Browsing by Subject "Revitalization"
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Item A case study on redevelopment in downtown Baltimore, and strategies for downtown urban revitalization(2013-12) Mangum, Brett Adam; Kahn, Terry D.Baltimore is one of the most notable examples of a city that has revitalized and improved its downtown core to become a world-class destination. In the 1950s, Baltimore faced a slate of problems similar to many other cities across the country: a declining manufacturing and industrial base, increasing rates of suburbanization and sprawl, and the advent of the superhighway. Downtowns large and small were losing businesses, residents, and investments to the hinterlands at an alarming pace. Planners attempts to intervene, while sincere, generated short term gains but produced deleterious consequences over the long term. The foresight of Baltimore’s population and it's elected officials allowed the city to take a different path than that of other post-industrial cities whose fortunes continued to decline well into the 1970s and 80s. Turning an eye towards their natural surroundings, Baltimoreans transformed their harbor front into a front yard, turned their Central Business District into a vibrant, mixed-use 24 hour neighborhood, and emphasized the charms and historic value that had been notoriously undervalued and unappreciated for many decades. Today, Downtown Baltimore is the crown jewel of the region, with a growing residential base, ample services and attractions, and host to more than 22 million visitors annually. In addition to looking at the specific elements that made Downtown Baltimore’s turnaround a reality, this paper will delve into strategies and procedures that other cities and communities can utilize in order to revive and reinvigorate their downtown districts. Each community faces its own unique set of demographics, trends, and future challenges. It must be stressed that the intention of this paper is not to imply a one size fits all solution to planning issues, but that certain measures, when appropriately tailored to a local setting can have beneficial outcomes. Urban downtowns in particular require a distinct approach due to their function as a regional focus for jobs, energy, and infrastructure. The success or failure of a city's core can have geographically far-reaching implications, and this paper will examine the strategies and mechanisms that promote a healthy, viable downtown that can serve as a positive anchor for a city and a metropolitan region.Item Creating an art district in Lubbock, TX(2011-05) Mask, Tara L.; Kvashny, Alon; Currie, Melissa A.; White, John P.Lubbock is already known as an artistic hub for the state of Texas, but the art is not always easily accessible, and needs to have a place where it can be the focus. Creating an art district that brings residents, visitors, artists and businesses to a particular part of the city will serve the city of Lubbock with revenue and an artistic reputation beyond what already exists. This study will provide a small-scale solution to a large problem. Lubbock’s downtown is prime real estate for an exciting future, and many steps have already been taken to assure that it be successfully altered. Every first Friday of the month the Friday Art Trail provides an atmosphere that is appreciated by many, but is not always utilized. The city provides trolleys to escort people from one venue to the next, but they are usually crowded or take longer than a person is willing to wait. If pedestrian access was more apparent, and routes were more successfully designed, this art trail could be on display more than once a month. Other issues involving the existing downtown area are the fact that there is no other form of entertainment, and restaurants, residences, retail are few and far between. If people are already downtown, there will be no need to bring them there, and if successfully designed they could use the pedestrian access routes on a daily occurrence. Purpose driven districts have shown success in many different scales of projects, and it is important to know that “the birth of art districts is not merely the consequence of a renewal process but also a catalyst for the further re-use of other nearby derelict buildings for art purposes and, in general, for the boosting of standards of living,” as noted. (Lorente, 2000) Previous analysis has not only shown progress towards better, more cohesive communities, but can provide examples of what can be done in all types of situations, including downtown Lubbock, Texas.Item Downtown revitalization along the US-Mexico Border : a case study on Brownsville, Texas(2011-05) Gonzalez, Ramiro, 1982-; Kahn, Terry D.; Rhi-Perez, PabloThis analysis of the Downtown areas in US- Mexico Border Cities such as Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, and San Diego will chronicle the history and foundation of each city and also the current revitalization efforts underway in many of these cities. Brownsville, Texas is one of those cities located along the border with a rich history and a unique downtown that some have called the New Orleans on the Rio Grande. The architecture has a heavy New Orleans influence thereby making this downtown the most unique in the Rio Grande Valley. Revitalization Efforts in Brownsville continuously resurface only to be unsuccessful due to many variables including the lack of political will to take on perhaps the biggest challenge to face Brownsville. Nonetheless, revitalization of this area must occur and in order to fully understand the intricacies of Downtown Brownsville one must look back in time to see what exactly made Downtown Brownsville so special. This report will seek those answers and give positive and realistic recommendations that could assist in the revitalization of Downtown Brownsville.Item Urban agriculture in shrinking American cities(2012-05) Zhang, Chiyuan; Dooling, Sarah; Mueller, ElizabethHistorically, community gardens have served to provide food during wartime or periods of economic depression. Today, in addition to fresh and healthy produce, community gardens provide many other economical, social and environmental benefits. Many industrial cities have suffered severe damage to their economic base and lost at least 20 percent of their residents since half a century ago. Shrinking cities have become an issue that challenges the conventional planning orthodoxies assuming a constant-growth reality that no longer existed. There is a general understanding of how urban agriculture can benefit participants, neighborhoods, and communities. However, there are not many studies that particularly focus on urban agriculture and its association with stabilizing and revitalizing neighborhoods in shrinking cities. The purpose of this article is to understand the motivations and justifications of establishing urban agriculture in shrinking cities and how urban agriculture is perceived as economic and social tools for revitalizing the neighborhoods and reshaping the cityscapes through comparative case studies of Detroit and Cleveland.