Amusement space embodies hegemonic and Utopian dialogue
concerning urban conditions. Throughout the twentieth
century, two rival urban visions have reigned: the Coney
Island model, a chancy, participatory theatre where patrons
can confront head-on current conditions; and the Disney
model, a carefully planned setting where guests are made to
feel comfortable and secure.
The current ascendancy of the Disney model, evident in
urban and suburban landscapes increasingly shaped in the
Disney image, has attracted the attention -- and alarm --of
critics who interpret this trend as urban planning with a
'sinister twist.' A case study of Disney's involvement with
Seattle Center, originally the site of the 1962 World's Fair
and now Seattle's premier urban park, demonstrates, however,
that people actively challenge, negotiate, and reform the
Disney model to meet their needs by infusing the space with
traces of the rival Coney model. The suggestions Disney
made for renovation of Seattle Center sparked a city-wide
debate that centred on the roles of local participation,
cultural sensitivity, and aesthetic design in urban space;
Disney was found lacking on all accounts and eventually
rejected entirely. Seattle's experience with Disney
demonstrates that amusement space offers a rich terrain upon
which people can dream about, and implement, urban change.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/8847 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Warren, Stacy |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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