IGU Regional Conference Tel Aviv 2010

Critical Analysis of the Flagship Urban Projects(Analyse Critique des “Flagship Projects” Urbains)

Auteur: José Ignacio VILA VÁZQUEZe-mail: jivilavazquez@gmail.com

Université Paris 1: Panthéon-Sorbonne (France)

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

INTRODUCTION

GLOBAL OBJECTIVES (RESEARCH)

1-Evaluation of territorial impacts of the flagship urban projects (aspects: economic /

social / image / physic)

2-Proposition of urban planning and strategic alternatives

OBJECTIFS OF THIS PAPER

-Assessment of territorial impacts in Paris:

Critic analysis ―grands projets parisiens‖ after 1980: BNF F. Mitterrand

-Presentation: other flagship urban projects

(for further comparison and test of general hypothesis)

PLAN OF THE PAPER:

-Definition of the flagship urban projects, hypothesis and methodology for an critic

analysis

-‖Grands Projets‖ in Paris (1980 – 2008)

-Case of the BNF F. Mitterrand

-Other flagship projects: in Spain and in Portugal

-Conclusions

DEFINITION OF FLAGSHIP URBAN PROJECT

-Piece or group of urban pieces (and their specific process of theoretical

conception)

-Symbolic of monumentality

-Attractive image

-Strategy of urban and territorial marketing

-Symbol and catalytic role of a process of urban regeneration: Flagship projects are property developments in prestigious and significant sols.

This projects play a catalytic role of a urban regeneration process and the

transformation of the image of a city.

-Different scales: from building to urban project

-Different terms: ―Projets Phares‖ or ―Projets Emblématiques‖, « Grands Projets »,

« Grands Travaux », Mega Projects.

Also: Iconic Buildings

INITIAL HYPOTHESIS

•The flagship urban projects produce a morphological and image transformation of the

place. They promote processes of gentrification and urban regeneration.

•The main objective indicated by politicians was the offer of a high level cultural service and

public spaces of high quality. However, the origin of this projects competitiveness between

cities who belong to a urban network of a same hierarchical level. The prime objective was

the attraction or production of capital.

•Their localisation was either in a symbolic central place of the city or in a socio-economic

depressed central area with an unattractive image.

•They constitute veritable landmarks and nodes of accumulation of tertiary and quaternary

sector activities. These projects improve the accessibility of the environmental space of

their sites.

•The flagship projects have a high social cost because of a social substitution of the

habitants of the neighbourhood. However they don’t constitute a veritable solution to social

problems. They lead a population transfer to other areas. Their construction and

maintenance costs are also large.

METHODOLOGY (I)

Comparability of selected flagship urban projects

Aspects for critical analysis

SCALE

ASPECTMacro-scale (city and

interurban)

Meso-scale

(Neighbourhood / zone)

Micro-scale (Project

and person)

Morphology

Physic transformation of a

decline urban sector or a

generation ex-novo of a

urban zone

Renovation, rehabilitation or

construction ex-novoDesign

ImageContribution to global

image of a cityImage of a neighbourhood Perception of users

SocialAttract tourists and the

transnational class

Process of social

transformation (substitution)

Users of a place and social

practices

Economic

Attract capital

Competition between

cities who belong to a

same hierarchy level of a

urban network

New installation of economic

activities

Cultural Activity of the

master piece of the

flagship urban project

TABLE: ASPECTS TO ANALYZE IN THIS RESEARCH IN FONCTION OF DIFFERENT SCALES AND APPROCHES

METHODOLOGY (II)

-Diachronic analysis of the physical transformation through cartography, photography and

bibliographic references

-Interviews to different users

-Analysis of different spaces of representation and representation of spaces: documents like

videos, photography, texts or touristic maps, and also graffitis, manifestations or singular

events.

-Exploratory data analyse of:

.Tourists and quotidian users of the BNF

.Population statistics and property characteristics of sols with residential function in

the Tolbiac’s sector of the ZAC Rive Gauche

-Participant observation in the flagship project and in their neighbourhood

Les Grands Travaux

Années où ils

apparaissent cités

(à partir de 1980)

Institut du Monde Arabe 1981, 1987

Musée d’Orsay 1982

Grande Arche de la

Défense1983, 1989

Opéra Bastille 1983, 1989

Grand Louvre et Pyramide 1983, 1989, 1990

Palais Omnisport de Bercy 1984

(Zénith, Grande Halle,

Géode Cité des Sciences

et de l’Industrie, Cité de et

de la danse)

1984, 1985, 1986, 1990

Forum des Halles 1985

Eurodisneyland (Marne-la-

Vallée)1985

Pavillon de l’Arsenal 1988

Ministère des Finances à

Bercy1989

Bibliothèque Nationale de

France

François Mitterrand

1992, 1995

Stade de France 1993, 1998

Cathédrale d’Evry 1995

Grands Travaux à Paris selon Fourcault,et al. (2007)

« GRANDS PROJETS » IN PARIS: 1980-2007

« GRANDS PROJETS » IN PARIS: 1980-2007

These projects was considered from the speciality bibliography. They was able to

have this characteristics:

-Monumentality

-Political power and capital concentration

-Origin of tendencies of urban processes

-‖Intra muros‖ Paris and ―banlieu‖ of proximity

Selection of some of this projects: Villette, Opéra de la Bastille, Stade de France et

BNF F. Mitterrand

Common aspects:

-Exaltation of the national identity

-Design and star architecture

-Emblematic building to generate an urban regeneration process

-High economic costs

-Interaction between project and place. Re-creation of the places

-Main objective: stimulation of the consumption and offer a high quality service

« BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE » – F. MITTERRAND .

ZAC RIVE GAUCHE

*Recent evolution of the district of the ―Rive Gauche‖

*Analysis of the actors’ discourses, of the spaces of representation and

representation of the space and morphological transformation.

- Public initiative, concretely of the Republican President: F. Mitterrand

- Urban Planning with a ―Zone d’Aménagement Concerté‖ ZAC.

- Physic transformation of the place through a cover of train tracks. Mixed

utilisation of the sol. Historical building remains (i.e. Les Frigos et les

Grands Moulins).

-Contradiction between the discourses of the actors: political, technical

and public.

*Social and economic transformation (statistical data)

-Attraction of tourists (BNF) and transnational enterprises

-Number of library’s users is stabilized (300 people/day )

-Cultural activities less important than economic activities

-Neighbourhood with a low degree of vitality: contrast between day and

night

30/01/2010 23/02/2008

Photo. Three of four “open books” (Towers of the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand). Au premier plan de l’image nous pouvons voir les travaux du projet de la Rive Gauche dans le faisceau des voies ferrées.05/2008 30/01/2010

“BNF F. MITTERRAND”– (ZAC Rive Gauche). Paris

Architect: D. Perrault (1991-1995)

Publicity of the SEMAPA. Photo of the 06/04/2010

“BNF F. MITTERRAND”– (ZAC Rive Gauche). ParisArchitect: D. Perrault

(1991-1995)

Information Centre of the Rive Gauche (15/04/2008)

Semapa (30/04/2008)

TOLBIAC

(T1-T3) CARACTÉRISITIQUES

TYPE

LOGEMENT Nbr

Surface

(m2)

Surf/Log

(m2)

% Nbr

Secteur

Tolbiac

% Total

Nbr Rive

Gauche

Log. Sociaux 324 31303 96,6 38,9 23,8

Log. Libres 509 45683 89,8 61,1 37,4

Log.

Étudiants 0 — — — 0,0

TOTAL (sauf

étudiants) 833 76986 92,4 100,0 61,3

Background of the map: IGN 1981

SECTEUR TOLBIAC. ZAC Rive Gauche. Paris

Scaled model in the Informational Centre of the

―Rive Gauche‖ (15/04/2008)

SOME FLAGSHIP PROJECTS IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA:

IMITATION PROCESS FROM PROJETS IN GLOBAL CITIES (London, Paris,...) &

OTHER SUCCESSFUL CASES (Bilbao, Glasgow)

CHOICE OF CASES (European Cities: small and medium size)

-“Cidade da Cultura” (Santiago Compostela – Galicia, Spain)

Large dimensions of the project

Utilisation of the proposed services

Dialog or opposition to historical centre?

Localisation and accessibility

-“Casa da Musica” (Porto - Portugal)

Capacity of regeneration? – diminished (―degradado‖) area of Boavista

European City of Culture: 2001

-“Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciènces” (València – Spain)

Politic strategy of urban and territorial image change

Interaction with mega-events (F1, America’s Cup,...)

Economic viability and sustainability

(Para quien) For whose people?

31/07/2006 “Cidade da Cultura” from the roof of the Faculty of Geography and History (Historique Centre)

04/07/2005 “Cidade da Cultura” depuis Mte. Pedroso

Photo of Paisajes Españoles(in Martí Arís, 1995)

18/06/2009 “Cidade da Cultura”

“CIDADE DA CULTURA”. Santiago de Compostela(Galicia – Spain)

Architect:

P. Eisenmann

(1999-…)

13/10/2006 Casa da Musica (Porto)

21/03/2010 Casa da Musica (Porto)

21/03/2010 Casa da Musica (Porto)

(Rio Fernandes, 2000)

“CASA DA MUSICA”. Porto (Portugal)

Architect: R. Koolhaas (1999-2005)

12/11/2007 València et la “Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciènces”Source: google earth

“CIUTAT DE LES ARTS I DE LES CIÈNCES”. València (Comunitat Valencià, Spain)

28/04/2006 “Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciènces” (València). Photos d’élaboration personnelle.

Architect: S. Calatrava (1989-2005…)

CONCLUSIONS

FLAGSHIP URBAN PROJECTS (general)

Urban marketing and inter-urban competitiveness

GRANDS PROJETS PARIS

Landmarks and a identification element for neighbourhood of Tolbiac and Paris

Localisations: central and symbolic places and urban wastelands

Main objective: attraction capital (tourist and enterprises of quaternary sector)

Improvement of the urban image

Improvement of the accessibility (i.e. metro 14)

Node of accumulation and attraction of capital

BNF F. MITTERRAND

Landmark of the neighbourhood

Physic Transformation of this area of Tolbiac

Contradiction between the discourses of the different actors

Functional and diurnal gentrification

Neither fear nor vitality of this area

PROJECTS IN SPAIN AND IN PORTUGAL

Public strategy: symbols of modernisation

Imitation: Grands Projets of F. Mitterrand and Bilbao’s Guggenheim

Common characteristics: ―cultural‖ and controversial projects

Necessity of a further analysis of economic and social transformations (meso and macro-

scales) to obtain a global assessment of the territorial impacts of the flagship projects

BIBLIOGRAPHY (selection)

Benjamin, W. 2003. Paris, capitale du XIXe siècle: exposé. Paris: Editions Allia.

Bianchini, F., J. Dawson, y R. Evans. 1992. in ―Flagship projects in urban regeneration.‖ Rebuilding the City: Property Led Urban Regeneration. London:

FN Spon.

Bianchini, F., et Parkinson, M. 1994. Cultural policy and urban regeneration: the West European experience. Manchester Univ Pr.

Debord, G. 1996. La Société du spectacle. Paris: Gallimard.

Evans, G. 2005. ―Measure for measure: Evaluating the evidence of culture's contribution to regeneration.‖ Urban Studies 42:959-983.

Evans, G. 2003. ―Hard-branding the cultural city – from Prado to Prada.‖ International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 27:417-440.

Fainstein, S. S. 2008. ―Mega-projects in New York, London and Amsterdam.‖ International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 32:768-785.

Harvey, D. 1997. ―Acumulación flexible, prácticas espaciais e clases sociais.‖ in As redes urbanas. Unha nova xeografía das cidades. Santiago de

Compostela: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela.

Harvey, D. 1989. ―From managerialism to entrepreneurialism: the transformation in urban governance in late capitalism.‖ Geografiska Annaler. Series B.

Human Geography 71:3–17.

Harvey, D. 2008. Géographie del la domination. Paris: Les Prairies Ordinaires.

Lefebvre, H. 2000. La production de l'espace. 4º ed. Paris: Anthropos.

Lynch, K. 1985. La imagen de la ciudad. 2º ed. México: Ed. G.Gili.

Paddison, R. et Miles, S. 2009. Culture-led Urban Regeneration. London: Routledge.

Paddison, R. 1993. ―City Marketing, Image Reconstruction and Urban Regeneration.‖ Urban Studies 30:339.

Reason, M. et García, B. 2007. ―Approaches to the newspaper archive: content analysis and press coverage of Glasgow's Year of Culture.‖ Media Culture

Society 29:304-331.

Rosemberg, M. 2000. Le marketing urbain en question : production d'espace et de discours dans quatre projets de villes. Paris: Anthropos.

Smyth, H. 1994. Marketing the city. London: Taylor & Francis.

Zukin, S. 1998. ―Urban Lifestyles: Diversity and Standardisation in Spaces of Consumption.‖ Urban Studies 35:825-839.