Ryan , Brent D . : Design after decline : how America

Brent D. Ryan first visited Detroit in 1993. Describing this experience, he says: ‘‘The sense of emptiness was overpowering. ... I felt as if I was walking into the ruin of America.’’ In his book ‘‘Design after decline—how America rebuilds shrinking cities,’’ Ryan tries to understand why so many American cities have been losing population, what was and is done to change the fortune of these cities and why many projects or plans have not worked out as intended. He also gives some guidance about how planning and design can help cope with shrinking. The first chapter describes the role of urban design at the time of large scale urban renewal. Many poor neighbourhoods were demolished, with new often high rise estates being built in their place, after modernist design principles. As existing neighbourhoods and the people living there were often treated with brutality, the end of urban renewal in the mid-1970s brought a sense of relief. However, with urban renewal and modernist design, also a vision of the future that was in itself optimistic had gone. For a short time, reformed modernist urban renewal, that was more small scale in its building efforts and that was open to the opinions of the people living in the areas concerned, took over, at least in some cities. London (UK) is an example of this. But, before this new style of urban renewal could flower, federal or national funding had all but stopped, and in the London case, the regional authority responsible for planning (GLC) was even abolished by a conservative government. Because of the opposition from community groups to large scale demolishment, and bad living conditions in some of the more notorious new estates, some people have argued that urban renewal in a way caused or at least sped up urban decline. However, as Ryan shows, the end of modernist urban renewal in no way interrupted the downward trajectory of many large cities. The causes of urban decline were others, like the relocating of people and businesses to the suburbs, where more space was available and land was cheaper. Social and technological development, like the spread of car ownership, made it all possible. When (white) higher income groups left, their place was at least partly taken over by lower income (ethnic minority) groups.