Thesis (M.Arch.)(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-99). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.Arch.)(Prof.)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis M.Arch.)(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.Arch.)(Prof.)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary. Includes bibliography. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

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This thesis explores who 'wins' and 'loses' in urban regeneration, and the mechanisms behind this process. I take a comparative approach, focusing on two neighbourhoods – Hackney Wick Fish Island and Rudolfkiez – that are adjacent to the large-scale regeneration schemes London 2012 and Mediaspree in Berlin. By analysing how urban regeneration is experienced on the ground, my aim is to disrupt the notion that Olympic-led regeneration is any different from other forms of neoliberal urban development. I adopt Pierre Bourdieu's view of the social world as made up of competitive 'games' to demonstrate that urban regeneration is a game with winners and losers in which language constructions play a decisive role. I use the lenses of 'culture' and 'community' to analyse the dynamics of urban regeneration by documenting how the two concepts are strategically employed, and who has a monopoly over 'legitimate' definitions. I draw on a mixed methodology, including interviews, visual methods, document analysis and participant observation. Analysis of the empirical data demonstrates that despite significantly different historical contexts, political ideologies and fiscal climates, the power dynamics of urban development converge in Berlin and London. My analysis shows that, while there is a tendency for 'the winners to keep winning and the losers to keep losing', protest networks and critical artistic practices can change the language of the game and therefore have the potential to shift the dominant neoliberal logic. My aim is to reveal these subtleties and nuances of the game.

Inner-city revitalisation poses perhaps the most complex challenge faced by urban planners today. This dissertation explores the role of planning in urban restructuring by providing a critical empirical investigation into a major Canadian tripartite planning intervention that spans a decade -- The Winnipeg Core Area Initiative (1981 to 1991). The purpose of the dissertation is to study the Winnipeg Core Area Initiative (CM) as a prototypical model for urban regeneration and public-policy intervention, to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the CAI, and to evaluate the impact that this urban intervention had over a period of ten years. Backed by a comparative analysis of urban regeneration efforts in Great Britain and the United States, it explores the concept of "distress" in inner-city areas and attempts to answer the questions: Distress -- who can relieve it and how? The case-study method is used for an evaluation of the CAI that includes content analysis of published materials produced about, and for, the Initiative and public-attitude surveys and newspaper reports over the period 1981 to 1991. The results of interviews with twenty-five "key or core players" provide qualitative data that enriches the dissertation by presenting a picture of the CAI that is missing from evaluation reports commissioned by the tripartite partners or from published commentaries on the Initiative. This case study reveals an urban intervention strategy with objectives that were conceptually broad and comprehensive, perhaps too much so for the level of financial and organisational resources available and the level of public expectations that was raised. While the model was an excellent vehicle to harmonise scarce public resources and leverage private investment, this study reveals a disjunction between policy intent and policy implementation in attempting to balance economic development with disparity relief efforts. This dissertation concludes that there are components of the CAI model that provide valuable instruction for urban restructuring but it is unlikely that the model as originally designed, could, or should, be replicated. The importance of this study is to provide a broad examination of the theoretical framework behind the Winnipeg CAI as an instrument for urban public policy that will assist future planning-and-policy formation attempts in urban revitalisation and strengthen the public and private ability to generate comprehensive, strategic and cohesive urban policy. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Within the central business districts of many North American cities are to be found blighted commercial areas which have deteriorated through the process of time, market changes, and locational obsolescence. Old buildings, some beautiful, are left to deteriorate or are torn down and replaced by characterless new facades in an attempt to compete with the integrated 'shopping center' approach. Such changes do not make a city. In recent years a number of cities have utilized rehabilitation techniques in an attempt to revitalize blighted commercial areas. Rehabilitation may be broadly defined as remodeling, altering, repairing and otherwise improving substandard, deteriorated, or obsolete areas, or individual structures within these areas so that a decent, safe, and sanitary environment may be achieved. In the case of commercial rehabilitation there is often more emphasis put on the aesthetic aspects of improvement than in residential rehabilitation. Commercial enterprises, for the purpose of this discussion, may refer to places of entertainment, restaurants, or offices, but refer particularly to retail outlets. It is the basic aim of the thesis to examine the subject of commercial rehabilitation in detail in order to determine its progress and its problems, particularly under present legislative provisions. Policies are then proposed to enable successful future use of rehabilitation in Canadian cities. On the assumption that revitalization of blighted commercial areas of the central business districts of Canadian and American cities is a desirable objective, as a basis for investigation it is hypothesized that in order to achieve a comprehensive program of central business district renewal utilizing rehabilitation measures, it is essential that there be coordinated participation of Federal and local governments at the advisory, administrative, and financial levels in conjunction with the efforts of private enterprise. Study is carried out in three major ways. First, an extensive literature review is used to determine the main physical, social, economic, and legislative aspects of commercial rehabilitation. Second, response from questionnaires sent to Canadian and American cities having central business district rehabilitation projects within a government-sponsored "urban renewal scheme" are tabulated to show the meaning attached to commercial rehabilitation by the involved authorities; the extent of rehabilitation projects in execution or planned; the source of inspiration for these projects; and problems encountered. The hypothesis is examined specifically through the use of a case-study of the City of Victoria, British Columbia. Through a rather special combination of civic and local business concern coupled with an important tourist industry and a heritage of historic buildings, Victoria has been the subject of considerable rehabilitation effort. The most significant limitation of the case-study is that Victoria's central business district does not exhibit the extreme and far-reaching conditions of blight which are found in many cities. Throughout the thesis emphasis is placed on the role of local and federal governments in relation to that of private enterprise. From information collected in the manner previously described policies for utilization by Canadian cities are proposed. Briefly they recommend that commercial rehabilitation be mainly a local rather than federal government responsibility; that the local government operate mainly in an advisory and administrative rather than financial capacity; that private enterprise efforts be encouraged wherever possible; and that rehabilitation be carried out on a comprehensive scale. It is felt that the financial role played by local and federal governments should be most active in the provision of services and public works. Where rehabilitation proves impossible through private investment sources and yet is considered to be of genuine benefit to the community, recourse may be made to Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation for "urban renewal schemes” or to the Industrial Development Bank of Canada for other areas. Subject to the limitation placed on the financial role of government in commercial rehabilitation, the hypothesis is considered valid. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

One of the goals of developed countries is the optimization of the urban environment. This goal is reflected in the policies of both Canada and the United States regarding urban renewal and manpower training. Urban renewal has primarily been one of the concerns of the physical planner. Policies, programs, and techniques have been devised in order to solve the problems of urban renewal, but to date a satisfactory solution has not been realized. With the current interest in human resource optimization as reflected in the manpower training policies and programs, and with the realization that both manpower training and urban renewal are concerned with a common problem that of communal living and are therefore somewhat inter-related. The search for a more effective solution to the urban renewal problem, coupled with the realization of the inter-relationship of manpower training and urban renewal problems led to the study hypothesis: That manpower training can be an effective tool in the urban renewal process. Although these problems appear to be inter-related to date no policy or programs aimed at a coordinated solution exists. The investigation of the adaptability of manpower training to urban renewal problems, therefore begins with an evaluation of present urban renewal p o l i c i e s , programs and problems, and from analysis of the cause of these problems being determined. By means of the case study method, the conclusion made with respect to the causes of these problems were verified. The significant conclusion so drawn are that to a great extent the problems that urban renewal has been unable to solve are to a great extent attributable to poverty. Further, it was ascertained that this poverty was to a large extent due to the low level of skills possessed by the inhabitants of the area. In light of these findings and in view of the fact that manpower training is specifically aimed at the optimization of skills, the thesis investigates not only the effectiveness of such a program to the acquisition of skills but also its effectiveness of solving other problems of urban renewal. The significant findings have been that manpower training is capable of improving the earning power of the inhabitants by providing them with wider and better skills; the improvement of this earning power also provides a greater range of social choice. It has also been demonstrated that manpower training is a process which can be used to rebuild, renovate or refurbish an urban renewal area, and when applied in conjunction with the urban renewal program, it can not only eliminate substandard dwelling units, but would also substantially reduce the need for such structures. The final conclusion being drawn is that the investigations in this thesis has demonstrated the validity of the hypothesis: That manpower training can be an effective tool in the urban renewal process. Also of great significance is the fact that this investigation has demonstrated the ability of the urban renewal program to be combined with other programs. This flexibility indicates its potential for becoming the nucleus of a set of programs aimed at solving all aspects of communal living. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate