淡水老街的慢活

Abstract

「地方」—空間之存有，彰顯著「人」之於「環境」的意義和其價值所在。本文以甫自2005年以來，大量出現在報章、雜誌等媒體上的字眼—「慢活」，來探究和呈顯「緩慢」的空間經驗，之於人、地方及存在之價值。而以如此出發，是以近年來，這「慢」字的出現，我們不難想見一般社會大眾對於「慢」的想見、需求和渴望。除此之外，一地的特質若能呈顯「緩慢」，是否其能提供身處於其中的人「抒緩身心」之效? 本研究試著從台北都會鄰近地區—淡水老街周遭為出發。因，自1997年台北捷運淡水線通車後，再輔以2001年後全面開放週休二日，淡水老街周遭一帶初始的環境氛圍直接也間接地受到衝擊。而，面對如此衝擊，近年來在諸多都市計畫/設計、觀光及公共政策等領域文章中，多著墨於其實體環境所帶來之觀光發展等經濟效益，然卻較少深入分析，為何淡水老街周遭如此吸引人? 亦此，本文在研究中嘗試加入以文學作品和美術作品來就人文主義地理學、環境美學和審美經驗之觀點來詮釋和探究淡水老街周遭一帶之地方性，如此詮釋亦是希冀能延伸探討「慢活」空間存在之於本文之受訪者。而研究中，並試著以參與觀察與滾雪球之方式，及與符合研究定義中之「慢活」受訪者進行深度訪談，並藉由段義孚的逃避主義來說明「淡水，真的讓我慢下來了！」的可能。而訪談分析中發現：這些可能發生在淡水老街一帶的「慢活」發生地，以山水並存、水陸交界及因地處丘陵處所帶來可高望遠眺之視野，易是帶給身處於其中的人，感受到相對巨大自然物之渺小和悠遠。同時，此區間之歷史建物或因歷史之悠遠，則易是予人有老而沉穩之感。如此，「緩慢」與「沉穩」，「時間」在「空間」中之延展、流轉與沉澱，自是自然而然流露展現在觀者面前。而如此「悠遠緩慢」之地方性，亦是本文受訪者當想逃離都市快速高壓之生活、遠離生活中的不適切，藉而前來放慢腳步、休憩或甚而澄靜定 (棲) 居下來之因。除此之外，文中亦更進一步，以在地受訪者、棲居受訪者及旅者受訪者之群別來分別說明，其身體 (主體)－空間 (客體) 之「慢活」地方經驗成因和異同之處。如此亦是希冀彰顯此區間之特殊地方性和舖陳探究都會區生活型態之可能需求。然，以如此探求，最衷 (終) 亦是希冀，可開展對「慢活」討論的可能起點，同時並為人、地及環境或健康等社群領域，提供另一可能思考面向。

“Place”, the existential space, might make the meaning and the value for the environment that people surrounded. This study would focus on the “slow” spatial experience, which might explore the significance of the place meaning and human existence. For the phrase or the word, “slow down” or “slowness”, shown a lot on public media recently since 2005 in Taiwan, we could not hard to image that people’s needs and demanding. Otherwise, if the place personality would represent “slowness”, “calm” or “steady”, could it provide people to relax for or to take easy surrounded for? In this research, the study area would be chosen the place which around the Tamsui Old Street area. It is due to these decades, following the line of MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) opened to Tamsui in 1997 and the policy of two-day weekend was implemented in 2001, seriously affected the original environment milieu around this place. For that reason, many papers and researches, within urban planning, urban design, tourism and public policy, dedicated to its contribution to the economic benefit and tourism development around this area. But not many papers and researches focus on how these scenic attractions influence people’s bodies and minds. Here, we tried to apply literature works and Fine art works with the view of Humanistic Geography, Environmental Aesthetics, and aesthetic experience, to interpret the placeness of Tamsui Old Street area. Following, with the concept of “slow-living” and Yi-Fu Tuan’s “Escapism” to discuss how these scenic attractions affect the people, and who always do the slow living exercise, here. Further, we might illustrate the essence and spatiality of this place. Snowball Sampling, Participation Observation and In-depth interviews discussion would be involved in this paper. And with In-depth interviews discussion, we might explore and interpret why the slow-living place could possible happen to be around this area. Such a place, nestling under the mountain, along the river, bounded by the water and land, situated the hill within a broad view, might make people far-reaching and feel insignificance and distant of being themselves. Besides, the historical building here might due to its long history make people feel more calm and steady. Thus, the environment milieu, here, of “slowness”, “steady” and “calm”, make people feel the time, relatively, longer, more accumulated, and flowing all the way. For this specific kind of character of this place, in this paper, it might be the factor for the interviewees escape from living in the fast, high pressure urban life and far from the living with bad or not good situation. In advance, we separate three groups from interviewees, which are local residents, dwelling people, and the travelers, to discuss and compare with their “slow-living” experience around this area. And the followings, we would explore the possible living style that urban area needed. Finally, we might hope this paper dedicate to the very beginning discussion about the “slow-living” and contribute to a new, possible thinking for the human and environment, or the health researches.