Vacancy has left parts of the Midwest shattered, resulting in an insecurity which invokes a diluted "fight or flight" response. Restoring the psychological landscape of cities is a difficult, but essential, first step, says Richey Piiparinen.
Piiparinen argues that while solutions like "shrinkage" are a practical approach to growing vacancies in cities, they don't address the psychological and emotional issues associated with loss. Art, he says, is the answer:
"...the interesting thing about Ruin Porn was that the photographs of 'abandonment beauty' effectively challenged our perceptions of decay. In other words, what was once only associated as dead, losing, lost, and disinvested in became the notion of the frontier. Folks, then, flocked to empty factories and houses near and wide to make art, with the Ruin Porn aesthetic even morphing into an evolving 'new genre of Americana', or Rust Belt Chic."
Piiparinen points to a blog post by The Urbanophile that suggests cities consider having a "creative director" on staff.
Thanks to Angie Schmitt
FULL STORY: The Emotional Landscape of Vacancy
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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