The "Bilbao Effect" is the apotheosis of the notion that a struggling post industrial city can be regenerated through set-piece art and design. But Frank Gehry, the architect of the Guggenheim, suspects the gallery was only part of a larger gestalt.
Bibao's "transformation shows that architecture can bring about radical change, though rarely through a single structure and more often through a considered, long-term strategy," according to Edwin Heathcote. He sums up the other architectural works that drew growth out of the city once again. The Foster designed metro and Calatrava footbridge created mobility, while the exhibition center attracted capital.
The specificity of iconic works of 'starchitecture,' can be as much a hindrance as an aid to regeneration. Heathcote reminds us that the most successful recent architecture in London and Berlin was the "revivifcation" of a power station as the Tate Modern, the Reichstag extension and the Neues Museum. They worked because they worked with the desirable and durable historic fabrics of those cities.
FULL STORY: Special Reports - Individual Buildings are Merely Elements in a Bigger Picture
Dallas' Margaret McDermott Bridge Finally Open to Pedestrians and Cyclists
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As Cables on Dallas' Margaret McDermott Bridge Fail, State and City Play Blame Game
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How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
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San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
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Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research