"Role of Contemporary Urbanisms in a Shrinking Cities Syndrome."_Kim [conference paper] - 2 views

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  #1 Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12

   

  Kim, Joongsub. "Role of Contemporary Urbanisms in a Shrinking Cities Syndrome." Paper to be presented at the annual conference for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 13-16, 2011.
  
  KIM, Joongsub [Lawrence Technological University] jkim@ltu.edu
  
  Paper Abstract: The shrinking cities syndrome is a worldwide phenomenon impacting major cities, but especially cities in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Suburbanization, declining urban populations, and the decline of the manufacturing industries are among the major factors contributing to this phenomenon. As the shrinking cities syndrome has swept over cities around the world over the last few decades, several urbanisms or urban theories have been emerging. Proponents of these emerging urbanisms have claimed that their models offer a better approach to handling suburbanization and other urban ills. While the emerging urbanisms address suburban sprawl and related urban challenges, there is little research investigating any meaningful relationship between the syndrome and the theories. This paper aims to investigate whether the emerging urbanisms have had any success in addressing a shrinking cities syndrome, and if so, how. Five contemporary urbanisms that are among the most frequently debated by scholars are chosen for this research. They include Landscape Urbanism, New Urbanism, Critical Regionalism, Everyday Urbanism, and Integral Urbanism. These urbanisms are selected because they are more relevant to two issues that this paper focuses on: sustainability and revitalization of underserved urban communities in the United States. While these urban paradigms claim their models promote sustainability to address suburbanization, this paper argues that they have neglected disadvantaged urban communities in the United States. Moreover, despite the fact that population loss and vacant land crisis are among the key phenomena of a shrinking cities syndrome, and that these phenomena are taking place mainly in distressed urban communities, both the emerging urbanisms and a shrinking cities model have not paid enough attention to crises facing underserved urban neighborhoods. This paper aims to assess the selected contemporary urbanisms. This study discusses strengths and weaknesses of each urbanism, focusing on how well each addresses the shrinking cities syndrome, how well each promotes sustainability, and how successfully each responds to key crises affecting underserved communities in the United States. The paper concludes by suggesting agendas of further research in the shrinking cities syndrome, and ways in which the emerging urbanisms can contribute toward a constructive solution.
  
  References
  Hollander, J.B. (2010). Moving Toward a Shrinking Cities Metric: Analyzing Land Use Changes Associated With Depopulation in Flint, Michigan. Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research 12(1)
  Waldheim, C. (2006). Landscape as urbanism. In C. Waldheim (Ed.), The landscape urbanism reader (pp. 35-53). New York: Princeton Architectural Press
  Larice, M. and Macdonald, E. (2007). The urban design reader. London and New York: Routledge
  Ellin, N. (2006). Integral urbanism. New York: Routledge
  Chase, J., Crawford, M., and Kaliski, J. (1999). Everyday urbanism. New York: Monacelli Press

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Kim, Joongsub. "Role of Contemporary Urbanisms in a Shrinking Cities Syndrome." Paper to be presented at the annual conference for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 13-16, 2011. <br /> <br /> KIM, Joongsub [Lawrence Technological University] jkim@ltu.edu <br /> <br /> Paper Abstract: The shrinking cities syndrome is a worldwide phenomenon impacting major cities, but especially cities in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Suburbanization, declining urban populations, and the decline of the manufacturing industries are among the major factors contributing to this phenomenon. As the shrinking cities syndrome has swept over cities around the world over the last few decades, several urbanisms or urban theories have been emerging. Proponents of these emerging urbanisms have claimed that their models offer a better approach to handling suburbanization and other urban ills. While the emerging urbanisms address suburban sprawl and related urban challenges, there is little research investigating any meaningful relationship between the syndrome and the theories. This paper aims to investigate whether the emerging urbanisms have had any success in addressing a shrinking cities syndrome, and if so, how. Five contemporary urbanisms that are among the most frequently debated by scholars are chosen for this research. They include Landscape Urbanism, New Urbanism, Critical Regionalism, Everyday Urbanism, and Integral Urbanism. These urbanisms are selected because they are more relevant to two issues that this paper focuses on: sustainability and revitalization of underserved urban communities in the United States. While these urban paradigms claim their models promote sustainability to address suburbanization, this paper argues that they have neglected disadvantaged urban communities in the United States. Moreover, despite the fact that population loss and vacant land crisis are among the key phenomena of a shrinking cities syndrome, and that these phenomena are taking place mainly in distressed urban communities, both the emerging urbanisms and a shrinking cities model have not paid enough attention to crises facing underserved urban neighborhoods. This paper aims to assess the selected contemporary urbanisms. This study discusses strengths and weaknesses of each urbanism, focusing on how well each addresses the shrinking cities syndrome, how well each promotes sustainability, and how successfully each responds to key crises affecting underserved communities in the United States. The paper concludes by suggesting agendas of further research in the shrinking cities syndrome, and ways in which the emerging urbanisms can contribute toward a constructive solution. <br /> <br /> References <br /> Hollander, J.B. (2010). Moving Toward a Shrinking Cities Metric: Analyzing Land Use Changes Associated With Depopulation in Flint, Michigan. Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research 12(1) <br /> Waldheim, C. (2006). Landscape as urbanism. In C. Waldheim (Ed.), The landscape urbanism reader (pp. 35-53). New York: Princeton Architectural Press <br /> Larice, M. and Macdonald, E. (2007). The urban design reader. London and New York: Routledge <br /> Ellin, N. (2006). Integral urbanism. New York: Routledge <br /> Chase, J., Crawford, M., and Kaliski, J. (1999). Everyday urbanism. New York: Monacelli Press</div>

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