Downtowns vitality: issues of urban space and public policies in the US and Brazil
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Date
2016
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AESOP
Abstract
Downtown revitalization continues to be a concern in urban planning worldwide. In the dynamics of urban transformation, city centers have gone through several stages, ranging from moments of strong growth, followed by decentralization processes, and the displacement of population and key economic activities. Downtowns have also faced the competition with new consumption and employment centralities outside the urban core. All these tensions have resulted on the weakening of downtown areas, leading to many socio-spatial transformations through time. While this is a global phenomenon, particularities, a focus of attention in planning, have varied depending on cultural patterns, and social, spatial and economic contexts. In the case of North American cities, the strong process of suburbanization along with the specialization of the CBD (Central Business District) in commercial and management services, among other factors have resulted on the de-population of downtowns. While Latin American downtown areas also went through increasing decay, socio-economic and cultural factors differ markedly from the North American case; for example, there has been a persistent willingness of high-income families to live downtown as symbol of status, or the fast growth of peripheral areas without infrastructure mainly occupied by the lowest income groups, or an observed lower mobility of the population (compared to the US). Different traditions of governance, regulations and community engagement have led to different approaches on downtown revitalization policies in cities.
Description
Proceedings of the IV World Planning Schools Congress, July 3-8th, 2016 : Global crisis, planning and challenges to spatial justice in the north and in the south
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