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Agents of Transformation and the "Death" of Urbanism Preeminence of the Decorated Shed Staging Uncertainty |
[3L5] THE NEW FRINGE.
What, then, is the future for the Japanese
industrial archipelago? It certainly does not involve dinergic growth. Planners and
bureaucrats are intent on carrying out Western-style plans, with well-organized
collections of object-buildings separated by wide boulevards and grassy lawns. While these
plans offer much-needed breathing room and logical patterns of arrangement, they are
inappropriate in this context. Not only do they eliminate the possibility for close
physical connectivity that is fundamental to the successful operation of the Japanese
economy, but they lack the richness and diversity of the existing city which is so crucial
to the welfare of Japanese society, much more so than it would be to that of Western
society. Moreover, the blind emulation of another culture’s urban patterns is a
foolhardy strategy, especially with the high value of scarce land.
Kelly suggests that "Diversity favors remote borders, the outskirts, hidden corners, moments of chaos, and isolated clusters. In economic, ecological, evolutionary, and institutional models, a healthy fringe speeds adaptation, increases resilience, and is almost always the source of innovations."125 This fringe is Japan’s industrial archipelago. For those willing to innovate rather than emulate, it presents an incredible opportunity for new urban development.
125Kelly, Kevin, Out of Control (Addison Wesley, 1994) p. 469-470 Images: 1. Nagoya Port Aerial, 2. Aerial of Kinjo Pier prior to development, 3. Container terminal, Kinjo Pier |
To the Japanese
planners’ credit, much of I have been calling a Western urban pattern has been
implemented due to functional concerns. In the post-industrial megalopolis, the new
‘enterprise zone’ – with its familiar industrial park image – has
proliferated around the world, and can be seen on the outskirts of every major city. The
logic of quantity now governs the scale and complexity of transportation systems,
distribution patterns, and buildings. While I am skeptical of the utilization of the Ville
Radieuse model for this territory, I am also not advocating the continuation of
traditional Japanese urban patterns. There must be something new, which speaks to
technological end economic imperatives yet maintains the essential spirit of connectivity
and diversity.
A Master's Thesis in Architecture at Rice University by Blaine Brownell. Copyright © 1998 by Blaine Brownell. All rights reserved. |
