Adaptive re-use can be considered as a tool for urban regeneration. The City of Los Angeles has experienced relative success in applying this tool to regenerate a declining downtown into a thriving city-centre, thus contradicting the very... more
Adaptive re-use can be considered as a tool for urban regeneration. The City of
Los Angeles has experienced relative success in applying this tool to regenerate a
declining downtown into a thriving city-centre, thus contradicting the very idea
of a postmodern dysfunctional city. A major positive aspect of this regeneration
initiative from the City’s perspective is the low cost of the operation, as the process
relies mainly on the role of developers to take advantage of the Adaptive Re-use
Ordinance (ARO) in transforming vacant office buildings into marketable and
often high-priced residential lofts. The regeneration has its shortcomings, but overall
it has had a tremendous impact in shifting perceptions of a decaying downtown
area into a desirable place to live and invest. Urban regeneration seldom delivers
sustainability for all three components (economy, social, and the environment)
but in theory, it has the potential to do so. From a social sustainability perspective,
the implementation of the ARO has led to gentrification and contributed to the
expulsion of low-income groups; however, it has been a powerful tool in initiating
a shift from a sprawling metropolis towards a denser, walkable, and more sustainable
urban environment through reinvestment in the Downtown. The analysis is
based on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews as well as an
analysis of planning regulations associated to the ARO. We also mapped the location
of adaptive re-use projects in the downtown area.
Los Angeles has experienced relative success in applying this tool to regenerate a
declining downtown into a thriving city-centre, thus contradicting the very idea
of a postmodern dysfunctional city. A major positive aspect of this regeneration
initiative from the City’s perspective is the low cost of the operation, as the process
relies mainly on the role of developers to take advantage of the Adaptive Re-use
Ordinance (ARO) in transforming vacant office buildings into marketable and
often high-priced residential lofts. The regeneration has its shortcomings, but overall
it has had a tremendous impact in shifting perceptions of a decaying downtown
area into a desirable place to live and invest. Urban regeneration seldom delivers
sustainability for all three components (economy, social, and the environment)
but in theory, it has the potential to do so. From a social sustainability perspective,
the implementation of the ARO has led to gentrification and contributed to the
expulsion of low-income groups; however, it has been a powerful tool in initiating
a shift from a sprawling metropolis towards a denser, walkable, and more sustainable
urban environment through reinvestment in the Downtown. The analysis is
based on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews as well as an
analysis of planning regulations associated to the ARO. We also mapped the location
of adaptive re-use projects in the downtown area.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Adaptive re-use can be considered as a tool for urban regeneration. The City of Los Angeles has experienced relative success in applying this tool to regenerate a declining downtown into a thriving city-centre, thus contradicting the very... more
Adaptive re-use can be considered as a tool for urban regeneration. The City of
Los Angeles has experienced relative success in applying this tool to regenerate a
declining downtown into a thriving city-centre, thus contradicting the very idea
of a postmodern dysfunctional city. A major positive aspect of this regeneration
initiative from the City’s perspective is the low cost of the operation, as the process
relies mainly on the role of developers to take advantage of the Adaptive Re-use
Ordinance (ARO) in transforming vacant office buildings into marketable and
often high-priced residential lofts. The regeneration has its shortcomings, but overall
it has had a tremendous impact in shifting perceptions of a decaying downtown
area into a desirable place to live and invest. Urban regeneration seldom delivers
sustainability for all three components (economy, social, and the environment)
but in theory, it has the potential to do so. From a social sustainability perspective,
the implementation of the ARO has led to gentrification and contributed to the
expulsion of low-income groups; however, it has been a powerful tool in initiating
a shift from a sprawling metropolis towards a denser, walkable, and more sustainable
urban environment through reinvestment in the Downtown. The analysis is
based on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews as well as an
analysis of planning regulations associated to the ARO. We also mapped the location
of adaptive re-use projects in the downtown area.
Los Angeles has experienced relative success in applying this tool to regenerate a
declining downtown into a thriving city-centre, thus contradicting the very idea
of a postmodern dysfunctional city. A major positive aspect of this regeneration
initiative from the City’s perspective is the low cost of the operation, as the process
relies mainly on the role of developers to take advantage of the Adaptive Re-use
Ordinance (ARO) in transforming vacant office buildings into marketable and
often high-priced residential lofts. The regeneration has its shortcomings, but overall
it has had a tremendous impact in shifting perceptions of a decaying downtown
area into a desirable place to live and invest. Urban regeneration seldom delivers
sustainability for all three components (economy, social, and the environment)
but in theory, it has the potential to do so. From a social sustainability perspective,
the implementation of the ARO has led to gentrification and contributed to the
expulsion of low-income groups; however, it has been a powerful tool in initiating
a shift from a sprawling metropolis towards a denser, walkable, and more sustainable
urban environment through reinvestment in the Downtown. The analysis is
based on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews as well as an
analysis of planning regulations associated to the ARO. We also mapped the location
of adaptive re-use projects in the downtown area.