EPILOGUE

THE FUTURE OF CITIES

Donald Carter, FAIA, FAICP

The Rockefeller Foundation defines resiliency as “the capacity of a city to survive, adapt, and grow, no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. Shocks are typically considered single event disasters, such as fires, earthquakes, and floods. Stresses are factors that pressure a city on a daily or reoccurring basis, such as chronic food and water shortages, an overtaxed transportation system, endemic violence, or high unemployment.”

When Urban Design Associates was formed in 1964, Pittsburgh had a strong economy, a vibrant downtown, and a vision for its future. Twenty years later, in 1984, Pittsburgh was in economic free fall as manufacturing jobs and industries moved to Asia. The downtown was failing, factories and mills were closing, people were leaving the city, and many neighborhoods were in decline. Gloom and despair prevailed. Similar scenarios were being played out in the US in Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit; and, in Europe in Liverpool, Rotterdam, Ruhr Valley, and Turin. In the 35 years since many of these cities have come back.

There are lessons to be learned about resiliency from post-industrial cities that experienced the shock and stress of precipitous economic decline in the 1980s. The lessons can be applied to cities that may be devastated by natural disasters, war, social and ethnic conflicts, as well as those facing the impacts of climate change.

Pittsburgh is perhaps the best example of the successful transformation of a post-industrial city. UDA was deeply rooted in the remaking of Pittsburgh, but our practice also encompasses regeneration projects across the U.S. and around the world. Along the way, we uncovered the strengths of post-industrial cities and extracted lessons that are applicable for resilient cities.

Strengths of Post-Industrial Cities

Historic neighborhoods and downtowns in post-industrial cities that were created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries have inherited a treasure trove of walkable neighborhoods and downtowns. The design, scale, and materials are usually of high quality. Unfortunately, these valuable assets have often been neglected, even partially abandoned. But the streets and utilities remain in place, a valuable and cost-efficient resource, especially when contrasted with the cost of constructing new infrastructure for greenfield development. Existing buildings, whether occupied or vacant, whether historic or not, are another resource for sustainable and resilient redevelopment. The saying goes, “The greenest building is the one already built.”

Universities and Medical Centers

The economic transformation and diversification of post-industrial cities depended a great deal on the presence of universities and medical centers as their economies moved from basic manufacturing to technology and service. Not only are universities and medical centers usually the biggest employers in town, but they are also the source of entrepreneurial activity and the creation of new companies. In addition, faculty, staff, and students provide a constantly replenishing source of talent to fuel economic activity.

Parks and Cultural Amenities

Parks, zoos, museums, concert halls, and other cultural amenities were created during the boom times of post-industrial cities, often funded by industrialists and private foundations. Many of these amenities have sustaining endowments and committed local support that kept them viable even during economic downturns. Quality of life depends on preserving these assets.

Vacant Land and Adaptable Buildings

Vacant land and buildings are usually viewed negatively only as indicators of blight and decline. However, the rehabilitation and adaptive use of idle industrial land and vacant commercial and residential buildings are valuable building blocks for regeneration when combined with the re-use of existing infrastructure.

Resilience and Talent of the People

Not everyone left post-industrial cities in the US and Europe when the cities went into steep decline in the ‘80s. Of course, there was a significant brain drain as professionals and skilled craftsmen sought fresh starts in other cities, but others stayed and provided the leadership for the city’s redevelopment.

Lessons Learned from Post-Industrial Cities

In the last 35 years, many post-industrial cities in the U.S. and Europe have built on the strengths listed above and transformed themselves after economic collapse. What are the lessons learned from UDA’s practice, and from other global cities, that can be applied to resilient cities?

It Takes Time

Transformation does not occur overnight. The UDA plan for the Ohio River riverfront in Cincinnati, Ohio was published in 1996. Now, 23 years later, the plan is almost complete with two stadiums, 15 acres of mixed-use development between the stadiums, and a major riverfront park. Turin, Italy, lost its automobile and steel industries in the 1980s, but it has come back on the strength of its technical university and engineering culture. The 2006 Torino Winter Olympics was a major impetus to regeneration of the central city that also boosted tourism.

Be Bold, Take Risks

In 2002 UDA was commissioned by the Vulcan Company to prepare a master plan for 30 blocks of downtown Seattle, known as South Lake Union. At the time, the district was undeveloped with a declining mix of low-density industrial uses. Other parts of the city offered better potential for investment, but Vulcan, who owned much of the district, took a gamble on a master development plan. Today, South Lake Union includes the headquarters of Amazon and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as millions of square feet of new residential and commercial development, including a trolley that links the district to the downtown core. Similarly, in Bilboa, Spain, risky municipal investment in 1997 to build the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry led to the transformation of the riverfront and the revitalization of the downtown.

Invest in Culture and Heritage

UDA was commissioned in 1997 by the City of Minneapolis to prepare the Downtown Minneapolis and Industry Square Master Plan. The district at the time was mostly surface parking lots and abandoned flour mills, grain elevators, and train sheds. Today the Mill District has emerged as a historical and cultural center of Minneapolis. Many of the original buildings have been converted into offices, hotels, loft apartments, a skating rink, and the Mill City Museum. In 2006, the famed Guthrie Theater moved to the Mill District. Similarly in Liverpool, England, the derelict Albert Dock was renovated in 1988 with a museum, apartments, restaurants, and commercial development. This was the catalyst for the regeneration of the central city, including the Beatles Story Museum and the Tate Liverpool. Liverpool was named the European City of Culture in 2008.

Citizen Engagement and Leadership are Important

UDA has completed hundreds of community plans in the U.S. and globally, all with significant public engagement processes, beginning with our pioneering work in the ‘60s. Such processes have become standard in the U.S. and Europe, and increasingly so in developing countries. Citizen participation is critical for the regeneration of cities and neighborhoods that are in economic distress or are in the aftermath of disasters. It is especially important to reach out to and include underserved and disenfranchised populations. However, without committed and responsible leadership by government officials, non-profit organizations, and businesses, these redevelopment plans will be stillborn. Great leadership, in combination with authentic public participation, led to the success of the projects described above in the U.S. and Europe.