A Study on the Methodology for Enclaving a Characteristic District
as Downtown Redevelopment Strategy:
Analysis of Regeneration Process on Downtown Fringe Area in Midwestern Cities

地区を顕在化する都市再生手法の研究
米国中西部ダウンタウン・フリンジの再生戦略を中心に

By

ARATA ENDO
Master of Engineering in City Planning, 1997
University of Tokyo, Japan
Bachelor in Urban Engineering, 1995
University of Tokyo, Japan

A dissertation submitted to the Department of Urban Engineeringin partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
at the University of Tokyo, JapanMay 2004/05/08
Signature of author

Certified byProfessor NISHIMURA Yukio
Department of Urban Engineering

Abstract
Against the critical decline and de-centralization, the U.S. downtown started a physical improvement such as
infrastructure construction and large-scale scrap-and-build redevelopment in 1940s. Through the trial and error of a few
decades, the downtown-development-approach changed multiply, which include urban design, community development,
historic preservation, tourism development, and so on. At the result, most of downtown, which had lost its special character,got some new “characteristic district” like SoHo district, Theater district, Battery Park City district in New York. So thisresearch focuses on such phenomenon in the downtown of the U.S. large cities and summarizes it with the concept of“enclavification of an characteristic district”. The purpose of this study is to investigate the actual conditions of characteristic
district and reveal the methodology of “enclavification of an characteristic district” in the U.S. large cities from the aspect ofplanning, implementation structure and professional technique. In addition, it aims at acquiring the helpful knowledge about
the technique for downtown improvement in Japanese declined cities. In this study, a characteristic district is defined as
the area which has re-accumulated new urban activities such as business, living, shopping e.t.c, and has spatial andfunctional difference from its surrounding area. In the context of Japanese urban redevelopment/improvement, this research
has the following three meanings. First, it is supposed to bring an alternative vision of improving the existing urban area inJapan to explain the physical order of regenerated downtown. Second, it is supposed to contribute toward developing themethodology of improving the existing urban area in Japan. Third, therefore the analysis of its implementation process
supposed to be helpful for the practice by town management/improvement/redevelopment organization in Japan.
The paper consists of seven chapters besides the prologue that shows the framework of research.
The Chapter 1 is summarizing the trend of the downtown development in U.S. large cities after 1940s. In theargument, it became clear that the “downtown core area” and “downtown fringe area” has each common development
issues. Concerning the downtown core area, one is the “regeneration of corporate center” such as building a skyscraper and
MXD with public space, and the other is the “pedestrian realm improvement for commercial revitalization” such as
developing a shopping mall, pedestrian/transit mall and secondary pedestrian way system like skyway. About the“downtown fringe area”, one is the improvement of “old fabric” such as a low-income housing and empty warehouse, andthe other is the redevelopment of “lost space” such as a former railroad yard, abandoned waterfront, surface parking lot andso forth. Moreover, it argued the critical development issues are those of downtown fringe area because fringe area wereplanned to accept several new functions which supposed to complement the office and retail activities, in other words, thedowntown core area. From the above analysis, a “Traditional Shopping District model”, “Historic Entertainment Districtmodel”, “Historic Loft District model”, “Entertainment Development District model” and “New Residential Development
District model” are extracted as a common land use in downtown fringe area.
The Chapter 2 is taking up the Midwestern 6 cities (St. Paul, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Pittsburghand Kansas City), each of which have the long history and have the similar issues about the conquest of a serious decline ofdowntown. Through the detailed investigation about the development/renovation project in each downtown, twenty five“enclaved characteristic district” were extracted by using six land-use-models which were mentioned in Chapter 1, and then,the physical relationship and the structure of those enclaved characteristic district was examined. The result shows thefollowing four points. First, there is basic space structure in each land-use-models. Second, each enclaved characteristic
district is emerging by putting six land-use-models together and there are four prototypes such as the “single type”, the“expansion type”, the “overlap type” and the “connection type”. Third, each enclaved characteristic district has repaired theurban form in downtown, and a new development has surrounded such repaired realm with harmonized design. Fourth, thepedestrian network in downtown is secured because most of enclaved characteristic district are mutually connected by parkand open space.
The above two chapters have shown the meaning of “enclavification of a characteristic district” as the planningand redevelopment theory of downtown.
The Chapter 3 is taking up the same 6 downtowns, and analyzes the plan and its implementation process forenclaving a characteristic district from the aspect of a strategy and organization. They are compared mutually and thenclarified their typical implementation structure. The result shows the following three points. First, the major triggers ofbuilding the land-use-model are the downtown development strategy by local government and the spontaneous area
preservation activities by business owners and property owners there. Second, the major integration factor of land-use
model, that is to say the factors of enclaving a characteristic district, is the design correspondence of eachdevelopment/improvement project. Third, there are four typical structures of enclaving the characteristic district such as “thegovernment-initiative model”, “the property-owner-initiative model”, “the government and property owner partnershipmodel” and “the catalyst-organization-initiative model”.
As a consequence of Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, typical model of enclaving characteristic district andits typical components are revealed as the downtown redevelopment strategy.
In the continuing Chapter 4, Chapter 5 and Chapter 6, based on some specific example, the practical techniqueof enclaving a characteristic district are argued.
The Chapter 4 is taking up the “Euclid-Gateway District” in downtown Cleveland (OH) for arguing thepractical technique of promoting and guiding an improvement project. From the argument, it becomes clear that urban
design practice on Gateway development and development assistance for private project by the Historic Gateway
Neighborhood Corporation (HGNC) for making a connection with existing Euclid Avenue area has resulted theenclavification of “sports district”. Moreover, it becomes clear that the HGNC has the systematic approach for assisting theprivate development project such as the linkage of the historic preservation design and fundraising that include the concept
design and feasibility study at the planning phase. From those results, it was revealed the 10 techniques that lead continuousand incremental improvement project.
The Chapter 5 is taking up the “Lowertown District” in downtown St. Paul (MN) for arguing the practicaltechnique of implementing the project, particularly in the technique of design assistance. In addition, the contribution of theLowertown Redevelopment Corporation (LRC) as the private development corporation for enclaving a characteristic
district is clearly evaluated. From the argument, it becomes clear that the enclavification of "urban village district" is resulted
from the rehabilitation of old warehouse and the in-fill new development such as large-scale MXD, north-quadrant housing,e.t.c., which were projected and assisted by the LRC, as well as the emerging of the artists' community and small business
community (cyber village) which were developed and encouraged by the LRC and other public-private organization.
Moreover, from the detailed analysis on the LRC’s professional assistance through the 25 years development process, itbecomes clear that there were two basic “power structures” of LRC for implementing a project. The first is the districtbased-partnership that can use the LRC’s professional ability as the development corporation based on the political power,
community power and loan-contract power. The second is the project-based-partnership that can use the LRC's professional
ability which build up a specific project based on the concept of the district, and in addition, the ability which show thealternative design plan that realize the cost reduction and that matches the urban design context. From those results, it wasrevealed the 8 techniques that lead continuous and incremental improvement project.
The Chapter 6 is taking up the Third Ward District in downtown Milwaukee (WI) for arguing the practicaltechnique of implementing the project and design control. In addition, some groups of chain-reaction project in the district
are examined and evaluated as a catalytic development process for enclaving a characteristic district. From the argument, itbecomes clear that the public realm improvement project by the Business Improvement District #2 (BID#2) and private
loft-rehabilitaion which happened around the BID#2 project as chain-reaction has resulted the enclavification of “historic
loft living district”. Moreover, it becomes clear that the Historic Third Ward Association (HTWA) lead the enclavification ofcharacteristic district by establishing the two following functions in the HTWA itself. One is the public realm improvement
function by the BID #2 which is financed by TIF district of municipal government. The other is the private realm design
control function by the Architectural Review Board (ARB). In addition, in order to promote the private improvement
project in the district, HTWA has continued marketing activities so as to increase the added value of the name of “thirdward”. From those results, it was revealed the 6 techniques that lead continuous and incremental improvement project.
In the final chapter, the following six points are stated as a technique which downtown development
organization should implement for enclaving a characteristic district continuously. The first is the promotion of a project by aholistic resolution and proactive assistance. The second is the continuous fundraising linked to the usage of building stocks
in the district. The third is the guidance of the private project by showing its efficient planning and design process. Thefourth is to build a correlation of whole projects in the district as a project commissioner. The fifth is the separation of thebusiness risk and the management risk of the organization because of the continuous management of organization. The sixth
is to bring out the government authority that is putting its position to the due process of design control.
In conclusion, from what has been discussed above, I would like to state the following three points for the local
development organization’s technique of existing area improvement in Japan. The first is the careful planning and design
approach such as paying attention to the fringe area of downtown, explaining a special character and function of there,
making a classification, and then make an urban design to encourage urban context so as to enclavify a characteristic district.
The second is to build a district-based-partnership with government, property owners and the private local development
organization for the purpose of planning and implementing a project continuously. The third is the planning implementation
approach such as envisioning the district, employing the professional staff in order to planning and promoting a project,showing a development incentive for attracting another private project, and make an outline to evaluate those local
development organization from the viewpoint of the long-term continuous activities in the focused district.

Districts inNew Downtown

BusinessCenter

FinancialDistrict

CBDOfficeDistrict

TouristAttraction

Hotel

Traditional
Shopping
District

Housing

Waterfront
Recreation

Downtown
CoreHigh-rise
Residential tower(N/A)

Government
District

Old Fabric

HWD*
Class B, C,
Small Office
Loft Office

Festival Market
Place

Historic
Entertainment
District
Theater
District

Lost
Space

Museum/Art/
Cultural District(N/A)

Entertainment
District

Loft Living
Historic
Warehouse
District

Downtown
FringeFreeway relocation

Ethnic Villages

New
Residential
District

Waterfront
ParkSports District

Figure: typical land-use-model in downtown development (Chap.1)

Figure: development and improvement in Mid-western cities’ downtown project after 1960s（Chap.2）

Figure: 25 enclaved characteristic districts in 6 Mid-western cities’ downtown（Chap.2）
The typical model of enclaving a characteristic district
support（authorize、subsidy, etc.）

Property
Owner

Property
Owner

Private development

Government(Agency)

PPPProject
District
designation

Make a plan

Private development

Enclaved
Characteristic
District

Government(Agency)

Guiding a project

Established with the downtown development strategy

chain
reaction

Attractor
PPP
Develpmnt
Make a planestablish

Property
Owner

Development
Promotion
Private developmentEnclaved
Characteristic
District

Make a plan（2）Property Owner Initiative Modelestablish

Government(Agency)

improvement

District Plan

（1）Government Initiative Modelleratedproject
District
designation

PrivateDistrictdevelopment
Strategy

Property
Owner

Development
Promotion

Enclaved
Development
development
Characteristic
Organization
District（Prvt.
sector）
Districtpublicdesignation

Guiding a project

establish

Development
Organization

Private development

Government(Agency)（Prvt. sector）

PPP
District
designation（3）Government-Property Owner Partnership Model

Development
Promotion

Enclaved
Characteristic
District

Development
Organization（Prvt. sector）

Guiding a project

Guiding a project

Districtdevelopment
Strategy

certification ofestablishment

supportDistrict Plan

Make a plan

Development Promotion（PPP）（4）Catalyst Organization Initiative Model

Figure: the typical model of enclaving a characteristic district（Chap.3）

Table: professional technique for enclavification of characteristic district (final chapter)

Topic
TechniqueTo build a project
bylocaldevelopment
organization
forenclaving a To implement a projectcharacteristic
district

To attract a projectTo guide a project

Tomanageorganization
Techniquebylocalgovernment
forenclaving acharacteristic
districtanTo implement a publicprivate development

Detail- Guarantee the government finance within its focused district- Carry an informal project review on the pre-development phase- Promoting a project through the proactive involvement- Design coordination as non-government organization through the public private
partnership- BID manage an improvement project by attracting property owners (design,fundraising, easement, acquisition, etc.)- Combine a historic preservation and fundraising in a project- Design guidance by a counter plan which is suitable for the district’s designconcept and be able to reduce the project cost
- Develop the financing program which can be used for historic preservation- Improve a project by increasing a negotiation opportunity- Promotion of private project by streamlining a design review process- Make a voluntary design plan of feasibility study- Careful promotion about the neighborhood environment and careful marketing
against private developer- Building a long term partnership with one developer in the same district- Involving in a project with keeping holistic viewpoint- Manage a property relating an amenity of the district- Make it clear the responsibility and the risk of long term project- Build a organization on the base of structured finance- Separate a development project and the organization management- Public-Private development with public fundraising through the citizen
participation process- Public-Private development with urban design study for infilling in the urban
fabric- Transfer the authority which make it possible the design control both on publicand private realm.

To keep the activities of
local
development
organization
To continue the other - Urban design for shaping the district plan
project around a large- - Planning a project of pedestrian access improvement and preserve an urban
scaled development
fabric- Establish the organization which can promote and attract a private projectTo establish the local - Authorize the organization which has a function of making district plan,development
managing an incentive tools and reviewing its design for development project asorganization outside the an evolution of “redevelopment agency”
government