corktown, detroit - urban case study

UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY / SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTUREUNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY / SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

AR518: URBANISM AND URBAN ISSUESAR518: URBANISM AND URBAN ISSUES

DORIAN MOORE, INSTRUCTORDORIAN MOORE, INSTRUCTOR

B O BB O B

M O R E OM O R E O-- a n d a n d --

J E R E M YJ E R E M Y

G R I F F I SG R I F F I S

1 1 . 2 9 . 0 51 1 . 2 9 . 0 5

C O R K T O W N:C O R K T O W N:AN URBAN CASE STUDYAN URBAN CASE STUDY

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:H I S T O R Y O F D E V E L O P M E N TH I S T O R Y O F D E V E L O P M E N T

THIS SIMPLE ROW HOUSE, BELIEVED TO BE AMONG THE OLDEST THIS SIMPLE ROW HOUSE, BELIEVED TO BE AMONG THE OLDEST RESIDENCES REMAINING IN THE CITY, APPEARS ON THE HART MAP OF RESIDENCES REMAINING IN THE CITY, APPEARS ON THE HART MAP OF

DETROIT PUBLISHED IN 1853, AND MAY HAVE PREEXISTED THE DETROIT PUBLISHED IN 1853, AND MAY HAVE PREEXISTED THE RELOCATION IN 1849 OF THE NEIGHBORING MOST HOLY TRINITY RELOCATION IN 1849 OF THE NEIGHBORING MOST HOLY TRINITY

CHURCHCHURCH’’S FIRST FRAME STRUCTURE.S FIRST FRAME STRUCTURE.

WORKERS WORKERS R O W R O W H O U S E H O U S E c . 1 8 4 0c . 1 8 4 0

M O S T M O S T H O L Y H O L Y T R I N I T Y T R I N I T Y CATHOLIC CATHOLIC C H U R C H C H U R C H c . 1 8 5 5c . 1 8 5 5

DETROITDETROIT’’S OLDEST IRISHS OLDEST IRISH--CATHOLIC PARISH, CATHOLIC PARISH, FOUNDED IN 1834.FOUNDED IN 1834.

WESTERN WESTERN M A R K E T M A R K E T c . 1 8 7 5c . 1 8 7 5

“…“…THE AREA AROUND MICHIGAN AND TRUMBULL WAS CLEARED OF TREES THE AREA AROUND MICHIGAN AND TRUMBULL WAS CLEARED OF TREES AND PAVED WITH COBBLESTONES; FARMERS NOW HAD A LARGE MARKET AND PAVED WITH COBBLESTONES; FARMERS NOW HAD A LARGE MARKET

FROM WHICH TO SELL LUMBER AND HAY ON THE CITYFROM WHICH TO SELL LUMBER AND HAY ON THE CITY’’S WEST EDGE.S WEST EDGE.””

B E N N E T T B E N N E T T P A R K P A R K c . 1 8 9 6c . 1 8 9 6

F I G U R E F I G U R E G R O U N D G R O U N D S T U D Y S T U D Y c . 1 8 9 7c . 1 8 9 7

MICHIGAN MICHIGAN C E N T R A L C E N T R A L S T A T I O NS T A T I O N

c . 1 9 1 3c . 1 9 1 3

W A R R E NW A R R E N

& &

W E T T M O R EW E T T M O R E

-- a n da n d --

“…“…WOULD BE CLEARED AS WOULD BE CLEARED AS DOWNTOWN INEVITABLY EXPANDED DOWNTOWN INEVITABLY EXPANDED

WESTWARD.WESTWARD.

WHEN DETROITWHEN DETROIT’’S TROLLEY SYSTEM S TROLLEY SYSTEM DISBANDED IN 1956, TRAVELERS DISBANDED IN 1956, TRAVELERS

WERE LEFT WITH A TRAIN STATION WERE LEFT WITH A TRAIN STATION LACKING BOTH ADEQUATE PARKING LACKING BOTH ADEQUATE PARKING

AND A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FORM AND A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FORM OF TRANSIT TO GET THEM TO AND OF TRANSIT TO GET THEM TO AND

FROM THE STATION.FROM THE STATION.””

R E E DR E E D&&

S T E MS T E M

ARCHITECTSARCHITECTS

““THE STATION WAS THE STATION WAS SITED WEST OF SITED WEST OF

DOWNTOWN; THE DOWNTOWN; THE THEORY BEING THAT THEORY BEING THAT

THE RESIDENTIAL THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD

BETWEEN BETWEEN ––GENERALLY GENERALLY

REGARDED AS A REGARDED AS A SLUM SLUM …”…”

U R B A N U R B A N RENEWAL :RENEWAL :

WEST SIDE WEST SIDE INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIAL P A R KP A R K

19591959--19631963

““IN THE 1950s MANY LOCAL IN THE 1950s MANY LOCAL HOMEOWNERS FOUGHT A SPIRITED HOMEOWNERS FOUGHT A SPIRITED BATTLE AGAINST RELOCATIONBATTLE AGAINST RELOCATION……THE THE

WEST SIDE INDUSTRIAL PROJECT WEST SIDE INDUSTRIAL PROJECT EVENTUALLY CLEARED 167 ACRES.EVENTUALLY CLEARED 167 ACRES.””

““OF CORKTOWNOF CORKTOWN’’S 1,000 HOMES, S 1,000 HOMES, BULLDOZERS TOOK DOWN ABOUT 700 BULLDOZERS TOOK DOWN ABOUT 700 ––SOME FOR LAND THATSOME FOR LAND THAT’’S STILL VACANT.S STILL VACANT.””

L O D G EL O D G E

F R E E W A YF R E E W A Y

B U I L T :B U I L T :

1 9 5 31 9 5 3

-- throughthrough --

1 9 6 41 9 6 4

““DEMOGRAPHERS BELIEVE DEMOGRAPHERS BELIEVE DETROITDETROIT’’S POPULATION PEAKED S POPULATION PEAKED CLOSE TO 2 MILLION IN ABOUT CLOSE TO 2 MILLION IN ABOUT

1953 BEFORE IT BEGAN 1953 BEFORE IT BEGAN DROPPING.DROPPING.””

““NORTHLAND CENTER, THE LARGEST NORTHLAND CENTER, THE LARGEST REGIONAL MALL IN THE COUNTRY, REGIONAL MALL IN THE COUNTRY, OPENED IN 1954 OPENED IN 1954 –– WITH PARKING WITH PARKING

FOR 10,000 CARS.FOR 10,000 CARS.””

F I S H E RF I S H E R

F R E E W A YF R E E W A Y

B U I L T :B U I L T :

1 9 6 71 9 6 7

-- throughthrough --

1 9 7 01 9 7 0

CURRENT STATISTICAL DATA:CURRENT STATISTICAL DATA:D E M O G R A P H I C SD E M O G R A P H I C S

NEIGHBORH O O D P R O F I L E :

C E N S U S T R A C T S 5209,5214

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:I R I S H H E R I T A G EI R I S H H E R I T A G E

BY 1850 THE IRISH WERE THE REGIONBY 1850 THE IRISH WERE THE REGION’’S BIGGEST ETHNIC GROUP.S BIGGEST ETHNIC GROUP.

IN 1850, 1 IN 7 FOREIGN DETROITERS HAD BEEN BORN IN IRELAND.IN 1850, 1 IN 7 FOREIGN DETROITERS HAD BEEN BORN IN IRELAND.

THERE ARE STILL 630,000 METRO DETROITERS WITH SOME IRISH HERITAGTHERE ARE STILL 630,000 METRO DETROITERS WITH SOME IRISH HERITAGE.E.

THE DETROIT BRANCH OFTHE DETROIT BRANCH OF

THE GAELIC LEAGUE, THETHE GAELIC LEAGUE, THE

TERENCE MACSWINEY TERENCE MACSWINEY

BRANCH, WAS FORMED BRANCH, WAS FORMED

DECEMBER 9, 1920. IT DECEMBER 9, 1920. IT

WAS MODELED AFTER THEWAS MODELED AFTER THE

GAELIC LEAGUE OF GAELIC LEAGUE OF

IRELAND, FOUNDED BY IRELAND, FOUNDED BY

DOUGLAS HYDE IN 1893. DOUGLAS HYDE IN 1893.

B A S E B A L L B A S E B A L L A T T H E A T T H E C O R N E R :C O R N E R :

1 8 9 61 8 9 6

-- t o t o --

1 9 9 91 9 9 9

1896 1896 –– 1912: BENNETT PARK1912: BENNETT PARK

1912 1912 –– 1938: NAVIN FIELD1938: NAVIN FIELD

1938 1938 –– 1961: BRIGGS STADIUM1961: BRIGGS STADIUM

1961 1961 –– 1999: TIGER STADIUM1999: TIGER STADIUM

* ALSO HOME TO THE DETROIT LIONS * ALSO HOME TO THE DETROIT LIONS FROM 1938 FROM 1938 -- 19741974

ORGANIZEDORGANIZEDL A B O RL A B O R

GREATER DETROIT BUILDING AND GREATER DETROIT BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES (1937)CONSTRUCTION TRADES (1937)

INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS (1891)ELECTRICAL WORKERS (1891)

INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS (1903)TEAMSTERS (1903)

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS (1889)CARRIERS (1889)

THE GREATER CORKTOWN DEVELOPMENT THE GREATER CORKTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LISTS 10 BUSINESSES RELATED CORPORATION LISTS 10 BUSINESSES RELATED TO ORGANIZED LABOR WITHIN CORKTOWN.TO ORGANIZED LABOR WITHIN CORKTOWN.

L O C A L L O C A L E C O N O M YE C O N O M Y

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS:CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS:DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND ADJACENCIESDISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND ADJACENCIES

G E N E R A L G E N E R A L L A Y O U TL A Y O U T

U R B A N U R B A N D E S I G N D E S I G N A N A L Y S I SA N A L Y S I S

LAND USE LAND USE A N A L Y S I SA N A L Y S I S

BU I LD ING BU I LD ING T Y P E S : T Y P E S : S I N G L E S I N G L E F A M I L Y F A M I L Y HOUS INGHOUS ING

BU I LD ING BU I LD ING T Y P E S : T Y P E S : M U L T IM U L T I --F A M I L Y F A M I L Y HOUS INGHOUS ING

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