第一次之后... ...
我的第一次....学术论文.
请英文高手指正.
The Regionalism and Globalization of City Renewal
Contents
A Main Trend of Development of Modern Cities in Developing Countries
02
The Demand for New Constructions
03
The Demand for Aged Buildings
06
City as a combination of new constructions and aged buildings
09
Reference
11
A Main Trend of Development of Modern Cities in Developing Countries
Globalization, which is regarded as a main trend of modern culture, has already infiltrated into various levels in social life. In the architectural field, new technologies and materials are imported to developing countries. Furthermore, the new design concepts and modern styles influence the regional architecture culture around the world. Due to the economic growth and the improvement of living standards, many cities in developing countries are under reconstruction in recent years. These cities have not got enough capacities to host the complicated functions of a modern society. Thus, more and more modern buildings are standing at urban districts instead of aged traditional buildings.
The significant problem is the contradictories between regionalism and globalization. In other words, it is the contradictories between aged traditional buildings and new modern buildings. Under the influence of globalization, the traditional style is replaced by the modern style. Instead of the national characteristics of the buildings, the international style becomes a main trend. New constructions reduce ‘legibility’ and lose native traditional architectural form and identity (Jacobs 1961). It is widely believed that probably the regional cultural characters will gradually decay and finally disappear. According to Parkinson, past president of the Royal Town Planning Institute, it is difficult to distinguish the difference among cities nowadays because the modern buildings looks similar (Parkinson 1985).
Even though the modern building is probably the most easily recognizable symbol of modernity (Abel 2000), traditional modality could not be replaced for its existent value. In other words, regional architectures could not be replaced for their national character. This essay tries to compare the advantages and the disadvantages of demolishing aged buildings for the purpose of rebuilding new constructions and give evidence of that
“cities need a mingling of old buildings to cultivate and keep diversity” (Jacobs 1961).
The Demand for New Constructions
“The modern building types are generally the product of economic, social and technological forces” (Abel 2000).
Firstly, one of the main origins of demolishing aged buildings and rebuilding new constructions is the economic requirement. Because of the high-speed development, developing countries need a mass of efficient constructions to support the increasing economies (Francis 1983). While a local company grows into a high-revenue, well organized, standardized enterprise, for example chain corporation or bank, it needs to move out of the old area to find a more effective working condition (Jacobs 1961). In addition, new constructions could attract more overseas investment into economic development (Miller 1967). Because it is necessary for developing countries to get plenty of overseas fund, most of governments in these countries spend a lot of money to construct the centralized city area (Miller 1967). For instance, in China, the local government has invested heavily into the renovation of Pudong,
the new district in Shanghai. As a result, a mass of high-rise office buildings succeed in attracting the mega-business with choice (Segal 2002). However, because the aged buildings in this area are already demolished, it is hard to judge the economic values of these aged buildings. The achievement in these areas may not indicate that the new construction is more effective than aged ones.
Secondly, the change of the fabric of society is the other main cause. As a result of fast economic growth, citizens in developing countries become richer and demand higher standards of living (Jones 1997). Therefore, the property developers begin to invest capital into building the large leisure complexes to satisfy different requirements. In China, this kind of large-scale model is generally used and it also caused extensive demolition of old areas (Jones 1997). In addition, while an area becomes older but without any new constructions, the enterprises with high profit will move out to seek a better commercial condition (Jacobs 1961). Consequently, the local government’s revenue decrease and the old public amenities could not maintain good services without sufficient investment. Consequently, people will leave this area. Moreover, it is also hard to attract new citizens to move into this area (Jacobs 1961). Local governments try to retain the permanent residents and the local enterprises with high profit by building the new construction. This is not the best but an effective solution.
Furthermore, the cultural factor is also an important consideration. The Crystal Palace and the Eiffel Tower signaled the origin of modern architecture which uses glass and steel as materials in the 19th century. Since then, among western countries, modernism became a main architecture type because of its economical costs and simple structure (Droste 2002). In the middle of the 20th century, colonialism led to the communication of western and eastern architectural cultures. According to Chris Abel, “colonial architecture is the outcome of a process whereby a people quite literally recreate familiar environments in alien locations, thus retaining that part of their identity which is their architecture” (Abel 1981). After most of those colonies became independent counties, many modern constructions built by colonist in these areas were considered as a good example, not only as a pattern of architecture but also as a model of life style with top quality (Abel 2000). According to Abel:
Beyond these specific architectural achievements, a broader pattern is emerging, pointing to a cultural shift of global dimensions. Given the power still wielded by the industrialized nations of the North, not least in the fascination American popular culture exerts throughout the developing world, it may be premature to talk of the end of Western cultural domination in architecture (Abel 1984).
Considering the economic development and social requirement, the new construction is more effective than aged buildings. But along with the process of cities’ reconstruction, the negative consequences emerge.
The Demand for Aged Buildings
“The personal and social alienation associated with the introduction of unsuitable building forms and methods in developing countries is accordingly symptomatic of a wider loss of local control over the economic and cultural forces that presently affect all aspects of the environment in those regions” (Abel 1993).
Economically even the new districts need old constructions to keep the ‘flourishing diversity’ (Francis 1983). If a city district has only new constructions, the corporations that can exist in this area must be capable of supporting the high overhead of those modern buildings. “To support such high overheads, the enterprises must be either high profit or well subsidized” (Jacobs 1961). That means ordinary corporations would liquidate by high operating cost of new constructions. For example, it is easy to find out a chain supermarket or a theater in a new leisure complex, but the neighborhood bar and small bookstores which are necessary to the safety and public life of streets are hard to maintain (Jones 1997). Accordingly, the total economical environment of the new areas is limited. Moreover, due to the high overhead, it is also not propitious for the new commercial ideas. During the incipient stage of a new business, no matter how ultimately profitable it is, the investor usually offers limited capital. Therefore, the city district without any aged building will find it hard to support the new original industry, as “a depreciated building requires less income than one which has not yet paid off its capital costs” (Jacobs 1961). The aged buildings after rehabilitation can provide the same functions as the new constructions and are suitable for most ordinary enterprises. Over the years, the buildings once new eventually become old along with the new constructions make this area a vital city district.
Next, demolishing aged buildings and rebuilding new constructions instead have a large influence on social issues. Specifically, the major social concern is that the international style reduces the ‘legibility’ of city (Pacione 2005). It used to be easy to distinguish between two different cities in developing countries by the regional architectural characters previously but it is hard to do so now. High rise is abused because of the general admiration from architects and the architects can hardly be responsible for the type itself (Abel 2000). But some examples manifest that modernity could also mix with the regional characters. The HSBC Hongkong headquarters designed by Norman Foster is one recent example. The designer used the oriental structural elements into this modern building and succeeded in reducing the contradictories between regionalism and globalization (Abel 1984). Another social concern is that the large scale construction reduces the ‘accessibility’ of urban district (Netzer 1974). Usually, the roads around the new construction will be widened and the whole size of city will become bigger. Due to the expansion of city, the distance between office and home is further than it used to be. Some architects were worried about this phenomenon and suggested it would cause security issues (Netzer 1974). It is well known that it is not safe walking in the downtown Manhattan in New York after working hours because people do not stay in this area which only has the extensive office buildings without residence during the night; as a result, the crime rate in this area is higher than others (Jacobs 1961).
Subsequently, the modern architectural style is not generally suitable for the regional environments in all of the developing countries (Abel 1993). According to Kenneth Yeang, beneficiary of the regional experiments, traditional buildings are usually more capable of withstanding exposure to weather compared with modern buildings (Porteous 2002). For instance, in some industrial areas, glass curtain wall will be damaged by recurrent acid rain. In addition, most developing countries are located in different climatic zones than western developed countries; thus, it is better for developing countries to focus on the regional architectural characters instead of following the modern style blindly (Porteous 2002); however, to avoid building modern constructions completely is not a correct planning concept. In other words, to keep the aged buildings is not in order to keep the old structures but to keep the traditional architectural characters for a mixing with the new designed concept. “Time makes the high building costs of one generation the bargains of a following generation; time makes certain structures obsolete for some enterprises, and they become available to others; time can make the space efficiencies of one generation the space luxuries of another generation” (Jacobs 1961).
Cities as a combination of new constructions and aged buildings
In conclusion, even though the new constructions are of great benefit to economic development and social requirement, a successful city district needs a mingling of aged constructions to cultivate and keep diversity (Jacobs 1961). Aged buildings promote the development of middle-yield and low-yield economy, and keep the regional identity, and furthermore, record an effective traditional architectural form or culture. The economic value of new constructions can be replaced by spending more capital (Jacobs 1961). But the existent value of aged buildings is not replaceable because it is created by time (Jones 1997). “This economic requisite for diversity is a requisite that vital city neighborhoods can only inherit, and then sustain over the years” (Jacobs 1961).
Reference
Abel, C. (1981). Semiotics. New York, Plenum Press.
Abel, C. (1984). "Regional Transformations." The Architectural Review Vol.1054: Page74
Abel, C. (1993). "Ecodevelopment: toward a development paradigm for regional architecture." Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Working Papers Series Vol. 44: Page245
Abel, C. (2000). Architecture and Identity - responses to cultural and technological change. Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann.
Droste, M. (2002). bauhaus. Cologne, Taschen.
Francis, T. (1983). Construction Management and Economics. Oxford, E. & F.N. Spon.
Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American Cities Washington, Vintage Books.
Jones, G. (1997). Urbanization in Large Developing Countries. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Miller, R. (1967). Readings on Taxation in Developing Countries. Maryland, Johns Hopkins Press.
Netzer, D. (1974). Economics and Urban Problems: Diagnoses and Prescriptions New York, Basic Books.
Pacione, M. (2005). Urban Geography: A Global Perspective. Oxford, Routledge.
Parkinson, E. (1985). Regional and local planning implications of energy policy. Barnsley, Coalfield Communities Campaign.
Porteous, C. (2002). The New Eco-Architecture: Alternatives from the Modern Movement. London, Taylor & Francis.
Segal, A. (2002). Digital Dragon: High-Technology Enterprises in China. New York, Cornell University Press.
|
