As North American cities begin to age, our impermanent building methods inevitably lead to urban decay. Much of the housing stock has an expected lifespan and although this can be extended with proper and regular maintenance ultimately, much of this housing will face the bulldozer. Consequently, we are constantly engaged in the continuing cycle of urban revitalization, striving to keep our cities new and novel. This requires an immense amount of reinvestment and for some neighbourhoods, this is not an issue. This is not the case however for neighbourhoods considered to be ‘in distress’ which, face challenges not seen in more affluent areas. Revitalization efforts in at risk areas need to be more sensitive in their approach as they can displace, gentrify, and otherwise exacerbate the problems. This practicum is an exploration of that approach to renewal in grass roots fashion, using urban agriculture as a means to building community.

The research project focused on studying the effectiveness of placemaking initiatives to promote social, physical and economic improvements. The case of study is the Central Park neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, named after its major public space. The research indicated placemaking initiatives were capable of contributing to increasing safety, promoting community development and enhancing opportunities for social interaction. However, the capacity of placemaking to achieve positive improvements is directly determined by the involved stakeholders. The Central Park initiatives were successful due to the emphasis on engaging the residents and neighbourhood organizations. The residents were given the opportunity to meaningfully share their experience and aspirations with external stakeholders. The collaborative approach to placemaking contributed to the development of a sense of ownership. The residents saw their input reflected in the amenities and programming offered in Central Park. The planning profession can benefit from using placemaking practices to engage in comprehensive planning.

Charles Darwin proclaimed, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change”. At the time, he probably did not fathom the relevance of his statement to the economy of cities. As the manufacturing sector dissipates, industrial cities strive to adapt by diversifying their local economy. This research provides a narrative of Hamilton’s industrial development and its transformation in search of a new identity. It examines the city’s economical, social and physical decay and its current urban regeneration that is based on the re-appropriation of its cultural landscape. This thesis argues that when cities focus only on the economic dimension of development, it may have an adverse influence on their inherent cultural identity which serves to undermine their ability to adapt and diversify. For Hamilton, a case in point is urban transformation of James Street North in a city that was recently subject to decades of neglect. James Street North has become the centre of a bourgeoning arts scene that is beginning to revitalize its neighbourhood. The thesis proposes the adaptive re-use of a deteriorated yet historically significant urban block within the area. The design intervention advocates an urban intensification intended to materialize a social and aesthetic identity derived from the urban agendas of Jane Jacobs, Charles Landry, and Sharon Zukin. The design synthesis proposes to establish a ‘creative milieu’ that becomes a catalyst for social cohesion, sustainable regeneration and an incubator for creativity. The design strategy consists of a hybrid building typology that is able to intensify diversity, exhibit creativity and engage dialogue among its occupants.

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Many cities in the US and around the world are facing a dual challenge of promoting both urban revitalization and urban sustainability. Increasingly, cities are exploring greening initiatives - through which vegetation is planted and maintained - targeting vacant land as a potential means of addressing both of these challenges. This research is a sustainability-based assessment of the impacts of a Philadelphia, PA-based program that uses greening as an interim management strategy for vacant land. I use quantitative spatial analysis techniques to measure economic, environmental, and social justice impacts of the Philadelphia Land Care (PLC) program, which `treats' vacant land by removing debris, bringing in topsoil, planting grass and trees, putting up a split-rail fence and providing regular maintenance during the growing season. The analysis is shaped by the concept of sustainability which posits that to be sustainable, development must incorporate and balance economic development, environmental preservation and social justice. This research seeks to answer a series of questions about the economic, environmental, and social justice impacts of the PLC program, ultimately assessing not only the extent to which it exhibits impacts along these three dimensions of sustainability but also whether or not the impacts vary for different locations, and also questions the extent to which there may be tradeoffs between the different potential impacts of the program. This dissertation addresses several gaps in the urban greenspace literature including an assessment of the effect of location on the impacts of greenspaces and an assessment of the extent to which temporary greenspaces have the same impacts of more permanent greenspaces. It also addresses questions in urban revitalization and sustainability about the potential role of greening programs in meeting these challenges. Ultimately, the PLC program is shown to increase surrounding property values, improve environmental conditions, and increase equity in access to greenspace in Philadelphia. These benefits are not uniform, however, and differ for neighborhoods across the city. The research indicates the potential for greening programs such as PLC to help cities address pressing economic, environmental, and social concerns, but highlights the need to understand the tensions and tradeoffs between different forms of program impacts. / Urban Studies

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jae Hong Kim / Professional sports stadium development projects are major civic endeavors, and city officials and sports franchises often promise stadiums will generate significant gains in the regional economy. This study examines the effectiveness of stadium development in inducing economic development and urban revitalization by conducting a secondary data analysis, and case study of PNC Park and Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Consistent with prior empirical studies, the secondary data analysis shows that stadium projects do not always produce significant regional economic benefits. A close investigation of the two stadium projects in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, however, finds substantially positive effects on investment and physical development at the district level. The present research suggests that stadium developments can be a more powerful urban redevelopment catalyst when consideration is given to four essential factors – location, design, institutional structure, and history and timing.