Tila symbolisen kamppailun kohteena

Tapaus Ideapark

Abstrakti

In this article, socio-spatial hierarchies are examined with the help of Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘field’
and ‘capital’, using online discussion on Ideapark, the biggest commercial city in Scandinavia, as the main data.
The main results of the examination show that, firstly, the critics of Ideapark prefer the physical density
of European cities and object to Ideapark’s loose American urban structure. They regard Ideapark—built
in the middle of nowhere—as artificial and try to legitimate the cultural capital attached to the city. Secondly,
Ideapark customers appreciate the practicality of the everyday habitat: they value the spacious car
parks and having everything under one roof. Thirdly, entrepreneurship is emphasised. Some people are in
favour of Ideapark because there is no room for small enterprises in urban areas and free space outside
cities is a resource of which should be taken advantage. The capital of Ideapark advocates is economic,
referring to both ordinary customers’ efficient use of time and money and the profits of entrepreneurs.
Stereotypes are commonly used to justify arguments in the discussion. The critics oppose the unaesthetic
emptiness of spread-out Finnish urban structure. The advocates think that envy keeps businesses away
from the empty space in Finland.