Where are we? Blogging about place

Xiaolu Xu studies architectural preservation in Shanghai

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:18:00 -0400

My student Xiaolu Xu, a native of Shanghai, writes:

Historic architectural preservation is a major concern worldwide. Every city has its own distinguished history and character, its uniqueness as a place. Protecting a city's built environment is extremely critical in keeping the city's spirit. Neighborhoods, architecture, and landmarks provide a material nexus that effectively conveys historical narrative and sustains a city's spirit.

Shanghai, a city of more than 700 years of history since it was built in the Yuan Dynasty, is regarded as the key to know the modern and the contemporary China. It was the place that Chinese feudal society was first demolished and the foundations of capitalism was first laid; it was the place that Chinese Communist Party was born; it was also the cradle for modern Chinese culture, commerce and industry. In the 1930s, Shanghai, the "Paris of the East," was the 5^th largest city in the world, and the biggest cosmopolis in China. The rich and diverse historical and cultural backgrounds made Shanghai the center of modern Chinese architecture, with an idiosyncratic character molded by the various nations and cultures.

The cross-cultural historic architectural heritage of Shanghai, however, has always been facing tremendous preservation challenges—especially the western-influenced architectural features that symbolize Shanghai's cosmopolitan colonial past, the Shikumen houses that reflect most of the local community culture, and the traditional Chinese architecture that were mostly built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Between the 1950s and 1990s, there was a neglect of architectural preservation. The Cultural Revolution once opposed all western influence as well as traditional heritage. China's reform and opening up in the past 20 years has created a colossal construction boom in the city. Since the mid-1990s, a rapid real estate development has torn down much of the old community housing in the center of the city. As the paragon of China's modernity, Shanghai's original built environment has suffered seriously from the momentous urban transformation.

In collaborating with Prof. Peter Cannavò, my summer research is on the challenge of architectural preservation amid Shanghai's rapid modernization, with a focus on addressing the importance of preserving historic architecture, landmarks, and neighborhoods from large-scale urban transformation and investigating the current solutions and difficulties. I hope the case study of Shanghai, the dragonhead of China's modernization as well as one of the fastest-changing places in the world, will raise people's awareness of this problem and be valuable to emerging cities that are facing problems similar to Shanghai's.

Picture courtesy of Yu Zhi Wen.

An Article from NYT about Architectural Preservation in Beijing

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:51:00 -0400

The following was posted by Xiaolu Xu, one of my students and a native of Shanghai, who is studying development and historic preservation in her home city this summer; I included an image of a hutong neighborhood from the New York Times article that she cited:

With the advent of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the world is paying more attention to not only the impressive economic achievements of China, but also every facet of the city, such as the disappearance of historical architecture that once helped in defining the culture of the city.

A recent New York Times article on this topic can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/arts/design/27ouro.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin.

Shaw and Anacostia

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:01:00 -0400

City planners have long tried to remedy “white flight” (the migration of traditionally white members of the professional and business-owning classes to the suburbs) by creating cityscapes that attract and accommodate discriminating dwellers. While such planning and development can certainly offer benefits like reduced crime or better transportation options, it also raises important concerns about identity, preference and displacement. With my Levitt Research grant, I decided to look into these issues as they affect two neighborhood’s in the Nation’s capital city, Shaw and Anacostia.

Shaw began as a bustling community of newly-freed African-Americans in the last half of the 19^th century. By the 1920s, the neighborhood had more than 300 black-owned businesses, including a bank and a luxury hotel. Home to Howard University and the jazz halls that made Duke Ellington famous, the neighborhood had a thriving cultural and intellectual scene as well.

However, desegregation meant the opening of doors for the neighborhood’s black professionals and many of them migrated to the suburbs. Race riots in 1968 were the final draw for many neighborhood businesses and the crime rates increased dramatically.

When city planners tried to improve the neighborhood, they met with neighborhood elites. The resulting plan that made the neighborhood more attractive to new professionals and other members of the upper-classes, but it failed to include any sort of protection for longtime residents of less means. Today, the neighborhood is full of newly-arrived, and often white, professionals and the once-vibrant culture of the old neighborhood is quickly fading as rents rise and residents age.

Anacostia on the other hand was a middle-class and mostly white neighborhood until the “white flight” phenomenon occurred. The influx of relatively low-income African-Americans changed the neighborhood dramatically and relatively quickly. However, racial tensions being what they were, this dramatic change made it hard for the neighborhood institutions to keep up. The lack of institutional support structures (e.g. strong schools) and the abundance of pre-existing poverty resulted in high crime and scarce (licit) commercial activity.

In the past two decades, city leaders have argued for a major-league soccer stadium, a light-rail system, and a riverfront development in Anacostia. They also recently opened a nearby baseball stadium and trumpeted it’s potential benefits for the neighborhood. But it remains to be seen whether many of these projects will be realized and, even if they are, whether or not they will benefit area residents.

For my project, I’m looking at history, theory, current events and even just talking to affected people in an attempt to figure out how various factors determine the transformation of these places. I hope that if we can identify and understand the dynamics at work in these neighborhoods, we will be better able to develop structures of governance for them that hold in balance the values of the founding and preservation processes.

Graphic is used courtesy of the District Chronicles.

Shaw and Anacostia

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:57:00 -0400

Can Preservation be a Conservative Value?

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:49:00 -0400

In the tension between environmental founding and preservation, one can often, and quite paradoxically, expect to find conservatives advocating sweeping change—such as the logging of centuries-old forests—and liberals advocating maintenance of the status quo or even the restoration of a bygone standard. But do the selection of the relatively-Green Senator John McCain and the recent musings of Newt Gingrich on climate change suggest this paradox will soon be turned on its head?

Although Republican nominee advocates increased nuclear power, a cap-and-trade approach to climate change, and the creation of a $300 million dollar prize to advance electric car technology, it’s too soon to claim a major realignment in American conservatism. After all, Republicans are still calling to end the ban on off-shore drilling and supporting a gas-tax holiday.

Still, it’s quite possible that conservationist and conservative interests could converge. Recent events like the rising costs of food and transportation and the Kelo ruling have brought together unlikely bedfellows in recent months. As environmental crises rise to the forefront of public consciousness, as they have this summer, I think it is possible for Republicans to make a case for conservationist action as an extension of conservative politics.

A strong case can be made intellectually, as these selections from major conservative thinkers indicate:

"Conservatism is too often the conservation of the wrong things: liberalism a relaxation of discipline; revolution a denial of the permanent things."

T.S. Elliot, Christianity and Culture, page 77

"The great Error of our Nature is, not to know where to stop, not to be satisfied with any reasonable Acquirement; not to compound with our Condition; but to lose all we have gained by an insatiable Pursuit after more."

Edmund Burke, A Vindication of Natural Society, 1757

"While I am a great believer in the free enterprise system and all that it entails, I am an even stronger believer in the right our people to live in a clean and pollution-free environment."

Barry Goldwater, "The Conscience of a Majority” (1970)

"We are on the Colorado...that means something more to me than thoughts of electrical power or a harnessed river."

Barry Goldwater "An Odyssey of the Green and Colorado Rivers," 1940

I recently came across a site with more conservation-friendly quotes by conservatives, which I will post when I come across again. Of course, there is also the electoral reality which is that in a democratic system, any ideology must be complimented with effective rhetoric if it is to be acted upon.

Fortunately, I don’t think linking conservationist action to conservative preferences is all that difficult, especially for the Red-State, “What’s the Matter With Kansas” cohort. A brief survey of campaign ads aimed at the Huckabee set reveals a demographic that idealizes an apple-pie-and-fishing-trip version of America and has potent concerns about its endurance. Conservation-minded conservatives should emphasize the importance of place to the formation of distinctly American-character (i.e. hunting with grandpa, locally-owned farms, shopping at local small businesses, and Boy Scout camping trips) and warn these voters that these places are under assault from faceless, value-neutral, globalized elites.

While some would argue this frame plays on fear, I think it would be more accurate to say that it alerts voters to the need for addressing a legitimate and considerable social problem. Its basic premise (that multinational corporations are upending fundamental aspects of traditional American life) is intellectually-defensible and the pressing nature of the issue, I think, warrants an alarmist tone that appeals to voters in hotly-contested areas (there are a lot of Sam’s Club Republicans in FL, MI, PA, OH, CO, VA and MO).

Of course not all conservatives are caught up in the culture wars and for others, I think you emphasize the need for environmental action in way similar to how we justified increased research expenditures during the Cold War, that is, as an urgent matter for preserving the political and economic hegemony of democratic nations, namely the US. This appeal to both literal security and economic security is also defensible intellectually and appeals to the other branches of the conservative coalition.

While the potential benefits for conservatives embracing conservation are considerable, so too are the potential hazards. Whether conservative leadership responds to the environmental crises by embracing conservationist action depends on their willingness to disengage from close institutional links to industries that reap the benefits of environmental neglect. Certainly the environmental movement has cause for hope, but I expect this hope will rightly be tempered with cautiousness as we enter what will likely be the most expensive electoral cycle in American history.

Hamilton College's Community Farm Garden sells first produce

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:17:00 -0400

Hamilton College's student-run Community Farm Garden, which is being tended this summer by undergrads Chris Sullivan and Andrew Pape, is now offering its first harvest for sale. The

On the establishment of the garden, see http://www.hamilton.edu/news/more_news/display.cfm?ID=12967 .

This effort, by the students at the liberal arts college in Clinton, New York, is part of a growing movement toward local agriculture that has also caught on on college campuses across the nation.

The Community Garden's first harvest is ready for sale!

Lettuce Varieties! Minuet Cabbage!
Swiss Chard! Kale! Collard Greens!

Come to the Community Garden Thursday (6/26) between 4PM and 7PM for pick your own OR freshly harvested, organically grown produce.

The community garden is located behind the Ferguson parking lot, across the street from Admissions and past the dorms. If this time doesn't work for you and you would like to stop by, shoot us an e-mail or come by and we'll work it out!
-Chris and Andrew

Suburban tide ebbing?

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:05:00 -0400

The suburban ideal that arose in the twentieth century has in large part been dependent on the automobile and, by extension, affordable gas. The recent hike in gas prices may be doing what decades of criticism of the social and ecological costs of suburban sprawl may have failed to do: end, or at least slow, the tide of suburban sprawl that has been devouring our open space, contributing to climate change, and ruining our cities. See the article in yesterday's New York Times, "Fuel Prices Shift Math for Life in Far Suburbs," by Peter S. Goodman: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/business/25exurbs.html?ex=1215057600&en=56789d1b23fed0f4&ei=5070&emc=eta1 .

The Principles of Place

Sat, 17 May 2008 19:17:00 -0400

On Thursday the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriage, paving the way for California to become only the second state in the United States to extend full martial rights to gay and lesbian couples. Of course, far more states have altogether outlawed same-sex marriage than have permitted it. The argument against same-sex marriage centers on the notion that marriage as an institution explicitly pertains to the union of a man and a woman. But if this is true, who makes such a determination, and why have so many other countries (Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Israel, South Africa, etc.) legalized same-sex marriage? The larger issue with bans on same-sex marriage is that they are inconsistent with the United States' alleged commitment to freedom and equality. The United States might proclaim itself the "Land of the Free," but civil rights issues have dogged it for its entire existence, from suffrage rights for women and minorities, to Jim Crow and the long-term establishment discrimination endured by Blacks, and now to same-sex marriage. Social outlooks and customs undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the character of a place, but can the U.S. really pride itself on the principles of freedom and equality and yet render decisions on particular civil rights issues that seemingly conflict with these principles?

The New York Times ran an interesting article today on how same-sex marriage and racial justice have found common ground. Click here to view the full story.

Sustainability and Place

Fri, 16 May 2008 19:00:00 -0400

The environmental tension between sustainability and place is illustrated in the Cape Wind Energy proposal for Nantucket Sound. Proposed in 2001, the porject has yet to be permitted, even with heightened public awareness to environmental issues and greenwashing by the project developer. Opinions aside, I found it quite amazing that over 40,000 comments were submitted to Federal Government regarding the project. If anything, this long and drawn out process has been as democratic as it could be.

Read the Article

Capitalizing on Cod - How the Market Perception of Place Influences Consumers

Fri, 16 May 2008 18:40:00 -0400

The Phantom on the Menu: Chatham Cod

The New York Times recent ran an article on the misrepresentation of food items on the menu's of upscale New York restaurants. In question is the origin of where codfish is caught. While menu's adverstise white flakey filets as "Chatham Day Boat Cod," the origin of the fish is likely Gloucester or New Bedford, especially during the months that Cod is not harvested by Chatham's fishing fleet. It is interesting how the idea of aparticular place can affect how consumers percieve the value of a fish. While the fish that is served is fresh, it seems that the public values something about the community of Chatham more than the fish. I'd be surprised if someone could actually tell the difference of what port the fish came through. Do certain characteristics of community make you more or less likely to purchase a particular product, all else being equal?

Hamilton changing

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:29:00 -0400

I'm graduating from Hamilton in less than two weeks. One of the weirdest aspects of this thought is that Hamilton will go on without me. I know that sounds excessively self-centered, but it's really bizarre to realize that a place that has affected me so much, is little affected by me in return. I suppose it makes logical sense that as I grow up and move on, so will Hamilton, accomodating new theatre developments and renovating the dark side. There are so many elements of my Hamilton years that I will sincerely miss, but the physical space if Hamilton is something that is so concrete and dear to my heart. When I returned from abroad the dark side was under construction. The memories I have of lying out in the McEwen quad and crossing the street between KJ and Martin's way are of the past before I even leave Hamilton. The library was completely reorganized. If Hamilton underwent these transformations while I was right here, then I can't even imagine the level of change that Hamilton will undergo after I graduate. Of course the original buildings on the light side will be maintained because it is in their construction that Hamilton is able to preserve the essence of an elitist, collegiate institute. However, I will greatly miss every other part of Hamilton that will not be the same when I return as an alumni.

Authoritarian Efforts Toward an Amazonian Working Landscape

Thu, 15 May 2008 16:12:00 -0400

The Brazilian government has recently begun working towards a new “Plan for a Sustainable Amazon (PAS),” which acknowledges the necessity for both acts of founding and preservation in the inhabited and ecologically critical region of the world. As Harvard law professor Roberto Mangabeira Unger, the man spearheading the PAS project, accurately notes, “The Amazon is not simply a collection of trees…it’s a group of people: 25 million Brazilians.”

The plan, in theory, seeks to promote the individual and collective environmental stewardship amongst the residents of the Amazon, who are driven toward deforestation by global economic forces. This is accomplished through economic incentives for residents who learn about environmental conservation and pledge to stop deforesting their land, as well as those who take part in sustainable-use activities.

While this may sound like a promising initiative, there are those who critique it as an authoritarian attempt to impose specific land-use activities, however environmentally-conscious as they are, on a wide range of land and cultures. Additionally, the emphasis on economic reinforcement techniques may not truly establish an ethic of use within the Amazonian people.

The project is a unique and promising direction for government-sponsored conservation efforts; the success of the PAS may be revealing as to the potential for such policy implantation elsewhere.

See the May 15 BBC article for more information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7399109.stm

A Place to Park

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:16:00 -0400

Here is an interesting article that talks about the development of garages as places. It is a Canadian article, but applys to our American garages as well. It is interesting to think about the development of a garage. Originally barns or other spaces were altered to allow a car inside to protect it from the elements. But, with the advancements of car exteriors, such protection from the elements is not needed as much. Yet, we still have 1, 2, 3, and even more, car garages. It is a testament to the reliance of our culture on our cars and a representation of the importance of cars that our society creates.

But there also has been the development of the garage into another place. No longer is it necessarily used to house a car, but rather for a work room, storage, or a gym (like pictured below). It is also a genderized place, as the article mentions: a male-dominated space. The author writes, "He notes that in the traditional sense, the garage is male territory. Women tend to allow freedom of the space to the male. Men, as the hunter-gatherers of the family, tend to fill up garages with their finds." But, he argues, women use it as well, mostly as a last resort to get things out of the house they do not want before they eventually make it to the dumpster.

Usually not included in the total square footage of a house on the market, it is interesting to note the importance of the garage as a place within in the home and its importance in our society.

autos.canada.com/news/story.html

West Virginia & The Democratic Race

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:06:00 -0400

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/us/politics/14cnd-campaign.html?hp

In yesterday's West Virginia primary Hillary Clinton had a sweeping victory over Barack Obama. While this may not have had a substantial affect on the final outcome of the race, it speaks volumes about West Virginia as a place. In the NY Times article, the author implies that inherent racism within the state was the main reason for the results, "Mr. Obama’s advisers downplayed the West Virginia loss, describing the state as demographically unfriendly territory — the primary electorate was 95 percent white; 70 percent did not attend college." While this may or may not be the actual case, it is interesting notion as it relates to the concepts of place. Why did race become such a factor in this primary election but in other historically racist areas of the country it did not?

"The Office" and Scranton

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:25:00 -0400

So I was reading through some of the other posts, and I saw the one about Syracuse and the loss of an architecture school, so it got me thinking about Scranton, my home town, and what was happening there. Since the premier of "The Office," the "coolness" level of my hometown has definitely gone up. I went on to the city's website and read articles about Scranton in the Times and the Washington Post, where I found this one about Scranton and "The Office." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/25/AR2007092501819.html The article talks about what is real in the show and what is not, and how the writers admit that what is real in Scranton is a lot of times more funny than what they could have come up with about it. It also talks about the revitalization that Scranton is going through right now, and the proposed tourist attraction of a tour of Scranton, highlighting "The Office" hotspots. Scranton as a place is changing, revitalizing the outside of its downtown, but also becoming more renowned for its real and fantastical appeal on "The Office."