Adaptive Reuse

Adaptive Reuse at the Neighborhood Scale

At the neighborhood scale, adaptive reuse involves measures that extend from virtually cosmetic involvement in neighborhoods to wholesale gutting of selected portions of neighborhoods. The extent of involvement depends on the market demand for a neighborhood and the condition of the neighborhood's structures. Figure 1 illustrates the various types of involvements.

In the (− −) area (poor structure condition, low demand), involvement is primarily clearing the land of structures; streets may or may not be retained. In the (+ +) area (excellent structure condition, high demand), there is limited, if any, involvement. In the [Page 9](− +) area (poor structure condition, high demand), involvement is significant: significant private adaptive reuse of the neighborhood, individual properties, and the structures thereon. In the (+ −) area (good structure condition, low demand), there is significant public adaptive reuse of neighborhood properties and structures. In such cases, aggressive public involvement could contribute to the stabilization of these neighborhoods. Thus, the adaptive reuse of neighborhoods focuses on demand and structural condition. Significant private involvement (− +) (strengthening neighborhoods) and public involvement (+ −) (weakening neighborhoods) take place in neighborhoods undergoing changes in demand in order to channel or stimulate change. In those neighborhoods where a change in demand is not taking place (i.e., demand is already very strong or very weak), involvement is limited to either cosmetic change (in strong neighborhoods [+ +]) or significant clearance of most structures and retention of some select structures (in weak neighborhoods [− −]).

Figure 1 Structural Demand Versus Structural Condition, Adaptive Reuse Neighborhoods

Famous adaptive reuse examples at the neighborhood scale include the Pike Place Market (Seattle, WA), Yerba Buena Center (San Francisco, CA), Inner Harbor (Baltimore, MA), the Nicollet Mall (Minneapolis, MN), Battery Park City (New York, NY), the Distillery District (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), and Yaletown (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada).

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