A more perfect union: Plea for free speech and public expression in a commercial landscape
Premise Truly public space needs the presence of public life. If it is accepted that daily public life occurs within a commercial landscape--privately owned and controlled space--then it follows that a publicly owned space must be inserted within the commercial in order to have a place which allows for free speech and expression, a place controlled by the laws governing all citizens.
Car street
Real Real
Pedestrian street
Imaginary Imaginary
Empty park
Real Real
Active park
Imaginary Imaginary
Empty plaza
Real Real
Active plaza
Imaginary Imaginary
Empty street
Real Real
Active street
Imaginary Imaginary
Suburban piaza
Real Real
Italian piaza
Imaginary Imaginary
Interior galleria
Real Real
Italian galleria
Imaginary Imaginary
Department store without urban context
Real Real
Department store with urban context
Imaginary Imaginary
Privately hired security in the mall
Real Real
Constant surveillance in retail
Imaginary Real
Violent break up of protest camp
Real Real
Eruption of public expression
Imaginary Real
Events of public expression
Events of public expression
Civil Rights Movement
Oakland, CAL
as Vegas, NV
Vietnam War Protest
Miami, FLS
t. Louis, MO
Occupy Wall Street
Davis, CAS
eattle, WA
OWS vs OSTL
OWS vs OSTL
Population distribution of New York City Occupy Wall Street was located in one of the MOST dense areas of the city.
Population Density per square mile
Population distribution of St. Louis Occupy St. Louis was located in one of the LEAST dense areas of the city.
Population Density per square mile
Less than 50 per square mile
Less than 50 per square mile
50-249
50-249
250-999
250-999
1,000-4,999
1,000-4,999
5,000 and higher
5,000 and higher
Location of Occupy Wall Street
Zuccotti Park
Camp Town
A desire for PUBLIC EXPRESSION needs the presence of truly PUBLIC SPACE.
Location of Occupy St. Louis
Kiener Plaza
Empty Town
A desire for PUBLIC EXPRESSION needs the presence of a PUBLIC LIFE.
OWS vs OSTL
4'-21 4"
4'-21 4"
50’ 100’ 200’
Retail stores: 15
privately owned
4'-21 4"
4'-21 4"
4'-21 4"
4'-21 4"
4'-21 4"
50’ 100’ 200’
Scale:
Spatial context of Zuccotti Park
4'-21 4"
Scale:
OWS vs OSTL
15 commercial venues in 4x smaller than Kiener Plaza
Spatial context of Kiener Plaza
Owned by: City of STL
publicly owned
Retail stores: 12
12 commercial venues in 4x bigger than Zuccotti Park
A short discussion on the rupture between the civic and commercial
How did we get here?
ď •rban 6th century BC
Civic
Commercial
112 AD
1823
Post-urban 1885
1956
1962
Public Space and Commerce AgoraA
Public Space and Commerce then’s Agora
Program Distribution Commercial
Athens, Greece 6th Century B.C.
Civic
Population ~290,000
112 AD
in ancient Greek city-states. While originally used only for athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life, it later became the site for market exchange as well
6th century BC
civic spaces:
1823 1885
commercial space: market days 1956 1962
Public Space and Commerce Forum
Public Space and Commerce
Trajan’s Forum
Roman Capitol, Rome 106-112 AD
Program Distribution Commercial
civic space: Trajan’s Forum consists primarily of civic and religious buildings with commercial market space boardering its northeast edge
dominant
Civic 6th century BC
Population ~1,000,000 200,000 in urban
112 AD 1823 1885
commercial space: 1956
ancillary
1962
Public Space and Commerce Arcade Paris, France 1823
Public Space and Commerce
Galerie Vivienne
Program Distribution Commercial
Population ~650,000
Located between the stock exchange and civic buildings, Galerie Vivienne functioned as a clean, interior shopping
close proximity
6th century BC
civic space:
Civic
112 AD 1823 1885
commercial 1956
space: passage
1962
Public Space and Commerce Department Store Chicago, IL USA 1885
Public Space and Commerce
Marshall Field Store
Program Distribution Commercial
Population ~1,099,850
absent
112 AD
dry good warehouse. Unlike previous forms of commercial shopping, the department store creates a total, multi leveled, themed, internal experience. Marshall Field Store is most noted for its introduction of the escalator and the personal shopper service experience.
6th century BC
civic space:
Civic
1823 1885
commercial space: 1956
total
1962
Public Space and Commerce
Public Space and Commerce
Suburban Shopping MallS
outhdale Center
Edina, Minnesota USA 1956
Population ~30,482
Program Distribution Commercial
absent
urban space: absent
112 AD
While malls of various types have existed as a spatial condition for quite some time, the suburban shopping mall was constructed in the recently formed suburb of Edina. In a way similar to Big-Box, the mall brought the notion of urban, public activity back into the insistently private, quite, enclosed suburban context.
6th century BC
civic space:
Civic
1823 1885
total
1956
commercial space:
1962
Public Space and Commerce Big-Box Store Grand Rapids, MI, USA 1962
Public Space and Commerce
Meijer
Program Distribution Commercial
Population ~177,313
urban space: absent
1823
the site was made. Brutally ripping the department store from its context and smashing it into the expansive suburban neighborhoods, Big-Box had arrived.
absent
112 AD
a personal shopping experience since its architectural form so closely resembles a warehouse. Meijer’s store was constructed in the recently created suburban area of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Devoid of civic space,
6th century BC
civic space:
Civic
1885
commercial space: 1956
total
1962
Conflicted Public life Interests (?)
Conflicted Interests We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. -Preamble to the Constitution
Shopping is arguable the last remaining form of public activity. Through a battery of increasinlgy predatory forms, shopping has infiltrated, colonized, and even replaced almost every aspect of urban life. Town centers, suburbs, streets, and now airports, train stations, museums, hospitals, schools, the Internet, and the military are shaped by the mechanisms and spaces of shopping...[making] it one of the principal--if only--modes by which we experience the city. -Rem Koolhaas
Where is daily public life?
Where information is exchanged in daily life Commercial Strip
enclosed destination center. While the parking lot has a degree of messiness, the interior environment is carefully managed and controlled.
Big Box Retail Store
enclosed destination center. While the mall corridor has a degree of messiness, the retail stores
Action
walking
Information device
window display
Checkout Counter
Action
paying
Information device
news rack
Road
Indoor Mall
open air walking path. While the sidewalk and street have a degree of messiness, the retail stores
Commercial Strip
Action
driving
Information device
billboard
Where public life exists Big Box Retail Store
controlled space:
parking lot
commercial space:
retail warehouse
Where public life exists Indoor Mall
controlled space:
mall corridor
commercial space:
retail store
Where public life exists Commercial Strip
controlled space:
sidewalk
commercial space:
retail store
Civic architecture 1904 World’s Fair St. Louis, MO 1904
Civic architecture Cultural Node Population ~575,238
Unlike commercial space, which can appear from and return to nowhere, civic space must location within the cultural and historical fabric of its site.
St. Louis, MO 2010
Population ~318,069
Art museum St. Louis, MO 1904
Art Palace Population ~575,238
with the desires of a given moment, civic architecture carries the decisions made by its creator until the building’s form and space are considered absolutely unsalvagable.
St. Louis, MO 2010
Population ~318,069
Civic architecture Civic building St. Louis, MO 1821
Civic architecture Federal Courthouse Population ~4,500
Unlike commercial space, which can appear from and return to nowhere, civic space must location within the cultural and historical fabric of its site.
St. Louis, MO 1846
Population ~35,390
Civic building St. Louis, MO 1950
Federal Courthouse Population ~880,000
with the desires of a given moment, civic architecture carries the decisions made by its creator until the building’s form and space are considered absolutely unsalvagable.
St. Louis, MO 1965
Population ~622,236
Civic architecture Civic building St. Louis, MO 2000
Civic architecture Federal Courthouse Population ~348,189
Unlike commercial space, which can appear from and return to nowhere, civic space must location within the cultural and historical fabric of its site.
St. Louis, MO 2009
Population ~319,294
Civic building St. Louis, MO 2011
Federal Courthouse Population ~318,069
with the desires of a given moment, civic architecture carries the decisions made by its creator until the building’s form and space are considered absolutely unsalvagable.
St. Louis, MO 2011
Population ~318,069
CityArchRiver2015
Why no shopping?
Civic architecture
No shops
Somewhere these people bought something...
No density No expression Too green Too quiet
A small admittance of shopping’s need presence on the water front.
Can the civic, the the public and the commercial co-exist?
Can the civic, the the public and the commercial co-exist?
Can the civic, the the public and the commercial co-exist?