Melissa Pearson 0418081

Melissa Pearson 0418081 Vesna Trobec 0251927 Rajeev Varatharajan 0416173 Yuan Wang 0407566 Positive Multicultural Models

In our exploration of our topic we took particular interest in the possibility of Urban Planning models as providing a basis for positive multiculturalism. As Burayidi1 says, “Planning… is a multidimensional and multifaceted profession with sensitivity towards class, race, sex and culture. This makes planning a multicultural cannon2.” Professor Edward Blakely of Sydney University, who is also the Chair of Urban and Regional Planning for NSW, was of particular interest to us because of his international experience as well as his strategies towards varying social situations as expressed in some of his published writing, such as in Multiversity, in which Blakely proposes using the planning of universities and associated infrastructure (e.g. Student and academic accommodation) to revitalise urban communities3. In interviewing him, we explored his own, Professor Peter Fischer of Queensland University (who is also the State Planning Advisor of Tasmania), as well as our own conceptions of what makes a “Positive Multicultural Model”. Looking at case studies of Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos in California4 and Artur Glikson's design for a public housing project in the city of Kiryat Gat in Israel, further allows us to look at the questions that face urban planning strategies, and we begin to think about these models that have in some way worked positively for other communities in relation to Redfern's `The Block' in Sydney.

First we needed to come up with a definition for what is meant by “Positive Multicultural Models” as intrinsically the issue itself concerns numerous interest groups. Edward Blakely defines it as “acts that will achieve social ethnic mixes not just occasionally, but continually”. This means that Planning models would be designed to bring all differing socio-economic and cultural groups together through everyday activities. Using this framework, housing clusters of cultural groups appear to work against this notion of a positive multicultural model. Scott Bollens5 suggests that one reason for the formation of such clusters in the first place is because one ethnic group is empowered, “while rejecting the claims of the disenfranchised group”6. However, we think of examples such as Chinatown, Chatswood, and Leichhardt, where a cluster has created a positive diversity for Sydney by creating areas of interesting character. After further discussion, Blakely put forward the notion that it is important these clusters do not become “enclaval”, suggesting that the phenomenon only becomes a negative social experience in extreme cases.

In order to deal with such issues, Blakely looks at the example of a model based in the United States he has worked on, Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos in California. The U.S. is specifically

1 Burayidi, Machael A., Urban Planning as a Multicultural Canon, Praeger Publishers, U.S., 2000 (Michael A. Burayidi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh) 2 Burayidi, Machael A., Urban Planning as a Multicultural Canon, Praeger Publishers, U.S., 2000 3 Goodsir, Darren, Sydney Morning Herald: UNIVERSITIES URGED TO SPREAD THEIR WINGS AND INJECT NEW LIFE INTO THE BURBS, 25th August 2004, Professor Edward Blakely is quoted as saying, “Even the Eveleigh Technology Park and its surrounds, near Redfern, could be upgraded through the development of staff and lecturer accommodation”. He further explores this idea in other talks, such as his address in the Great Hall of the University of Sydney on August 17, 2004, http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/web/research/centres/prc/pdf/The%20Multiversity.pdf 4 Edward Blakely spoke about this in our recorded interview with him (An Exploration into Positive Multicultural Models, by Melissa Pearson, Alan Wang, Rajeev Varatharajan & Vesna Trobec, March, 2006), and also passed us a brochure (Author unknown, Dos Lagos Update: Issue 12, SE Corporation, Los Angeles, 2004) 5 Bollens, Scott A., Urban Planning and Intergroup Conflict: Confronting a Fractured Public Interest, Journals of the American Planning Association, 2002 (Scott Bollens is professor and chair, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of California, Irvine) 6 Bollens, Scott A., Urban Planning and Intergroup Conflict: Confronting a Fractured Public Interest, Journals of the American Planning Association, 2002 significant because of its huge growing immigrant population7 8. Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos is a site largely dedicated to commercial space, but also includes houses and apartments. Due to a generic government policy, 20% of the site is “affordable housing”, where the dwellings are physically no different to any other. All signage and marketing for the scheme must include visuals of people of all races, and it must “regularly be proven to the city” that the project continually benefits multi-racial people. As Professor Blakely said, “me being black gives us points!” George9 argues that integrating immigration into the mainstream culture of a nation “provides for the equality of all individuals” and allows “minority and majority groups to merge into some total societal unit”10. Blakely furthers this point by siting an example of a typical situation occurring in Latino communities in the U.S.. If one member of the family leaves their community cluster to make money elsewhere, they send their money home and they themselves will remain poor in terms of savings, living “in the back of their car”11. This issue of remittance goes against the individualistic, capitalist ideology of mainstream society, questioning the motives and effects of assimilation. This model of assimilation can come at a cost to the individual as they forfeit their cultural identity. The differing values and thinking patterns of minority cultures are subordinate to the majority culture, and consequently ignored. Professor Mohammad A. Qadeer of the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen's University in Canada describes a scenario where trees are disputed according to differences in backgrounds and beliefs: Although Toronto has strict laws that prohibit cutting down trees, the diverse population is not all benefited by this law. Italian and Portuguese like to keep trees short to allow a view of the neighbours, Anglo-Saxons want trees to be tall and leafy, blocking views to and from neighbourhood houses, and Chinese believe trees in front of a home bring bad luck12. This shows that by attributing normative values to all societies, it can be said that one amounts to paternalism and domination.

An alternative model that can be argued to deal positively with multiculturalism is Glikson's public housing project in Kiryat Gat, Israel. Unlike with generalist models, extensive research was made into the spatial and social interactions of specific relevant cultural groups, the Jews and the Palestinians. The community consists of six interconnected sub-units with well-defined open space for social contact, structuring the way people meet each other. These spaces were then connected by walkways, while two axes connected these units to the town centre, recreation area and commercial districts. A school complex at the centre of the neighbourhood encourages community use after school hours. Glikson also aimed to bring people together by limiting the use of cars by positioning the community close to the commercial centre, thus promoting informal contact by people of diverse populations. By manipulating encounters, they became less politically charged and more neighbourly associations. This project was analysed for years after its construction, to find that its users responded more and more positively over time. However, what was felt largely was that the project was stigmatised as being a “public housing project populated by immigrants”, which in turn might have limited its success, as in the end, many residents felt they would like to move to economically richer areas. This reveals a weakness of the model if it were to be applied, for example, to the United States, as although it begins to deal with cultural equality, it does not substantially tackle economic equality. The model deals specifically with the highly controversial relationship between the Palestinians and the Jews and is based on a philosophy of both cultures becoming comfortable with the other. This

7 Author Unknown, Planning Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: 1990 to 2000, Office of Policy and Planning U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/aboutus/statistics/Ill_Report_1211.pdf, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2001 8 Rytina, Nancy F. and Saeger, Chunnong, Naturalization in the United States: 2004, http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/publications/NaturalizationFlowReport2004.pdf, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2005 9 George, Douglas and Yancey George, Taking Stock of America's Attitudes on Cultural Diversity: An Analysis of Public Deliberation on Multiculturalism, Assimilation and Intermarriage, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, U.S., 2004 10 George, Douglas and Yancey George, Taking Stock of America’s Attitudes on Cultural Diversity: An Analysis of Public Deliberation on Multiculturalism, Assimilation and Intermarriage, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, U.S., 2004 11 Edward Blakely in our interview with him 12 Quadeer, Mohammad A., Pluralistic Planning for Multicultural Cities, Journal of the American Planning Association 63, 1997 agrees with Bollens' notion of a Positive Multicultural Model as the goal should be to “emphasise not only the spatial layout of cities, but also be keenly aware of the complex social-psychological and identity needs of diverse ethnic groups within the urban region”13. Blakely himself realises the importance of cultural expression, but puts forward the question of how much of this expression can be allowed.

These two alternative possibilities of a Positive Multicultural Model begin to introduce the issues that face urban planners. They typify the depth and complexity of the social and political framework that underpins planning in multicultural communities. Due to the great divide in ideology and value systems between groups of people, a way of social planning may be seen as a ‘positive’ multicultural model in one society, but placed in a the context of another society may become inappropriate. This is because a planning model will deal specifically with the relevant groups' relationship to a specific place, meaning a model for Israel, for example, would not necessarily be appropriate for California.

Despite the fact that many communities have developed positive multicultural interaction through the implementation of various models, we did not come out with a “perfect” multicultural model. There are many planning models that have equally valid, yet seemingly polar, conceptions of what people believe a ‘positive’ multicultural model to be. For example, a policy of dramatic assimilation is preferred by some while others prefer strong, individual cultural expression within a society.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

13 Bollens, Scott A., Urban Planning and Intergroup Conflict: Confronting a Fractured Public Interest, Journals of the American Planning Association, 2002 Burayidi, Machael A., Urban Planning as a Multicultural Canon, Praeger Publishers, U.S., 2000

Goodsir, Darren, Sydney Morning Herald: UNIVERSITIES URGED TO SPREAD THEIR WINGS AND INJECT NEW LIFE INTO THE BURBS, 25th August 2004, Professor Edward Blakely is quoted as saying, “Even the Eveleigh Technology Park and its surrounds, near Redfern, could be upgraded through the development of staff and lecturer accommodation”. He further explores this idea in other talks, such as his address in the Great Hall of the University of Sydney on August 17, 2004, http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/web/research/centres/prc/pdf/The%20Multiversity.pdf

Edward Blakely spoke about this in our recorded interview with him (An Exploration into Positive Multicultural Models, by Melissa Pearson, Alan Wang, Rajeev Varatharajan & Vesna Trobec, March, 2006), and also passed us a brochure (Author unknown, Dos Lagos Update: Issue 12, SE Corporation, Los Angeles, 2004)

Bollens, Scott A., Urban Planning and Intergroup Conflict: Confronting a Fractured Public Interest, Journals of the American Planning Association, 2002

Author Unknown, Planning Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: 1990 to 2000, Office of Policy and Planning U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/aboutus/statistics/Ill_Report_1211.pdf, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2001

Rytina, Nancy F. and Saeger, Chunnong, Naturalization in the United States: 2004, http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/publications/NaturalizationFlowReport2004.pdf, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2005

Edward Blakely, video recording. 16th March, 2006. Interview by M Pearson, V Trobec, Y Wang R Varatharajan

George, Douglas and Yancey George, Taking Stock of America's Attitudes on Cultural Diversity: An Analysis of Public Deliberation on Multiculturalism, Assimilation and Intermarriage, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, U.S., 2004

Quadeer, Mohammad A., Pluralistic Planning for Multicultural Cities, Journal of the American Planning Association 63, 1997

Kallus, Rachel, Humanization of the Environment: Glikson's Architecture and the Poetic of the Everyday, Journal of Architectural and Planning Research 21, U.S. 2004

Bollens, Scott A., Urban Planning and Intergroup Conflict: Confronting a Fractured Public Interest, Journals of the American Planning Association, 2002