Second space

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Second Space is one of the three spaces distinguished by Edward Soja, namely first space, second space and third space.

Second space is linked to the concept of 'conceived space' by Lefebvre. Second space is all about the feelings of the human being in combination with a specific (first)space. You can see this space in a subjective and normative way. In the first space the human being just tries to analyse the space. In the second space on the other hand a human being doesn't just try to analyse the space but he adds some feelings to these analysis of space. The second space is the space of the planners and urbanists who model the space and conceptualise it.

Soja defines second space in his book ‘Thirdspace: Journeys to Los angeles and other Real-and-Imagined Places’ (1996). In this book he brings his vision about second space after he reflects on the conceived space from Lefebvre. The connection between conceived space on one hand and second space on the other hand is made in next sentence. In Lefebvre’s conceived space, space is understood as a mental space: “these mental spaces, are thus the representation of power and ideology, of control and surveillance. This secondspace, as I term it, is also the primary space of utopian thought and vision, it’s the semiotician or decoder, and the purely creative imagination some of artists and poets” (Soja, 1996, p. 67) According to Lefebvre there is no first, second and third space. But Soja states that his theory is just for analysis (Lefebvre, 2008).

Examples of second space

References

Lefebvre, H. (2008). Space, Difference, Everyday life. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Soja, E.W. (1996). Thirdspace: Journeys to Los Angeles and Other Real-and-Imagined Places. Blackwell Publishing: Oxford.

Contributor

Published by Paul Leemans & Luuk Robers

Edited by Renate van Haaren, --RenateVanHaaren 16:47, 26 October 2012 (CEST)

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