Urban Shrinkage and City Responses: How New Bedford, Massachusetts Physically Changed From 1930- 2010 - 3 views

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  #1 Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12

   

  Abstract: Economic decline associated with the current economic recession has hit many places hard, but few have seen a whole shift in its physical form as New Bedford. Once the whaling capital of the world, New Bedford today is but a shell of its former self. Neighborhoods littered with foreclosed and abandoned homes, empty factories, and little hope for the future, New Bedford would seem an unlikely place for the application of one of the most innovative and creative strategies around. Albeit informal, New Bedford's local government has adopted a strategy to shrink the physical plant of the city to better match its declining population. New Bedfordians are embracing the language and policies of an emerging group of practitioners and scholars working under the umbrella of "shrinking cities." They reject the growth-based paradigm that feeds much of urban planning and local government intervention in North America (Oswalt 2006; Pallagst 2007; Hollander et al. 2009). Rather than trying to grow every declining city, the shrinking cities approach argues that not all cities must grow back to their former glory. Instead of chasing industry with hefty incentives and the other standard economic development tools, for some cities it might be prudent to just focus on improving the quality of life for those left behind. For New Bedford, like most American cities the idea would appear heretical, but its message today is salient and holds the potential to transform disaster into hope and promise.
  
  Looking closely at New Bedford is important because this port city is not alone in facing depopulation. Over the last three years, growing public attention has centered on the fall-out from the sub-prime lending debacle that has resulted in massive foreclosures, widespread housing vacancy, and depopulation in the throughout the U.S. (Packer 2009; Florida 2009; Goodman 2007; Leland 2007). With economic conditions uncertain, employment levels unstable, and the high likelihood for greater population loss, what can local government do to help? This paper begins to offer an answer through a detailed analysis of the history, politics, environment, and planning strategies of one such shrinking city, New Bedford.
  
  This paper is based on background and historical study of the city - charting its past population booms and busts, and describing current political and planning affairs. The empirical portion of this project has three components, the first is the basis of this paper. It involves a spatial analysis of the historical and present land use conditions in New Bedford, with particularly close attention paid to three case study neighborhoods. The research begins with a collection of historic Sanborn maps, Geographic Information System (GIS) data, and photographic evidence to examine how building location, density, and form have changed over the last half-century. That data was then cross-validated against the results from an extensive historical analysis of local government policy and planning reports during the same period.
  
  Hollander, Justin. "Urban Shrinkage and City Responses: How New Bedford, Massachusetts Physically Changed From 1930- 2010." Paper to be presented at the annual conference for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 13-16, 2011.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Abstract: Economic decline associated with the current economic recession has hit many places hard, but few have seen a whole shift in its physical form as New Bedford. Once the whaling capital of the world, New Bedford today is but a shell of its former self. Neighborhoods littered with foreclosed and abandoned homes, empty factories, and little hope for the future, New Bedford would seem an unlikely place for the application of one of the most innovative and creative strategies around. Albeit informal, New Bedford's local government has adopted a strategy to shrink the physical plant of the city to better match its declining population. New Bedfordians are embracing the language and policies of an emerging group of practitioners and scholars working under the umbrella of "shrinking cities." They reject the growth-based paradigm that feeds much of urban planning and local government intervention in North America (Oswalt 2006; Pallagst 2007; Hollander et al. 2009). Rather than trying to grow every declining city, the shrinking cities approach argues that not all cities must grow back to their former glory. Instead of chasing industry with hefty incentives and the other standard economic development tools, for some cities it might be prudent to just focus on improving the quality of life for those left behind. For New Bedford, like most American cities the idea would appear heretical, but its message today is salient and holds the potential to transform disaster into hope and promise. <br /> <br /> Looking closely at New Bedford is important because this port city is not alone in facing depopulation. Over the last three years, growing public attention has centered on the fall-out from the sub-prime lending debacle that has resulted in massive foreclosures, widespread housing vacancy, and depopulation in the throughout the U.S. (Packer 2009; Florida 2009; Goodman 2007; Leland 2007). With economic conditions uncertain, employment levels unstable, and the high likelihood for greater population loss, what can local government do to help? This paper begins to offer an answer through a detailed analysis of the history, politics, environment, and planning strategies of one such shrinking city, New Bedford. <br /> <br /> This paper is based on background and historical study of the city - charting its past population booms and busts, and describing current political and planning affairs. The empirical portion of this project has three components, the first is the basis of this paper. It involves a spatial analysis of the historical and present land use conditions in New Bedford, with particularly close attention paid to three case study neighborhoods. The research begins with a collection of historic Sanborn maps, Geographic Information System (GIS) data, and photographic evidence to examine how building location, density, and form have changed over the last half-century. That data was then cross-validated against the results from an extensive historical analysis of local government policy and planning reports during the same period. <br /> <br /> Hollander, Justin. "Urban Shrinkage and City Responses: How New Bedford, Massachusetts Physically Changed From 1930- 2010." Paper to be presented at the annual conference for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 13-16, 2011.</div>

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