UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Fountain Square: Face Lift or Vital Injection? A thesis submitted to Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF COMMUNITY PLANNING In the School of Planning of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning May 2006 By Frederik Spittael Master of Architecture, WENK St-Lucas Gent, 2004 Bachelor of Architecture, WENK St-Lucas Gent, 2001 Thesis Committee: Chair: Mahyar Arefi, Ph.D. Member: Menelaos Triantafillou, MLA Reader: Des Bracey, ESQ Abstract Planners have not fully recognized the importance of place. Because place is elusive and does not fit into planners’ utilitarian mode of thought, a concern with place is often dismissed as irrelevant. In spite of this, almost everything planners do is related to place. This is especially true for urban designers. The goal of this thesis is to broaden urban designers’ understanding of place in three steps. First, identify and analyze the key aspects of place in an operational framework. Second, link the framework to urban design. Third, apply the framework to a case study (Fountain Square Cincinnati, OH). The framework combined with the case study indicates urban designers need to overcome the illusion they can design place and have to start working on design strategies that incorporate the vital components of place. Only then will they be able to give place a vital injection instead of a mere facelift. i ii Acknowledgements I would like to truly thank everyone who has made this thesis possible. I would like to thank everybody who has assisted in gathering the necessary information for the case study. The Cincinnati Historical Society has provided a wealth of valuable information on the history of Fountain Square. Access to their amazing collection has been crucial to the success of the case study. I also owe thanks to Jim Tarbell (Vice Mayor of Cincinnati), Mary Lynne Boorn (Fountain Square Project Manager 3CDC), Don Clinton (Partner Cooper Robinson), and Joel Koopman (City of Cincinnati Public Works Principal Architect) for allowing me to interview them. Their interviews have added an extra dimension to this thesis. I would like to thank Des Bracey (Project Manager Over-the-Rhine 3CDC) for his time devotion in editing my thesis and critically examining my thoughts from a practitioner’s point of view. I would also like to thank Des for his excellent mentorship throughout my first professional working experience abroad. I thank Prof. Triantafillou (SOP, University of Cincinnati) for helping me clarify my thoughts, for providing thought provoking comments, and for pushing me to the finish line. I would like to express my immense gratitude to Prof. Arefi (SOP, University of Cincinnati). Prof. Arefi and his academic work have inspired me to write this thesis. He has always been there to answer questions and clarify research issues. His guidance, expertise, and patience have helped me make it through trying times. Finally, I owe most gratitude to my family. Even though distant, they have morally supported me throughout the project. Without their love and support this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you for encouraging me in pursuing my academic and personal goals. iii Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables ......................................................................................................vi Chapter 1:Introduction............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 A Little Roadmap........................................................................................................ 2 1.2 Place – Site – Space.................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Place, an Overview................................................................................................ 6 2.1 What Is Place? ............................................................................................................ 6 2.1.2 Three Ground Rules for Place........................................................................ 7 2.1.2 Changing Conception of Place....................................................................... 9 2.1.3 An Historical Overview of Place.................................................................. 10 2.1.4 Place in the 21st Century............................................................................... 11 2.1.5 Why Place Still Matters................................................................................ 12 2.2 Place as a Planning Concern..................................................................................... 15 2.2.1 Development Driven Approach.................................................................... 16 2.2.2 The Planning Profession............................................................................... 17 2.2.3 Consequences for Place as a Subject of Planning ........................................ 18 Chapter 3: Methodology........................................................................................................ 20 3.1 Understanding the Key Aspects of Place.................................................................. 21 3.2 Developing the Framework ...................................................................................... 21 3.3 Making the Link to Urban Design ............................................................................ 22 3.4 Fountain Square Case Study..................................................................................... 23 3.5 Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 24 3.5.1 Observation .................................................................................................. 25 3.5.2 Secondary Sources ....................................................................................... 25 3.5.3 Primary Sources ........................................................................................... 26 3.6 Methodology Flowchart............................................................................................ 27 Chapter 4: The framework.................................................................................................... 29 4.1 Five Key Aspects of Place........................................................................................ 29 4.1.1 Location........................................................................................................ 30 4.1.1.1 Example ........................................................................................... 31 4.1.2 Material Form............................................................................................... 32 4.1.2.1 Example ........................................................................................... 34 4.1.3 Social Aspect................................................................................................ 34 4.1.3.1 Example ........................................................................................... 37 4.1.4 Practices and events ..................................................................................... 37 4.1.4.1 Example ........................................................................................... 38 4.1.5 Representations ............................................................................................ 39 4.1.5.1 Example ........................................................................................... 40 4.1.6 Drawing Together the Five Key Aspects ..................................................... 41 4.2 From Site to Place..................................................................................................... 42 iv 4.2.1 The Sterilizing Tendency of Designing........................................................ 43 4.2.2 Place Narratives............................................................................................ 44 Chapter 5: Fountain Square Case Study ............................................................................. 47 5.1 Fountain Square History ........................................................................................... 48 5.1.1 The Great Beginning .................................................................................... 48 5.1.2 The First Alterations..................................................................................... 53 5.1.3 The First Move ............................................................................................. 56 5.1.4 Fountain Square 2006................................................................................... 60 5.2 Contested narratives.................................................................................................. 62 5.2.1 The Inauguration of Fountain Square: 1871................................................. 63 5.2.2 The First Changes to Fountain Square: 1930 ............................................... 65 5.2.3 Urban Renewal Plan for Fountain Square:1960-1970