History of Italian Immigrants Experience with Housing in Post WWII Australia

Previous studies on Italian migrants in Australia highlight that Italian migrants migrated to Australia in the 1950s’-1960s with the primary goal of permanently settling in Australia. Also, scholars pointed out that the form of the transnational houses they subsequently built in Australia were manifestations of both their wish to have their family united under the one roof and of the family’s economic success. In opposition to the work of previous scholars, this article, exploring Italian migrants’ narratives and views about their migration experiences in Brisbane in the post-WWII period, will instead argue that migrants did not intend to settle permanently after their first arrival in Australia, and that further meanings were embedded in the form of their transnational houses built in Brisbane, beyond that which reflected the unity and success of the family

Livability and Social Capital in West Bay, The New Business Precinct of Doha

Scholars argue that there is a mutual relationship between built environment, social interactions (and/or social capital) and livability: the form of the built environment contributes to the construction of social capital and/or enhancement of livability. Therefore in order to enhance livability, the built environment should provide the arena encouraging social activities. The study of the relationship between built environment, social capital and livability has focused on existing spatial environments at macro level or urban scale. Namely, regardless of the interest to this relationship, direct assessment of the extent to which the built environment of West Bay, the new business precinct of Doha, contributes to the formation and enhancement of social capital, has not been investigated yet. Therefore, this research project aims at filling this gap in the literature. The paper argues that the current spatial form of the built environment of West Bay does not facilitate the development of social activities, which in turn contribute the formation of social capital and enhancement of livability. The aim of the paper is to explore and explain the extent to which the spatial form of the built environment of West Bay can be implemented in order to enhance social interactions and/or social capital and, therefore, to contribute to create a more livable environment. Data is obtained from a household survey and focus group interviews that measured the social capital of tenants living in eight high-rise buildings in West Bay, through their involvement in social activities within the built environment. This allowed understanding how the built environment of West Bay should be modified in order to enhance social capital and consequently implement livability in the neighborhood. The analysis indicates that (1) tenant living in West Bay have low level of social capital and that (2) in order to enhance livability, the spatial form of the neighborhood’s built environment needs to be implemented with public spaces, mixed-use neighborhood design, efficient public transport systems, pedestrian and bicycle networks. This would contribute to create a sense of community and expand opportunity for social interactions, which in the end would contribute to enhance livability

The Symbolic Realm of Italian Migrants’ Post-WWII Houses in Australia

The Post-WWII period witnessed a large immigration flow of Italians towards Australia. This was facilitated by the assisted passage scheme funded by the Italian and Australian governments. Italian migrants, as well as diverse migrant groups, brought with them cultural practices and a way of life, which are nowadays part of the multicultural Australian society. Namely, it is argued that first generation Italian migrants’ houses are embedded by cultural meanings. Therefore, this research study investigates the symbolic realm of Post-WWII domestic dwellings built by Italian migrants in Brisbane, that is, the various meanings they associated with their homes. The data was collected from focus group discussion and in-depth interviews held at the Italian Club in Newmarket and at the residences of forty Veneto first generation migrants, who migrated to Australia in the Post-WWII period. The collected data has been subjected to thematic and to hermeneutic analysis. This procedure generated a list of various meanings embedded onto migrants’ houses in Brisbane. The revealed findings contribute (1) to explore a historically significant process of Australian domestic architectural development and (2) to expose the symbolic realm preserved into the built environment, which represent the national cultural heritage of Australia

Post-WWII Italian Migration from Veneto (Italy) to Australia and Transnational Houses in Queensland

This paper explores the phenomenon of post WWII Italian migration (from the Veneto region) to the State of Queensland in Australia. The exploration is linked with the topic of the accommodations where respondents resided since their arrival in Australia. The data was collected in Australia from semi-structured interviews conducted with ten families native to the Veneto region, who migrated to Australia after WWII. All interviews were conducted in the language preferred by participants, which corresponded to their regional dialect and the Italian language interpolated with some Austral-Italiani words. The interviews have been transcribed and subjected to the first level of analysis - thematic analysis - following orthodox practices (Kitchin & Tate, 2000; Seale, 2004). The analysis of the transcript material generated a number of themes, which, after being subjected to a second level of analysis using phenomenological hermeneutics, have been validated by the respondents. The themes have been ordered into two groups corresponding to first and last (or permanent) dwellings’ migration experiences

Sustainable Neighborhood in Doha (State of Qatar): A Strategy for Achieving Urban Quality in Al-Hitmi

Over the past two decades, gulf cities have been rapidly growing, mainly after the discovery of oil. Large-scale urban projects have been constructed as a result of globalization, which has affected the built environment and the urban fabric of gulf cities. Doha, the capital city of the State of Qatar, has been substantially influenced by globalization. The city has experienced great transformation in its environment since the 1950s, after the discovery of oil. Therefore, Doha has faced the challenge of keeping pace with urban developments that have been increasing and taking over the existing heritage embedded in buildings and traditional neighborhoods. Al-Hitmi is one of the neighborhoods affected by urbanization and sprawling. This research study investigates Al-Hitmi neighborhood and its features, opportunities, constraints, and relationship with the surrounding areas, specifically Qatar National Museum and the Museum Metro Station. The research design is based on the review of the literature, site analysis of the selected case, and surrounding context in order to (1) find opportunities and challenges and (2) to propose a strategy for the urban regeneration of the neighborhood of Al- Hitmi

Sustainable Neighborhoods: West Bay, Business District of Doha (State of Qatar)

Over the past two decades in Qatar, designers and planners focused on design merits of high-rise buildings and the impact on the skyline and the city image, discarding the integration of the buildings with the ground level. This research study investigates the sustainability and livability of the public realm within high-rise districts, focusing on the business district of West Bay, Doha, State of Qatar, as a case study. In West Bay, tall buildings have security gates and parking spaces on the ground level that weaken the livability and vitality of the street. Therefore, to enhance livability, the built environment should provide a vibrant social urban ground level. Insufficient parking spaces along with the lack of public transportation choices frustrate people and intensify the traffic congestion in West Bay. The lack of services and amenities within the residential towers accompanied with poor pedestrian circulation make it hard to perform everyday activities. The spatial segregation in West Bay translates into a distinct functional spatialisation. Also, most buildings in West Bay are single-use occupancy, with clusters of retail, services and catering activities, their spatialisation does not provide for an overlap of movement between the working occupants and the recreational ones. The research study aims to study the relationship between built environment and livability on the street level of the existing spatial environments on the micro urban scale of West Bay. Therefore, this research project aims to fill the gap in the literature regarding design-based research that provides solutions to existing limitations in the physical environment. The strategy includes a summary of the literature, site analyses and resultant design vision for a sustainable livable development concept for the study area, the business district of West Ba

Post-WWII Italian Immigration to Australia: The Catholic Church as a Means of Social Integration and Italian Associations as a Way of Preserving Italian Culture

Historically, most Italians have been Roman Catholics. Also, the majority of Italian immigrants who migrated to Australia have remained Catholics. In Brisbane, in which a large number of Italian migrants migrated in post WWII period, immigrants were actively involved in activities performed around Catholic Parishes. Concurrently, driven by the need for interaction among themselves and also with Australians, Italian migrants built ethnic clubs and associations to facilitate social interaction. This study aims to investigate the extent to which the Catholic Church and cultural clubs and associations has contributed to the social integration process of post WWII first generation Italian migrants in Brisbane. The role of the Catholic Church and cultural associations was explored, namely those activities, which majorly involved Italian migrants within the community since their arrival in Brisbane. Forty participants were interviewed about their religious beliefs and congregational/community activities, which were central for them to enhance life satisfaction and consequently to integrate within the community. The findings reveal that being involved in social activities performed within the catholic parish helped them to give a meaning to their life in the Australian host environment and provided them a supportive community. Attending religious services and congregational social activities helped migrants to find strength and comfort, to overcome hardships, and more importantly to create friendships, which provided them a tool contributing to implementing their individual quality of life or life satisfaction and finally to integrating within the Australian society. In addition, for Italian migrants, the typical national and regional clubs became a recreation/social center, which helped them to preserve their national language, culture and identity

Built Form and Cultural Meanings of the Homes of Veneto Post WWII Italian Migrants in Australia

This study investigates the domestic dwellings built in Brisbane by twenty first-generation migrants, natives of the Veneto region in Italy, who migrated to Australia in the post WWII period and built their houses in the 1980s and 1990s in Brisbane. The purpose of this research study is to explore whether notions of culture were present in the homes migrants constructed in Brisbane, both in the material realm (interpreted as internal and external organization of space and the composition of the façade) and in the symbolic realm (the meanings attached to these houses by Italian migrants). The project is of qualitative nature and as primary sources of data uses semi-structured interviews, associated when circumstances made this possible, to photo-elicitation interviews, and focus group discussion. The semi-structured interviews were conducted both in Australia with twenty first-generation Italian migrants, and in Italy with another ten informants who are indigenous to the Veneto region and who built their homes there. These primary data are supplemented by (4) secondary data in the form of photographs and drawings. The findings reveal that home is both a physical structure and a set of meanings where these two components are tied together rather than being separate and distinct. It shows that there were two models the Veneto migrants chose for the erection of their houses in Brisbane and these correspond to: (1) the rural houses built in the 1970s and 1980s by their family and friends in the Veneto region and (2) the villas designed for noble families by the architect Andrea Palladio in the 15th century in the homeland of the respondents

The Souq Waqif Heritage Site in Doha: Spatial Form and Livability

The aim of this paper is to examine how and the extent to which the urban form of the heritage site of the Souq Waqif in Doha (1) encourages the formation of enhanced levels of social and community engagement (i.e., social life) and (2) can be further implemented in order to enhance social interactions. (Methodology) The study investigates the relationship between the Souq Waqif’s settlement and users’ levels of social interactions. In order to provide an answer to the main questions, in this study the author explores and analyzes (A) the form of the urban fabric of the heritage site and (B) the social activities performed by the users within the settlement. Data is obtained from visual material, users’ interviews and survey that explore and reveal how and the extent to which the form of the urban fabric of the Souq Waqif’s settlement is the arena of social activities and therefore contribute to enhance the social life of citizens. (Findings) (1) The analysis indicates that, compared with car-oriented suburbs, the walkable, pedestrian oriented and mixed-use heritage site of the Souq Waqif encourage people to be socially engaged and enhance higher level of social life: the settlement is the arena where intentional or accidental interactions occur, encouraging a sense of trust and of connection between people and the places they live. (2) Furthermore, the study allows understanding how built forms of the Souq Waqif should be implemented in order to facilitate social interactions

Italo-Australian Transnational Houses: Culture and Built Heritage as a Tool for Cultural Continuity

(The Problem) The classical theorist Vitruvius celebrates architecture as an expression of societies’ cultural factors where culture has a determinant role in shaping built forms. Despite this notion of architecture has also been acknowledged by modern theorists, scholars stress that contemporary societies often ignore to consider buildings of cultural significance as an heritage asset of societies and therefore lack to protect them. (Objective) The purpose of this paper is to understand how the fulfillment of users’ needs, based on their cultural framework, had priority in the architectural design process of their houses. More specifically, the main objectives are (1) to understand the nature of the cultural factors influencing the form of Italian migrants’ transnational houses in Australia and (2) to recognize why these houses can be categorized as an heritage asset of the Australian built environment. (Methods) In order to provide an answer to the two research questions, firstly the authors review the literature supporting the significance of built and culture heritage within the development of the built environment; secondly a detailed case study in Brisbane is selected for the collection of data. (Contribution) As a result of this investigation, (1) the extent to which Italian transnational houses were conceived in response to specific cultural needs and (2) why these buildings, which are part of the multi-cultural built environment of Australia, should be preserved and restored, is revealed