Reinventing the American Post-Industrial City
A special issue of Journal of Urban History (JUH)

Guest co-editors:
Dr. Pamela Karimi & Dr. Thomas Stubblefield
Department of Art History, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Now recognized through such terms as the “Rust Belt” or the “Gateway
City,” the urban centers of the Midwest and Northeast were powerhouses
in the US economy from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth
century. However, beginning in the early 1980s these cities struggled
to adapt to a host of challenges that included outsourcing decreases
in local tax revenue and high unemployment. These developments, which
were intimately tied to the removal of industrialized modes of
production and the shift in foreign trade policy, eventually led to
depopulation and abandonment (a phenomenon that is best captured in
Michael Moore’s 1989 documentary Roger and Me, regarding the city of
Flint, Michigan).

Many of these industrial cities are known for their unique
architectural legacy from the economic boom eras of the past two
centuries. But the last three decades have seen such treasures sit
unused, waiting for economic revival. Abandoned homes, vacant lots,
empty streets, unused factories, and dilapidated mills have
characterized these cities for some time now. In recent years, this
image has gradually started to shift. While many of these cities are
still struggling, some have been successful in microscale economic
revival, especially as it relates to preserving, repurposing, and
reinventing vacant spaces. Of course it is debatable whether or not
these microscale economic forces will lead to robust and long-term
success. But these developments are certainly helpful in the near term
and they may even be the nuclei of larger economic improvements in a
steady state. In Reimagining Detroit: Opportunities for Redefining an
American City (2010), John Gallagher describes how organizations such
as Earthworks Urban Farm and other small-scale community-run projects
have contributed to the revival of Detroit. Likewise, as a
once-thriving industrial center which has struggled to regain its
position in the twentieth-century economy, the post-industrial urban
centers of Massachusetts, or what the independent think tank MassINC
has termed Gateway Cities, offer inexpensive commercial real estate,
an eager workforce, and an existing infrastructure with a unique
potential for growth. As Richard Florida—author of The Rise of the
Creative Class (2002)— has pointed out, a primary conduit for
realizing this potential is the creative class. In a recent study by
the US Census Bureau, the Gateway City of New Bedford in the south
coast region of Massachusetts was ranked the seventh “Most Artistic
City in the Nation” due to its high concentration of artists and
galleries.

This special volume of Journal of Urban History hopes to bring
together prominent scholars to chronicle the recent history of the
American post-industrial city and to offer solutions for its sustained
growth and expansion. In particular, we aim to focus on the recent
past, present, and future of landmarks and architectural heritage of
these cities, illuminating the importance of the history and continued
survival of these built environments.

Possible topics for this special issue of JUH include:

1. Architectural and urban planning solutions for conservation and
sustainable growth of the American post-industrial city.
2. Redesigning and repurposing of old factories and manufacturing
zones for the post-industrial era.
3. The role of individuals, local communities, and the creative class
in (informal) reuse of vacant buildings and public urban spaces.
4. Effective organizational approaches to maintaining and reclaiming
abandoned properties.
5. Opportunities for urban agriculture, forestry, and wildlife
habitats.
6. Scholarly approaches to recent artistic activities, such as public
artistic practices and creative performances that energize lifeless
urban zones.
7. The role of documentary filmmakers and photographers in bringing
awareness of the importance of the architectural legacy of these
cities.
8. Lessons from successful redevelopment plans in post-industrial
cities elsewhere in the word (particularly Canada and Europe).

Please send abstracts of 300 words to both Pamela Karimi
Pamela.karimiumassd.edu and Thomas Stubblefield
tstubblefieldumassd.edu by May 01, 2013. If accepted, full articles
must be submitted by August 01, 2013. The volume will include up to a
total of eleven articles and all are subject to the standard of the
Journal’s peer-review process. The special issue will be published in
late 2014.

Journal of Urban History (JUH) is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed
publication. Since 1974 it has presented original research by eminent
scholars from various fields whose works address urban issues. For
more information about the journal, see: http://juh.sagepub.com/.