Urban conservation and regeneration in the 21st century: an assessment of the historic centres of Quito, Ibarra, Loja and Cuenca, Ecuador / Caroline S. Cheong.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Cheong, Caroline S., author.

Contributor:

Mason, Randall F., degree supervisor, degree committee member.

Birch, Eugenie L., degree committee member.

Wolf-Powers, Laura, degree committee member.

University of Pennsylvania. Department of City and Regional Planning, degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Penn dissertations--City and regional planning.

City and regional planning--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--City and regional planning.

City and regional planning--Penn dissertations.

Physical Description:

2 volumes (xiv, 424 leaves) : illustrations ; 29 cm

Production:

[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] : University of Pennsylvania, 2016.

Summary:

In historic cities around the world, the historic urban landscape is characterized by both rich heritage assets and conditions that challenge quality of life. The latter circumstances range from substandard living conditions, congestion, lack of public services and informality, to rising property values and commercialization. In light of this duality, historic centers present unique conditions and demands for urban regeneration. These opportunities and challenges are particularly acute in Global South countries whose governments have limited funds and resources. Meanwhile, recent global conversations have emphasized culture's enduring contributions to creating and managing equitable, sustainable cities. There is nonetheless limited academic research investigating how this connection between urban conservation and regeneration functions. This study fills that gap and contributes to ongoing dialogues regarding sustainable urban development by identifying the conditions that foster both synergy and disharmony between these urban management approaches. It does so via the following questions: Can governments in the Global South leverage urban conservation as a means of regenerating physically and socioeconomically deteriorated historic cities? What approaches are more effective and conditions more favorable than others in serving twin goals of conservation and urban regeneration for existing residents? Through a qualitative analysis of planning documents, interviews, archival documents, census data and other sources, this study assesses current practices in Quito, Loja, Ibarra and Cuenca, Ecuador. Analysis focuses on the institutional arrangements that shape the past and present socioeconomic and spatial configurations of these historic centers, paying close attention to how heritage is configured and applied in urban governance. Results from these four cities are assessed against a model of conservation-based regeneration, defined as a process that integrates conservation and social policy such that improvements to the historic built environment can benefit local, usually low-income, communities. The research finds that a city's ability to initiate and maintain a conservation-based regeneration process depends on local government's institutional capacity to 1) integrate and implement both conservation and social policies consistently; 2) maintain a conservation ideology flexible enough to combine these values; and 3) a national political environment that enables and supports local conservation management.

Notes:

Ph. D. University of Pennsylvania 2016.

Department: City and regional planning.

Supervisor: Randall F. Mason.

Includes bibliographical references.

OCLC:

982432127