This dissertation examines the idea of community development in the last four decades of the twentieth century through the example of the Harlem neighborhood of New York City and, in doing so, explains the broader transformation of the American city in these decades. Frustration with top-down urban redevelopment and the rise of Black Power brought new demands to Harlem, as citizens insisted on the need for “community control” over their built environment. In attempting to bring this goal to life, Harlemites created new community-based organizations that promised to realize a radically inclusive, cooperative ideal of a neighborhood built by and for the benefit of its predominantly low-income, African-American residents. For several reasons, including continued reliance on the public sector, dominant leaders, changing sociological understandings of poverty, and the intransigence of activists, however, such organizations came to advance a narrower approach in Harlem in succeeding years. By the 1980s, they pursued a moderate vision of Harlem’s future, prioritizing commercial projects instead of development that served residents’ many needs, emphasizing economic integration, and eschewing goals of broad structural change. In examining community design centers, community development corporations, self-help housing, and other neighborhood-based strategies, I conclude that local actors achieved their longstanding aspiration that they could become central to the process of development in Harlem and similar places, but built a dramatically different reality than the idealistic hope that had fueled demands for community control in the late 1960s. This ironic outcome reveals the unexpected, radical roots of urban landscapes that by the end of the century were characterized by increasing privatization, economic gentrification, and commercial redevelopment. Likewise, it demonstrates that such dramatic changes in American cities were not simply imposed on unwitting neighborhoods by outsiders or the result of abstract forces, but were in part produced by residents themselves. Understanding the mutable nature of community development helps to explain both the complicated course of urban development in the aftermath of modernist planning and the lasting, often contradictory consequences of the radical demands that emerged from the 1960s, two areas that historians have only begun to examine in detail.

A alteração dos processos produtivos da metrópole contemporânea encontra na Vila Leopoldina um exemplar bastante ilustrativo. O distrito abriga em seu território a estrutura da metrópole industrial no que diz respeito à circulação e tecidos viários e significativa presença de galpões desocupados, fruto da diminuição da atividade industrial no processo produtivo contemporâneo da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. A estrutura industrial não representou um impeditivo para as transformações espaciais. Ao contrário, tornou?se uma importante peça na estratégia de ação do capital imobiliário sobre o bairro. Essa pesquisa identifica três territórios invisíveis que em alguns momentos se sobrepõem, em outros cooperam e em outros conflitam, em meio às contradições sociais e às diferentes estratégias de apreensão do espaço. Os territórios da Permanência, Ruptura e Resistência são tratados como o resultado da relação entre segmentos sociais específicos e o espaço urbano onde se inserem. A fim de compreender o papel de cada um deles no processo de alteração de padrões do distrito, a dissertação apresenta uma pesquisa histórica, enfatizando o surgimento e as dinâmicas dos três territórios, ancorada no processo de produção cartográfica descrito na metodologia. Para compreender as relações que estabelecem entre si, o trabalho é concluído com a análise das camadas materiais e imateriais dos territórios, com ênfase na Permanência, identificando dois padrões distintos de exclusão sócio?espacial, resultantes da ação do mercado imobiliário ao longo das últimas décadas. Estudar um bairro em profunda transformação oferece a oportunidade de compreender como se dão as relações interpessoais e as lutas pela conquista de espaço onde os marcos físicos, os padrões, os usos e ocupações se alteram. / The transformation of productive processes of the contemporary metropolis finds in Vila Leopoldina an illustrative model. The district shelters in its territory the structure of the industrial metropolis as what concerns the circulation and transport\'s network and meaningful presence of unoccupied barns, as a result of the decrease of industrial activity in the productive contemporary process of São Paulo metropolitan region. The industrial structure did not represent an obstacle to the transformation of its space. Instead, it became an important part in the strategy for action of the real state capital upon the neighbourhood. The present research identifies three invisible territories that at times overlap, at times cooperate, at times enter in conflict due to social contradictions and towards different strategies for the perception of the space. The territories we named as Permanence, Disruption and Resistance are considered the result of the relationship between specific social groups and the urban space in which they operate. In order to understand the role of each in the process of changing patterns of the district, this dissertation presents a historical research, underlining the emergence and the dynamics of those three territories, based on cartographic production process described in the methodology chapter. To understand the relationships established between them, the text concludes with the analysis of the material and immaterial layers of those territories, giving emphasis on Permanence, identifying two distinct patterns of socio?spatial exclusion, resulting from the action of the Real?estate market over the past decades. To study a neighborhood in deep transformation process offers the opportunity to understand how the interpersonal relationships occur and the struggles for the conquest of space where the physical landmarks, patterns, uses and occupations is in constant transformation.

The great economic forces that built American industrial cities also quickly left them abandoned. Scholars have written extensively on the social consequences of deindustrialization. Today, however, a new period of economic growth has again changed cities. A process of redevelopment, commonly referred to as gentrification, has changed the character of former industrial cities, producing an array of new civic tensions. The new people entering cities come for job opportunities in growing economic sectors (e.g., tech, finance, and creative industries) that tend to require higher levels of education. While these sectors grow, traditional working-class jobs continue to dwindle in number and pay. This creates a polarizing force inside cities. While social polarization is often discussed as an abstract macro-level phenomenon, even abstract forces must manifest in specific places. The gentrifying neighborhood is one such place. Inside gentrifying neighborhoods, residents must contend with new people amidst profound change. My research addresses this change. It seeks to better understand what holds modern communities together (or fails to) especially as the fates of residents diverge. Gentrification provides the social context for this research, but the focus is on a specific neighborhood-level institution: the local church. I use a religious institution as the primary mode for accessing the research site for several reasons. Religious institutions are uniquely positioned to directly address issues of community, identity, and morality. That is, at church, residents engage the issues I am exploring. They discuss how to treat outsiders, how to be a good neighborhood, and how to deal collectively with community problems. Moreover, few scholars have considered the role that churches play in neighborhood gentrification, despite the prominent role of churches in communities, and despite the overall attention that gentrification has received. In order to access the perspectives of both sets of residents—the long-term residents, and the gentrifying newcomers—this research examines two churches, each populated by a different neighborhood demographic. The first church is composed of younger residents who are gentrifying the neighborhood. The second church is composed of older residents who have spent most of their lives in the neighborhood. While the two churches are divided by age, the real divide is economic. That is, the younger residents belong to an educated and prosperous class that benefit from redevelopment. The older residents, in contrast, are working-class and mostly relegated to watch as their neighborhood transforms, sometimes making them feel like outsiders. The neighborhood that constitutes the research site is Fishtown, an “urban village” in Philadelphia, long known as a white working-class enclave with a reputation for insularity. This research explores how two churches, composed of separate sets of residents, sustain community and deal with conflict in a context of increasing polarization. I use thirty-two interviews, ethnographic observation, and analysis of documents (i.e., historical land use maps and newspapers) to understand the history of Fishtown, and the role of the two churches in affecting and contending with gentrification. The research shows the enduring power of race in attenuating class divisions within the neighborhood. Gentrification is often fraught with racial tension as the gentrifying class is often whiter and wealthier than the long-term residents of a neighborhood. In Fishtown, however, this dynamic is different. The long-term residents share the same predominantly white racial identity as the newcomers. I argue that the shared identity diffuses social tensions but raises difficult questions regarding the true nature of the growing cosmopolitanism of the former urban village. Ultimately, the division within the neighborhood partitions residents into two parallel communities. This partition includes the two churches, who remain divided, even as they engage their respective residents, marshal resources for the underprivileged, and participate in a shared faith tradition. I show how the laudable activities of each church are shaped by the economic currents that rapidly change the neighborhood. / Sociology

<p>Social housing residents’ lived experiences and understandings of their neighbourhood and home are key factors influencing their health and wellbeing, but remain under-examined in the urban redevelopment literature. This thesis investigates the ways in which people living in Toronto’s Regent Park, Canada’s oldest and largest social housing development undergoing “neighbourhood revitalization,” experience their community and respond to neighbourhood stigma. Drawing on Lamont’s (2009) destigmatization practices concept, the aim of this study was to understand “neighbourhood revitalization” as a place destigmatization strategy that may influence the ways in which residents engage in personal destigmatization practices as well as affect their perceived health and wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 15 Regent Park residents and NVivo 9 software was used for data analysis. Findings show that participants utilize various counter-narratives as destigmatization practices that challenge dominant narratives and stereotypical representations of their neighbourhood. However, since re-housing in revitalized buildings, participants’ narratives describing their neighbourhood have changed and may further stigmatize some Regent Park residents. Counter-narratives may be implicitly linked to resiliency and wellbeing, while place destigmatization through revitalization was strongly associated to residents’ perceived improvements in health and wellbeing. The findings of this thesis may contribute to the developing literature on the impacts of urban redevelopment on residents’ health and wellbeing.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist das Bürgerhaus in Brandenburg-Preußen im 18. Jahrhundert. Ausgangspunkt ist die These, daß die Interessen des preußischen Staates im 18. Jahrhundert die städtebauliche Ordnung ebenso wie die äußere und innere Gestalt der Häuser in den brandenburgischen Provinzialstädten des 18. Jahrhunderts geprägten, daß die Bürokratie des modernen Staates Preußen sich in diesem Jahrhundert als Auftraggeber und Organisator eines umfassenden Stadtumbaus etabliert. Ziel ist es, die Gestalt dieser für das Land Brandenburg noch heute prägenden Häuser zu begreifen. Dazu ist es einerseits erforderlich, den Zusammenhang von Hausgestalt, städtebaulicher Disposition und Fassadenkultur genauer zu erfassen. Andererseits unterlag das bürgerliche Stadthaus ideologischen Einflüssen, staatliche Ordnungsversuchen und dem architekturtheoretischen Diskurs. Zur Analyse der Hausgestalt bedurfte es daher der Synthese von empirischer Arbeit und theoretischer Reflexion. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, wird in der Arbeit die Erfassung der Bauten vor Ort flankiert von der Auswertung umfangreicher Verwaltungsakten und von Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der Staats- und Architekturtheorie. Anfang und Ende dieses Entwicklungsweges werden jeweils anhand eines besonders aussagekräftigen Beispiels analysiert: Der Wiederaufbau der Stadt Templin nach dem Brand von 1735 steht als Modellfall für den Anfang der „bürokratischen Stadterneuerung“; der Wiederaufbau der Stadt Zehdenick nach einem Brand von 1801 ist ein charakteristisches Beispiel für die Krise dieses Stadt- und Hauskonzeptes um 1800. / This PhD dissertation analyzes baroque and 18th-century town houses in Brandenburg and Prussia. Taking as its starting point the influential role of the Prussian state and its governmental interests, this thesis demonstrates the ways in which these administrative bodies impacted the the general urban character as well as the more specific façades and ground plans of the town houses during the 18th century. I argue, therefore, that in Prussia it was the bureaucracy of the modern state that initiated and organized a widespread urban redevelopment. My aim in this dissertation is to provide a close examination of these houses in order to understand the ways in which they shaped – and continue to shape – the cultural landscape of Brandenburg. To undertake this it is necessary on the one hand to precisely characterize the interrelation between the basic form, the culture of the facade, and the surrounding urban character of the town houses. On the other hand, it is important to take into account the ideologies, governmental regulations and architectural theory pertaining to domestic architecture. Thus, crucial to this project is a methodology that combines careful on-site examinations of the houses with archival research into the files of Prussian administration. This then allows for an integrated historical anaylsis of both the theory of state and the theory of architecture. My dissertation frames this interesting period of urban development with two significant events. Following the destruction of a great fire, the reconstruction of the small city of Templin after 1735 offers an outstanding example for the successful beginning for the new urban program. The reconstruction of the city of Zehdenick after 1801 characterizes the crisis that marked the end of this bureaucratic concept of town planing and town houses.

This thesis analyzes how social and environmental inequalities have interacted throughout Washington, D.C.’s urban and environmental history to shape the Anacostia River and its Near Southeast waterfront into urbanized and industrialized landscapes. Drawing on the principles of environmental justice, urban political ecology, and environmental history, I examine the construction of urban rivers and waterfront space over time. I link the ecological and social decline of the Anacostia River and Near Southeast neighborhood to a broader national pattern of environmental degradation and social inequality along urban rivers that resulted from urban industrialization and federal water management. Finally, I discuss the recent national trend in redevelopment of formerly industrial urban waterfronts. In particular, I focus on two brownfield redevelopment projects in Near Southeast: the Washington National’s baseball stadium at Nationals Park, completed in 2008, and the ongoing construction of The Yards mixed-use development complex. The Anacostia River has served as a touchstone throughout Near Southeast’s shifting neighborhood identity and land use. This thesis uses the river as a starting point at which to begin an exploration of a long history of social and environmental inequality in waterfront Washington, D.C.

The intention of this study is to analyze the economic impact of redeveloped Major League Baseball stadiums opened between 1991 and 2004. Using two empirical models, including an event study, this impact analysis captures the economic conditions of the cities during the opening year of the stadium, as well as the prior conditions leading up to the opening of the stadium, along with any lingering effects or gradual changes in conditions. The impact was measured in relation to the Metropolitan Statistical Areas corresponding to the 18 ballparks included, specifically looking at the impact on employment rates and per capita personal income. The common assumption is that stadium redevelopment will provide a positive impact on the surrounding community, initiating revitalization of urban neighborhoods as well as increasing job opportunities, income levels, and city revenues. While previous research on the effects of stadium development have mostly concluded that there is no positive or significant quantitative impact resulting from stadiums, this study shows that the boom of ballpark redevelopment may actually have positive effects, contrasting this prior research. With the results showing small, yet positive effects, the recent boom period may actually have been so far effective in initiating new development and revitalized culture in urban areas, and will therefore be useful in further developing future plans for modernizing and redeveloping baseball stadiums.

Positioned at the metaphysical divide between civilization and wilderness, this thesis investigates the potential for symbiotic relationships among cultural, ecological and industrial systems in an effort to suggest alternative modes for human sustainability. The City of Hamilton, where steel and iron industries continue to scar the landscape, serves as the location for a speculative design intervention. Amongst existing urban structures, a hybrid form of industrial production is proposed to acknowledge society’s reliance on artificial devices. In turn, this hybrid form is integrated with natural ecological processes to demonstrate humanity’s dependence on the natural world. The first chapter positions the thesis within a discourse regarding the boundary between civilization and wilderness and their conventional dichotomy. The thesis is aligned to themes of ecological-artificial hybridization, which include the scientific application of biological metaphors, economic and manufacturing theories of industrial ecology, and architectural and design methodology. Chapter two employs Complex Systems methodology to structure an analysis of Hamilton’s ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’ systems. The city is considered within ecological, historical, cultural, industrial and economic contexts, at local and regional scales. Chapter three proposes an urban plan for Hamilton that seeks to regenerate and integrate ecological, cultural and industrial systems. Within the framework of this plan, industrial ecosystems can coexist with public function and ecological infrastructure in close proximity. Though designed for long term application, the plan is intended to provide context for a more detailed and immediate intervention within the scope of the thesis. Chapter four proposes the implementation of a speculative urban design, as a central component of the urban plan. Sited on the Stelco pier, one of the largest and oldest steel producers in Canada, the design would reclaim a pivotal historical and physical location along the Hamilton waterfront. Regeneration of the heavily contaminated industrial site will be initiated with a phased program of remediation and managed ecological succession. The new science of industrial ecology will inform this new development. This approach is based on a shift from ‘open loop’ systems, in which material and energy flows dissipate through processes of waste creation, towards ‘closed loop’ systems in which energy and material are recycled. A new Instrumental Matrix is proposed where decentralized cultural, ecological and industrial systems are interwoven to create diverse and sustainable habitats for wildlife, people and industry.

This thesis is set in St. Catharines Ontario, a mid-sized city of 132,000 people, situated in the heart of the Niagara Region. Once a thriving manufacturing centre, St. Catharines has experienced two decades of traumatic economic contraction due to the collapse of the local automotive industry. Like other cities that have experienced the loss of their predominant industry, St. Catharines is struggling not only with unemployment, economic uncertainty and environmental degradation, but also with issues concerning the city’s very identity. As industrial activity played a critical role in shaping the form and character of the city, its steady disappearance has left both a functional and symbolic void in the community. The challenges associated with deindustrialization and decentralized urbanization have had a devastating impact on St. Catharines. The city’s historic core has not only lost its role as the symbolic centre of the community, unrelenting suburban expansion has also led to the destruction of some of Canada’s most productive agricultural terrain in the surrounding vicinity. This thesis argues that the current economic crisis offers a unique opportunity to radically reconsider St. Catharines’ urban environment. The thesis looks to the earth – the terroir – as the basis for the development of a robust vision to transform the city’s underappreciated historic core into a hub for the Niagara Region’s expanding wine industry. Essential to this vision is the extensive cultivation of urban vineyards and the planning of key pieces of urban armature around which future development will occur. The design aims to improve the overall quality-of-life offered in St. Catharines, and build a broader sense of community by enhancing the unique experience of the place and engaging citizens in the local wine enterprise.

Positioned at the metaphysical divide between civilization and wilderness, this thesis investigates the potential for symbiotic relationships among cultural, ecological and industrial systems in an effort to suggest alternative modes for human sustainability. The City of Hamilton, where steel and iron industries continue to scar the landscape, serves as the location for a speculative design intervention. Amongst existing urban structures, a hybrid form of industrial production is proposed to acknowledge society’s reliance on artificial devices. In turn, this hybrid form is integrated with natural ecological processes to demonstrate humanity’s dependence on the natural world. The first chapter positions the thesis within a discourse regarding the boundary between civilization and wilderness and their conventional dichotomy. The thesis is aligned to themes of ecological-artificial hybridization, which include the scientific application of biological metaphors, economic and manufacturing theories of industrial ecology, and architectural and design methodology. Chapter two employs Complex Systems methodology to structure an analysis of Hamilton’s ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’ systems. The city is considered within ecological, historical, cultural, industrial and economic contexts, at local and regional scales. Chapter three proposes an urban plan for Hamilton that seeks to regenerate and integrate ecological, cultural and industrial systems. Within the framework of this plan, industrial ecosystems can coexist with public function and ecological infrastructure in close proximity. Though designed for long term application, the plan is intended to provide context for a more detailed and immediate intervention within the scope of the thesis. Chapter four proposes the implementation of a speculative urban design, as a central component of the urban plan. Sited on the Stelco pier, one of the largest and oldest steel producers in Canada, the design would reclaim a pivotal historical and physical location along the Hamilton waterfront. Regeneration of the heavily contaminated industrial site will be initiated with a phased program of remediation and managed ecological succession. The new science of industrial ecology will inform this new development. This approach is based on a shift from ‘open loop’ systems, in which material and energy flows dissipate through processes of waste creation, towards ‘closed loop’ systems in which energy and material are recycled. A new Instrumental Matrix is proposed where decentralized cultural, ecological and industrial systems are interwoven to create diverse and sustainable habitats for wildlife, people and industry.