Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit
At this historical moment, the urban planning and design professions are confronted with the twin challenges of unprecedented rapid urbanization on the one hand, and declining post-industrial regions on the other. In this environment, there are many different and often conflicting ideas about urban...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Urban Science |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/2/3/92 |
| _version_ | 1819026624995131392 |
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| author | Ryan Locke Michael Mehaffy Tigran Haas Krister Olsson |
| author_facet | Ryan Locke Michael Mehaffy Tigran Haas Krister Olsson |
| author_sort | Ryan Locke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | At this historical moment, the urban planning and design professions are confronted with the twin challenges of unprecedented rapid urbanization on the one hand, and declining post-industrial regions on the other. In this environment, there are many different and often conflicting ideas about urban heritage and its relevance for contemporary urban planning and design. In this paper, we look for commonalities and a way forward from among a range of competing urban design models. We examine the illustrative case study of the geography and landscape of Detroit, USA. We consider seven contemporary urban planning and design ideals that dominate the contemporary planning and design discourse and their different views of the past and urban heritage in relation to the approaches in Detroit. From these, we draw a synthesis approach, making several recommendations and observations with a focus on the capacities of so-called “placemaking” approaches. In this paper, urban heritage is understood and examined as contributing a pattern of infrastructure that provides a helpful supportive framework, and (importantly) a set of structural limitations (e.g., historic plot boundaries), that can serve as a generative resource for new urban planning and design. We conclude that the necessary framework for democratic participation and opportunity within urban space can be provided most directly by leveraging the assets of urban heritage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:29:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-537d0574ecc7453fbfe140ebbdf4a284 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2413-8851 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:29:33Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Urban Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-537d0574ecc7453fbfe140ebbdf4a2842022-12-21T19:14:35ZengMDPI AGUrban Science2413-88512018-09-01239210.3390/urbansci2030092urbansci2030092Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in DetroitRyan Locke0Michael Mehaffy1Tigran Haas2Krister Olsson3KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Division of Urban and Regional Studies, DKV 30, SE-10044 Stockholm, SwedenKTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Division of Urban and Regional Studies, DKV 30, SE-10044 Stockholm, SwedenKTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Division of Urban and Regional Studies, DKV 30, SE-10044 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Conservation, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 5a, SE-40530 Gothenburg, SwedenAt this historical moment, the urban planning and design professions are confronted with the twin challenges of unprecedented rapid urbanization on the one hand, and declining post-industrial regions on the other. In this environment, there are many different and often conflicting ideas about urban heritage and its relevance for contemporary urban planning and design. In this paper, we look for commonalities and a way forward from among a range of competing urban design models. We examine the illustrative case study of the geography and landscape of Detroit, USA. We consider seven contemporary urban planning and design ideals that dominate the contemporary planning and design discourse and their different views of the past and urban heritage in relation to the approaches in Detroit. From these, we draw a synthesis approach, making several recommendations and observations with a focus on the capacities of so-called “placemaking” approaches. In this paper, urban heritage is understood and examined as contributing a pattern of infrastructure that provides a helpful supportive framework, and (importantly) a set of structural limitations (e.g., historic plot boundaries), that can serve as a generative resource for new urban planning and design. We conclude that the necessary framework for democratic participation and opportunity within urban space can be provided most directly by leveraging the assets of urban heritage.http://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/2/3/92urban heritageurban designurban declineplacemakingDetroit |
| spellingShingle | Ryan Locke Michael Mehaffy Tigran Haas Krister Olsson Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit Urban Science urban heritage urban design urban decline placemaking Detroit |
| title | Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit |
| title_full | Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit |
| title_fullStr | Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit |
| title_short | Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit |
| title_sort | urban heritage as a generator of landscapes building new geographies from post urban decline in detroit |
| topic | urban heritage urban design urban decline placemaking Detroit |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/2/3/92 |
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