets’ that demarcated Indigenous from non-Indigenous areas.
Hamann also speaks of both vertical and horizontal urban divisions: the stratification within a tower’s section—where height corresponds to class, creating a literal underclass below—and the horizontal fragmentation caused by urban infrastructure such as freeways. What is often most striking is the capacity of a city’s inhabitants to ignore, or be wilfully blind to, such stark divisions. These borders, though extreme, are frequently invisible.
‘SUP is hosted by Ian Nazareth, Graham Crist and Christine Phillips
This podcast is produced with support from the Alastair Swayn Foundation and the RMIT University School of Architecture & Urban Design.
Show Notes and References
1. Film References
The Zone of Interest (2023, Jonathan Glazer)
Explores the ordinary life of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss's family living beside the camp, contrasting domestic normalcy with industrialised atrocity.
Other Film References:
Metropolis (1927) – Fritz Lang: Class divisions in a dystopian city.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – Future dystopia of social and environmental divides.
The Big Clock (1948) – Urban tension within a corporate setting.
Parasite (2019, Bong Joon-ho) – Class stratification in South Korea.
West Side Story (1961) – Racial and social gang conflict in NYC.
Manhattan (1979, Woody Allen) – Romanticised New York and its complexities.
2. Divided Cities & Spatial Conflicts
Berlin Wall
Constructed in 1961, symbolising Cold War division.
Francis Fukuyama: Fall as end of ideological division – The End of History
Ronald Reagan’s 1987 speech: "Tear down this wall"
Israel – Multiple Number Plate System
Distinguishes between Jewish and Palestinian areas, reinforcing spatial and identity-based segregation.
Australia – Hidden Conflicts and Racial Divides
Essay: Nothing to See Here – Hidden Conflict in Australian Capital Cities
MONU #37, by Conrad Hamann, Graham Crist, Ian Nazareth
Indigenous Segregation in Australia
Longstanding racial divides between Indigenous and settler communities.
Melbourne – North/South Divide
Socioeconomic division between wealthier southern areas and working-class northern suburbs.
Sydney – North/South of the Harbour
Geographic and economic divide.
Urban Suburb Differentiation in Australia
Suburbs stratified by wealth, race, and historical patterns.
New York City – Spatial Contrasts
Fifth Avenue: Wealth, luxury, and heritage.
Spanish Harlem (El Barrio): Cultural richness vs socioeconomic challenge.
Sudden Urban Transitions: Sharp socio-economic shifts within a few blocks.
3. Vertical and Structural Divides
Vertical Cities
Class hierarchies expressed through floor levels in apartment buildings.
Lightwell Apartments – U.S.
Central courtyards offer minimal light to inner rooms, typically occupied by lower-income residents.
4. Architectural Visions and Divisions
Le Corbusier – Ville Radieuse & Urban Infrastructure
Elevated freeways with gardens and arches for efficiency and beauty.
Cité Frugès, Pessac Houses
Modernist affordable housing in Bordeaux.
5. Contemporary Urban Architecture
ARM Architecture – Melbourne Central Redevelopment
Integration of heritage and new design with the Shot Tower.
Pandemic Urbanism – Melbourne's Ring of Steel
Essay: Pestilential Cities, MONU #33
Lockdown boundaries highlighted inequities in green space access.