Maneuvering Global Spaces by Marketing Local Places: The Process and Practice of Downtown Revitalization in Columbus, Ohio THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Jay Knox, B.A. Graduate Program in Geography The Ohio State University 2011 Master's Examination Committee: Daniel Sui, Advisor Edward Malecki Jennifer Evans-Cowley Copyrighted by Jay Knox 2011 Abstract Due to changing local, national and global economies, the process and practice of downtown revitalization in many Midwestern cities have undergone significant changes over the last several decades. The form and function of downtown are no longer a strictly local issue, but have socio- economic processes across geographical scales. This thesis provides a comprehensive review of the practice of downtown revitalization in Columbus, Ohio paying particular attention to how the geographic concepts of ―space‖ and ―place‖ have been used in the construction of modern downtown areas. While the early practice of downtown revitalization was concerned with the redevelopment of obsolete and abandoned local downtown areas, more recent revitalization initiatives by Midwestern cities are focused on maneuvering global spaces by marketing local places. Recognizing the increasing spatial mobility of human and business capital across the globe, cities seek to attract, capture, and retain these elusive flows in their cities. In order to accomplish this task cities have turned to increasingly innovative and entrepreneurial planning to establish downtowns that are competitive ―global places.‖ Through the implementation of carefully planned downtown revitalization strategies and aggressive place marketing over the last two decades, the Columbus downtown has been transformed into a mixed-use environment. Unlike early downtown renewal projects aimed at functionality and urban design (every city wanted a convention center, waterfront park, indoor mall, and sports arena) the new global competitive environment requires cities to set themselves apart, creating ―sticky‖ places in downtown. This research shows that the importance of ―place‖ in a world which mobile capital increasingly treats as ―place-less‖ has only been enhanced as cities seek to distinguish themselves in the urban hierarchy. The construction and marketing of local places for global consumption in many cities usually starts with downtown. In an effort to create a globally competitive city, growth coalitions not only must concern themselves with local amenities, such as art, culture, entertainment, and social media, but must have an iconic national and global image. Keywords: space, place, downtown revitalization, Columbus, globalization. ii Acknowledgments I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the following persons who have provided their time and guidance during the completion of my thesis: To my advisor, Dr. Daniel Sui, for his continued guidance, support, and feedback over the past two years, and for his mentoring and genuine care for both my present and future academic and professional career. To my co-advisor, Dr. Ed Malecki, for helping guide my research over the course of my graduate career. I am especially grateful for his knowledge and insights on my research topic, his timely feedback and constructive comments on early drafts of this thesis, and his advice, both academic and professional. To my co-advisor, Dr. Jennifer Evans-Cowley, for graciously serving on my committee, her sincere suggestions throughout the writing process, and her added insights and perspectives on my research topic. To Dr. Olga Medvedkov, for introducing me to fields of Urban Geography and GIS, and for her continued support and guidance since my first Geography class as an undergraduate. To Chris Hermann, Dr. Bill LaFayette, and Matthew McCollister for taking the time to share their insight and knowledge on the Columbus downtown with me. To all OSU Department of Geography faculty, staff, and students for making the last two years such an enjoyable experience. Finally and most especially to my Mom and Dad for their love, support, and encouragement throughout my life. iii Vita 2005 ..................................................................... St. Charles Preparatory School 2009 ..................................................................... B.A. Wittenberg University 2009 to present ..................................................... Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Geography, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Geography iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iii Vita ..................................................................................................................................... iv Fields of Study ................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction: Why Downtown and Why Now? ................................................ 1 Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework and Literature Review ................................................ 5 2.1 Downtown in Slippery Space .................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Historical Space Transformations ...................................................................... 9 The Beginnings of the Modern Global City .............................................................. 10 2.1.2 Slippery Space and the Modern Global City .................................................... 12 2.1.3 The Implications of Slippery Space.................................................................. 13 2.2 Sticky Places in Downtown..................................................................................... 15 v 2.2.1 Historical Downtown Place Transformations................................................... 15 2.2.2 Sticky Places and the Modern Global City ....................................................... 17 2.2.3 The Implications of Sticky Places in Downtown ............................................. 26 Chapter 3: Methods and Data ........................................................................................... 34 3.1 Maneuvering Slippery Space Methods ................................................................... 37 3.2 Sticky Places in Downtown Columbus Methods .................................................... 39 3.3 Qualitative Methods ................................................................................................ 41 3.4 Quantitative Methods .............................................................................................. 44 Chapter 4: Columbus Case Study ..................................................................................... 48 4.1 Columbus in Slippery Space ................................................................................... 53 4.1.1 Columbus Historical Space Transformations ................................................... 53 4.1.2 Slippery Space and Columbus as a Modern Global City ................................. 55 4.1.3 Implications of Columbus in Slippery Space ................................................... 70 4.2. Sticky Places in Downtown Columbus .................................................................. 76 4.2.1 Historical Place Transformations in Downtown Columbus ............................. 76 4.2.3 Columbus 2.0: The Implications of Sticky Places in Downtown ................... 114 Chapter 5: Conclusion..................................................................................................... 127 5.1 The Form and Function of the Modern Downtown: A Sticky Place in Slippery Space ........................................................................................................................ 127 vi 5.2 Downtown Columbus: Insight into Space, Place, Downtown Revitalization and Economic Development .......................................................................................... 129 5.3 The Future of Downtown Revitalization ........................................................... 132 References ....................................................................................................................... 136 Appendix A: Additional Tables ...................................................................................... 142 vii List of Tables Table 1. List of Interviews Conducted .............................................................................. 42 Table 2. Major Planning Document Sources .................................................................... 43 Table 3. Other Major Documents ..................................................................................... 43 Table 4. Demographic Data Sources ................................................................................ 44