From red light to green living

Pittsburgh is currently in the spotlight for hosting the G20 summit, and the changes it has undergone in the past years are finally getting some visibility. The steel city has abandoned its industrial past and embraced a diversified economy. But what drew my attention was a mention about its urban redevelopment in The Economist.

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is, according to the article, the world’s first and largest LEED-certified convention centre. It is located in an area that used to be filled with sex shops, adult theatres and prostitutes. The centre is part of the Pittsburgh Cultural District, a redevelopment effort that seeks to transform this so-called redlight district into a cultural hub. The district also includes several theatres and cultural centres as well as the High School for Creative and Performing Arts.

Pittsburgh's Agnes R. Katz Plaza. Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

“The Cultural District today attracts over 2,000,000 visitors annually generating an estimated economic impact of $303 million,” boasts its website.

Pittsburgh is not the only city having gone through the effort of getting rid of its embarrassing debauchery-oriented areas. Amsterdam’s legendary red-light district is opening its prostitute booths to local designers. Montreal, where I currently live, has recently tackled on the e of its own “Red Light.” Located at a major intersection close to downtown, the area will be home to green buildings and cultural organizations.

Montreal's historical Café Cléopâtre. Flickr user thehoneybunny, held under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

The case of Montreal is quite sensitive, though. The city is known for its low criminality rate, and even the Red Light was never a place to avoid (at least not since I’ve been here.) Local cabarets are a fixture of Montreal’s nightlife and sometime host events geared to a regular, although open-minded, public. What’s more, some historical buildings are now threatened by the redevelopment project, which causes the ire of some local residents and heritage activists. Although the changes will undoubtedly positive, many don’t want the Red Light to entirely disappear.

It is interesting to see how these cities are going through the same transformations, which reflect an overall shift in priorities as far as urbanism is concerned. I’m especially curious to see how city governments will help and follow the green and cultural movements.