Revising Richard Florida: Creative / Product Space for Cleveland
ABSTRACT
Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class” recognizes the emergence of a new social class, the creative class, as the people who are paid principally to do creative work as a living. He goes so far as to state that human creativity is the ultimate economic resource and that all communities and community leaders should invest in creative resources and creative people. The Three T’s for Economic Growth, Florida states, recognizes technology, talent, and tolerance as the major factors for the development of economic growth. More recently, he has recognizes a fourth T for economic growth, Territorial Assets, as the key factor that draws people to a certain place. Also known as “Quality of Place,” Territorial Assets include the assets that make a certain place attractive for creative people. Thick labor markets, lifestyle, social interaction, diversity, and identity are some of these assets. When building a creative community, it is important to develop a strong people climate rather than simply a business climate.
The loss of manufacturing jobs caused Cleveland’s economy to struggle and the population to shrink substantially. The phenomenon of shrinking cities has caused planners and developers to think differently about planning in a way that is more honest and realistic for Rustbelt cities such as Cleveland that are struggling to regain population growth. Like Florida mentions, bottom-up community development strategies are important, but it isn’t the only strategy that planners and designers must consider. What is important is to establish a unique kind of creative class, which I title “The Rustbelt Creative Class.”
Even though Cleveland has experienced urban shrinkage and decline in the past several decades, there is a downtown revival emerging that due in part to the innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers and doers in places such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Youngstown. The Rustbelt revival is not experiencing new growth only because there is an abundance of cheap space. It’s about the authenticity of the post-industrial environment, particularly the prevalence of conflict.
Conflict, which is often associated with anger, tension and avoidance, should be seen as the driving force for community growth. The irony of conflict is that it “stirs us into observation and memory” and allows our minds to think creatively. The ability to create has long been tied to ones surroundings. In the case of Rustbelt Cities, these surroundings are characterized by the vacant and underutilized buildings and structures, the post-industrial parks and factory buildings, foreclosed homes and boarded-up storefronts, and patchwork of random buildings and land. This “patchwork” of contrast is the characteristic of a chaotic landscape: one that lacks an identity and is the outcome of urban decay, shrinkage, demolition and abandonment.
Cleveland’s growing arts community has embraced the conflicted environment and approached it in an artist way; recognizing and reusing once underutilized and vacant spaces and buildings, creating something out of nothing. The process of reusing vacant buildings does not have to be belabored, but can be done in phases and can be as simple as selecting one building for rehabilitation, as a model, then building up the number for rehabilitation. The redevelopment of vacant lots and structures has the potential to create more jobs, more recreational spaces, cultural opportunities and more vibrancy to an area that formerly was a dilapidated area.
This is the approach that planners and community leaders need to take: being able to embrace authenticity, enacting a strategy that accepts conflict in the environment. The traditional model for economic growth, one that is based on the idea of newness and maximum population growth, simply does not work for Rustbelt cities like Cleveland. The site selected will recognize these guidelines and serve as a model for creative communities in Rustbelt cities.
Keywords: Creative Class, Richard Florida, Conflict, Rustbelt, Cleveland, Artist District
Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class” recognizes the emergence of a new social class, the creative class, as the people who are paid principally to do creative work as a living. He goes so far as to state that human creativity is the ultimate economic resource and that all communities and community leaders should invest in creative resources and creative people. The Three T’s for Economic Growth, Florida states, recognizes technology, talent, and tolerance as the major factors for the development of economic growth. More recently, he has recognizes a fourth T for economic growth, Territorial Assets, as the key factor that draws people to a certain place. Also known as “Quality of Place,” Territorial Assets include the assets that make a certain place attractive for creative people. Thick labor markets, lifestyle, social interaction, diversity, and identity are some of these assets. When building a creative community, it is important to develop a strong people climate rather than simply a business climate.
The loss of manufacturing jobs caused Cleveland’s economy to struggle and the population to shrink substantially. The phenomenon of shrinking cities has caused planners and developers to think differently about planning in a way that is more honest and realistic for Rustbelt cities such as Cleveland that are struggling to regain population growth. Like Florida mentions, bottom-up community development strategies are important, but it isn’t the only strategy that planners and designers must consider. What is important is to establish a unique kind of creative class, which I title “The Rustbelt Creative Class.”
Even though Cleveland has experienced urban shrinkage and decline in the past several decades, there is a downtown revival emerging that due in part to the innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers and doers in places such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Youngstown. The Rustbelt revival is not experiencing new growth only because there is an abundance of cheap space. It’s about the authenticity of the post-industrial environment, particularly the prevalence of conflict.
Conflict, which is often associated with anger, tension and avoidance, should be seen as the driving force for community growth. The irony of conflict is that it “stirs us into observation and memory” and allows our minds to think creatively. The ability to create has long been tied to ones surroundings. In the case of Rustbelt Cities, these surroundings are characterized by the vacant and underutilized buildings and structures, the post-industrial parks and factory buildings, foreclosed homes and boarded-up storefronts, and patchwork of random buildings and land. This “patchwork” of contrast is the characteristic of a chaotic landscape: one that lacks an identity and is the outcome of urban decay, shrinkage, demolition and abandonment.
Cleveland’s growing arts community has embraced the conflicted environment and approached it in an artist way; recognizing and reusing once underutilized and vacant spaces and buildings, creating something out of nothing. The process of reusing vacant buildings does not have to be belabored, but can be done in phases and can be as simple as selecting one building for rehabilitation, as a model, then building up the number for rehabilitation. The redevelopment of vacant lots and structures has the potential to create more jobs, more recreational spaces, cultural opportunities and more vibrancy to an area that formerly was a dilapidated area.
This is the approach that planners and community leaders need to take: being able to embrace authenticity, enacting a strategy that accepts conflict in the environment. The traditional model for economic growth, one that is based on the idea of newness and maximum population growth, simply does not work for Rustbelt cities like Cleveland. The site selected will recognize these guidelines and serve as a model for creative communities in Rustbelt cities.
Keywords: Creative Class, Richard Florida, Conflict, Rustbelt, Cleveland, Artist District
Symbolism in Cleveland: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum
ABSTRACT
This paper investigates what constitutes symbolic form, particularly in the realm of architecture, and whether or not the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in downtown Cleveland is considered to be symbolic of Rock and Roll.Ernst Cassirer makesthe distinction that symbolic forms are forms that are ‘concrete’ and ‘pure’ in contrast to representational forms which rely on an outside entity. I.M. Pei, who designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, intended for it to represent the “energy of Rock and Roll.” His design was not considered symbolic, as defined by Ernst Cassirer, but is instead representational. The contemporary definition of the word “symbol,” which Cassirer would argue means “representation,” is investigated as well. The influence that Rock and Roll has had on culture is dramatic, and its influence on Cleveland is no exception. The museum is distinguished by its corporate aesthetic, a typology that is often associated with shopping centers and commercialism not spaces that are used for rock and roll. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum is not symbolic, in accordance with Ernst and Fiedler and in terms of the contemporary definition, because it fails to symbolize the Rock and Roll character and culture that Cleveland and the musical phenomenon is known for.
This paper investigates what constitutes symbolic form, particularly in the realm of architecture, and whether or not the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in downtown Cleveland is considered to be symbolic of Rock and Roll.Ernst Cassirer makesthe distinction that symbolic forms are forms that are ‘concrete’ and ‘pure’ in contrast to representational forms which rely on an outside entity. I.M. Pei, who designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, intended for it to represent the “energy of Rock and Roll.” His design was not considered symbolic, as defined by Ernst Cassirer, but is instead representational. The contemporary definition of the word “symbol,” which Cassirer would argue means “representation,” is investigated as well. The influence that Rock and Roll has had on culture is dramatic, and its influence on Cleveland is no exception. The museum is distinguished by its corporate aesthetic, a typology that is often associated with shopping centers and commercialism not spaces that are used for rock and roll. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum is not symbolic, in accordance with Ernst and Fiedler and in terms of the contemporary definition, because it fails to symbolize the Rock and Roll character and culture that Cleveland and the musical phenomenon is known for.
Landscape Design and the Rise of Ecology and Sustainable Development
ABSTRACT
The interpretation of nature into landscape design has varied across time, regions and cultures. Beginning with the industrial revolution in the 19th century and the explosive growth and expansion of cities, the understanding of man and the natural world have become isolated from one another. Twentieth century Modernism depicted the ideas of landscape centered on culture production. There seemed to be a lack of focus on the significance of site. Landscapes became secondary to the built environment, perceived as an “outdoor room” to architectural design.There was an increasing amount of emphasis placed on widespread landscape visions by the middle of the 20th century. Specifically, Ian McHarg’s outline of a scientific approach to nature, based on “…a theory for a ‘simple working method for open space’”
The interpretation of nature into landscape design has varied across time, regions and cultures. Beginning with the industrial revolution in the 19th century and the explosive growth and expansion of cities, the understanding of man and the natural world have become isolated from one another. Twentieth century Modernism depicted the ideas of landscape centered on culture production. There seemed to be a lack of focus on the significance of site. Landscapes became secondary to the built environment, perceived as an “outdoor room” to architectural design.There was an increasing amount of emphasis placed on widespread landscape visions by the middle of the 20th century. Specifically, Ian McHarg’s outline of a scientific approach to nature, based on “…a theory for a ‘simple working method for open space’”