Posted by Kevin Matthews on March 15, 2002 at 13:35:54:In Reply to: Re: ArchWeek - -- RenCen - Urban renewal posted by JWmHarmon on March 15, 2002 at 08:02:52:
How can we bring back the neighborhood feeling in the face of large scale buildings? Or is this question irrelevant?
Good question!
Personally I'd like to take it backwards first, though. What is the effect of creating large buildings on neighborhoods?
Considering the Renaissance Center, for instance, there are several layers of problems. It was built away from the exisitng centers of activity of downtown. So even if it someday succeeds in itself as a livable environment, it is likely to do so at the expense of previously existing areas of life. That's not my idea of progress.
More generally, I guess it depends on the relationship of the building to the neighborhood. One normally big building can probably be absorbed by a strong, lively neighborhood with mixed residential and commercial uses creating 24 hour life.
But a mega-project like RenCen, simply as a result of scale, is almost inevitably cut of from surrounding life. When access is by auto, the network of highways and parking for a megaproject further isolate it.
In steps toward a more progressive approach, the megaproject could add more local services, like the plans for RenCen, apparently -- but services are not likely to bring life around the clock. A stronger step is to add both services and a strong mix of residential uses, which can create more life -- if the inherent sterility can be oovercome of a huge exapnse of new consttruction, all created from one viewpoint, probably with one feudalistic owner, all without history.
And even if those Brasilia-style obstracles to life are overcome, then what is the loss in terms of life that could have been contributed to other already existing and emergent centers?
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