Current Concepts of Urban Regeneration slides for Urban Dynamics & Regeneration course. Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Design, Razak Faculty, UTM Kuala Lumpur

1. Current Concepts of Urban Regeneration
By Dr Mohammad Hussaini bin Wahab

2.  Current Concept of Urban Regeneration
 Current Concept of Urban Conservation and Regeneration
 International Awareness

3. Outline
• Urban Regeneration
• Redevelopment vs Conservation
• Urban Regeneration – Local
Participation
• Case Study
• Conclusion

4. Definitions
 “Comprehensive and integrated vision and
action which leads to resolution of urban
problems and which seeks to bring about
lasting improvement in the economic, physical,
social and environmental conditions of an area
that has been subject to change.” (Lichfield
1992)
 A continuous process of remodeling older parts
of urban areas, including their central business
areas by means of rehabilitation and
conservation as well as redevelopment.
Urban Regeneration

6. Sustainable Urban Regeneration

7. Key Terms
1. Urban planning – the design of towns and cities
which aims to make them work more effectively for
the communities who live there
2. Urban Regeneration - The improvement of
run-down areas in towns and cities, bringing social,
economic & environmental benefits

8. Images of regeneration
• Revitalization / rebirth / restart / regrowth
• death / life : bring back life
• illness / health : restore health
• decline / growth ; end decline / bring growth

9. Principles of Urban Regeneration
• Sustainability use of natural resources
• Compliance with laws
• Concern the health and safety of residents
• Increased urban image
• Conservation of heritage cities
• Adding the value of city property and investment
opportunities

10. Why Urban Regeneration??
• Rising urbanization – Increasing unsustainable
• Urban Decline / Urban decay – Slum / Crime
• Increase of brownfield areas – To revitalize Old
City Center
• Traffic congestion – Optimize Existing
Infrastructure
• Urban sprawl – Infill development

11. Urban Renewal = アーバンリニュアル
Urban Regeneration = 都市再生
Urban Redevelopment = 都市再開発

12. Urban regeneration : A concept with many meanings
• Replace old land uses with new
• Population growth : new population
• Business : more, different kind: Science parks, tourism
• Jobs : More, a different kind
• Shoppimg facilities / sports arenas / cultural facilities
So there are :
 many types of urban regeneration
 having different aims and effects

13. Key Action for Urban Regeneration
• Viable Project
• Sense of Place
• Infill Development
• Architecture and Image
• Traffic Impact Study
• Social Impact Assessment
• Green Development

14. Less Sustainable More Sustainable
URBAN REVITALIZATION / RENEWAL

16.  Redevelopment : new development, new buildings, new
community, new establishment, not rooted in the
community, not sure if it will grow healthily, not weave
well with existing urban fabric, too expensive…
 Who will benefit? Developers? The primary and
the secondary property markets?
 Who pays? Tax-payers? People are displaced,
business uprooted, community network shattered

17.  Conservation? Just like some
pretty women and men who
seem to never grow old, they
are always young, full of
energy and good looking…
 Old Buildings Make Great
Shops & Streets:
 Old buildings are welcome by
business because of cheap rent
or land costs
 Not all old buildings are
dilapidated
 When put into good use, old
buildings contribute to
diversities, local character,
economic vibrancy and keeping a
place alive!

18.  Improve Internal
Living Conditions:
 If the internal living
conditions are poor in
old buildings, this does
NOT mean that the
buildings need to be
demolished
 To borrow from Jane
Jacobs, ‘slums’ can be
‘unslummed’: lower the
population density,
improve the living
conditions

19.  Social, Economic & Cultural Functions of Streets:
 The social and economic functions of old buildings & streets go
beyond what can be seen: invisible social networks, economic
mutual support system, nurturing street smart kids, providing
defensible space
 support the sustainability of a place

20.  If we want sustainable renewal:
 We should keep as many of the old buildings as possible
 Unslum those ‘overcrowded’ ones and improve the internal
living conditions
 Enact legislation to enforce responsible maintenance of
buildings
 Keep street level shops to sustain vibrant local economy
 City districts will be diversified; Jobs will be available;
Accumulation of social and economic capital is possible;
Sense of belonging can be increased
 What is required: gradual changes, not ‘slash & burn’

21.  Only when buildings are unsafe and
too poor to maintain

22.  respecting the history of an existing place, adding
differences and diversities, enriching and perfecting it

23.  Creating lively and interesting streets,
recognising their economic and social functions

24.  Diversity breeds diversity: economic (local and
beyond), social mix (different classes) and built
forms (old and new)

25.  Use the public realm (open spaces,
public buildings) to knit places
together

26.  Fostering community networks, a sense
of belonging and local identity

27.  The importance of a
local perspective
 Acknowledge the
forces that exist for
regeneration in the old
districts
 Recognise the social
and economic
functions of old areas
and communities in
urban sustainability

28.  Local knowledge is essential  local districts need to build up
capacity to plan, coordinate and manage at an understandable
scale
 Then, local districts need to identify the appropriate renewal
mechanisms:
◦ Need for economic renewal—fostering diversities? Branding?
◦ Improving living conditions—internal? Population density?
Group-specific such as better housing for elderly?
◦ Rejuvenating historic and cultural resources?

29. Regeneration – Participation from local
Building people’s sense of belonging to the district, a place
they call home, ready to defend it…

30. Parco Nord Vegetable Gardens Milan, Italy
Participants can rent space where they grow their own
fruits, vegetables, and herbs close to residential areas.

35. Regeneration – Ideas??
Revitalization –
 Knitting a place together with streets, public realm (open
spaces, public buildings), art display, interesting visual
corridors, street furniture…
 Lacks vs Potential

36. Colombia Tiny Library

37. Beirut – Stairs Paint

38. Beirut – Stairs Paint

39. Agueda, Portugal – Summer Umbrella Installation

40. Initiate to stimulate the traditional shopping street.

41. Rue Du Mail, Paris – Paris Deco Off

42. Case Study

43. Seoul, Korea

44. Traffic Congestion
Environmental pollution
Degraded old city area
Spatial Disparity
Rapid economic growth and development-oriented urban
planning caused a number of urban problems in Seoul.

45. Seoul Objectives:
Restore the cultural and historical heritages of downtown
Seoul
Bring back the ecosystem in the heart of the city
Initiate a balanced development; old and new city section
Provide hand-on eco experience to millions of citizens

46. Cheonggyecheon, Seoul

47. The case of the Cheong Gye Cheon canal. After a long debate, the
Metropolitan Government of the city of Seoul, decided to re-open the
Cheong Gye Cheon canal, crossing the city centre East-West, closed in
the ‘60s and covered with a highway.
A huge investment of approx 700 Mil €. Work started in July 2003
and ended in only 27 months, September 2005, with the opening of
5,8 km of canal at the crossing with the river Han, in the city
centre.

49. Cheonggyecheon, Seoul
Seoul Facts 1999:
Pollution: 85.4% automobiles, 12.7% heating, 1.7%industry, 0.2%power
How to control traffic ??
BEFORE

50. Traffic Chaos, Car Oriented City
(168.000cars/day, 62.5% through
traffic)
‘Ugly’ Landscape
Reject of original water stream
Air pollution
6 km highway !
5 medium bus lane
17 bridges, 5 pedestrian/cycling
bridges
Greenery, landscape, attractive
Public Place
Enhance surrounding building

51. Dismantling elevated highways
Prioritizing buses and other public transport
Restore original water stream
Lower surface temperatures (3.6ºC)
AFTER
Cheonggyecheon, Seoul

52. Cheonggyecheon, Seoul
Creating a new public space
AFTER

53. Improvement for neighborhood building
(window display, tourist attraction)

55. New Attraction for Citizens
- After 3 years of the opening 70 million people visited CGC

56. Policy of “More for Pedestrians”
Seoul Transport Reform

57. Policy of “More for Pedestrians”
Seoul Transport Reform
Reduce Space for Private Passenger Vehicle
• CheonggyeCheon
• Seoul Plaza
Improve Pedestrians Facility
• Improving Sidewalk Network
• Expand Pedestrian Crossings

58. Reform of Seoul Plaza
2004. 5. 1 Open →Restrain Traffic Flow →Ped. Square

59. Historical Monument : SoongRae Mun
Reducing car-oriented space, Create Pedestrian-crossing

60. Car Ownership in Korea (unit: 1,000 cars)
Year Passenge
r Car
Bus Truck Others Total
1980 249 42 226 9 528
1990 2,074 383 924 11 3,395
2000 8,084 1,428 2,511 37 8,469
2001 8,889 1,257 2,511 37 12,694
Seoul Transport Reform

61. All routes were passing through CBD before the reform
Seoul Transport Reform

62. Bus reform
 Took effect on July 1, 2004
 New bus routes and bus-only lanes
were introduced
 To encourage more people to use
public transportation and ease
congestion on the roads.

63. Bus-only lane

64. Increase of speed for both bus and p-car
 10 km/h to over 20 km/h
More carriage of passenger
 6 times more passengers than other lanes
Less travel time variation
 5 times less than other bus lanes
Achievements of ‘Seoul Transport Reform’

65. Achievements of ‘Seoul Transport Reform’

66. Bilbao, Spain
Bilbao was strongly affected by the industrial
crisis of the 1970’s. Within the metropolitan
area, 80,000 jobs in industry were lost.

67. The city of Bilbao has been internationally recognized for its urban
transformation process that turned an environmentally rundown urban
setting and an economy in a structural crisis into a cutting-edge, attractive
and advanced city.

68. BILBAO STRATEGY:
TRANSPORTATION
- SUBWAY LINE
- AIRPORT
IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE
-CLEANED WATERWAY
-IMPROVED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
NEW RESIDENTIAL, LEISURE & BUSINESS COMPLEX
IMPROVED SEAFRONT & WATERFRONT
Relocate Industrial & Technology Park
ICONIC ARCHITECTURE

69. Before (1992) and after (2005) images of the Guggenheim site. Photos
courtesy BILBAO Ría 2000.

70. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry. The building is recognized as the
greatest work of architecture of the last 30 years.

71. ZUBIZURI BRIDGE
SANTIAGO CALATRAVA (1997)

72. BILBAO METRO – FOSTERITO (1995)
NORMAN FOSTER

73. Sheraton Abandoibarra Hotel
RICARDO LEGORETTA

74. BILBAO AIRPORT (2000)
SANTIAGO CALATRAVA

75. ISOZAKI ATEA (2008)
ARATA ISOZAKI

79. Osaka, Japan

80. SHRINKING CITY (CORE) ?
1. Sprawling
2. Increased Land (Rent) Price
3. Population shrinking – low birth rate
4. Sophisticated Infrastructure
5. Low Employment Opportunity in the city core

81. OSAKA CITY’S URBAN REVITALIZATION PROGRAM
Strengthening City’s Function In Creating Knowledge-Based
Businesses
Enhancing City’s Function In Attracting Many More Visitors to
Osaka
Developing Cultural Activities and Creating an Attractive
Osaka
Cooperating Economic, Tourism, and Urban Planning into ONE
PACKAGE

82. NAMBA AREA
Abandoned Baseball Stadium
River Renovation Program
Osaka Gateway
NAMBA PARKS
DOTOMBORI RIVER

83. NAMBA PARKS

84. NAMBA PARKS

85. NAMBA PARKS

87. NAMBA PARKS

88. DOTOMBORI RIVER

89. DOTOMBORI RIVER

90. Superkilen, Copenhagen, Denmark

91. Superkilen, Nørrebro, Denmark: Superkilen is a kilometre-long park situated through an
area just north of Copenhagen’s city centre, considered one of the most ethnically
diverse and socially challenged neighborhoods in the Danish capital. The large-scale
project creates an urban space with a strong identity on a local and global scale.
Designed by BIG, TOPOTEK1 and Superflex.
Open June 2012

92. Superkilen, Copenhagen

93. Superkilen, Copenhagen

94. Superkilen, Copenhagen

95. Superkilen, Copenhagen

96. Superkilen, Copenhagen

97. Superkilen, Copenhagen

98. The High Line , New York City,
America

99. The High Line is a 1-mile New York City linear park built on a
1.45-mile section of the former elevated New York Central
Railroad spur called the West Side Line, which runs along the
lower west side of Manhattan.
Founded in 1999 by community residents, Friends of the High
Line fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation
at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of
demolition.
The recycling of the railway into an urban park has spurred real
estate development in the neighborhoods which lie along the line.
The High Line , New York City, America

100. The High Line

101. The High Line

102. The High Line

103. The High Line

104. The High Line

105. The High Line

106. The High Line
Unexpected views of the city and the
Hudson River.

107. The High Line

108. CONCLUSION:
Cities are inherently ‘organic’, renewing themselves constantly:
regenerate!
If we bear this in mind, urban renewal has to be regeneration renewal,
continuous renewal as an innate nature/quality—multi-dimensional,
community based, people-centred, place making and local identity
fostering
Let’s try not redevelop our cities as far as possible, let’s plan it with
conservation design.
The local perspective is essential if we want regeneration design and
renewal…
Fight for a city were the pedestrian is more important that the vehicle.-
Transform street intersections into public spaces.-Create a legal tool
that defends the rights of pedestrians.
Urban Regeneration

109. Urban Regeneration
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION