Fragments of cities: The new American downtowns and neighborhoods

Dublin Core

Titre

Sujet

, centre-ville, aménagement urbain, renouvellement urbain, voisinage, urbanité, interaction sociale, gentrification, community, communauté, États-Unis, United States, Bennett Larry

Description

Abstract from the publisher:

Larry Bennett's Fragments of Cities: The New American Downtowns and Neighborhoods examines the social consequences of both the new approaches to downtown design and the physical upgrading of residential neighborhoods.

Bennett draws upon lively case studies - ranging from Detroit's Renaissance Center to New York City's SoHo to Chicago's Wrigley Field - to relate physical redevelopment and urban social life. He demonstrates that a small, well-located delicatessen can bring people together while clusters of multi-million-dollar office centers in renovated downtowns can drive them apart.

Bennett's evaluation of contemporary urban rebuilding, which is unique in giving equal attention to the political, economic, and social impact of urban design and rebuilding, is frequently pessimistic. He finds that the gentrification of many big-city neighborhoods and the design strategies chracterizing new downtowns do little to promote street life, unplanned social encounters, or public life in general. Bennett also contends some advocates and practitioners of the much-praised neighborhood movement have chosen isolation and local security as their primary goals, thus echoing in their concerns the physical plans developed by urban designers. In contrast, Bennett argues, both groups should embrace a vision that encompasses the entire city, or they will risk losing some of the best things cities encourage - surprise, tolerance, innovation, and democratic participation. Bennett does find cause for optimism in the designs of some particularly innovative architects and planners, and he praises the broadening initiatives taken by many residents acting independently to give life to their cities. American cities face a crossroads, he says, and must choose between becoming genuine communities or a series of isolated zones. Contents: 1. The new American city 2. The downtown renaissance 3. Neighborhood or enclave? 4. Three visions of the prospective American city 5. The environmental politics of neighborhood 6. The future of the new American city Larry Bennett is Associate Professor of Political Science at DePaul University.

Créateur

Larry Bennett

Éditeur

The Ohio State University Press

Date

1990

Format

171

Type

Ouvrage

Identifiant

http://hdl.handle.net/1811/6208