Place Dialogues 2019

in this issue: Los Sitios: Connecting People to People Assets

and works by: Di Cui Jiayi Cheng Shingo Sekiya Isha Patel John Bezemes Danya Rajagopal

contents LOS SITIOS: CONNECTING PEOPLE TO PEOPLE ASSETS Claudia Castillo de la Cruz, Daniel Eizo Miyagusko, Daniela Friedman, Dhanya Rajagopal, Jackson Chabot, Koichiro Tamura.

MEMORY “PLACED” IN SUNSET PARK, THE EPHEMERAL YET ENDURING Di Cui

URBAN TREATMENT Jiayi Cheng

STREET ELEMENTS IN HISTORIC MARKET DISTRICT: Shingo Sekiya

REDEFINING WATER CHANNELS THROUGH URBAN PLACEMAKING Isha Chetan Patel

CRUISING PLACE John Bezemes

CHANGING GENDER DYNAMICS AND PUBLIC SPACES Danya Rajagopal

For this issue collaborated: Aarti Mehta Carlos Rodríguez Estévez Alessandra Woodman Pinto

Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment © 2019 Pratt Institute 61 St. James Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11238

This second issue of "Place Dialogues" demonstrates

the extent to which Placemaking has evolved as an approach to a wide spectrum of urban issues.

While the very definition of "placemaking" is often obscure and contested, the articles in this issue show how a people-focused approach ("First life, then space, then buildings - as a universal requirement for urban planners.")1 has begun to permeate urban planning. Having spent thousands of years walking, the impact of the automobile on our cities in just a 100 years has been profound. In some case walking has been made almost impossible and the socialfunction of public space has been neglected by city planners. At one level it is simply a battle between people and vehicles. But as that battle seems finally to be swinging in favor of people, atleast among more enlightened planners, there is also much to re-learn about how we create and maintain successful public space. The articles in this edition can hopefully illustrate the concept that place "...is not just a thing in the world but a way of understanding the world."2 Havana is of particular interest to placemakers as an example of a city that largely avoided the process of urban renewal and highway construction that maligned so many cities in the USA. Crippling as the US economic blockade of Cuba has been to the Cuban economy over the past decades, it was also responsible for preventing widespread car ownership and the creation of destructive highways to move those cars through the city. The resulting co-mingling of vehicular and pedestrian activity on Havana's streets, with commerce and recreation cheek by jowl with

pedestrian and vehicular movement, represents the concept of "shared streets" that is now so soughtafter in US cities trying to undo the damage done to social life of our streets by the segregation of these activities. In Sunset Park, Brooklyn, two elected officials - Betty Yu and Carlos Menchaca- have shown howcommunity engagement can be the cornerstone of our democratic structure, promoting civic engagement through community building in immigrant communities and using "participatory budgeting" as a tool for engagement. The papers on the historic markets of Tokyo and the "Urban Canals" of India show that placemaking is an international, global pursuit in which community engagement can lead to sustainable, socially relevant and successful public space. Jiayi Cheng's paper on the relationship between placemaking and traditional Chinese medicine reminds us of the importance of the built environment in public health outcomes. John Bezemes' paper reminds us that we must remain vigilant in ensuring public space is accessible to all and does not exclude or discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Our hope is that these papers will stimulate discussion and further investigation of the leadership role placemakers can play in improving urban life.

David Burney Academic Coordinator MS - Urban Placemaking and Management January 2020

LOS SITIOS: CONNECTING PEOPLE TO PEOPLE ASSETS A Conceptual Framework for Civic Engagement to Facilitate Sustainable Development in Los Sitios, La Habana, Cuba Claudia Castillo de la Cruz, Daniel Eizo Miyagusko, Daniela Friedman, Dhanya Rajagopal, Jackson Chabot, Koichiro Tamura.

The Spring 2018 studio visit to La Habana, Cuba was a result of collaboration between Pratt Institute and La Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana CUJAE, which culminated in a joint project based in Los Sitios, Centro Habana -a low income, high density neighborhood.

The goal initially was to study and address the housing shortage, poor quality public spaces and the nature of mobility in Los Sitios by identifying their synergies.

These three elements were informed by keeping in mind the heritage, culture, economic vitality and quality of life of residents. It was also vital to build on and further the groundwork laid by faculty and students of CUJAE who have been collecting data regarding the neighborhood for about six years.

CENTRO HABANA

HABANA VIEJA

VEDADO OS SITI S LO

BAY OF HAVANA 0.5 miles

Conversation with community leaders. Photo: C. Rodríguez Estévez

To understand the challenges of the current urban renewal situation it is necessary to understand the socio-political and economical context of the city in which this project was based. In the last few years, Cuba has passed through several structural changes that have significantly impacted its residents. These changes include Fidel Castro stepping down from office to gradual opening of the market with Raúl Castro to Miguel Díaz-Canel being elected as the new president this year, the recent recognition of private enterprise and steps toward normalization of the relationship between the United States and Cuba.

The urban realm is being gradually transformed by intensive tourism exploration, creation of new businesses and new age entrepreneurs in an emerging real estate market. Internally, the government has granted licenses to over 500,000 self-employed entrepreneurs (cuentapropistas) and nearly 500 cooperatives, providing opportunities for increased individual income as well as government savings due to the decrease in state employment.1

Despite positive developments, remnants of history still linger strongly in Cuba which suffered from lack of building materials and resources since the fall of the socialist bloc and the economic crisis called the Special Period. 2 Following the revolution of 1959, Cuba has managed to provide free education, health care and urban security to the entire population while managing to keep the economic inequality at a lower percentage relative to many other countries in Latin America. However, the country’s economic revenue is still not enough to support the entire population who in turn still suffer from the lack of resources as a consequence of the legacy and enduring reality of the United States trade embargo. These economic realities have shaped Cuba’s relationship to sustainability. Sustainability, in the context of Fidel Castro’s discourse, should be understood as a nationalist banner for an evertransformative Revolution.3 So while there are many historical ramifications, the positive momentum is in Cuba and the fast pace of changes is altering many aspects of Cuban life. With this pace of change it is

critical to promote sustainable development at the neighborhood level as the widespread model for the country to ensure resource conservation and inclusive economic opportunity.

informal networks to keep up with their growing desires and needs.

At the same time, Cuba’s political model is highly structured and top down; any proposal to dismantle existing institutions and replacing them with a bottom up initiative could be seen as defying the government.

The challenge then for these organizations is to find a middle ground for easier transition, identify ways to bridge the gaps and bolster the current institutions to work better as a cohesive network. While a visible and daily challenge, this has been a true testament to the spirit of innovation of the Cuban people, whether it be in adapting to a

The streets of La Habana are filled with people with tremendous energy— However, institutions created during the revolution have not been visibly updated or adapted at the same pace, forcing the population to find alternative

lack of material resources or the availability of information to people through an organized network of hard drives and USB drives called paquetes. 4 Recent trends in Cuba have also directed discussions around economic development in a collaborative platform for local representatives, NGO’s, professionals and government agencies. For instance, Brookings Institution and Research Initiative for the Sustainable Development of Cuba (RISDoC) co-hosted an experts seminar in 2017 which sought to open channels for further communication about sustainability at the government and grassroots levels.5

Streets of Havana.

Photo: C. Rodríguez Estévez

Spaces of play - The main plaza.

Photo: C. Rodríguez Estévez

ANALYSIS Currently, the incredibly vibrant neighborhood of Los Sitios has encountered challenges ranging from a significant housing crisis and poorly maintained public facilities to lack of employment opportunities.

Compounding the challenges, there are minimal opportunities in the existing governance framework that encourage communities to participate in the improvement of their neighborhood or provide them ways to secure resources and roles to influence positive change.

In combination with building on the social strengths of Los Sitios, sustainable and locally focused economic development is critical to circulate more revenue throughout the neighborhood. Thornburg explains that “effective economic

development at the community level focuses less on national economic growth and more on the conditions allowing the community to determine its own economic opportunities given its resources.”6 The aforementioned community economic development can be truly sustainable only if there is a two-way transfer of knowledge.

Consequently, this depends on the degree of “Social and System Integration,” which according to sociologist Emile Durkheim is how people relate to each other and the “relationships between parts of a society or social system”.7 For these reasons, we believe this paper’s core concept of renewed outlook on how organizations operate in neighborhoods like Los Sitios, is critical to the future health and success of the community.

In context, previous efforts to rehabilitate parts of Habana Vieja by the Office of the Historian of the city (OHC) have been criticized for a lack of grassroots input and participation in tourism planning and social goals.8 An unsettling consequence of touristbased development in Habana Vieja has been displacement of local residents. This suggests introspection about ways in which tourism can contribute to the

— ready to be directed towards sustainable development. local economy without exploiting or deconstructing neighborhood character. The possibility of integrating local tourism-based economy with the community engagement model is also a potential outcome of this process.

STATE OF HOUSING There are several factors to be considered with respect to the housing crisis in Los Sitios.

The rich inventory of deteriorated historical buildings is occupied under hazardous conditions with virtually no services.

To conserve and fix the houses that can be saved requires a tremendous amount of resources. It is also a matter of quality of life, physical safety and security of its residents. While some buildings are crumbling, many others are densely populated. For example, to accommodate more people, an extra makeshift mezzanine floor might be added, housing an entire family. Residents call it barbacoas9, a cynical reference to the fact that these mezzanines

sometimes feel as hot as a barbecue pit. Additionally, this kind of architecture puts tremendous strain on the physical structure, not to mention extra psychological strain on families living in such close quarters. On the other hand, the visible deterioration of buildings is the result of a combination of various factors: Climate conditions, geographical location, shortage of construction materials, low income of the residents, difficult access to credit, a widespread culture of self building and high cost of renovation.

The result is the potential for a well-preserved neighborhood similar to Habana Vieja that could be a source of economic vitality but is now also a precarious physical living environment for residents.

However, this would be a long-term process of change.

Housing with Barbacoas.

Photo: Authors

PUBLIC SPACE AND MOBILITY Given the current state of housing in Los Sitios, mobility and public spaces are particularly important to residents of the area and can be improved at a faster pace than social housing. Residents use streets and public space as an integral extension of their living environment. While this is a beautiful expression of placemaking and life, the disconcerting reality is the need for safe, high quality streets and public space that are well integrated, designed and programed.

During site visits to Los Sitios several vacant lots with mounds of construction material or garbage were identified. If activated, these potential public spaces, which currently lack infrastructure and are unsafe, could be community hubs for communication, exercise and play. These “opportunity sites� can be designed

Street Character: Work, play, move.

Photo: Authors

to serve the needs of the community. Furthermore, there is also a lot of room for improvement for safer, pedestrian-friendly streets that are already vibrant with informal activities. At any given time, the streets become a field for baseball, alive with an intense dominĂł session, the space for a vendor to sell goods or a playground for the nearby school children. It is a public space that is communal and collective. At the same time the streets suffer from a lack of greenery and wellequipped public spaces. Given the existing challenges to public space and mobility in the neighborhood the need for sustainable and inclusive planning is critical. The development of an integrated plan can greatly benefit from the theory of cohesive social and system-wide integration that this article rests on.

Spirit of the Domino players.

Photo: Authors

“REVERSE DOMINO EFFECT" Los Sitios is an important sustainable development case study because it is a part of La Habana composed of moderate to low-income residents who have a sense of identity and of place and belonging to the neighborhood, but is also being impacted by the changes in surrounding neighborhoods from tourism and the housing market. Therefore, a core concept for change is likened to a “reverse domino effect.” This is both literal and an homage to role of dominos in Cuban culture. Literally, the neighborhood can use its existing human assets, both tangible and intangible heritage to regenerate

to pick up the fallen pieces that are currently limiting the neighborhoods potential. The game of dominos is found throughout Cuban culture, a unifying point with tremendous energy. Like the energy produced by the domino pieces that have been stacked up and knocked down, it is possible to create positive momentum as the pieces move in reverse. The idea of “Re-branding” is intended to push the first domino piece that would act as a catalyst for change and consequently build momentum over a period of time with the help of neighborhood residents.

HOUSING

VALUE & HERITAGE

ECONOMIC VITALITY

COM NIT Y ENG MU NT A G E ME

MOBILITY

PUBLIC SPACE

QUALITY & SAFETY

Housing, public space and mobility efforts are parallely supported by constant engagement with the community. Graphic: Authors

REBRANDING AND REPOSITIONING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE The recognition of importance of branding or rebranding for NGOs has increased over time for fundraisingand to promote causes. This article believes this concept is equally important for Cuban governmental organizations because, “brand identity enables organizations to tell their story, thus enabling it to clarify set expectations, gain attention and nurture relationships in a way that will enhance its’ survival in the long term.”10 Research, while in Cuba, suggests that a core reason for lack of trust from the community towards existing organizations is due to a current inability for organizations to tell their stories. This also is concurrent with Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) where collecting stories and aspirations is part of the engagement process.

Sean Norris, a branding professional, asserts that most organizations shift when there is a “transitional moment” - a leadership change, a new organizational strategy, a shift in focus.11 Cuba, as a whole, fits all of these descriptions; the election of a new president, adoption of an updated constitution and growing presence of internet connectivity make this a unique moment.

In his article, Mr. Norris’s foremost recommendation to organizations is, “Listen to your supporters.”

This recommendation is aligned with the current Cuban reality where many people, especially the generation coming of age, feel disconnected from existing organizations and the way they operate.

“Current and prospective supporters are your brand’s most vital audiences, making their opinions and perspectives key. When embarking on a rebrand strategy, engage your supporters in the process by asking them for honest feedback—what’s working and what’s not, how they most like to be reached, which tactics most resonate.” Sean Norris.12

The availability of internet in La Habana allows and enables organizations an unprecedented connection to residents and members. Developing innovative communication tools is especially relevant to adolescents and young adults, the most likely group of new technology adopters. This means traditional communication methods, including paper flyers and public signage will remain relevant for quite some time. The combination of new and traditional methods will ensure that everyone can be reached to contribute to the achievement of sustainable goals.

While organizational rebranding is important it will have to be done with the way that the city of La Habana is currently repositioning itself as a global tourism destination. It is important to consider the sustainability challenges associated with the increased presence of tourism. The current intersection of these two elements of change are reaching or have reached unsustainable levels. This is especially apparent from the crumbling facades of current structures and trucks delivering drinking water, spewing diesel exhaust as they sit in the middle of streets in Habana Vieja while they pump water into hotels. While this scenario is especially prevalent in Habana Vieja the current wave of demand appears to be extending towards the rest of the Centro Habana neighborhoods like Los Sitios.

The change Habana Vieja is experiencing, offer lessons to what Los Sitios should anticipate as it evolves.

Organizational “rebranding” will push the first domino piece to act as a catalyst for change

MOVING FROM NEED-BASED TO ASSETBASED ENGAGEMENT PROCESS A primary challenge for this article was to create an “authentic” means for community to organize itself.

This is why understanding the social dynamics and cultural identity of the people in Los Sitios is significant. The collective responsibility that is reflected in socialist modes of enterprise such as cooperatives is an example from which we can draw inspiration.

This paper, approaches governance by analyzing existing institutions, discovering the gaps and weaknesses in them, and organizing the

Strengthen the "Collective story" of the neighborhood

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UNIVERSITIES, CUJAE, PRATT INSTITUTE, EXPERTS, NGOs

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CDR, FMC, CONSEJO POPULAR, CASAS DE CULTURA, RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, TALLERES TTIB.

LOS SITIOS COLLECTIVE

The updated model will strengthen the “collective story” of the neighborhood, unify and make accessible the vocabulary used to describe civic engagement. It could also help identify culturally relevant ways to engage residents that merge the power of the Cuban Revolution with the 21st Century. The result will be a new collaborative model between existing institutions that exhibit how successful rebranding efforts can be applied to the sustainable development in similar neighborhoods of La Habana and across Cuba.

&V OL UN T EER S

PEOPLE, COMMUNITY LEADERS, FAMILIES, LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, SOCIAL/CULTURAL GROUPS.

community in a collective structure; the latter of which can complement, strengthen, and connect the current institutions that exist in La Habana. This new coalition would be a community-organized Los Sitios Collective that unifies and enhances those entities that exist and has the agency to advocate for the community.

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Possible linkages in the form of a local collective. Graphic: Authors

Representation of Local organizations and their members.

Gaps such as the lack of Talleres in Los Sitios were identified. Graphic: Authors

LOS SITIOS Social Capital + Resilient Community

CDR

FMC

CONSEJO CASA DE LA POPULAR CULTURA

TTIB

Comittees for the Defence of the Revolution

Cuban Women Federation

People’s Council

Community Center

Taller de Transformación Integral del Barrio

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149

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The Consejo Popular (People’s Council), is a political body that represents people at the neighborhood and communities level. Centro Habana is the municipality that houses the Consejo Popular of Los Sitios that provides an outlet for community members to express their concerns and ideas to the higher level government structures. Locally assisted by the following institutions: •

CDRs - The Comites de Defensa de la Revolución, or Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), is a mass network of organizations that engages in community services and political discourse.

Organized by blocks, they represent approximately 8 million Cuban citizens. They undertake garbage clean up and facilitate neighborhood debates on topics such as taxes, education, culture, and sports. They promote asset-building via museums, literary competitions, and family/community bonding activities.

•

Federación de Mujeres Cubanas (FMCs), or Federation of Cuban Women, is a non-governmental, voluntary social organization that develops programs aimed at achieving gender equality in all areas and levels of society. It promotes women’s health and work to empower women on current issues. It is structured at the national, provincial, municipal, and grassroots levels.

•

Taller de Transformación Integral del Barrio, or Neighborhood Transformation Workshops are small teams that promote the improvement of neighborhoods through close links with municipal governments, especially with the Consejo Popular (above) of their respective neighborhoods. At the moment, Los Sitios does not host any talleres, although many parts of the city do.

Other agencies like the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos (The Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples) could be linked with the community as they facilitate international educational, cultural visits and work brigades.

Wi-fi Park.

Photo: Authors

The main issue with the current governance is the lack of connectivity.

As commented before, Cuba possess many tools and agencies that can address the community’s needs. The main issue with the current governance is the lack of connectivity. This article understands that the community should take a more active role in the scenario and work as a middleman (and in another sense the leader) between various organizations facilitating the conversation and exchange of information between them.

The role of CUJAE, Pratt and the existing organizations will be to support local leaders and build connections between organizations and transfer ownership to the communities.

External agencies are known to apply ABCD processes “by stepping back, strengthening the associational base of collective action in communities, and encouraging their federation as a means by which communities engage with external institutions on their own terms.�13 Poor participation from the community may be a result of long periods of inefficiencies that resulted in the lack of trust and gradual deterioration of the external image of those agencies as it failed to update with changing times. The young people in Cuba today have a much different understanding and attachment with the revolution than the previous

generation. This fundamental difference requires new incentives and means to allow the population to contribute to decision making and development processes, which in turn builds trust.

The key ingredient for rebranding the process of development in Los Sitios requires legitimate inclusion of leadership from the neighborhood residents and experts. After implementation and evaluation, it is possible that this model could be extended to other parts of La Habana and Cuba.

The approach for this process would be to first structure and start programs, partnerships, and mechanisms to stimulate and demonstrate that change in Los Sitios is possible. According to the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs16 model, this process should provide to the population the basic needs categories: physiological and safety concerns. In the urban and community environment, this could include interventions in housing, urban infrastructure, material and logistical support to the population most at risk of suffering from building collapse.

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One of the strongest assets in the neighborhood, as noted earlier, is the historical housing stock.

This physical beauty is the draw for many tourists The ability to demonstrate the potential of a seeking an “authentic” version of Cuba. neighborhood with Given that Cuba received four million discussions on lines of tourists in 2016, and expects to receive credit, partnerships, even more in 2017 this is a and economic RI ALS VEN IN major source of economic feasibility is one of PUBLICpotential for residents.14 the main goals PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP Likewise, riding the tide of of this process. tourism in La Habana could Additionally, C I RO -LE N D further enhance another way to this communityshow development OU RES ROATIONAL led process by in this process is to HOUSING MODEL INCENTIVES means of a “Local establish small, costMODEL E or Responsible effective interventions GE N E R AT I O N tourism model” in public spaces where tourists could that could carry out the PROYECTO RESPONSIBLE LOS SITIOS LOCAL also collaborate in engagement process (e.g. shading EMPRENDE TOURISM neighborhood in the plaza for a public impact relation development, meeting or festival); but direction of flow directly or this type of intervention of revenue CH indirectly. must prove to be A S I NC U This requires useful to the community communities to organize themselves and form in order to engage its people. an institution, recognized by the population as a legitimate coalition that can advocate for communal Similar to the model that Mr. Friedman details, needs and interests. A July 3, 2018 New York the proposed entity in Los Sitios could be led by Times article highlights an example of this type various institutions, groups, and leaders of the of community organizing in Lancaster, PA. Most neighborhood. This board of people would discuss relevant to Los Sitios, the mission statement states major neighborhood issues as well as outline the organization strives to be a “trusted source for agendas, priorities, and other strategic opportunities information, innovative ideas and insights that for growth. It is recommended that voting and will help stakeholders, elected officials and voters decision-making system be inclusively designed so make more informed and enlightened decisions”.15 that minorities and other vulnerable groups have a This paper therefore suggests the creation of strong voice. Both of their inclusion and input would a similar organizational structure to bolster establish a trust-based process for the board and sustainable development at large within Los Sitios. help to keep the community as a whole engaged.

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Community Economic development18. Graphic: Authors

Afro-Cuban Saint figure.

Photo: C. Rodríguez Estévez

ESTABLISHING THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS Since the focus is to rekindle a culture of collective ownership and leadership that is presently lacking, an asset-based approach is vital. The first step in ABCD is identifying gaps and strengths in peopleplace linkages. Then follows interlinking different levels of community from the individual to organizational, creating a “federation of associations” which is at the core of asset building strategies. This could in turn relieve population dependency on state agencies. An organized local body makes adaptation to challenges much easier and efficient with added assistance.

ABCD focuses primarily on engaging and mobilizing community, instead of focusing on policies and institutional reform that is characteristic of the World Bank’s initiative in Community Driven Development.17 A few place-based interventions have been tested in Los Sitios but were unsuccessful or did not reach their full potential. The main plaza of Los Sitios was revamped with lighting, seating, street paints and even a water fountain. After a short period of time, the intervention was met with vandalism.

A core reason this occurred was due to a lack of communication about community needs and wants. While this is a specific example, throughout our findings it was concluded that the civic engagement

should not be seen as a tool to accomplish a specific project but as a cyclical process to be established in the neighborhood in order to achieve sustainable development. The main goal is to establish a self-sustaining process of civic engagement, not always dependent on external facilitators. Rather a process in which the community could be in charge of providing the change that they desired and needed. To achieve that we tailored and divided the overall process of implementation into three processes that should be started in sequence but could run in parallel according to the needs of the neighborhood. From the position of facilitators, these processes are:

1. Momentum Building, 2. Resilience Building, 3. Building Community-Led Engagement.

The objective of the “Momentum Building” process is to provide the initial energy to “push” the first domino through the collaboration and work of facilitators, volunteers and local organizations to promote the community and reverse the existing hopeless feelings of the community to develop trust within themselves. Ideally, the community would be able to initiate this independently but the observed conditions indicate the community needs outside support. This will help create interest in the population to address the situation and develop the neighborhood. Targeting the most pressing challenges should be the main objective, and in the case of Los Sitios, funding that can support housing construction and restoration is the primary focus. Goals for this process include: • • • •

Negotiating a structured program for housing renovations and, Establishing connections with the community by showing advancements on issues that are important for them, Instigating a spark of stewardship in the neighborhood, and Creating revenue opportunities.

HOUSING REHABILITATION

14 to 20 days of a “casa particular” rented

Rotational Housing Model.21 Graphic: Authors

1 m² or 10,7 SQF of housing rehabilitation

The “Resilience Building” process aims to equip the community with resources, tools and knowledge of how community engagement works, provide connections and work as a facilitator for the community to engage with the various key agencies, orient the community agenda towards urban advocacy, and assist in structuring local cooperatives. The key approach for this process would be first to develop an assessment of the current community leadership and engagement that would help understand their gaps.

Other potential outcomes of this assessment could be reports, guidelines, manuals, and other support tools that could be used by other communities that face issues similar to Los Sitios.

Lastly, “Building a community led engagement” involves the transfer of leadership from a facilitating and advising entity to the community. In doing this, the facilitator would take on the role of an active observer and consultant, while allowing room for the community to grow on its own. This model has been successfully employed in Oakland, California by the Oakland Land Trust. The Oakland Land Trust successfully assisted Hasta Muerte Coffee Shop, a worker owner collective in their pursuit to purchase their building. Initially, the Land Trust bought the building and “In the meantime, land trust staff plan to train them in building management best practices.”18

Spotting with the community Opportunity Sites to promote a sustainable development for the common use and benefit. Graphic: Authors

The graphic represents existing human assets and vital spaces used by the community that can be utilised for capacity building. Graphic: Authors

CONCLUSION In the past several years, Cuba has witnessed a slow opening of a new relationship between government and the public. It is clear that governance and resilience are directly related in the realm of community development. To empower people andbuild neighborhood capacity to engage in social, economic and physical regeneration, communities need important tools and resources.

A “renewed” governance model, aims and expects to improve community resilience and capacity for self sufficiency. The establishment of an organized Los Sitios community leadership board, with local leaders, will enable direct local initiatives in a more equitable way. This is one of the most important recommendations of the article because it embodies the notion that any prospective community needs an institution with the capacity, resources, tools,

assets, and recognition by the government and the larger community of which it is a part in order to establish self-driven community development.

In that sense the role of a facilitator is critical to establishing a structured process of civic engagement. This facilitator should not dominate the process, but instead focus on assisting the community to turn itself into an independent and sustainable advocate for their own development.

This new institution should be able to rebrand the process in the Cuban mind. This process hopes to trigger systematic change in the community by the community and truly embody this article’s vision of the momentum of a “reverse domino effect.” Cuba has a focus on human capacity as an ethos of the society that can translate into new and creative ways of pursuing development.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper was made possible by the collaboration between Pratt Institute, New York and La Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana CUJAE, La Habana with tremendous support and work of associated professors.

We sincerely thank Professors David Burney, Ron Shiffman and Jill Hamberg from Pratt Institute and Professors Jorge Peña, Joiselen Cazanave, and Patricia Rodriguez from CUJAE, for their guiding presence during the project.

Los Sitios. Graphic: Authors

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“Sustainable Development: The Path to Economic Growth in Cuba.” Brookings.

June 28, 2017. Accessed August 01, 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/ research/sustainable-development-thepath-to-economic-growth-in-cuba/.

2 Ted Henken (2008). Cuba: A Global Studies Handbook. ABCCLIO. p. 438. ISBN 9781851099849.

Retrieved 30 June 2014.

3 Marina Gold, “Peasant, Patriot, Environmentalist: Sustainable Development Discourse in Havana,” Bulletin of Latin American Research 33, no. 4 (2014): doi:10.1111/blar.12175.

4 Alejandro Rodríguez. Especial para BBC Mundo, “Voces desde Cuba: El millonario negocio del peculiar ‘internet’ cubano sin conexión a la red,” BBC News Mundo, accessed July 31, 2018 5 Davis, Caitlyn, and Ted Piccone.

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6 John Thornburg, “Eco-Tourism and Sustainable Community Development in Cuba: Bringing Community Back into Development.”

7 “Social integration and system integration.” A Dictionary of Sociology.

Encyclopedia.com. (July 29, 2018). http://www.encyclopedia.com/socialsciences/dictionaries-thesaurusespictures-and-press-releases/socialintegration-and-system-integration 8 Lily Hoffman, “In Havana, Tourism Development Before the US Tsunami.”

9 The barbacoas are all self-built and as with most informal settlements, they evolve over time. Slowly the original wooden barbacoa structure is replaced by “placa”- concrete, and shared services and individualized [Unclear]. (Sertich 2010) 10 Communications, Cone, and Intangible Business. “2009 Cone Communications Nonprofit Power Brand 100 PDF.” Cone Communications | Cone | Cone PR | Cone Inc | PR Agency | Boston | NYC, Cone Communications and Intangible

Business, 2009, www.conecomm. com/2009-cone-communicationsnonprofit-power-brand-100-pdf/.

11 “Sean Norris, “The Art of the Rebrand: When, Why and How to Rebrand Your Nonprofit,” NonProfit PRO, July 14, 2015, , accessed August 01, 2018, https:// www.nonprofitpro.com/article/ art-rebrand-rebrand-nonprofit/.

12 “Sean Norris, “The Art of the Rebrand: When, Why and How to Rebrand Your Nonprofit,” NonProfit PRO, July 14, 2015, , accessed August 01, 2018, https:// www.nonprofitpro.com/article/ art-rebrand-rebrand-nonprofit/.

13 Alison Mathie and Gord Cunningham, “From Clients to Citizens: Asset-based Community Development as a Strategy for Community-driven Development,” Development in Practice 13, no. 5 (2003): doi:10.1080/0961452032000125857.

14 Davis, Caitlyn, and Ted Piccone.

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15 Thomas L. Friedman, “Opinion | Where American Politics Can Still Work: From the Bottom Up,” The New York Times, July 3, 2018, sec.

Opinion, https://www.nytimes. com/2018/07/03/opinion/communityrevitalization-lancaster.html.

16 Mallory B.E. Baches, “Hierarchy of Needs: Application in Urban Design and CommunityBuilding,” accessed August 2, 2018, http://mallorybaches.com/ discuss/2016/1/26/hierarchy-of-needs.

17 “From Clients to Citizens: Asset-Based Community Development as a Strategy for Community- Driven Development Author(s): Alison Mathie and Gord Cunningham Reviewed Work(S)” 18 “Land Trust Helps Oakland’s Hasta Muerte Coffee Stay Put – Next City,” accessed July 31, 2018, https://nextcity.org/daily/ entry/land-trust-helps-oaklandshasta-muerte-coffee-stay-put.

Aerial view of Bush Terminal, Brooklyn, New York, on New York Harbor.” Looking north.

Photo: Wikipedia.

MEMORY “PLACED” IN SUNSET PARK, THE EPHEMERAL YET ENDURING Di Cui Sunset Park in Brooklyn, NY, a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community, provides a sense of home for many who just immigrated to the United States. However, this irreplaceable refuge is now endangered by immense development pressure and rampant gentrification in the neighborhood and surrounding areas. New developments such as conversion of Industry City to the Innovation Lab and the Eighth Avenue mega building project have spurred up rapid gentrification and displaced numerous long-term residents in Sunset Park, who are mostly working-class people of color and immigrants. Investors and development corporations have harnessed their economic capital and political capacity to realize their vision and to maximize their profit.

Industry City’s proximity to the waterfront (Figure 1) once nurtured its historic shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing businesses but now this lucrative asset poses a threat to the local working and living population. Erasing the existing manufacturing jobs, this emerging creative hub, however, cannot ensure sustainable and justly compensated employment opportunities suitable for the local residents. Boutique shops and cafes moving into the area foreshadow an influx of bourgeoisie consumers. Private money develops housing complexes targeting the upper-middle class; even the so-called “affordable units” in those buildings are in no way affordable for the local blue-collar residents. On the other hand, long-term residents are forced to leave their old homes and even the neighborhood due to the skyrocketing rent. Even those who remain in the neighborhood can feel displaced emotionally when they witness the close-down of familiar shops, neighbors moving out and disinvested infrastructures.

this irreplaceable refuge is now endangered—

Betty Yu, a New York City-based multimedia artist, grew up in Sunset Park and still frequents the area to visit her parents and organize events. In her current project, “(Dis)Placed in Sunset Park,” Betty collects stories from Latinx and Chinese residents in the neighborhood. She frames her project around the concept of counter-mapping. Maps possess a sense of objectivity and validity that other art mediums might be lacking (Yu). On the contrary, maps imply the value and vision of their makers and are never unbiased. For example, the problematic redlining maps categorize certain neighborhoods as hazardous simply based on racial composition and try to legitimize inequitable treatment to these areas. Capitalizing on maps’ authoritative attribute, “counter-mapping is a community-led mapmaking process where people appropriate the techniques of

formal mapping used by government and industry to lift up underrepresented people, uncover untold histories, and bring to focus places that are not recognized by dominant narratives (Ibid).”

Betty presents the collected narratives in video and written forms in her exhibition at the Open Source Gallery, online and through an Augmented Reality (AR) app. Betty also displays archival photos and maps of the neighborhood in the gallery space.

A cabinet at the corner (Figure 2) holds Betty’s research on Sunset Park’s history and materials on zoning, gentrification, displacement and etc.

Besides the visual and audio elements in the show, sifting through these files and leaving comments in the notebook (Figure 3) arouse the visitors all five senses and create a tactile and moving experience.

— by immense development pressure and rampant gentrification

Photo: D. Cui.

Photo: D. Cui.

The “(Dis)Placed in Sunset Park Placekeeping Walk” is another activity that engages with all the participant’s five senses. The refreshing breeze, smell of food at local shops and chortle of kids hanging out in the park painted a lively community enjoying a relaxing Saturday afternoon. Instead of a guided tour, this placekeeping walk accentuated a sensual and engaging experience.

As participants meandered through the park with an observation protocol, they directed more attention to the mundane, the seemingly insignificant fragments of everyday life which as a whole defined the local social life. A general social history is composed of numerous individuals’ narratives. When Betty and people on the tour shared their ties to the neighborhoods, struggles and achievements (Figure 4), their personal stories pieced together the larger picture of Sunset Park, which reflected the major movements and challenges faced by the neighborhood while retained an intimacy and urgency that could reach people dear to the hearts.

Betty also utilizes AR to create a virtual tour so people can explore the narratives without geographic limitations (Figure 5). Those who are able to visit the featured locations in person can access stories by pointing their phones to the buildings through the app (Figure 6).

Having people who are displaced to tell their stories right in front of their childhood homes, past workplaces and familiar storefronts allows them to temporarily reclaim ownership to their old-time spaces. Naming a street or placing a plaque on a cornerstone demands financial input and the ability to navigate the systems; most people in Sunset Park have access to neither.

This AR project thus imprints another layer of history, that is not celebrated in the mainstream version, into the physical fabric in a more fluid form. Similar to Betty’s approach, artists across the globe have used the projection of images and videos and other mediums to shed light on alternative stories without leaving permanent markers. However, although these videos require activation through the app, the narratives are permanently housed on the digital platform.

Moreover, they cannot be easily erased from people’s mind and body: memory is ephemeral yet enduring.

A general social history is composed of numerous individuals’ narratives.

Photo: D. Cui.

Photo: D. Cui

Anthropologist Edmund Leach says, “it is not just that ‘places’ serve to remind us of the stories that are associated with them; in certain respects, the places only exist… because they have stories associated with them (Potteiger and Purinton, 23).” Through “(Dis) Placed in Sunset Park,” Betty revives and sustains the Sunset Park fresh in her and her fellow resident’s memory. The abandoned Chinese laundromat, the closed-down factory and the “Work in Progress” sign outside a covered vacant lot each tell a unique story.

“But when once they have acquired this story-based existence, the landscape itself acquired the power of ‘telling the story,’” Leach goes on (Ibid). Residents in Sunset Park still face a long-haul battle. Nevertheless, their expedition will not cease at the step of raising awareness, what art is typically confined with.

The power of the multilayered precious memory cultivated by, rooted in and giving power to the neighborhood safeguards Sunset Park and its people.

Works Cited Potteiger, Matthew, and Jamie Purinton. 1998. Landscape Narratives: Design Practices for Telling Stories. New York: J. Wiley.

Yu, Betty. “(Dis)Placed in Sunset Park: an interactive multimedia project

by Betty Yu.” Betty Yu. http://www. bettyyu.net/displacedinsunsetpark/.

Map of Virtual Tour. Graphic: http://www.bettyyu.net/virtualartour

URBAN TREATMENT A Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Urban Placemaking Jiayi Cheng

Traditional Chinese Medicine (“TCM”) has a history of approximately 3,500 years (Li et al., 2017). It is by far the most complete, systematic and widely used of the world's traditional medical theories. In ancient China, the influence of other disciplines such as philosophy and geography on medical treatments has been profound. For example, emperors of different generations believed in various philosophical theories and adopted them to rule the country. Emperor Qin Shihuang believed in the philosophy of legalism and emphasized the strict rule of law in society. In the Western Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu suggested that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty “destroy 100 schools and honor Confucianism alone,” thus forming a society with hierarchical rules dominated by Confucianism.

Affected by this change, Chinese medicine became not only a medical-related discipline, but a more complex field that is related to many disciplines such as astronomy, geography, sociology and, most important, various philosophies.

amputation of organs and body parts

As someone who was born and lived in China for 23 years, I gained a great understanding of TCM and basic knowledge about its role and experience in promoting wellbeing, health, and immune systems. I have come to understand differences (Graphic source: Ottobock. (2017). Information for upper limb amputees and their families [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.ottobockus.com/ prosthetics/info-for-new-amputees/informationfor-upper-limb-amputees-and-their-families)

between TCM and Western medical treatments through contact with Western doctors both before and since moving to the United States. After becoming an urban Placemaker, I came to realize that Placemaking as a bottom-up approach to urban planning is very different from the topdown macroeconomic regulation and control of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As I learned about Placemaking, and gained an indepth understanding of place and community, it appeared to me that the role of urban Placemakers is that of a city therapist who heals both people and places through different urban design methods, either short-term programming or long-term strategies, and either development in rural areas or remedies in problematic urban places. Various city issues require different types of solutions.

In other words, they need urban treatments.

Many people refer to Central Park as the lungs of Manhattan since its functions of regulating the urban environment, improving air quality, and maintaining the ecological balance are similar to the role of lungs in a human body. This metaphor is intuitively known to urban residents.

As Bill Yake stated in his poem “Inside Out,”

landmarks removal remove

(Graphic source: Hirsch, D. (1962). Members of AGBANY protest the demolition of Pennsylvania Station [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.nypap.org/ preservation-history/pennsylvania-station)

Trees are our lungs turned inside out, inhale out a visible chilled breath. Our lungs are trees turned inside out, inhale their clear exhalation.

As this concept of “the lungs of the city” demonstrates, cities are like living organisms that carry out a set of social interaction patterns. These organisms have their natural and man-made body structure and organs, as well as their own systems of digestion, circulation, and blood flow for unfolding behaviors to take place. It is full of people, all kinds of voices and busy traffic flows during the day, just as the organs do their jobs to assist the human body in carrying out a wealth of activities during the daytime. When night comes, the city gradually becomes quiet; only sporadic vehicles travel on the

roads and a few shops are still open, just as most of the human body's organs go to sleep at night while only blood circulation and respiratory systems are still functioning. The crisscrossing roads in cities are like blood vessels; different buildings and functional spaces are like various organs; human beings living in cities and traveling between streets and buildings are like cells that have different behavior patterns; and animals, plants, etc. are like other trace elements such as vitamins in the body. All in all, physical movements and social interactions of the two components, human and place, together constitute one city that functions like a human body system. Similarly to a living organism, cities inevitably face pain and sickness. Sometimes, it will be a small problem such as a cold, and sometimes it will be a more serious issue like cancer. Placemaking is one of the treatments for different urban diseases of the city, just as TCM is of the body. Thus, the possibility of implementing TCM principles and cogitations into urban design is achievable.

For example, significant urban renewal interventions that were intended to do good to the development of cities but resulted in negative impacts are like major surgical operations that have a high possibility of destroying the original character of a place. On a larger scale, Robert Moses, known as the “master builder,” built a great quantity of architecture, parks, and public transit in New York City; however, Moses destroyed almost as many housing units as he built (Caro, 2019). In the process, a lot of the quality of life and place characters such as culture, landscape, history, etc. in the communities were destroyed. In a TCM context, the character of a place is like energy flowing in humans’ bodies, which people call “Qi”.

transplantation of organs and body parts

Whether it is acupuncture therapy or Chinese herbal medicine, TCM follows one principle: Major surgeries should be avoided unless they have to be carried out to save a human being's life, because once the human body has a large wound, the (Graphic source: International Poster Competition- ‘ORGAN DONATION’ [Digital image]. (2015, April 15). Retrieved from http://haber.dpu.edu.tr/en/haber_oku/552e24f079b2f/ international-poster-competition-organ-donation)

energy circulation inside the body (“Qi”) will be destroyed. The same is true for cities and regions.

The “surgical” approach in most cases destroys the energy of a place. The quality and quantity of the energy (“Qi”) determines the physical and mental states of inhabitants, as well as whether cities are healthy or not. For example, the longterm suspension of the L subway line in 2019 is like a major surgery for the city, aiming to repair damage brought by Superstorm Sandy. According to Andrew Hoan, the Chief Executive Officer of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, nearly half (40 percent) of surveyed establishments expected to lose up to half of their business, and according to the United States (U.S.) Census, three of every four employees in these areas commute to work via the L subway (Dumais & Alvord, 2019). The suspension of the L subway would have a severe impact on the retail, economy, and people's lifestyles. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, the High Line altered and the L subway closures would interrupt the energy cycle of their surrounding places.

urban renewal replace

(Graphic source: “Memories of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. ” A Slice of Brooklyn, www.asliceofbrooklyn.com/ blog/memories-ebbets-field-brooklyn/)

There are three major types of surgical operations that have a high potential to cause negative impacts on neighborhoods. Just as with invasive surgical procedures, they may have a positive outcome and save the patient's life, or they may cause physical harm and emotional trauma. The first type is amputation surgery. It is like the physical removal of important city components such as landmarks, infrastructure, and architecture [see Figure 1-1]. For example, Pennsylvania Station, built in 1910 and designed by McKim, Mead and White Architects, was once an icon of New York City, and its demolition led to community dissatisfaction and invasive protests. At the same time, urban amputation also means spiritual and invisible segregation. For example, people with lower median household income are forced to gather in areas with low rents, relatively inconvenient transportation, and poor quality of life because of gentrification.

They are groups that are separated from primary

and better urban resources by invisible social orders.

The second type of negative major operations is urban renewal projects, which are similar to transplantation surgeries. For instance, the heart and memory of Brooklyn were ripped out for many local inhabitants when the Dodgers left, and housing apartments were built instead [see Figure 1-2].

The last category of negative surgical operations is major developments which correspond to the implant surgeries [see Figure 1-3]. For example, the recently-opened Hudson Yard project is labeled by some people as numerous stairs that connect to nowhere and promotion for economic segregation.

Furthermore, the essence of TCM lies in the fact that the purpose of using the medicine is to make the body heal itself from the inside out, instead of curing the body through the consumption of pills. Placemaking should be a similar holistic urban intervention tool that allows and promotes people and communities (cells of cities) to selfsustain as well. For example, Arts East New York, Inc. (AENY) is a grassroots organization that was initially founded in 2009 by East New York resident Catherine Green (Arts East New York, Inc.) and gradually developed into a resident-led and self-managed organization that improves the residents’ quality of life. AENY identifies arts and culture as the critical energies in the East New York community and based on this, many activities such as youth education programs, cultural performances, etc. are implemented to strengthen the leadership of people and community.

In summary, Chinese medicine can inspire the toolkit that Placemakers could apply to solve various problems in places by employing holistic, mild, and natural urban treatments. The two essential principles of healing advocated by TCM can also be applied flexibly in an urban design context. The first is to promote the recovery of human bodies from the inside out through the autoimmune system instead of external antibiotics; the second is to

implant surgery of organs and body parts

(Graphic source: Factory Supply Prosthetic knee Replacement [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from itymetric.com/ skylines/which-cities-have-neatest-grid-systems-452)

reduce physical trauma and surgical damage by promoting mild and step-by-step treatment methods on patients such as Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. Accordingly, instead of negative major surgical interventions, urban Placemaking could be a mild treatment that transforms and solves different city issues gradually through bottom-up community-based urban design strategies which let the city heal itself through people and communities.

Bibliography

major developments construction

1. Arts East New York, Inc. (n.d.).

ABOUT US. Retrieved April 24, 2019, from https://artseastny.org/about-us/ 2. Caro, R. A. (2019). The power broker: Robert Moses and the fall of New York. London: The Bodley Head.

3. Dumais, E., & Alvord, K. (2019, March 29). Absolutely everything you need to know to survive the L train shutdown. Retrieved from http://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/ new-york/l-train-shutdown-nycmta-plan-alternative-service 4. Li, A. J., Li, Z. Y., Chu, J. N., Wang, L., Hu, Y. M., Jiang, W. & Zhao, Y. (2017). 论中医药的历史贡献. Int J Trad Chin Med, 39(3), 197-200. doi: 10.3760/ cma.j.issn.1673-4246.2017.03.002

(Graphic source: Touhey, Max. Take a Tour of Hudson Yards, inside and Out. Amy Plitt, 15 Mar. 2019, ny.curbed.com/2019/3/15/18256295/hudsonyards-new-york-photos-mall-vessel)

STREET ELEMENTS IN HISTORIC MARKET DISTRICT: A case study of five Public Markets listed on the National Register of Historic Places Shingo Sekiya INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY Urban marketplaces are fundamental locus for people to exchange in daily life from early human era, it has been at the heart of villages, towns, and cities agglomeration. Over the years, marketplace it self has been drastically evolved its form through paradymeshift by distribution system from hourses to waterways, railways and trackways. The public market in US reached its peak during the 19th century and faced major decline during the 20th century with the rise of supermarkets and convinient retailstores, leading to some of the significant market buildings to be torn down. From the late 60s, by the motorization and urban sprawl many of the former market sites been transferred into city periphery and former sites were transformed into festival marketplaces promoted by private real estate development speaheaded by Faneuil Hall in Boston. This method does provide various economic opportunites however it often lead in losing local businesses takenover by global chainstores. As counterpart movement, from the 70s, basic form of markets, open air markets revived in the downtown area to revitalize city centers, demonstrated by Barry Benepe in 59th Street and Second Avenue in New York City in 1976, and in Union Square in the following year by the proposal by New York City City Planning Department. This exerciese provided fresh food resorse to local residents and also restore districts from the drug dealers with eyes on the street effect, and also preserved farm lands in regional

Historic Urban Farmers Marketplaces.

Photo: S. Sekiya

scale. On the other hand, from the 21st century, global economy have been turning large market sites into isolated distribution centers from their surrounding neighborhoods such as Fulton market in New York City and Tsukiji market in Tokyo with buildings built as large refridgerators escalated by computer operated digital autimated auction systems.

However, historical small to middle scale public market has been still survived over the years. This paper focuses on these historic market sites and identify street elements that characterize and help sustain local marketplaces continuously based on its social local needs, serving community. Five

cases are selected from historic districts designated

by National Register of Historical Places (NRHP); Pike Place Market in Seattle WA, Washington DC Eastern Market in Washington DC, Lancaster Central Market in Lancaster PA, Boston Haymarket in Boston MA, and Detroit Eastern Market in Detroit MI. What structures public realm in historic urban marketplace? How have historic market districts managed themselves to preserve moral economy for public good? Through physical site analysis conveyed in 2017 and 2018, this report clarifies the common characteristics of streets in historic market places in United States and identify their function that structure market district.

CONTEXT: PUBLIC MARKETS IN THE U.S. The major shift change occurs by gradual proliferation of supermarkets from 1920s and by motorization and urban sprawl from 50s and 60s. Some markets were shutdown or had to relocate themselves in city peripheries, some were redeveloped by urban renewal projects, and some transformed themselves into festival marketplace.

Of all the historic farmers’ marketplace, threatened by the pressure of being redeveloped, Pike Place Market in Seattle has managed to preserve by designating the district as Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places through community activity. The focus of this research are the one managed themselves turning into historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) from 1970. The NRHP listing enables federal agency to support preserving the physical character of specific space.

19th C

20th C

21st C

Wholesale Fish Market emergence

Wholesale Terminal Market emergence

Relocated in city periphery

Central Market

Redeveloped by Urban renewal National Register of Historic Places 1966Transformed into Festival Marketplace

Farmers’ Market

Historic Urban Farmers Marketplace Open air farmers market revival, NYC Philadelphias’ Italian Market, 1884 Washington Market, 1812-1960 (relocated to Hunts Point) Reading Terminal Market, 1893- Quincy Market, 1824- (NRHP 1966) Pike Place Public Market, 1907 (NRHP 1970) Lancaster Central Market, 1889, (NRHP 1972) Detroits’ Eastern Market, 1841, (NRHP 1974) Union Square Market, 1976Columbus North Market 1872- (NRHP 1982) Roanoke Market Square, 1882 (NRHP 1983) Wheeling Centre Market Square, 1853 (NRHP 1984) Fulton Market, 1820-2005 (relocated to Hunts Point) Bronx Terminal Market, 1924-2005 Gansevoort Market, 1884 (NRHP 2007) Washington DC Union Market, (NRHP 2017)

Chronology and Typology of major public markets in U.S. Graphic: S. Sekiya

URBAN MARKETPLACE LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES According to Search for Great American Public Space Program that chose sixty greatest public spaces in the U.S. that include Pike Place Market through panel which include Laurie Beckelman, Robert S. Davis, Barbara Flanagan, Jan Gehl, Paul Goldberger, Peter

Katz, Daniel Kemmis, James H. Kunstler, and Dick Swett; twenty of greatest public spaces exist because civic group or individual stand to protect from getting demolished or made effort to create them from scratch.

T

Pike Place Public Market

Boston Haymarket

T Washingtovn DC Eastern Market

One way street

Detroit Eastern Market

Sidewalk and open space Brick pattern paved roadbed Market Shed structure Market building Roadbed area with market activity Farmers Market Tents T

Railway station 500 feet (one minute walk) radius Lancaster Central Market

N

North Direction

Historic Urban Farmers Marketplaces.

Graphic: S. Sekiya

Various tangible and intangible ingredients of street elements that were built up over decades and centuries are inherited and developed in unique ways and are some of the causes that helped become successful marketplaces as of today. Historical contexts of public market and issues were clarified by five different classifications. Public markets faces downturn in 20th Century while supermarket rises from 1920s in which space for social activities and communication is limited to its minimum, and spaces are purposed only to consume. On the other hand, urban marketplace has been a place for social gathering for the community and purposed not only for consumption but also for to produce of various community activities that foster sense of market place. Urban marketplaces were strategically preserved physically by designating as historic district by NRHP and socio-economically developed through public private partnership under umbrella of non-profit organization.

STREET PATTERN OF HISTORIC URBAN FAMERS MARKETPLACES Five selected historic market district are analyzed by three layers, which are loading zone, transition zone, and market house. These three layers provide smallscale comfortable spaces and places for various vendors and visitors allowing diverse population to interact, consume and produce social activities.

Market district are hub of civic participation with various support from non-profit organizations that help strengthen diverse community and entrepreneurship. Five basic street elements were extracted from streetscape analysis in the selected five historic market districts by site visits.

Roadbed with parking restrictions

Shed, Arcade, Canopy, Tent

BACK

FRONT

Enclosed building

TOILET

LOADING ZONE

TRANSITION ZONE

MARKET HOUSE

TRANSITION LOADING ZONE ZONE

Zoning in historic market district. Graphic: S. Sekiya

Composition of street elements in section diagram.

Graphic: S. Sekiya

TRAFFIC CALMING

VENDOR SETTING

OPEN FACILITY

COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT

SOCIAL OFFERING

Secures pedestrian friendly environment

Provides opportunities for small businesses

Enables access for diverse people

Sustains civic involvement

Builds social tissue

Loading zone

Transition zone

Market House

Any zone

Any zone

Roadbed with parking restrictions

Shed, Arcade, Canopy, Tent

Enclosed building

A. Traffic calming

The first street element is “Traffic calming” that secures pedestrian flow. Streets surrounding the market are towed zone and parking is allowed only for vendors during market hours. Wide sidewalk, curb extensions or bulb-outs (in some markets, one-way street) are used to slow down vehicles and paving patterns are changed in brick pattern at crossing and in shared market street, which is the main street axis cut through the center of the market district. Pedestrian network is allocated surrounding the market to allow easy access by foot traffic which connects with surrounding public transit stations.

B. Open facility

The second element is “Open facility” that enables access for diverse population. Guide maps, way finding and information center help visitors navigating themselves for each different interests. Public restrooms and water fountains help people to stay long within the market district.

C. Vendor setting

The third street element is “Vendor setting” that provides opportunities for small businesses owners. Vendor setting are often comprised by light materials that are cheap and easy to remove, replace and maintain. In order to preserve opportunity for vendors, spaces are purposed for flexible use and most important goods and materials are brought by vendor by themselves by trucks and other form of transportation. Arcade, shed and awning structures can be inserted by locals.

D. Community Fourth element is “Community attachment” that sustains civic involvement through intimate attachment interactive programs from cooking class to health events. Non-profit organizations have an important role to support this element to operate various activities working in between public and private structure, and are often led by other non-profit entities with specific interests.

E. Social offering

The fifth element is “Social offering” which is aimed to build social tissue for visitors and local workers. On contrary, competitive supermarket has been a space where social activities and communication is limited to its minimum, where those spaces are purposed to consume only. On the other hand, urban marketplace has been a place for social gathering and purposed not only for consumption but also for producing social activities sharing memories and thus sense of community is built. This element is also provided by surrounding small businesses such as restaurants and cafes. Indoors and outdoors seating areas are some of the spaces offered for social gathering space. Public art, free public event, and outdoor performances are also physical element and activity that builds space into place.

Street Elements

Eastern Market DC

Lancaster Central Market

Eastern Market Detroit

Secures Pedestrian flow

Bollards, Plastic Jersey Barriers, and movable fences

×

×

×

×

×

Brick pattern pavers, Paved crossing

×

×

×

×

×

Curb Extensions (Bulb-outs)

×

×

×

×

×

One-Way Street and Parking Restriction

×

×

×

×

×

Pedestrian network with surrounding area

×

×

×

×

×

Shared Market Street

×

×

×

×

×

Wide sidewalks

×

×

×

×

×

Bike path, bike racks

×

×

×

×

×

Elevators, ADA accessibilities

×

×

×

×

×

Food bank

×

×

×

×

Guide maps and way finding

×

×

×

×

Information Center

×

×

×

Multiple entrances

×

×

×

×

×

Outdoor or Indoor Clock

×

×

×

×

×

Restroom

×

×

×

×

×

Arcade / Shed

×

×

×

×

×

Awning

×

×

×

×

×

Parking Allowance for loading

×

×

×

×

×

Open Facility

Vendor setting

Enables access for diverse population

Provides opportunities for small businesses

Community Sustains attachment civic involvement

Social offering

Builds social tissue

Boston Haymarket

Principle

Traffic calming

Pike Place Market

Type

STREET ELEMENTS IN HISTORIC URBAN MARKETPLACE.

×

Parking Allowance within indoor market hall Signage for individual vendors

×

×

×

Tent

×

×

×

×

×

Trash and recycle system

×

×

×

×

×

Art and Cultural Institution

×

×

×

×

×

Child Care & Preschool

×

×

Cooking class and workshops

×

×

Promoting donation through Piggy banks, donors representation (ex. names carved in paving & chairs)

×

×

Pop-up library operated by community

×

Medical Clinic / Senior Center / Health program

×

Multi-purpose hall

×

Affordable housing / Residence

×

×

Drink Bar and cafe

×

×

×

×

×

Free pubic events

×

×

×

×

×

Indoor and outdoor seating area

×

×

×

×

Outdoor performance

×

×

×

×

Public art

×

×

Outdoor seating provided by surrounding small businesses

×

×

Viewpoints

×

×

×

×

× ×

×

×

×

×

×

×

×

×

×

× ×

×

×

×

Chart: S. Sekiya

CONCLUSION: STREET ELEMENTS IN HISTORIC MARKET DISTRICT Although there is no clear definition of market district, this paper identified spatial elements that construct historic urban marketplace through five cases that are listed as the National Register of Historic Places.

Basic principles and street elements that characterize historic urban marketplace were categorized in five that regulate market district in to layered space which creates place for diverse vendors, local residents and visitors; first is traffic calming that secures pedestrian flow; second is open facility that enables access for diverse population; third is vendor setting that provides opportunities for small businesses; fourth is community attachment that sustains civic involvement; and fifth is social offering activities that builds social tissue.

As recommendation, these sets of categories can be converted into basis in establishing market design manual that could function as tool kit to plan, preserve, and develop market districts in various cities. In order to implement these set of interventions, low cost temporal pilot project would help projects move forward in attaining and expanding market district along with community involvement and feedbacks. On the other hand, “open

facility to enable access for diverse population” and “community attachment for to sustain civic involvement” would require time and effort with public and community, and are essential for to market to continuously attain diversity and civic participation. The driving force for to initiate projects, non-profit organization works not only to bridge between public and private sectors, but also to help invest in development, when some cases only focus on preservation.

These historic urban marketplaces not only succeeded in preserving the physical building, but also has effectively developed and expanded their community assets attracting new visitors and new residents leading to continuously thrive and revitalize each downtown neighborhoods.

REDEFINING WATER CHANNELS THROUGH URBAN PLACEMAKING Isha Chetan Patel INTRODUCTION This thesis work investigates the causes of deterioiration of existing storm drains and urban conditions around them in the city of Mumbai identifying potentials for rejuvenating the socio-economic conditions through spatial developments and placemaking strategies.

This topic is analyzed via three separate yet interconnecting sections. The first section compares the open space access in the current and proposed Mumbai Development Plan. The second section identifies inland waterways and canals in the urban fabric of Mumbai and explores the feasibility of what it would take for canal development to occur in Mumbai. The third and final section explores the intersection of urban design, sustainability principles and placemaking strategies for revitalizing Irla Nullah through the examination of best practices, literature and case studies. Developing cities are controlled by a real estate agenda and arbitrary changes in land use and development control regulations which work against public good. Over the years, open spaces become ‘leftovers’ or residual spaces after construction potential has been exploited and often valued as a

backcloth to development (Das 2013). This trend is producing more backyards of segregation, neglect and abuse of people and places. There is a pressing need to redefine land use and develop plans by placing people and community life at the centre of planning, and recognize such open spaces in Indian cities and connect them with the existing network of public spaces.

Mumbai has 16 planned storm drains covering a length of 48 kms.

Designed to be storm water drains meant to protect the city from flooding, these inland water routes are misused as dumping grounds for sewage. Urban Placemaking led design process may present an option for revitalizing these storm drains, one of the neglected assets in Mumbai.

In this dissertation, there is an attempt to answer one overarching research question and three sub questions which will be examined in three separate sections:

How and to what extend does Urban Placemaking led design process represent a viable form of revitalizing strategy for existing and future demographics of the immediate neighbourhood they are in?

What are the causes of deterioration of existing storm drains and urban conditions around them in the city of Mumbai, historically and in present context?

How can Urban Placemaking led design process be used as an urban development strategy for creating nodal density along Irla nullah in Juhu neighbourhood?

What are the impacts of Urban Placemaking elements on the urban environment in creating a “successful” place?

In analyzing the potential of storm drains, there is an attempt to recognize and integrate Urban Placemaking as another important form of planning approach for Indian cities to transform these backyards as significant public spaces, turning them into proud forecourts.

Thereby, the project can form an important part of the ongoing research for informing Mumbai development plan 2034

spatial, social and ecnomic changes around Irla Nullah with the current potentials and obstructions for revitalization of Irla nullah. By analysing and evaluating Mumbai Development plan for 2034 and studying the development done for the nullah and areas around it, there is an attempt to develop inclusive revitalization strategies and acknowledge the existing and future communities around the drain thereby providing the citizens a quality living experience and a pleasant access to the drain and area surrounding it. This topic is analyzed via three separate yet interconnecting sections. The first section compares the open space access in the current and proposed Mumbai Development Plan. The second section identifies inland drains in the urban fabric of Mumbai and explores the feasibility of what it would take for public realm development around drains to occur in Mumbai.

The third and final section explores the intersection of urban design, sustainability principles and placemaking strategies for revitalizing Irla Nullah through the examination of best practices, literature and case studies.

Placemakingled design process may help revitalize one of Mumbai's neglected assets.

The thesis outlines the principles of a synthetic approach to planning, designing and maintenance of a public realm along storm drains and then applies them to a specific site—Irla Nullah, Mumbai—at a neighborhood scale. The research questions guiding the project are related to identfying the pattern of

 ISSUES:  Irla nullah is presently being used as a backyard and a place to dump waste. Impermeable compound walls, informal settlements and raised ground levels block the smooth flow of the drain. It is subject to encroachment, hence indiscernible at some places and its obstruction is one of the reasons for flooding in the low-lying areas of Juhu. But this ullah serves as an important spine connecting throughout the neighborhood.

Misuse; abuse; neglect.

Graphic: I. Patel.

Currently, this nullah is undergoing a revamp through a BMC driven project, “BRIMSTOWAD” that proposes a 20ft clearance on either side of the nullah to act as carriageway. But this nullah, has much more potential than just being a pathway or a greenbelt which will be explored in the coming chapters.

The above plan highlights Open Spaces, Vacant Plots, Educational facilities, Informal settlements, Informal Markets, Social Amenities in Juhu neighborhood.

Three focus areas are selected along the stretch of Irla Nullah in the Juhu neighborhood based on the development around and structural form of the nullah.

Characteristics of Focus Area 1: • Closer to the marshes •

Crude edge of the nullah (widest)

•

Surrounded by open spaces, social amenities and informal settlements

Characteristics of Focus Area 2: • Informed, structured edge of the nullah •

Surrounded by Informal Settlements, Open spaces and Informal Markets

Characteristics of Focus Area 3: • Narrow width of the nullah, causing breakage of flow within informal settlements •

Closer to train station and Juhu aerodrome

•

Surrounded by Informal settlements, Educational facilities, social amenities and Open spaces.

Juhu Neighborhood Site Context. Graphic: I. Patel

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS The Place Game The Place Game is a tool for evaluating any public space—a park, a square, a market, a street, even a street corner—and examining it through guided observation strategies. It helps to identify to identify what is working in a public space, and those aspects that could be improved upon, based on observations of how people are, or are not, using the space. It outlines four criteria for analyzing a place: outlines four criteria for analyzing a place: access and linkages, comfort and image, uses and activities, sociability. “The Place Game invites users to make their own judgements and observations about a space, and the vast diversity of ratings and responses that emerge from the the exercise shows just how dynamic public spaces are—each one with functions and attributes that are unique to a particular region or community” (P. F. Spaces, The Place Game: How We Make The Community The Expert 2016).

To evaluate and compare the focus areas selected, Place Evaluation was conducted:

Place performance Evaluation.

Graphic: I. Patel

Focus Area #3.

Graphic: I. Patel

The evaluation revealed that, Focus Area #3 rates poor in Comfort & Image, Access & Linkages and Sociability factor.

Thus, for the purpose of this study, the main focus would be to transform Focus Area #3 and nullah flowing through it.

As mentioned above, the case studies were analysed through the lens of Urban Placemaking and categorized into Planning, Design and Management. These principles were then adopted for Focus Area #3 and the above chart directly corresponds to that. For example, Site analysis of the nullah should be done at two levels_micro and macro level to understand the nullah and its importance within the neighbourhood.

Focus Area #3.

Informal interviews.

Graphic: I. Patel.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations.

Graphic: I. Patel

Planning-based Recommendation 1: Site Analysis should be done at micro scale and macro scale meaning immediate physical surrounding around the nullah (micro) and secondary influence of nullah in the neighbourhood (macro). This will set up a base template for future site analysis in order to provide design and management recommendations.

Recommendation 2: There is a need to Co-Design which basically means co-creation, co-delivery, co-management, codecide, co-evaluate, co-review a project before it’s implemented to allow residents around the nullah to feel “ownership of the process” from the start. There are many different user groups in focus area #3 which calls for people from different socioeconomic and educational background to come together in co-designing to re-invent the nullah and environment around it. To sum up, where talent and skills are tapped into a process, they become the

co-designers interested in the synergy of their ideas.

The goal of co-design workshops should be to involve participants’ sensibilities and intelligent insights thus stimulating hidden creativity. There is a blending of ideas from many different participants that can produce real value. (Marlow & Eagan 2013, 51.)

Here is one co-design session that can take place in focus area #3: Students of Architecture School + Women from Nehru Nagar Slum (Informal settlement) can collaborate together to discuss sanity issues like lack of public toilets for women in the settlement. The Architecture students then can conduct informal interview sessions and produce evident based designs on mobile toilet prototype for women which could turn into a pilot project stationed in these informal settlements benefitting women residing in them.

Design-based Recommendation 3: Before designing any scale of intervention around the nullah, there is a need to study the site context thoroughly through mapping and surveys to evaluate the place thoroughly.

To demonstrate, few sites have been demonstrated around the nullah which can in future act like as a walking trail network connecting major destinations in Juhu neigborhood. The new network could be used to trigger a number of new urban activities and can be interconnected through this network.

Here is a mapping that can take place in focus area #3: Students from Architecture schools can be taught mapping in 3 day workshops held by experts which would allow them to collect data and map the place in an unbiased way. These maping workshops would allow students to learn Activity mapping, Pedestrian counts, Dot mapping. Along with this, multidisciplinary team of experts can frame the survey questions to be handled in person and online and then distributed throughout the neighbourhood.

Recommendation 4: Urban acupuncture is an urban environmentalism theory which uses small-scale urban design based interventions to transform the larger urban context. Sites are selected through an aggregate analysis of social, economic, and ecological factors, and developed through a dialogue between designers and the community.

At a macro scale, there is a need to regenerate existing urban eco systems around the nullah to develop a sense of belonging and identify for and around the nullah for all types of users.

One such existing urban eco system is the chain of informal food carts around the educational centers on the sidewalk which remains active throughout the day. This system is targeted and recreated around the nullah: Recommendation 5: There is a need to introduce multipurpose spaces at a macro level to provide visually engaging daily gathering places for residents as well as neighbourhood level events.

Overall such spaces would contribute to the livability of Juhu neighbourhood and improve the social value of Irla nullah.

Management-Based: Recommendation 6: In order to maintain and manage these proposed interventions, it is very important to conduct a place evaluation after it has been proposed. This would ensure workability of the space in terms of programming, safety and liveability. Periodic place evaluation would allow for rotation of programming and activities around the nullah aiming to improve the value and recognize nullah as a part of neighbourhood social urban fabric.

Recommendation 7: Representatives from welfare groups, rotaract group, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions could be invited for “public space evaluation workshops” where participants discuss the types of programming and improvements they would like to see in the neighbourhood and around the nullah. This process is very important for the users to determine what type of activities and space they want to be in instead of professionals.

There is a sense of responsibility when these groups are involved in design and management process from the start till the end. Ultimately, these groups can manage and own these spaces for public to use for free.

CRUISING PLACE The Placemaking Practices of Men who Have Sex with Men John Bezemes

There is a fundamental belief in placemaking practice that place is a reflection of people - their memories, values, culture, and socio-spatial traditions – and that successful placemaking is the manifestation of these traditions in public policy, public space, and ultimately public life. As placemaking professionals, we work to advocate for, facilitate, and operationalize placemaking practices of the people and communities we work with. An essential part of this effort is a recognition that effective placemaking involves collaboration between specialists and community stakeholders and this sentiment is expressed by institutions on the forefront of our professional and academic discourse. Let us look at one example from Project for Public Spaces (PPS). On their website, PPS’s definition of placemaking appears inclusive and altruistic - a rejection of the myopic elitism of top down urban planning, “when people of all ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds can not only access and enjoy a place, but also play a key role in its identity, creation, and maintenance that is when we see genuine Placemaking in action.” However, beneath a veneer of magnanimity in our discourse lies an implicit indifference to placemaking practices that subvert traditional norms.

What we see emerging in current placemaking practice are methods and approaches that reinforce existing power structures and that operate under the guise of public safety, cleanliness, and economic development with definitions of community that are abstract and idealistic.

Additionally, the language used in our professional discourse to evaluate placemaking efficacy has the potential to undermine marginal social practices. PPS defines a “great place” through the lens of four categories: sociability, access & linkages, comfort & image, and usage & activities. These categories are subsequently broken down into “intangibles.” These intangibles, “safe”, “green”, “active”, “useful,” “welcoming”, “real”, etc. have embedded in them a critical morality. Words that are vague and relative like “real,” “safe,” “clean,” and “welcoming” become qualifiers for desirable activities in public space. This language prioritizes activities that fit into a narrow, moral, and normative interpretation of place while ignoring more subversive and marginal placemaking practices, working against the creation of places that are equitable, inclusive, and just.

Times Square Activity Zone Photo: J. Bezemes

Placemaking professionals also place an emphasis on activating space through programmatic intervention, guided by the belief that the most effective way to generate value in public space is to create a reason or excuse for people to be there by encouraging activity, particularly economic, but also communal, political, and cultural activity.

In Place, an Introduction Tim Creswell uses YiFu Tuan’s analysis of a Wallace Stevens poem to illustrate this same idea, “…the mere act of putting a jar on a hill produces a place which constructs the space around it. Wilderness becomes place.”

In Life Between Buildings, as part of a critique of the desolate and inactive public spaces created by modernist architects and planners, Jan Gehl writes that activity in public space has the effect of perpetuating itself, “Something happens, because something happens, because something happens.”

PPS calls this the power of ten, “places thrive when users have a range of reasons (10+) to be there.

These might include a place to sit, playgrounds to enjoy, art to touch, music to hear, food to eat, history to experience, and people to meet.” The assumption made in these three examples is that activity is a catalyst for more activity and that an increase in activity results in a more robust public space. Much like Wallace’s jar, placemaking professionals use food trucks, movie nights, pop-up libraries, and markets to create a sense of place.

However, these programmatic interventions are a symptom of a colonialist mentality within the placemaking profession that treats presumably dysfunctional, underutilized, or awkward public space as a clean slate, ready to be activated by a sublime collaboration between engaged communities and selfless professionals. What these interventions do indeed create is a reason for people to enter and stay in a place by encouraging a type of conspicuous consumption that leads to the commodification of place and trades genuine, organic placemaking for cheap marketing gimmicks.

Times Square Beer & Wine Area Photo: J. Bezemes

Men Cruising In Forest Park.

Photo: J. Bezemes

The ongoing operationalization, sanitization, and commoditization of place inevitably result in the undermining of marginal placemaking practices, especially if they subvert our definition of a “good place.” Placemaking professionals have the ability – the obligation - to cultivate a broader, more inclusive concept of place. Cruising Place: The Placemaking Practices of Men who Have Sex with Men is an analysis of the social, spatial, and historical forces that have given rise to one particular form of unsanctioned placemaking practice - the activity of “cruising for sex” in public parks by men who have

sex with men (MSM). By opening our own discourse to incorporate other, more obscure, subversive, and marginal placemaking practices - practices that push, challenge, and negotiate the boundaries of our social norms - we can begin to develop a more comprehensive understanding of what it means to make place. To accomplish this, four places where MSM cruise were chosen as the central focus of this study. These sites were The Back Bay Fens and Belle Isle Reservation in Boston, MA and Cunningham Park and Forest Park in Queens, NY.

At each site, through spatial analysis coupled with photo documentation, along with formal and informal interviews with MSM, it was possible to gain a more complete understanding of how MSM make and maintain place through cruising for sex.

A comprehensive analysis of these sites demonstrated how public parks have the capacity to accommodate the placemaking practices of MSM and other marginalized groups - practices that have been sidelined by other, more codified and restrictive built landscapes. The architect Kathy Pool calls these places “recycling territories� that house those without property, shelter homeless people displaced by more restrictive politics, provide cover for socially shunned citizens, accommodate diverse populations not as actively fostered elsewhere, and that rarely disallows or diminishes more codified activities and populations that are accepted everywhere. The flexibility of natural landscapes afforded by urban public parks provide space for marginalized populations to inhabit, manipulate, and make place with minimal interference, unlike more formalized, programmed urban spaces.

These places are the frontier of marginal placemaking - the hidden spaces of subversive placemaking practice.

Spatial analysis and photo-documentation of (from top to bottom) Back Bay Fens, Belle Isle Reservation, Cunningham Park, and Forest Park. Graphic: J. Bezemes

One of the more illustrative results of the case studies in Boston and Queens was the development of a spatial typology. At all four cruising places, the distribution and types of sex-specific litter, the way pathways are carved into vegetation, how private areas connect to larger paths, and the way weather and seasonal changes affect usage patterns share spatial parallels.

Distilling and categorizing these similarities through a spatial typology revealed six discrete spatial configurations – runway, ramble, cul-de-sac, maze, shelter, and field. These spatial configurations are ubiquitous among urban public parks and can be observed at several other outdoor cruising places not included in the four case studies.

While each configuration manifests in unique ways at

Formal typology diagrams.

Graphic: John Bezemes

Cruising places' spatial configurations are ubiquitous among urban public parks

each site, their overall spatial qualities are nearly identical.

Cruising depends on basic spatial arrangements that facilitate five contact relations– mixing, viewing, colliding, connecting, and concealing. Each of the six spatial types explored accommodate at least one of these five contact relationships.

When separate spatial types are combined to form a larger configuration, cruising will inevitably occur in these places, given that there are MSM in close proximity to one another and interested in sexual contact.

By the end of the study, several unique insights were gleamed from the research, in particular from the formal and informal interviews with other MSM. Surprisingly, sexrelated refuse appears to be an integral part of the functioning of cruising places, creating a type of informal wayfinding for MSM. Also, cruising places appear to transcend cultures, borders, government systems, and can appear anywhere as long as spatial and infrastructural conditions support it. Additionally, MSM use cruising to carve out places of belonging and liberation that are crucial for homosocialization and these cruising places are oftentimes threatened by the privatization and overprogramming of adjacent public space. Finally, marginal places (the leftovers) provide the necessary space for marginalized placemaking practices.

These conclusions about the placemaking practices of MSM eventually led

Our efficacy as placemakers depends on broadening our perception of what it means to make place

to five core recommendations.

First, we need to regard leftover, marginal spaces as more than just places that are dysfunctional, unused, or in need of occupation by current placemaking interventions. Second, we must recognize the placemaking value of fringe spaces to marginalized groups. Third, it’s imperative that we push to adjust public policy and design approaches that allow for more private areas in public space. This includes an end to entrapment and policing of people engaged in discreet public sex.

Fourth, we should encourage more unplanned contact in public space rather than networkingoriented, hyperprogrammed events. Finally, it’s our obligation to encourage members of marginalized communities to become professional placemakers, planners, and designers in order to be more effective at addressing the placemaking needs of marginalized people and places.

These strategies could help foster a deeper understanding of the placemaking needs of marginalized people. Our efficacy as placemakers is dependent upon broadening our perception of what it means to make place.

By encouraging diversity of perspective in our professional practice and academic discourse, we will increase our capability to make public space more open, inclusive, and equitable.

CHANGING GENDER DYNAMICS AND PUBLIC SPACES How cities can safeguard marginalized LGBTQ spaces through policy, design and recognition.

Danya Rajagopal On September 6th 2018, following decades of legal battles, the Supreme Court of India ruled against a colonial era law that describes homosexuality as “against the order of nature” and a punishable offense with up to 10 years in prison. Decriminalizing homosexuality under grounds of right to privacy and freedom of expression, reflects a drastic shift in mindsets — a significant step ahead for modern India as well as the LGBTQ community that makes up 8% of the country’s population.

I have friends who have been deeply affected by harassment in workplace and policing in public spaces because of their gender or sexual identity, but couldn’t report these incidents since it was a criminal offence.

Not Anymore. However, this news also made me question the readiness of countries like mine

to adapt to the changing nature of gender and social dynamics.

As a heterosexual person from India, living in New York and studying about the design and management of public spaces, my knowledge about the LGBTQ movement - its victories and struggles, is very surface level and based purely on personal interactions. Reflecting on the effect of such a ruling on the appropriation of public spaces in my own city, I set out to better understand this gender dynamic and landscapes here in the west and the placemaking that happens in them.

The discussion around gender neutral restrooms and equitable public spaces are relatively unexplored in countries like mine where even public display of affection is frowned upon at times, and safety is still a concern

for many women. Although this might not be a high priority issue for many in India, the context of the ruling provides an opportunity to open up this conversation.

Legal acceptance doesn’t always imply societal acceptance, which is a longer process that reflects in the planning and policy of social infrastructure as a whole. Although context largely drives the pace of these changes, learning from patterns of changing role of public spaces and social values can help propel towards a more egalitarian and dynamic public realm.

To learn more, I spoke with John Bezemes, a recent alumnus from Pratt Institute’s Urban Placemaking and Management program. His thesis on cruising places grapples with a similar loss of interstitial spaces to conspicuous consumption and commodification of public spaces.

Interview with John Bezemes, Pratt Institute, Urban Placemaking and Management 2018 Dhanya: I read an article which said that as LGBTQ movement has become more visible, the spaces like book stores, nightclubs and dedicated John: I think you'll find different answers spaces are from people within the community, with an gett ing lost especially pronounced difference between and being older and younger LGBTQ+ people. Some of integrated with us do not want to lose the places and customs the mainstream we've established over decades of struggle. landscape.

Others view full integration as a marker S h o u l d of full equality even if it is at the expense integration of our collective history and culture. Still be t he r ight others find LGBTQ+ culture to be perverse way to go and want to embrace heteronormative about societal customs. LGBTQ+ "acceptance" at least in acceptance? the west, has been rapid and we are just now beginning to deal with the repercussions of more visibility and integration into the broader culture.

I personally think we need to preserve our history, celebrate our contribution to the larger culture, and most importantly not lose our radical and subversive nature. The

Celebrations in Chennai after the Supreme court Verdict. Photo: The Indian Express

value I see in LGBTQ+ culture is our history of pushing and challenging social norms and boundaries, especially around gender and sexual norms, but also in other more progressive, collectivist politics and health advocacy. The principle reason for focusing my thesis on LGBTQ+ placemaking and the places associated with it is because I felt an obligation to document a very universal practice that is under direct threat from the very integration you mention. It is my way of trying to preserve one aspect of our subversive, radical, and sexually progressive social practices.

So to answer your question directly, I think integration comes at the expense of our culture and history. Rather than integration and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and places, there should be recognition and inclusion.

Dhanya: What are your opinions on intellectual spaces for marginalized LGBTQ people like PopUps, or speakeasies. What are your thoughts on the temporal nature of such queer spaces? Is it embraced by those John: I think these places are crucial. The placenessless of them is actually an important aspect of them. with intersecting identities or does Temporally, LGBTQ+ spaces exist on a different, it cause a sense of place-lessness? detached spatial plane. This was one of the reasons why Michel Foucault's essay on heterotopias was so integral in my research of cruising places. These temporal places transcend site and allow for LGBTQ+ people to create safe and inclusive spaces regardless of geographic or cultural contexts. This is why you see cruising places in every culture and continent on the globe. Incredibly, this allows LGBTQ+ to instantly connect with each other anywhere, even with vastly different language and cultural customs. The semiotics of gay cruising, for instance, are universal and understood amongst all LGBTQ+ people. This allows those with intersecting identities to feel included no matter where they come from or how they identify (outside of their LGBTQ+ identity), because there exists a Dhanya : You r t hesis ta lks George Segal's "Gay Liberation" sculpture at Christopher Park, common ground for all of us in extensively about cruising places Greenwich Village, NY was these places. and how the commodification commissioned in 1979. Photo: nps.gov of public spaces is coming in the way of casual encounters and opportunities for privacy in public space. If I think of such spaces in the context of India, I would say it's particularly prevalent in the shadows of the city, abandoned parking lots and garages(much like how it used to be in America)The shift from private, shady corners to public cruising is going to be a long one. Is there a way to strike a balance or a gradual move John: I don't think there should be a shift at all. These shady corners are towards it? If spectacular places of subversion! In my research I am not necessarily so what would advocating for a more public type of cruising (although I'm not against t hese spaces it), rather I am advocating for a recognition of the importance of these look like? "shady places" and the placemaking practices that occur within them.

I am also advocating for a placemaking profession that sees the value in placemaking practices, and the places created by them, that are not inherently tied to conspicuous consumption and a capitalist/business driven programming model.

Dhanya : How does safety manifest in these discussions? hunters College did a study that said harassment towards LGBTQ's is most prevalent in Public Transit.

John: I think some of the answer to this relates back How can to your previous question about integration. Our only policy/design real power comes in the recognition and proclamation etc tackle this? of our difference and the celebration of our collective strength. This is why so many decades ago, Harvey Milk called for us to come out of our closets and show the world who we are and how many of us there really are. Full integration into a heteronormative culture spreads our collective power thin and makes us vulnerable to the heterosexist violence that we spent so many decades fighting against. With the loss of LGBTQ+ specific places, we also lose crucial safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people. Without a strong infrastructural network of these safe spaces, LGBTQ+ people become increasingly vulnerable.

A block away from the LGBTQ community center, the New York City AIDS Memorial opened in 2016 has already become a local gathering spot, hosting readings, peaceful demonstrations and vigils.

Tompkins Square Park, has a rich queer history that can be traced back to the 1980’s Wigstock drag festival, and pop culture references such as the rock musical Rent.

Today, it is the starting point for the Drag March during Gay Pride month. Photo: Author

MAPPING EPHEMERAL SPACES AND MEMORY Historically, as laws tried to suppress public visibility of homosexuality, men sought out anonymity in indoor spaces like underground gay bars, cabarets, clubs and, bookstores, or resorted to abandoned and remote areas. In the 19th century, “cruising grounds” like the Ramble in Central Park, Tompkins Square Park and Riis Beach in Queens, New York, became popular, as more people sought out privacy in public spaces. Tracing lived memory and history through physical space is a powerful act of reflection.

However, the ephemeral nature of such LGBTQ spaces makes it harder to track and pin down. I came across Queering the Map, an interactive Geotagging platform that archives & maps transient moments, memories, and meaning that places hold for LGBTQ communities across the globe.

The intent of the project is to “enrich the collective memory” and “reclaim as much space as possible, from park benches to parking garages, to mark moments of queerness wherever they occur.” The role of designers and planners in bridging this gap of knowledge through unique tools for communication,

research and archiving is immense and should be supported by relevant policies and meaningful conversations around gender, race and equity.

Such spaces in Indian cities are still mostly tucked away from the public gaze in shady, isolated corners of the city. Some of these spaces like the Amra Obudh Cafe in Kolkata, function as a community support groups and a place of respite and liberation for runaway LGBTQ youth who have been ostracized by society. Queer Potli, an anthology of stories about LGBTQ spaces in India captures such unique spatial cultures. Public parks in these stories are not necessarily, cruising grounds, rather, they’re places of anonymity and privacy, where two people can share experiences and emotions. However, in metropolitan cities like New Delhi, the increased social visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ culture has led to the creation of exclusive clubs accessible only by the elite class. As policymakers and planners, the value of non-formalised collective spaces need to be acknowledged as vital to a community.

Amra Obdubh, a Queer feminist cafe, tucked away in a middle class Kolkata neighborhood,is a place to converse, sip tea and read poetry. These are more than just spaces of business; they are a tight knit community of intergenerational LGBTQ+ users.

ROLE OF PLANNERS, DESIGNERS AND POLICYMAKERS DO? Safety Hollaback! an anti-harassment activist group and Hunter Urban Policy and College, Gender Inc. collaborated on a report titled Beyond the Bathroom. The report highlighted safety concerns particularly in public transportation and police discrimination in public spaces, attributed as the downside of increased visibility of LGBTQ culture. The lack of accurate data on LGBTQ crime reporting is a key point to expand further policy and implementation. Suggestions Included : •

Incorporation of LGBTQ antidiscrimination agenda into OneNYC.

•

Inclusion of LGBTQ component in city and state environmental review guidelines for new development.

•

Training and awareness for police personnel

Public Participation The Christopher Street Pier redevelopment provides a powerful example of how planning and public participation processes can sometimes exclude members of certain groups from the process. Relying solely on resident participation, the planning did not represent the voices of the LGBTQ community who used the space frequently.

According to Gender Inc Studio’s planning workshop, “the LGBTQ and transgender advocates didn’t stress the need for better lighting or design elements, but instead stressed the need for people to be more educated about their experiences, fairer policing and safer public transportation.”

Recognition According to Gender Inc’s report, traditionally, women and LGBTQ individuals are invisible to planning professionals as their activities are generally considered part of the private, not public realm. The most fundamental step therefore, is recognition of differences and respect of every individual and their rights. It is a long term process to incorporate them into policies, but it starts with acknowledging the presence of LGBTQ+ populations as a unique cultural asset. As designers and policy makers, recognizing the value of unique cultural landscapes, needs and historical struggles of communities can create authentic places that are not designed purely for consumption but allow for meaningful interaction that coexist alongside the mainstream public realm.

The pride flag is symbolic as a metaphor for diversity in several ways.

It reminded me of my favorite science experiments on refraction white light passing through a prism splits into the seven colours of the rainbow. It was fascinating.

Learning that the white light we all recognize as a singular color, is actually made of seven different colours that make up a rainbow. What if we perceived our public realm as a prism of possibilities? A collection of wavelengths that exist in harmony while retaining its uniqueness.

Photo: AlexLMX/iStock/GettyImages

The Urban Placemaking and Management program at Pratt Institute In the past 10–12 years there has been a paradigm shift in thinking about planning and urban design, from a primary focus on buildings to a focus on the spaces between buildings —“public space.”

Rather than allowing these spaces to be formed as an afterthought of building design, Placemaking sees the creation of successful public spaces as the starting point, which in turn dictates the siting and design of other components of the urban fabric. Placemaking approaches public space from a people perspective —based on community needs and programming. It incorporates a wide variety of professional and technical skills such as community building, economics, sustainability, management, urban design, and landscape design.

“Placemakers” need to understand the role that each of these disciplines plays in creating and maintaining successful public spaces and be able to manage the process of placemaking. Case studies of successful public spaces demonstrate the importance of placemaking in supporting successful communities and in the livability and health of a city.

The program is ideal for students with professionally oriented undergraduate education, professional degrees, or professional experience in architecture, engineering, environmental, landscape design, urban planning and related studies. Students are immersed in the core skills of analysis, conceptual design, and management of the public realm in cities. The 40-credit program equips students to qualify for employment in a range of institutional, governmental, nonprofit, and private-sector settings. Students gain a broad theo-retical knowledge of the historical, political, and social frameworks with which to conceptualize the

public realm, while developing skills to analyze urban space and understand the relationship of public space to public policy and private development. Through studios and internships, students gain further practical understanding of the planning and design of public space, including management and the integration of the principles of sustainability into public-space development.

The core knowledge and skill-base of placemaking as a discipline, are delivered over four semesters through a combination of lectures, seminars, case studies, and studio-based exercises. Students pursue a curriculum of study structured by four academic knowledge streams: Design and Infrastructure; Economics; Planning and Policy; and Management.

The program offers flexibility to students to develop advanced knowledge and skills through electives in three areas of focus, each corresponding to an area of employment for placemakers: _Community-Based Design _Parks, Open Space, and Green Infrastructure _Transportation and Main Street Management Graduates are equipped to effectively analyze, manage, and influence the complex process of public-realm design and management.

An approach to the creation and management of public space from a people perspective, based on community needs and programming

61 St. James Pl. Brooklyn, NY 11238 www.pratt.edu/gcpe FALL 2019