Saturday, April 30, 2016

A Real Estate Project Ended In Disaster——Pruitt–Igoe



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pruitt%E2%80%93Igoe#/media/File:Pruitt-Igoe-overview.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Pruitt-igoe_collapse-series.jpg



If you propose to build a high-rise public housing project in the United States, your competitors will certainly take Pruitt–Igoe community as a weapon to fight back, and you will be totally defeated. 

Pruitt–Igoe was a large urban housing project first occupied in 1954 in the U.S. city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is a middle-class apartheid complex, including thirty-three 11-story buildings. Living conditions in Pruitt–Igoe began to decline soon after its completion in 1956. After less than a decade, it has become dilapidated warehouse, the only inhabitants are poor blacks. By the late 1960s, the complex had become internationally infamous for its poverty, crime, and segregation. It took less than two years for its completely demolished. Its 33 buildings were demolished with explosives in the mid-1970s, and the project has become an icon of urban renewal and public-policy planning failure.

Pruitt–Igoe community, this trouble is a failure of the building, failed policies, but also the failure of society. Its fate is closely related to the fate of many mid-20th century American cities. Other critics take this opportunity to attack the architect Minoru Yamasaki. They thought he was supercilious and too proud as a social engineering modernist, but cannot consider the needs of ordinary people. However, if think twice, you will find Minoru Yamasaki more like a victim.

After the "1949 Housing Law", this Japanese-American architect began to design this public housing projects in federal funding. Initially, Minoru Yamasaki wanted to design some highly unequal mixed construction. But the Public Housing Authority thought that this design cost too high. To save costs, Minoru Yamasaki changed the height of all buildings to 11 layers. At that time the Congress worried the Korean War a lot, which also made the construction requirements short. The complex had to use some low-quality and inexpensive equipment.

Although Pruitt - Igoe community originally built for the middle class. But not long after the completion, it has become a slum. This drastic change was because of bad timing. The beginning of the design, Missouri law still provided the isolation of public facilities. However, after the US Supreme Court in 1954 on the "Brown v. Board of Education case" judgment, this bill is the total abolition of isolation. Thereafter, the panic white residents chose to leave, Pruitt - Igoe community eventually became special ghettos. Among them, there were many black residents chose to move to the outskirts of the city. Ultimately staying in the community were the poor black residents who unable to leave.

The position of Pruitt - Igoe community in cultural history, was not as significant as its demolished moment. Commentators like to take it as an example to illustrate the various political events. Its  demolished strengthened Americans' the fear of towering, high-density residential area, while this arrangement can be found everywhere in today's much more developed East Asian cities


Wednesday, April 27, 2016

If I had to select one city to develop in......


If I had to select one city to develop in, I would like choose Dallas.


http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55e72848e4b07d5e3db159f8/t/55e72ea2e4b08a87a193945b/1441214122315/dallas-skyline.jpg?format=2500w

I lived in Dallas for 5 months. I also went to Houston a lot, especially the Chinatown Area. I traveled to some place in America as well, such as Austin, San Antonio, New York, Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose and so on. Having experienced these states, I like Texas most. Having experiences these cities and towns in Texas, I like Dallas most, at lease for now. 

1. Big City, Big Opportunity
The Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the fourth-largest metropolitan in the United States. A lot of variety in Dallas. Living there I didn't get any anti-foreign feelings. 
From the Website data, Dallas-Fort Worth contains the headquarters to 20 Fortune 500 companies, and 5 Global Fortune 500 Companies.

2. Better Weather
OK, I know Dallas had hail twice this month. But I still like the weather in Dallas. Dallas has a greater temperature amplitude than other big cities, so I can actually feel the real difference between a blazing summer and a chilling winter, just like my hometown in China.

3. Better Traffic
Every time I went to Houston, I need to leave earlier because of the traffic jam. The traffic in Houston is a disaster. In Dallas, I can't say there is no traffic jam, but the condition is much better. And the road is designed easier to find the way. 
In addition, the Public transportation is good in Dallas, comparing to the other big city in Texas. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (so aptly named “DART”) is really convenient. 

In conclusion, I wish I could have a chance to work and live in Dallas. 

The Urban Growth Patterns In College Station

Since I had my Master of Landscape Architecture Degree in TAMU from 2012, I have been this town for almost four years. Great changes have taken place in the town in the last four years. Construction sites are everywhere. More and more apartments and houses are built.

Last week, we have a guest lecture from a staff from City of College Station. He said the direction of College Station development is South. A lot of development is going on in that direction. There is a Medical District which is the second largest employer in CS. More retail and residential projects will be developed around Medical District.

Then I searched the City of College Station Demographic Report.  The data is shown that the size of College Station has increased significantly since its incorporation.

Between 1938 and 1939, College Station’s boundaries extended from the Northgate District, through Texas A&M University’s Main Campus (and shortly after, annexing the Eastgate Area Neighborhood), and ending its southern boundary in the Southside Area Neighborhood. Significant annexations have occurred in past decades. The most significant land acquisitions occurred between 1950 and 1960, 1960 and 1970, and 1990 and 2000. The portions of the College Station that were incorporated during these decades were: 

1950 and 1960: Portions of land surrounding the east bypass to the northern City limit, including Plantation Oaks Subdivision to the east and Wolf Pen to the west;

1960 and 1970: Large portions of land extending from Texas Avenue to Wellborn Road, bounded by Southwest Parkway and Harvey Mitchell Parkway, including the South Knoll Area Neighborhood and Southwood Valley;


1990 and 2000: Areas south of Rock Prairie Road, including regions as far east as portions of Pebble Creek Subdivision and as far west as Edelweiss and Castlegate Subdivisions.


The most recent annexation was in 2011 when College Station acquired the area 
known as the Wellborn community. There are no plans for future annexation.

I take a look of Google Earth Map, which will have historical images. From the Google Earth Map, we can also verify the conclusion that the City of College Station staff made, the urban pattern is go to south direction.

The basic industry in CS is education, obviously. Here is some data from City of College Station Demographic Report:

In 2012, the top employers were:
Bryan ISD
College Station ISD
Reynolds and Reynolds
Sanderson Farms
St. Joseph Regional Hospital
Texas A&M University System
Brazos County
City of College Station
College Station Medical Center


In my view, the most valuable intersection is the intersection of Texas Avenue and University Drive. First of all, Texas Ave. and University Dr. are both main traffic in CS. Secondly, They are both connected to the Highway 6. Lastly, TAMU campus is at that corner.