Document Type
Thesis Prep
Degree
B. ARCH
Date
Fall 2018
Keywords
neo-industrial, America, Mississippi River, St. Louis, cannabis industry, revitalization of post-industrial sites
Language
English
Disciplines
Architecture
Description/Abstract
Globalization moved manufacturing in America overseas, leaving the middle of the country with forgotten industrial zones. As a result, the edges of the country, with greater access to international markets, have flourished, creating a distinct divide between the middle and the edge. Moving out of the post-industrial era into the current age of the neo-industrial, revitalization of the middle can occur by reintroducing industry utilizing previous skill sets needed for agriculture and manufacturing. We are arguing that the center of the United States can be made relevant again through the programmatic revitalization of post-industrial sites. The Mississippi River is historically one of America’s biggest connective systems, spanning the entire height of the country from Mexico to Canada. Post-industrial era cities along the Mississippi River, such as Minneapolis, St. Louis, and New Orleans, have suffered from economic decline, unemployment spikes, population decreases, and a lack of production that continues today. By introducing a new industrial program, the middle of the country can be revitalized. Cannabis, both hemp and marijuana, is a growing industry that primarily exists on the edges of the country; stimulating economies, creating tax revenue, and decreasing unemployment. St. Louis, located in the middle of the river system, has high potential for revitalization, both on a local scale, due to high levels of layoffs and relocation of industrial headquarters, as well as on the larger scale of the territory. The intervention that we are creating in St. Louis is representative of what could occur along the whole river. Our proposed intervention of the cannabis industry will create a large scale impact, not only through agriculture but also through branching into retail, food services, and medical research. Because cannabis can bolster many subsequent industries, we are proposing a multifaceted complex that can be inserted into the existing urban fabric. The site along the Mississippi will act as an urban hub that connects to the suburban and rural sites.
Recommended Citation
Domine, Juliet and Paulk, Virginia, "Finding a New Center: A study of Neo-Industrial America" (2018). Architecture Thesis Prep. 371.
https://surface.syr.edu/architecture_tpreps/371
Source
Local Input
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Additional Information
Thesis Prep Advisors:
Lawrence Davis