Day 10 --- 8/12/10

Last day of class. We are set to discuss adaptive reuse, redevelopment, transportation, architecture and facilities management.

One article contends that the surface transportation system for the future must address the economic and demographic changes that have taken place over the past 50 years, and deal effectively with the changes expected for the next 50 years. The article highlights the impact of population growth on transportation systems. According to the article:

- as of June 2005, there were 12 “mega-metropolitan” areas of 5 million in population and above. These include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Miami, Houston, and Atlanta.

- there are also 53 metropolitan areas of one million and above. According to a 2004 study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, between 2000 and 2050 more than 70 percent of the nation’s population growth and 80 percent of its economic growth are expected to take place in metropolitan areas.

Such a dramatic growth in population is bound to bring about a heavy reliance in the existing infrastructure and the need for upgrading and expanding the transportation infrastructure.

Another article on redevelopment trends indicates a continuing shift in development toward urban neighborhoods in the United States, despite a slow real estate market.This trend shows that redevelopment continues in many urban neighborhoods. Taking advantage of opportunities to reuse land and to redevelop underused sites is a key smart growth strategy. It helps communities protect natural lands from being developed, strengthens the local economy, and puts new homes, stores, and jobs within easy reach of surrounding neighborhoods.

Some of the other topics discussed include the shift towards rail e.g the San Francisco high speed rail system and the Texas rail initiatives.

There was also a frequent reference to sustainability and its close relation with redevelopment and adaptive reuse. While sustainability is closely tied to adaptive reuse, such redevelopment activities can also be almost entirely devoid of sustainability.