Diversity of new uses in post-industrial landscapes: diverging ideals and outcomes in the post-industrial landscapes of Lowell, Massachusetts and Norrköping, Sweden

Abstract

This paper presents an inventory and an analytical model regarding the diversity of current uses found in the post-industrial landscapes of the former textile cities of Lowell, Massachusetts and Norrköping, Sweden. The model relates the diversity of current uses found in these regenerated, post-industrial landscapes to the priorities emphasized in their redevelopment process, which is relevant because opposing ideals such as regeneration and diversity may collide with those of preservation and conservation. Empirical data gathered primarily by observations and theories relating to the importance of diversity/multi-functionality in urban settings form the basis of the paper’s analysis.

Notes

1. In both cities, and particularly in Norrköping, there exist many instances where a single building has more than one type of use and these buildings are thus classified according to each of these types of use.

2. In terms of context, Lowell’s close proximity and transit connections to Boston gave it a significant potential to essentially develop into bedroom community for the larger city, which has helped contribute to the proliferation of housing found there. In contrast to Lowell’s relationship to Boston, Norrköping does not lie within greater Stockholm’s current, typical commuting range, so the pressure to develop a bedroom community for city commuters was never a practical notion.