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Maintaining Urban Historical Integrity
Understanding the benefits of conserving historical character in urban
neighborhoods
A research proposal submitted to the Urban Studies and Planning Program at
University of California, San Diego
Daniel Souza
USP 186, Section: Wednesday at 11am
daniel.souza05@gmail.com
October 18, 2011
Abstract
As current regeneration schemes take place in communities worldwide,
there is an increasing trend towards complete regeneration – one in which a
complete overhaul takes place, stripping down the historical character of an area.
With this, a lack of historical integrity remains, creating a new development
without regard to previous inhabitants, ideas of space, and original uses. Current
literature has suggested this manner of revitalization can be avoided, all while
enhancing a neighborhood community, rather than detracting from the space.
This proposal aims to address the value of this “historical integrity” through
developing a research project focusing on case studies worldwide and interviews
with various members of the community with different levels of involvement in
these projects.
Key terminology: urban regeneration, revitalization, historical preservation,
historical conservation, redevelopment
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Introduction
In the midst of a Main Street beautification movement of the 1930’s, one
pamphlet dramatically predicted the route Main Street was taking for the future;
America the beautiful was on it’s destiny towards “America the Cheap – America
the Commercial – America the Ugly” (Isenberg 2004, 69). An admirable cause,
progressives from the City Beautiful movement and onwards sought a manner in
which they could help promote the economic developments of a community.
Unfortunately, a common trend amongst these would-be planners was a
complete renewal. Once seeing fault in the district, their instinctual solution
became a remarkable clean up, white washing not only the graffiti, but also the
character of the neighborhood that long set it apart.
The idea of revitalization is commendable: it takes courage to address and
lead a revolution within a community. However, as it takes a village to raise a
child, one can say it takes a city to build a neighborhood street. These various
individuals leading and influencing a change often have different preferences and
visions. As multiple literatures suggests, it is often the business-backed
redeveloper’s say that is manifested. In conjunction with this, the solely-profit
minded have been less inclined to create a vision where cultural and historical
conservation are maintained. Moreover, they lean towards a built environment in
which new business profit is all that is desired. Therefore, finding this balance
between the physical, historical, social, and economic is even more important
than ever (Ugochukwu 2006).
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However, finding the best way to achieve this balance can be a frustrating
process, with different methods and techniques used across the country, state,
and even individual cities. Therefore, it is essential for scholars to ask what
value, if any, is present in maintaining historical integrity along a main street? If
this is proven true, the follow up must occur: what are the best approaches
toward revitalization and economic prosperity that retain cultural and historical
elements? Using a variety of case studies, it is clear which areas prosper and
which ones flounder into a wasteland of anonymity.
Literature Review
From reading a variety of current analysis, there is a general consensus:
planning that takes into account the historical background of a region generally
has a positive influence on the surrounding area, especially with it’s ability to
generate a sense of nostalgia. However, even with this knowledge, there are still
holdouts. With an opposite viewpoint, Christine Boyer argues against the trend –
stating in her book, Dreaming the Rational City, that “the current rescue of
‘history’ from the warehouse of society” is no more than a socially constructed
farce (Boyer 1986, 287). With this sweeping statement, she goes on, with a
commentary critiquing the awareness of history in a new urban environment,
arguing that, essentially, maintaining a city’s history only arranges a hodgepodge disaster.
However, her work appears she ignore successful integration. Rather than
address case studies where an urban environment manifested itself into a
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previous space, Boyer writes: “new architectural structures, spaghetti highway
interchanges, and historical preservation projects are seldom integrated with the
existing urban texture,” claiming that these attempts end up being removed or
“reduced to museum pieces” and nothing more (Boyer 1986, 286).
Indeed, this can be true: there are countless disasters across history of
regeneration gone wrong. Therefore, it is more essential to focus on the positive
results. Unlike Boyer’s ultimate conclusion, that historical integrity has been
downgraded to only being a financial tool to gain consumers, one can view
nostalgic building and integration as the source of this profit: in both monetary
value for developers, but also in cultural profit for a community. With this, we can
begin our discussion on this historical remembrance within communities with
Alison Isenberg’s work Downtown America.
Her chapter “Animated by Nostalgia” details many case studies that are
mirrored in further texts. Isenberg begins with Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
neighborhood, which experience a type of “urban renaissance” in the 1970’s and
80’s. It appears that with the charm and romance of “Baltimore’s bygone
seafaring tradition”, consumers were, and still are, coming in droves (Isenberg
2004, 257). Interestingly, Baltimore contains an interesting paradox: planners
drew on a source of history that was conceptual, rather than physical. As Andrew
Merrifield from University of Southampton discusses, Baltimore’s port had
become a wasteland of derelict warehouses not unlike London’s docklands prior
to the Canary Wharf revitalization. Therefore, developers were utilizing
brownfield sites in a manner that created a sense of history and a new tie to the
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past (Merrifield 1993). Although not ideal in its redevelopment pattern, it’s still a
positive step in incorporating history into regeneration.
With a similar port history to Baltimore, Liverpool, a coastal city on the
North West of England, also fell into great disrepair throughout the twentieth
century. With many failed attempts against it, Richard Meegan explores the city’s
attempts to reinvent itself – most admirably in the mid to late 1990s. In “Urban
Regeneration, Politics, and Social Cohesion: The Liverpool Case”, it is possible
for the reader to draw parallels between the two dockside regeneration projects.
However, in comparison to the US city, Liverpool had not only the advantage of
incorporating community involvement from the beginning, but also the ability to
maintain and restore physical buildings. As Meegan quotes from the city’s
promotional department: “The magnificent city centre architecture – testament to
the city’s heritage – has been retained and is being creatively restored…”
(Meegan 2003, 67).
Although the public relations machine was indeed working in full swing
with their literature – the claims are viable. If one looks at the Liverpool dock area
today, there are a variety of mixed use buildings revitalized and reengineered to
be relevant today, with the most relevant being Liverpool’s Three Graces and the
Albert Docks. As an architectural highlight of Liverpool’s dockside, the Three
Graces incorporate three previous trade and shipping centers, into the waterside
development of the port city. Peter de Figueriedo, a historic buildings advisor for
North West England, wrote an article on the preservation of Liverpool’s “Symbols
of Empire”, arguing that George’s Dock is a prime example of the public and
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private sphere working together to establish a historical symbol of “imperial
ambition” (de Figuerideo 2003). More importantly, however, is the latter’s
development on spurring economic success.
Exploring
the
successfulness
of
the
Merseyside
Development
Corporation, Brian Adcock’s article focuses on the Corporation’s regeneration of
the Docklands in and around Liverpool, which includes the Albert Docks. These
buildings, all original to Dock itself, contain 1.2 million square feet of usable
space that has become a prime example of a mixed-use historical building. With
all warehouses, five in total, Grade I listed, the Dock had been restored to it’s
original design, with a combination of offices, hotels, museums (including the
Tate Liverpool), and a variety of bars and restaurants (Adcock 1984).
It is with this maintenance of historical integrity that the city of Liverpool,
Meegan argues, was able to create a new district zone focused on an economy
of leisure and entertainment. New businesses were able to flourish in the
docklands, creating a new tourist sector that was able to benefit local residents
and visitors. However, Meegan brings in a central critique that is essential to
keep in mind: in the case of Liverpool, it is clearly evident that a redevelopment
scheme profited the city of Liverpool at large; regardless – one has to ask: who
benefitted? As it has become, Liverpool suffers from a growing socioeconomic
divide between the upper and working classes. Beyond an increase in financial
occupations and low-end service jobs, there was a clear lack of positions for the
middle class (Meegan 2003, 77). Therefore, although it is important to note the
positives developed from a regeneration project, even one that includes historical
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buildings to work to it’s advantage, one must remember the need for a complete
regeneration of neighborhoods that benefit the highest amount of residents.
In fact, this concept is replicated amongst multiple readings: David Clark
continues this idea of urban regeneration typically benefitting a region’s elite in
his article, “Interdependent Urbanization in an Urban World: A Historical
Overview”. Writing that a cosmopolitan center generally emerges where there are
good external connections for industry, it is no coincidence that these centers
begin to cater directly to these local elites (Clark 1998). Therefore, is there an
example of an urban center in which groups across the socioeconomic spectrum
benefitted,
without
a
complete
whitewash
of
the
region’s
character?
Chukwunyere Ugochukwu would argue in the affirmative.
Ugochukwu’s work, Urban Revitalization and Heritage of Conservation
focuses on three main case studies, with a focus on the African American
communities within each: Farish Street Jackson, Mississippi; Bronzeville,
Chicago, and Five Points, Denver. All three have their own elements of regional
historic differences, but his study demonstrates the ability of a group to mold a
community to fit their cultural heritage, as well as the need to maintain that
heritage in the buildings within the space. In particular, Ugochukwu reinforces the
idea that the project as a whole needs to have a larger effort at revitalization, one
that moves beyond a city block. However, he recognizes the need for that
physical regeneration to occur. Within his study, the best approaches therefore
incorporate building conservation, historical designations to give value to the
history of the space, and partnering with local financial institutions, rather than
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larger corporations looking to fulfill a potentially more complication goal outside
the community in question (Ugochukwu 2006).
Research Methods
It appears that the best way to approach researching this thesis will be
through case studies, including the ones listed above (such as Baltimore,
Liverpool, Jackson, Chicago, Denver) and more recent projects in the San Diego
Area, particularly the Uptown Region – including the neighborhoods of North
Park, Hillcrest and Mission Hills. Thankfully, securing an internship with North
Park Main Street – a nonprofit devoted to economic development within North
Park while maintaining its historical character – will aid me in the coming project.
I plan on reviewing material at the office on current goals and projects being
implemented, in addition to interviewing not only North Park Main Street’s staff
but also business owners within the community that act as business members to
the group. Positive attributes of these conversations involve the ability to hear
tangible anecdotes on how regeneration affects multiple players in a community,
in addition to gaining new insight from those implementing plans as well as the
business owners of a community who often feel the need to voice their concerns.
Conclusion
With this thesis, I’m expecting a positive correlation between the effects of
maintaining historical integrity and regenerating a community. Hopefully, this
knowledge can be put to action, inspiring the continued use of historical
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preservation and conservation within urban neighborhoods, considering that the
additional cost will be recovered: not only in monetary funds, but also in cultural
value and community significance.
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Bibliography
Adcock, Brian. “Regenerating Merseyside Docklands: The Merseyside
Development Corporation 1981-1984.” The Town Planning Review, vol. 55,
no. 3 (1984): 265-289.
Boyer, Christine M. Dreaming the Rational City: The Myth of American City
Planning. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1990.
Clark, David. “Urbanization in an Urban World: An Historical Overiew.” The
Geographical Journal, vol. 164, no. 1 (1998): 85-95.
De Figueiredo, Peter. “Symbols of Empire: The Buildings of the Liverpool
Waterfront.” Architectural History, vol. 46 (2003): 229-254.
del Rio, Vicente and William Siembieda. Contemporary Urbanism in Brazil:
Beyond Brasilia. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 2009.
Fogelson, Robert M. Downtown: Its Rise and Fall, 1880-1950. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 2001.
Isenberg, Alison. Downtown America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2004.
Meegan, Richard. “Urban Regeneration, Politics and Social Cohesion: The
Liverpool Case.” In Reinventing the City? Liverpool in Comparative
Perspective, ed. Ronaldo Munck, 53-79. Liverpool: Liverpool University
Press, 2003).
Merrifield, Andrew. “The Struddle over Place: Redeveloping American Can in
Southeast Baltimore.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers,
vol. 18, no.1 (1993): 102-121.
Ugochukwu, Chukwunyere C. Urban Neighborhood Revitalization and Heritage
Conservation: The Architecture of Urban Redesign. Lewistown, New York:
Edwin Mellen Press, 2006.