Archinect - News

A small pocket of Detroit is thriving, but it's not a comeback city yet

2013-06-11T19:32:00-04:00

Does the fact that Whole Foods Market is opening a store in Detroit surprise you? Well, a lot of Motor City residents were surprised by the decision, too. The move does signal that a little pocket of Motown is thriving. And that’s great news – especially to Detroiters, who have seen their city eulogized ad nauseum in recent years. But the level of affluence in the neighborhood surrounding Whole Foods is well below what you would see in other cities that have undergone urban revival.

Once Unsafe, Rio's Shantytowns See Rapid Gentrification

2013-06-07T12:56:00-04:00

A new boutique hotel perched on top of one of Rio's previously most dangerous favelas is about to open. And yes, there is a jazz club and yoga, too. These are new services catering to a new kind of favela resident. "It's actually very conveniently located for my work," says Natalie Shoup, a 22-year-old American who lives in a favela called Babilonia, or Babylon. "This has a good amount of transportation to every part of the city. It's nice. It worked out really well."

On the other hand: Remaking Rio: turning an urban dystopia into an Olympic playground (The Verge)

Previously on Archinect:

Editor's Picks #304

2013-02-26T13:39:00-05:00

For the latest edition of the ShowCase feature, Archinect published the first fire station designed by Pritzker Prize winner Álvaro Siza Veira. The project, Santo Tirso Fire Station is located in Quinta de Geão, Portugal "comprises a total gross area of 1173 m2 and lodges the support functions to the fire brigade...it is organized in 3 floors”.

Chris Moody's initial reaction was that "At first glance, it would be hard to picture this building as a fire station. But then again, that's probably the point. Nicely done! Alvaro." toasteroven added "that brick is yummy, the exterior is really nice - but - the interiors seem a little cold and off-putting. all shades of grey and white - like a bunker in Antarctica in the dead of winter”.

News

According to released figures the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) showed its strongest growth since November 2007. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the January ABI score was 54.2, up sharply from a mark of 51.2* in Dec...

Soundtrack of a city: Baba Zula "Gecekondu"

2012-12-11T11:20:00-05:00

"The new album narrates urban life. It is rather personal music, bound up with this city, there are images of an asphalt jungle and a house that is being built in a city, and we always support the ones who don't have power." -Baba Zula

The new Baba Zula album is called "Gecekondu," a term used in Turkey for illegal settlements built on the fringes of major cities like Istanbul or Ankara. These growing slums, built with the simplest materials, have become home to many newcomers trying their luck in urban centers.

One could argue, though, that there's more dignity and beauty in the gecekondus than in the ritzy financial districts now conquering the legendary inner city areas of Istanbul. One example is a historic district situated in the shadows of the Byzantine city wall, known as Sulukule, which has been almost completely torn down.

The band opposes the gentrification of Istanbul.

Can USC Grow without Devouring the Neighborhood?

2012-03-13T15:59:00-04:00

College towns have weathered the recession and housing collapse more than the rest of America, but the neighborhood around USC is an exception. Now USC is planning what local officials call the biggest project in South Los Angeles in a generation — 35 acres, complete with restaurants, shops, a six-screen theater, faculty office space and student housing. Will gentrification push local residents out, or is the university — often accused of ignoring its neighbors — be doing them a favor?

A (series) of Hard Looks At Gentrification

2011-07-21T13:56:30-04:00

The press blames black flight from major cities on whites, but history and numbers show that's not true

Ta-Nehisi Coates a senior editor for The Atlantic,has over the last few days been having an ongoing discussion via his blog about urban development, race and gentrification. He argues that gentrification is less about race and more about socioeconomic factors (ie: class). Additionally, the argument is made that a spate of large-scale studies have shown that "gentrification doesn't, on average, produce a greater rate of turnover within the population of the gentrifying neighborhood." The discussion began with a post entitled Our Technocratic Overlords, then continued with Our Technocratic Overlords, Cont, A Hard Look At Gentrification, A Hard Look At Gentrification Cont. and A Harder Look At Gentrification Cont..