Grand Canyon: Toponymy versus Topography

Last weekend I took a road trip to the Grand Canyon. While the formation was undoubtedly stunning, I quickly realised that I was more excited by the idea of visiting the Grand Canyon than the visit itself. It was the Grand Canyon’s toponymy rather than its topography that really impressed me.

Duncan Light’s article Tourism and Toponymy: Commodifying and Consuming Place Names highlights the role of names in enhancing or sometimes even creating touristic interest in a place. This is evident in the Grand Canyon which, were it not for its glorious moniker, would probably only receive a fraction of the visits. Indeed, while Light (2014: 144) cites Urry and Larsen’s (2011) point that a tourist site is defined by being ‘in some way, out of the ordinary’, he argues that names play an essential role in highlighting this. 

Thus one not only visits a canyon but the Grand Canyon, along with all the imaginaries its name has assigned it. This inevitably causes a feeling of anticlimax when a place is unable to meet these expectations or imaginaries. Looking back I believe this was the case when visiting other landmarks in the past few months, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Central Park in New York to name just two examples. While each of these sites is of course physically stunning and deeply fascinating, it was more their names that I found myself consuming. This can ultimately be quite unfulfilling when you realise there is little tangibility behind a name.

Contrastingly I found the drive to the Grand Canyon a far more satisfying experience. Without the added pressure of a hyped up name, I was able to enjoy the surrounding beauty for what it was rather than what I or others expected it to be. This has been a valuable lesson and I hope that next time I experience a popular landmark or event I will be able to look beyond its name allowing me to fully appreciate what makes it so special.

References

Light, D. (2014) ‘Tourism and toponymy: commodifying and consuming place names’, Tourism Geographies, 16,1, 141-156.

Urry, J. and J. Larsen (2011) The Tourist Gaze, London: Sage.

View of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim 

Taking in the American spirit on the road

University Pride

This weekend UCLA will take on its local rivals, the University of Southern California (USC), in their biggest football game of the year. The atmosphere around campus in anticipation of the event has been electric with the buildup culminating in a rally held last night to burn an effigy of USC’s mascot ‘Tommy Trojan’. The fire was surrounded by students wearing ’doUSChebags’ t-shirts and chanting ‘fight fight fight!’.

USC's mascot 'Tommy the Trojan' on flames

The event has had me asking why UCL, or for that matter any university in the UK, does not take such pride in university sport? Aside from the rare exception, the Henley Regatta being perhaps the most notable, the scale of money and excitement is not a patch on the US. While American sport is flooded with million-dollar sponsorship contracts, sensational fandom and controversy, British university sport is a far more modest affair. Instead it is often limited to a small pitch in the middle of an obscure field, watched by six or seven fans (or more likely passing dog walkers), and sponsored by the local pharmacy whose main obligation is to provide sliced oranges for the players at half time.

UCLA Bruins fans filling the 92,542 capacity Rose Bowl Stadium, larger than London's Wembley Stadium

Having conducted a little informal research, I tried to find out why students in the US are so passionate about college sports. Responses varied from ‘its a great way to meet people’ to ‘because the US is the best country in the world, that’s why!’ However, a frequent reason that I found particularly interesting was that supporting your college team is a great way to express pride in your university. 

Back in the UK university pride is not as rampant and I think this is a shame. Of course rivalries do exist, KCL versus UCL being a prime example, but never has this led to the burning of a foe’s mascot. In fact I don’t even know what UCL’s mascot is, let alone Kings’! 

Walk around campus here and you will see students - or ‘Bruins’ as they are proudly known - wearing an enormous variety of UCLA branded t-shirts, sweaters, and even shoes. Drive around Los Angeles and you will see ‘UCLA Alumni’ license plates. Of course this is great merchandising and a clever form of advertising for the university, but I believe its more than that. At UCLA you feel part of a movement and its a fantastic experience. At UCL wearing university branded clothing is seen as overly keen and even dorky. Perhaps this is a reflection of UK university students trying to appear cool and nonchalant. However it is not reflective of the entire country where, for example, Premier League Football fandom matches college football in the US.

However ‘footy madness’ in the UK is predominantly dominated by men. At UCLA shared college pride brings people together, creating a great sense of community amongst all members of the university. With university life in both countries being a social and academic endeavour, it is interesting to note that in the US 28% of married couples meet at university versus 19% in the UK (Macskássy 2013; TSR 2014). In my opinion this is perhaps because the shared joy and sadness at UCLA’s win or loss in a sports game is a much more valuable bonding experience than drunken sports nights at Loop. 

References

Macskássy, S.A. (2013) ‘From Classmates to Soulmates’ (WWW), Menlo Park: Facebook Research (https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-data-science/from-classmates-to-soulmates/10151779448773859; 24 November 2015).

TSR (2014) ‘One fifth of British students meet the love of their life on campus’ (WWW), Brighton: TSR (http://tsrmatters.com/one-fifth-of-british-students-meet-the-love-of-their-life-on-campus/; 24 November 2015). 

Why I love New York

With time off school last week I was able to take a trip to New York. On my first night I walked from my apartment in Greenwich Village to the infamous Times Square. While others had warned me that I would hate this landmark for its crowds, commercialisation and tackiness, I found myself loving every bit of it. The reason was immediately clear: after two months living in the ‘archetypal automobile city’, it was a relief once again being able to get around by foot or public transport and to be sharing the streets with other pedestrians (Bottles 1992).

Looking at a comparison of the proportion of travel methods in Los Angeles, New York and my hometown London, it is immediately evident that the latter two are far more similar. Clearly I felt at home in a city that offered far greater transport autonomy to non-drivers than my temporary home on the West Coast.

% Method of Transport to Work in Los Angeles, New York and London

Los Angeles, a vastly spread out city with notoriously dire public transport, can only be experienced through the car. With plans needing to be made well in advance in order to find a car and to avoid traffic, the scope for spontaneity is severely reduced. Thus without being able to quickly and cheaply travel to places and events taking place across the city, I do not feel as well integrated into Los Angeles as I did in London and even New York. The introduction of transport and ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft have to an extent improved this. However these services, costing an average of $15 per ride, do not compare with the extensive New York Subway or London Underground which cost $2.75 and £2.30-4.70 respectively (UberPeople 2014).

The rest of my trip in New York was brilliant. In just a few days I was able to see a huge amount of the city with highlights including the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim, a stroll through Central Park and the Upper West Side, a walk through the Meatpacking District along the recently redeveloped High Line, and coffees and dinners at numerous cafes and restaurants across the city. Thanks to marvellous transport links and close proximities this was all done at relative ease and little expense with each day planned at very short notice.

In addition to making it easy to see the city, New York’s transport and layout also forces people onto the streets. With Times Square epitomising this, everywhere is packed full with pedestrians which I loved. Indeed, the urban theorist and activist Jane Jacobs (1961: 107) states that while ‘streets in cities serve many purposes besides carrying vehicles’, so too do sidewalks ‘serve many purposes besides carrying pedestrians’. While she goes on to discuss the implications of busy or empty streets in creating a safe or unsafe environment for pedestrians, I believe walking through the bustling New York also allows you to feel a part of the city as you unconsciously interact with everyone around you. This experience contrasts heavily with Los Angeles where wide empty sidewalks and crossings make travel by foot an isolating experience.

Times Square buzzing with late night pedestrian visitors

A typically enormous yet empty pedestrian crossing in Century City, Los Angeles

A year abroad is a fantastic opportunity to experience new places and to learn how you react to them, either positively or negatively. There are many things I love about Los Angeles, as well as many I did not like about New York. However this trip to has highlighted to me that any city I settle in must have an accessible and extensive public transport network, as well as a layout that encourages people to walk around the city. I believe these two features, certainly present in London and New York, make it far easier to become part of the local milieu of the city around you.

References

Bottles, S.L. (1992) Los Angeles and the Automobile, Berkeley: University of California. 

Jacobs, J. (1961) The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York: Random House.

Office for National Statistics (2013) ‘Method of Travel to Work in England and Wales Report’ (WWW), Newport: Office for National Statistics (http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census-analysis/method-of-travel-to-work-in-england-and-wales/art-method-of-travel-to-work.html#tab-Commuting-by-public-transport; 18 November 2015).

UberPeople (2014) ‘What's your average fare?’ (WWW), UberPeople (http://uberpeople.net/threads/whats-your-average-fare.1174/; 18 November 2015).

U.S. Census Bureau (2012) ‘2008-2012 American Community Survey’ (WWW), Suitland, U.S. Census Bureau (http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk; 18 November 2015).

U.S. Census Bureau (2013) ‘Commuting/Place of Work/Travel Time’ (WWW), Suitland, U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/hhes/commuting/data/commuting.html; 18 November 2015).

Here are a few pictures of the many sights I got to see in only a few days in New York:

Upwards view from Times Square

The Lake in Central Park

The Guggenheim Gallery

View of Upper East Side across the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park

Premium real estate shooting up in the now trendy Meatpacking District

Street art from the High Line

A typical water tower equipped apartment building in the Upper West Side