中型城市發展與城鄉新連結

The Middle City Development and Urban-rural Reconfiguration

本文處理一個看似不可能的關係，意即遍布臺灣非大都會地區的中型城市和臺灣農村發展與城鄉連結的關聯。從一個區域性尺度審察這些城鎮，我們發現了一個城鄉交錯的空間構成，這個不經意的歷史遺留，提供超越當前城市發展困境與思索新的城市生活的線索。引起我們注意這個空間遺產的當代意義，乃是因為過去幾年來，我們研究的中部城鎮員林的某條街道兩旁，逐漸發展成農民擺設販賣周邊農業區產品的市集，並創造出特別的城鎮生活氛圍與互動空間。追究這樣子的農產市集形成原因的過程裡，我們看到員林和其他類似規模城鎮特有的區域性城鄉交錯架構，帶給城市生活的特殊效應，因此促使我們思索中型城市在當代都市社會裡可能具有的區域農業生活意涵。

This paper investigates a seemingly impossible relation between what we have called middle city and agricultural life in Taiwan. Examining middle city on a reginal scale, we find a spatial configuration that represents a unique way of urban-rural connection. This spatial legacy from the agrarian past provides clues to an understanding of the current urban question and the future of the city life. We began our study with a newly emergent farmers' market in the Yuanlin township at the roadsides of a particular street. The dynamism of a new street life in the evolving market brings us to observe the urban-rural reconnection in this area and its special effect on the city life. The observation also leads to rethinking the future of the city in terms of the revitalization of a regional agricultural life.