A New Approach to Construction and Demolition Debris

http://www.norcalapa.org

Hello Everyone:

I was just checking the page view count today and we're at 9393 page views.  That's great, keep up the good work.  We can do 10,000 pages views by the start of April easily.  I'm confident that'll you'll come through.  So keep it up.  I'll keep writing and you keep reading.

Bay Area Green Business logo
greenwaste.com

Environmentally sustainable construction is one of the big subjects in the building trades and their allied fields.  One of the goals of doing more green construction is increasing the rate of landfill diversions.  One way to accomplish this goal is encouraging homeowners to renovate rather than tear down existing buildings.  Aside from making the occasional preservationist happy, it also reduces the need for more landfills.  In a February 2014 article for Northern News,  titled "Deconstructing and Salvaging The Past To Build a More Sustainable Future," Scott McKay discusses the city of Palo Alto, California's pilot construction and demolition program as way to increase the city's landfill diversion rate for non-inert construction and demolition generated by single-family residential work-i.e. remodels and new construction.  Mr. McKay reports that since the start of the program, three years ago, the number of building permit applications granted to homeowners who chose to deconstruct, rather than tear down existing homes has gone up.  The deconstruction program has also attracted nonprofit businesses that accept and resell salvaged materials.  A win-win situation.

Home under construction
cityofpaloalto.org

The City of Palo Alto has always been a desirable place to live with its high-quality public schools and well-paying jobs.  Like most San Francisco Bay Area cities, it is built out.  These two factors have combined to make Palo Alto one of the most expensive places to live. To give you an idea of how expensive it is, residential land can sell for as much as $400 per square foot in some places of the Silicon Valley city.  One the results, is that Palo Alto is seeing more buyers choosing to build new homes rather than renovate or build add-ons.

The demolition process in Palo Alto is as follows: the City's Development Services Department handles and issues all building and demolition permits.  A property owner is required to take out a separate demolition permit for each detached structure over 120 square feet.  Typical and previous practice for a whole house take down or detached garage has been for Palo Alto to review and approve plans for replacement buildings before issuing a demolition permit.  This was necessary to protect against potential blight that occurs in between the time a building is razed and a new one goes up.

Benatar Residence
cityofpaloalto.org

Under the new test program, owners typically apply for a demolition permit at the same time they apply for a new home building permit, thus streamlining the process which could take anywhere between three months or more to review and approve.  However, the demo permit could be issued in a short a time as ten to fourteen days.  Therefore, under the pilot deconstruction program, the time gap could be used to remove the existing home and prepare the site for new construction.

A typical single-family home demolition can take only a few days from start to finish, i

Reclaimed sinks
recycleworks.org

ncluding, removing the foundation and (re) grading the site so the property is ready for new construction.  The process to deconstruct a single-family usually takes a little longer, seven to ten days, depending on the size of the home and construction type.  Prior to the new program, the extra time it took to pull apart a home for renovation, as opposed to a complete tear down, was a roadblock to wider use.  Under the program, the longer debris removal, through deconstruction, is not a barrier.  The early issuance of the demolition permit, under the pilot program, is still being reviewed.  Aside from the faster start offered through deconstruction and the ecological benefits of salvaging and reusing building material, there are also substantial tax benefits for donating used building material to be gleaned from this program.  Depending on the property owner's financial status, the tax savings could be large enough to pay for the costs of deconstruction.  http://bit.lt/1mjXzDE

Salvaged lumber
apartmenttherapy.com

Scott McKay uses a sample project to illustrate the City of Palo Alto's deconstruction pilot program.  First, an applicant plans and applies for a building permit for a new single-family residence.  Concurrently, the applicant also requests a demolition permit for existing home.  The applicant also submits a copy of the signed deconstruction contract specifying a whole house deconstruction, as opposed to selective deconstruction. When standard conditions are met, i.e. utility disconnects, street tree protection fencing, issuance of Bay Area air Quality Management District clearance (J number), and so forth-usually within ten to fourteen days from the date of the application-a demolition permit can be issued and home deconstruction can commence.  Links for time-lapsed videos are at the end of the post.

Salvaged windows
apartmenttherapy.com

 Next, Mr. McKay takes the readers through a  typical deconstruction process.  Second, the property owner chooses a deconstruction contractor and signs the deconstruction contract. An appraiser is selected to prepare a pre-inventory of potential salvage material that can be donated.  Once the demo permit is in the hands of the property owner, deconstruction can begin and feasible material is salvaged and put on a pallet(s) for donation and reuse.  Salvaged material can include lumber, plywood, appliances, cabinets, plumbing and electrical fixtures, architectural details, roof tiles, pavers, door, windows, and sometimes landscape elements.  The type of material can vary widely depending on the age and type construction.  For example, in homes built before World War II, the buildings used old growth redwood or other trees which are either very expensive or no longer available.  This wood is coveted by builders and artisans and can be sold at a premium.  Once the process is complete, the materials are brought to a nonprofit salvage company.  The appraiser then does the final appraisal of the material, completing the appropriate tax paperwork (of course) in conjunction and in agreement with the nonprofit.  The materials are then sold for reuse.

Architectural details
apartmenttherapy.com

There is a bit of a down side to this more ecologically sensitive approach to renovation. The immediate cost of deconstruction is typically twice that of standard demolition.  If you compare the costs, deconstruction is significantly more labor intensive, which requires careful dismantling of a house including removing the nail from the lumber and cutting to size.  Standard demolition usually involve heavy equipment and only a few people to take down a home and load the construction and demolition debris into a truck or bin and haul it off to the nearest landfill.  The silver lining in this is, depending on the property owner's tax status, the deconstruction process may end up costing less than standard demolition once the tax savings are factored in.

What's on the horizon?  Plenty.  The City of Palo Alto's deconstruction pilot program continues to gain popularity as more and more homeowners become cognizant of the possible time and cost efficiency. At the present time, over half of all single-family residences that are razed every year in Palo Alto are deconstructed.  With the success of the pilot program, the City is aiming to incorporate deconstruction as a standard part of the development review process.  As older homes yield to new construction, Palo Alto is moving toward a future where existing homes that are being replaced are taken apart rather than taken down.  Other municipalities investigating ways to divert construction and demolition debris from landfills should be able to create similar programs with like results.

Here are links to time-lapsed video related to deconstruction:

Time lapse video for 172 Park Avenue, Palo Alto October 2013

http://bit.ly/1baWcTs

Time lapse video for Palo Alto October 18, 2013

http://vimeo.com/79464829

"The Demolition Discount" by Pui-Wing Tam, The Wall Street Journal, December 21 2012

http://on.wsj.com/15GPL7q

"Deconstruction is a growing trend in the West Coast housing," WSJ's Monika Vosough reports. Video December 20, 2012 http://on.wsj.com/YrGgX1

Just one quick note, please make sure you go to http://www.lafoodbank.org and help RTKL/JAMA build their canned food sculpture.  When they finish, the "sculpture" will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.  Thanks

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The "Monuments Men" of Japan

Hello Everyone:

In light of yesterday's post on the real "Monument Man," David Finley, I thought I would share with you an excerpt from my thesis on Japanese historic preservation law.  My thesis looked at the cultural influence on the development of modern Japanese preservation law.  I focused on the period between 1868 and 1950.  I picked this period because it was a time of great transition.  In 1868, the Feudal period and the modern era began in ernest.  The beginning of the modern period touched off a wave of often violent iconoclasm aimed at all things connected to the Samurai culture.  In 1871, in response to the wholesale destruction and theft of cultural properties, the Japanese government began to enact a series of historic preservation laws.  The most important of these early laws was the Ancient Temples and Shrines Preservation Law enacted on June 5, 1897.  This law became the template for the  1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, which, in turn, became the basis for all future laws.  What follows is an analysis of how this law came into being and the role of the "Monuments Men" in Japan.

Hōryū-ji
Nara, Japan
en.wikipedia.org

The disastrous fire that struck in January 1949 at the Golden Hall at Hōryū-ji, in the Nara Prefecture and the near loss of precious its Buddhist murals were not the only catalyst for the passage of the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties (the 1950 Law hereafter). The years following Japan’s defeat and the Allied occupation found Japan in an appalling state. Most of the major cities were in ruins; Japan’s fishing industry deteriorated, the economy had virtually collapsed, and the nation suffered from the devastating fall out of two nuclear bombs. Preservation certainly did not register in the consciousness of the people. While existing cultural property laws were not suspended during the occupation, the Japanese government reoriented them in compliance with basic occupation policies and was permitted to continue with normal power over domestic issues. In 1948, the agency began implementing a five-year reconstruction program. The tireless and dedicated work of the Arts and Monument Branch, a subgroup of the Religion and Cultural Resource Division of the Supreme Command of The Allied Powers (SCAP), helped pave the way for a new preservation law that would remain in force until contemporary times.

General Douglas MacArthur with the members of SCAP
en.wikipedia.org

Following Japan’s surrender, SCAP was placed in power over the country according to the terms of the Unconditional Surrender signed by the major allied powers. General Douglas MacArthur was selected to head SCAP on behalf of the Allies. Cultural matters within SCAP were the responsibility of the Civil Information and Education Section (CIE). The Cultural Resource division of CIE was merged with the Religion Division in 1947 to form the Religion and Cultural Resource Division. Its subgroup, the Arts and Monuments Branch (A&M; alternately the Division) became the primary force in protecting postwar Japan’s cultural resources. The A&M was responsible for:
...initiation and recommendations regarding management and finance of numerous projects for the protection, preservation, restitution, salvage, or other disposition of works of art, antiquities, cultural treasures, museums, archival repositories, historic and scenic sites, and historical and natural monuments.

The official stance of SCAP regarding the protection of cultural and ethnographic property during the occupation was, “...historical, cultural and religious objects and installations (including several Imperial Palaces) will be carefully protected.” The protection of cultural treasures was so paramount that it became policy:
The immediate postwar problem consists of the reconstitution of the artistic and historical heritage of occupied countries [i.e Japan, Germany, and Italy]...The protection of art in time of war is based upon the universally accepted principle that cultural property is inviolable...The artistic and historic treasures of a nation are regarded as that Nation’s patrimony, and the great public collections of the world as an international heritage. It is the preservation of this irreplaceable cultural heritage of all nations that is recognized,...

Woman going shopping in post-War Japan
vimeo.com

Why was the preservation of Japan’s traditional cultural heritage a priority for SCAP? After more than three and a half years of war, unreasonably prolonged in the final months by unbending fanatical rulers, Japan was morally and spiritually exhausted. The death and destruction rained upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki by nuclear bombs rendered the nation so physically and emotionally spent that surrender was the only option. The decision to make the protection of cultural property, in Japan and Europe as well, important was part of a larger program to keep cultural icons intact to reduce domestic tension in the short run. By extension, actively protecting cultural property would send a message to the Japanese people that SCAP respected Japan’s traditional culture. To accomplish this task, A&M was tasked as a liaison between the various agencies responsible for promoting similar policies. It was through A&M that new preservation policies were implemented and executed.  

A&M concluded that it was necessary to use a firm hand in guiding the course of preservation activities at the administrative level. CIE documents record directed efforts by SCAP to reeducate the Japanese people about the value of their culture and instill an understanding of cultural property preservation. While this may seem condescending and ironic, it should be noted that SCAP did engage in significant ideological reorientation and  censorship.  The Americans hoped to instill the political values of freedom, individualism, and democracy in the minds of young Japanese.218 One influence that led to the 1950 Law was the staff of A&M.

Sherman E. Lee clevelandartsprize.org

Langdon Warner harvardartmuseum.org

The staff was composed of an advisory committee of American officers with backgrounds in museum work and art history. Two individuals are worth particular mention: Langdon Warner (figure 31) and Sherman E. Lee. Warner (figure 32), a professor at Harvard University and head of Oriental Art at the Fogg Museum. He was an acquaintance of Okakura Tenshin from the time when they worked at the Boston Museum. Lee was a Curator of Oriental Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Their empathy for the Japanese people and its art was demonstrated through their commitment to the protection of cultural treasures. Their helped expose the West, particularly the United States, to traditional Japanese culture.

Food stall in post-War Tokyo
picstopin.com

It appeared that the A&M felt the existing preservation scheme in Japan was inadequate and that the government was less than cooperative in securing and promoting the protection of cultural properties stolen during the War. According the 1929 Law, Article 2, the minister responsible for designating a treasure was required to publish his decision in the official gazette. This register was supposedly burned at the time of surrender. The ministry was also required to keep a record of Important Art Objects but did not exercise due diligence in this task. Some records did survive however and were accessible to the A&M. Further, in accord with an order issued by SCAP, the Japanese government was given the job of inventorying foreign cultural assets in its possession.  A report issued by Charles Gallagher, the A&M Fine Arts Advisor to the Chief, Religion and Cultural Resources in 1949 suggested that efforts by the Japanese government,... Did not make “an honest effort” to comply with SCAPIN 1774. They were dilatory, evasive, haggled over questions and finally produced two institutions out of a total of 800 that had objects coming under the definition of SCAPIN 1774. The fact that only four looted items were reported from private collections of individuals (the basis for the directive) is highly suspicious. It is also the firm opinion of the undersigned that there is a great deal of looted property still around, but that much stronger methods than those heretofore taken will be necessary if it is to be uncovered.

In addition, the statutory structure of existing preservation laws were considered insufficient by the A&M. As part of the effort to improve existing preservation laws, it attempted to create a category between National Treasures and Important Art Objects called Important Cultural Property. The point was to restrict the group of Important Art Objects and make administrative changes between categories less frequent.  The Agency for Cultural Affairs abided by the recommendations of the A&M.  However, it held views that were opposed to the Japanese government, regarding the government’s relation to the people and their property.  

Tokyo bombed
tofugu.com

The Japanese people had reservations about the postwar preservation efforts of the Ministry of Education. In an article appearing on January 28, 1946, “...[s]trange to say the Ministry of Education which was full of formality and bureaucratic egotism has for a long time been nothing but a sort of state organ hindering the elevation of culture and the arts.”  As we can conclude from this quote, the Japanese people wanted a change in the way cultural resources were dealt with. The 1950 Law provided a new structure for dealing with historic and cultural assets.  The A&M was extremely active in the promotion of cultural property protection. The A&M’s regular involvement with such activities was part of the sweeping actions taken by SCAP to demilitarize and democratize Japan. There was evidence that suggested the A&M had intimate knowledge of plans to modify and improve previous cultural protection laws during the Occupation.

Post-War reconstruction
idemitsu.com

For example, during early attempts to reform existing preservation laws concerns arose within the Ministry of Education regarding the classification of objects.226 A&M noticed that the categories could be manipulated in such a way that made locating and identifying cultural property immensely difficult. The A&M archives contained a handwritten document, “A Private Draft Concerning the Revision of the National Treasure Laws,” in which recommendations in consultation with the Agency for Cultural Affairs were given with explanations and analysis for suggested for changes to the 1929 Law. 227 The ministry did prepare revisions of the 1929 Law which included:

1) A shift of emphasis of ownership [private] as a foundation for preservation as found in existing law to state control of cultural assets;
2) Clarification of state subsidies for the repair of national treasures;
3) Measures that would allow the government to purchase national treasures from temples and shrines if preservation could not be properly carried out;
4) Significant government control over cultural property;
5) The curtailment of the export of cultural treasures;
6) Exemption of certain transactions concerning cultural property.

Kagoshima following an American bombing raid
ww2db.com

In its own analysis, the A&M found the Ministry’s proposals contrary to the 1946 SCAP- manufactured Constitution, declaring that it violated Article 29, “1) The right to own or to hold property is inviolable. 2) Property rights shall be defined by law, in conformity with the public welfare. 
3) Private property may be taken for public use upon just compensation therefore...”  
The A&M was genuinely committed to protecting Japan’s cultural property and held fast to the belief that the people had a right to protection of their heritage. In essence, the concern was that the ministry’s suggestions appeared as government overreach and create a compulsory designation system that infringed on the personal rights of property owners.

The work on legislation that would become the 1950 Law began in earnest in February 1949. To say that that the fire at Hōryū-ji and post war looting by the American and Allied soldiers were the catalysts for the 1950 law would mean dismissing more urgent factors regarding the protection and administration of cultural resources that required legislative attention. These factors were:

1) The pressure of the Japanese tax scheme, including the property, estate, and sales tax; 
2) The sale of objects in response to other needs perceived by the indigenous population;

3) The fear of export of cultural property following any form of transfer; 
4) Theft; 
5) Vandalism affected upon objects and monuments; 
6) Risks of fire;

7) The use of objects by occupation forces; 
8) Perceived Japanese perspectives, including gender attributions, concerning the place that art should occupy in the life of the Japanese people; and 
9) Perceived Japanese perspectives, concerning the role that government should play in protecting such goods.

Seventeenth century Kabuki theater
www3.northern.edu

Of the nine factors listed above, the last two stem from purported trends suggesting that protection and administration of cultural resources was not a priority in the immediate postwar year.232 The 1950 Law was passed unanimously in the Japanese House of Representatives on May 30, 1950, and became effective on August 29, 1950, by Cabinet Order Number 276 of August 1950.233 Chapter One, General Provisions (Purpose of this Law) states,

Article 1. The purpose of this Law is to preserve and utilize cultural properties, so that the culture of the Japanese people may be furthered and a contribution made to the evolution of world culture. Article 2. “Cultural properties” in this Law shall be the following:

1) Buildings, pictures, sculptures, applied arts, calligraphic works, classical books, ancient documents, and other tangible cultural properties, which possess a high artistic historical and/or artistic value in and for this country...archeological specimens and other historical materials of high scientific value... 
2) Art and skill employed in drama music, and applied arts, and other intangible cultural products which possess a high historical and/or artistic value in and for this country... 
3) Manners and customs related to food, clothing and housing, to occupations, religious faiths, etc., to folk-entertainments and clothes, implements, houses and other used therefor[sic], which are indispensable for the understanding of changes in our people’s mode of life... 
4) Shell mounds, ancient tombs, sites of palaces, sites of forts or castles, monumental dwelling houses, and other sites which possess a high historical and/or scientific values in and for this country; gardens, bridges, gorges, seashores, mountains, and other places of scenic beauty, which possess a high value from the point of view of art or visual appreciation in and for this [sic]; animal...plants...and geological features and minerals...which possess a high scientific value in and for this country... 
5) Groups of historic buildings of high value which form a certain antique beauty in combination with their environs...

Ryoan-ji gardens
flickr.com

Upon effective date, some of the prior laws were abolished and all previously identified designated cultural resources were covered by the new law. Pursuant to Article 116, “...With respect to the objects classified under the provision of Article 2 paragraph 1 of the Law Concerning the Preservation of Important Objects [the 1933 Law], etc. Up to the time of enforcement of this Law, the old Law shall continue to be in force...” 

The next article states, The designation of historic sites, places of scenic beauty and/or natural monuments made prior to the enforcement of this Law, in accordance with the provision of Article 1 paragraph 1 of the Law for the Preservation of Scenic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monuments...shall be regarded as the designation made in accordance with the Article 69 paragraph 1 of this Law,...The new law collapsed the 1919, 1929, and 1933 laws into an all-inclusive cultural heritage package and went further by including designation for intangible cultural properties, defined as manners, customs, clothes, and folk-entertainment. This was expanded by a 1954 amendment that set up three new categories of cultural properties: intangible cultural properties, buried cultural properties, and folk materials. The 1954 amendment also created a designation system for Important Intangible Folk Materials separate from Tangible Cultural Properties and established a method of documenting selected Intangible Folk Materials.

Byōdō-in
Uji, Kyoto, Japan
flickr.com

The process of designating Important Cultural Properties was codified and incorporated the proposed revisions by the Ministry regarding more government control over cultural property. The 1950 Law gave authority to the Ministry of Education to designate tangible important cultural properties as important cultural properties. From these properties, the Minister may designate those which are especially high value from the context of world culture and unrivaled national treasures.238 This differs from Article 1 of the 1929 Law which places the responsibility of designation in the hands of the National Treasures Preservation Committee and the appropriate Minister. Upon designation, an announcement was placed in the Official Gazette and formal written notice was given to the owner of an asset in a manner similar to the second article in the 1929 Law.  Designation can be annulled in cases when an important cultural property has lost its value or for other reasons. In this case, an official announcement is made in the Gazette, the owner receives official notice, and is required to return the certificate within thirty days.240 This is based on Article 11 of The 1929 Law, which permits the responsible minister to abolish the designation of a national treasure through the consent of the NTPC when it was deemed necessary for the public benefit or other special reason.

Custody of important cultural properties and national treasures is addressed in Subsection of the 1950 Law. The Agency for Cultural Affairs is directed to give the owner instructions regarding the stewardship of important cultural property, when necessary. Specifically, “The owner of an important cultural property shall undertake custody therefor in accordance with, this Law, as well the Ministry of Education Ordinances and instructions of the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, issued thereunder...” The owner may appoint a surrogate if extenuating circumstances exist and must notify the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs within twenty days. However, if the owner is found to be unacceptable or untraceable, a provision in the 1950 Law allows the Agency for Cultural Affairs to appoint a custodial body to manage the resource.  This differs from the previous laws which appeared to put primary custody of a cultural asset in the hands of the property owner but allowed the ministry to impose tight restrictions on use and movement.

Samurai with sword
it.wiki[pedia.org

The 1950 Law places the responsibility of repair in the hands of the custodial body. In particular, “The repair of an important cultural property shall be conducted by its owner. It shall, however, be conducted by the custodial body, if such has been appointed.”243 The 1950 Law also provides for government subsidies for repair and maintenance costs in a similar manner to the 1929 Law, “Subsidies shall be given according to the amounts estimated for maintenance repairs, but the surplus balance after exact expenses shall be returned.”244 The difference is that under the 1929 Law, repair and maintenance subsidies were used as a reward for compliant owners, whereas, under the 1950 Law, subsidy allocation appear to be based on need. This is consistent with ministry proposals to clarify state subsidies for repair. When a National Treasure requires repair, the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs can act in advisory capacity regarding the work. Finally, under the new law, penalties were considerably strengthened. For example, according to Article 106,

Any person who has, in contravention of the provision of Article 44, exported any important cultural property without obtaining the permission of the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs shall be liable to imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for a term not exceeding five (5) years or to a fine not exceeding one million (1,000,000) yen.  Further, the 1950 Law proscribes penalties of imprisonment or fines for individuals who damage, destroy, or alter cultural properties without consent of the Agency for Cultural Affairs.246 There are also administrative penalties, such as fines for individuals who are negligent in their custodial

responsibilities.  The influence of A&M can be felt throughout the 1950 Law. The irony is that at the same time A&M was exerting pressure on the Japanese government to reform its historic preservation laws, the United States still did not have a comprehensive national historic preservation program.

The tireless activities of the Arts and Monument Branch and the near catastrophic fire at Hōryū-ji prompted a reconsideration of Japan’s relationship to its heritage. The 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties and its subsequent amendments are the enduring legacy of the Arts and Monuments Branch. The protection of cultural property was an important was part of a larger program of reeducation, preservation of cultural icons, and demonstrate SCAP’s respect for Japan’s traditional culture. The new cultural properties protection law combined the previous laws into a more comprehensive law, and was refined with a 1954 amendment that set up three new categories of cultural properties. The provisions of the 1950 Law put more control of cultural properties in the hands of their owners. This could be considered proof of the A&M’s concern about the careful balance between private property ownership and the central government’s need to control the stewardship and movement of cultural property. Further, the 1950 Law collapsed the 1919, 1929, and 1933 laws into a comprehensive piece of legislation that was expanded upon in 1954 with additional categories for intangible cultural properties, buried cultural properties and folk materials. In the years following the Occupation, the 1950 Law continued to expand incorporating new categories that signaled Japan’s readiness to contribute to world culture.

Just one quick note, please make sure you go to http://www.lafoodbank.org and help RTKL/JAMA build their canned food sculpture.  When they finish, the "sculpture" will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.  Thanks

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The Modest Monument Man

http://blog.preservationnation.org/2014/02/24/man-behind-monuments-men-david-finley-roberts-commission/#.UwuarykJdVYy

http://www.nga.gov

Hello Everyone:

We're almost midway through March and I feeling confident that we can make our goal of 10,000 page views by April 1.  While you're showing this blog some love, make sure you show the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank some love too by making a donation to http://www.lafoodbank.org.  Please designate your donation for RTKL/JAMA.  Thanks.

Monuments Men movie poster
forbes.com

The recent release of the movie Monuments Men, sparked an interest in the rescue of priceless artwork stolen by the National Socialist party and the Gestapo during the Second World War.  During the war, valuable paintings, sculptures, and other works of art were stolen from museums, galleries, and private individuals and hidden away until the end of the conflict.  The activities of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) branch of the U.S. Military were chronicled by Robert M. Edsel in his book, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, told the story of a the most unlikely group of soldier-art historians, archivists, and librarians who were recruited to recover works of art during the post-war chaos.  The book was recently brought to life, on screen starring George Clooney and Matt Damon.  In her recent blog post for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Katherine Flynn, looks at the man behind "The Monument Men, " David Flynn the vice-chairperson of the Robert Commission (named for its chairperson Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts), his passion for art and preservation, the role he played in establishing the MFAA, and ultimately the retrieval and protection of priceless art.

Ruins of the Church of Sant'Ignazio
Palermo, Italy
smithsonianmag.com

World War II left the European and cultural communities in a very serious state of flux, at best, outright panic, at worst.  In the center maelstrom and chaos visited upon academic artists, art historians, and museum professionals, the American Defense, Harvard (University) Group, established by the institution's faculty and personnel, began to collaborate with the American Council of Learned Societies to create a plan for protecting European cultural property.  Then National Gallery of Art Director David Finley (1938-56) and Gallery Chairperson Supreme Court Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone led the call, in Washington D.C., for the establishment of a government organization to protect and conserve the priceless cultural property.  In 1942, the Chief Justice and Mr. Finley took their proposal to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who, in turn, established the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in Europe.  The  Commission's purview was later expanded to include all combat zones. The president appointed Justice Owen J. Roberts as the Commission's chairperson, hence the name Roberts Commission.

David Finley (r) with President Dwight Eisenhower (l)
preservationnation.org

 According to David A. Doheny, the author of David Finley: Quiet Force for America's Arts, "Finley was maybe the greatest salesman of his generation, the greatest lobbyist."  Mr. Doheny credits the National Gallery chairperson with the ability to convince high-ranking federal government officials, such as Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy and President Roosevelt, that protecting art and history in one of the global cultural epicenters was also the U.S. military's responsibilities.  From the Commission's first meeting in August 1943 to its last in June 1945, the Roberts Commission maintained the National Gallery's and it's founding benefactor Andrew W. Mellon's mission, who donated his personal collection and built a massive endowment to secure the Gallery's future.

David Roberts in his office
nga.gov,

The Roberts Commission worked with the Office of Strategic Services to create a special investigative unit to document German (mis) appropriation of art.  Like the National Socialists, who made meticulous records of their wartime thefts, the MFAA officers and the Roberts Commission collected archival documents of German acts of aggression and Allied efforts to protect and repatriate stolen artwork.  During the conflict, the National gallery provided support staff and office for the Roberts Commission and was very involved in its work.  The Commission was rounded out by the Gallery's Secretary and General Counsel Huntington Cairn (secretary); Chief Curator and eventual successor to David Finley as director John Walker, who served as a special advisor.

Capt. James Rorimer recovering artwork at Neuschwanstein Castle
cbsnews.com

  
Katherine Flynn is quick to point out that The Monuments Men, like all films, takes liberties with the history in the name of streamlining the narrative.  For example. George Clooney's character, Frank Stokes, is based on the real-George Stout, an art conservator at Harvard University's Fogg Museum and did not establish the MFAA.  Rather, he was recruited for the assignment by David Finley et al in the spring of 1944, as the war was coming to a close.  In the photograph on the left, James Rorimer (James Granger in the movie played by Matt), is accompanied by Walter Hancock (John Goodman's character,the real-life sculptor Walter Garfield) and architect Robert Posey (re-named Richard Campbell, played by Bill Murray).  Originally there were eleven men on the MFAA-seven Americans and four Brits-however, Ms. Flynn points out that there were many other military personnel working in the background.

The original "Monument Men"
stylecourt.blogspot.com

David A. Doheny writes, "It's easier for people, and certainly for film, to focus on blood and guts and bombs going off and action in the field rather than what does on in Washington behind the scenes...But bottom line, these guys never would have had a chance to do what they were doing if it hadn't been for Finley."  David Finley was a man with many hats.  As the first director of the National Gallery of Art, he was the driving force behind the creation of the National Portrait Gallery and the chair person of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.  In addition to being an aesthete, David Finley was a practicing attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and served in the First World War.  Late in life, Mr. Finley befriended First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, working together to preserve Lafayette Square and restore the art collection and furnishings at the White House.  Despite David Finley's acclaim in his later life, Mr. Doheny considers his work with the Roberts Commission to be Mr. Finley's crowning achievement.  "He needs all the publicity he can get...He kind of flew under the radar.  He just wanted to get something done. That was the number secret to his success."  David Finley passed away in 1977 and isn't portrayed in the movie.  That's all good because you get the idea that he'd want it that way.

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Sunday Quickie

Hello Everyone:

Before I get going, I want to just remind all of you that my friend from USC still needs your help.  Her firm, RTKL, is raising funds to build a sculpture from canned food.  When it's finished, the canned food will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food. You can by going to http://ww.lafoodbank.org and make donation. Be sure to designate it for RTKL.  Thanks.

Last night the bf stopped for a some fun.  He was quite helpful in explaining me what a "booty call" is.  Apparently, he does care about me and not just interested in random sex.  Now, that and the time has made me tired.  I just have a few minutes before I run into the PLB Theater to see Blue Jasmine.  It's the latest from Woody Allen.  Don't judge, I like his movies but his personal life is another story.  So far the weekend has bee n pretty status quo.  Mom is still working on me, imparting subtle messages and lessons.  Once again, over lunch, I told I'm bored with the her company and everything else.  I tend to be more direct.  Lingering over meals has no appeal for me.  Listen, I got to run so we'll tomorrow, but please donate.

Monday March 10, 2014

I realized yesterday evening that this post was intended for another blog.  

Please Help

Hello Everyone:

I want to share with you a good cause that's happening right now.  One of my friends from the USC School of Architecture is participating in a canned food drive with her firm.  They want to build a sculpture out of canned food, the donate it to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.  If you love this blog, please share it by making a donation, please go to http://ww.lafoodbank.org/virtual-food-drive/donor-pledge.

Thanks and let's keep up the great job you're doing.  I'm starting to see our goal of 10,000 page views more clearly in the horizon

Checklist for Planning Healthy Communities

http://blog.preservationleadershipforum.org/2014/01/31/planning-healthy-communities/#Uu_sQ3ddU_6

Los Angeles magazine
November 1963
laobserved.com

Hello Everyone:

People you need to step it up a little if we're going to make our goal of 10,000 page views by April 1st.  I appreciate your support of this blog and now I really need you to show me some love.  Tell everyone you know to check out historicpca.blogspot.com for articles on architecture, historic preservation, urban planning and design.  Thanks.

Cities are organic entities, they grow and change over the course of their history which makes the case for historic preservation that much more challenging.  According to Anna Ricklin's post for the Preservation Leadership Forum, "Planning Healthy Communities," one of the best arguments for historic preservation is improving human health.  Urban planners and designers strive to create denser, more walkable communities in places overrun by sprawl.  Preservation gives us a chance to re-create and save historic place for the overall health of the residents.  It's no big surprise that historic preservation and urban planning often overlap each other.  Here are some of Ms. Ricklin's ideas on how community planning can incorporate smart planning as a way to create healthier lifestyles and how it works with preservation.

Mercer Street
New York City, New York
greenbuildingsnyc,com

Even fully "planned" communities, i.e. places built out for more than a generation, smart planning can play a vital role in achieving safe walkable neighborhoods where people can access healthy foods and basic services, assuming it is available in that neighborhood, as well as jobs and education.  All of these amenities and more, in the built environment, are part of the overall health of community members.  Thus, Ms. Ricklin asks, "...how do we as planners actually do it?" How planners, used to talking to other planners and developers, talk to a general audience who is suspicious of planning in the first place, about linking issues such as transportation, housing, and historic preservation to health?  Note to Anna Ricklin, there was a great article posted on Planetizen about using advertising industry techniques to sell planning proposals but I digress.

Corktown
Detroit, Michigan
coolplacestolive.com

Approximately one-third of American adults are considered obese and the lack of physical activity, something that can be rectified through planning, is one of the chief causes.  According to Ms. Ricklin there are about 10 million automobile accidents every year which result in approximately 2 million injuries and almost 34,000 deaths (2009 Census data).  While drunk driving and other poor decision making behind the wheel is one of the main causes for these injuries and fatalities, they could've been prevented through planning-related measures. Anna Ricklin is quick to admit that planning isn't the panacea for these issues, including ways to support healthy food choices, mental health and positive social infrastructures in our neighborhood.  Nevertheless, better planning in the built environment can and should be part of the solution.  After all, planning and preservation are relevant.

San Francisco Chinatown
geektreks.com

The American Planning Association recently released a toolkit for support planners, public health professionals, and the public for incorporating good health into the planning process.  The Healthy Community Design Toolkit was created in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Community Design Initiative and the APA's Planning and Community Health Research Center.  The kit is composed of four parts that work together to achieve the goal of good health planning and can be used by anyone who is interested in making a case for health, including individuals who want to preserve the health of entire neighborhood.  The toolkit is more of a general guideline rather than specifically addressing preservation planning, nonetheless, preservationists will recognize the characteristics that contribute to healthy lifestyles: walkable neighborhoods, mix of commercial and residential buildings already present in historic neighborhood offering a a great opportunity for applying the following principles and no doubt, making Jane Jacobs jump for joy.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
flickriver.com

The toolkit:

Health Community Checklist: a handout for planners and community leaders for use during public meetings or other public forums where decisions about land use are being discussed and made.  The list is a quick way educate the general public about healthy community design and help them take health into the decision making process.

Healthy Community PowerPoint Presentation: this supports the checklist by explaining to community stakeholders how design can affect health and how to use the list during land-use discussions.  It can be customized to include health data on a specific community using the How-To-Guide.

Creating a Health Profile How-To Guide: assists in locating the relevant health data of a community in order to develop a health "snapshot" of the specific community.  The information is useful for education and awareness of the health issues that most a impact a community.  The data can identify the neighborhood's specific urgent health issues.

Planning for Health Resource Guide: a resource guide for each of the subjects covered in the Healthy Community Design Checklist: active living, food choices, transportation choices, public safety, social cohesion, social equality, and environmental health.

Check it out at healthycommunities@planning.org

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Mad Men Planning

http://www.planetizen.com/67135?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01302014

Don Draper
thegloss.com

Hello Everyone:

Urban planning is about problem solving, proposing changes to the status quo.  Making lasting changes is more complicated because it requires an entire community to go along with whatever it is you, the planner/urban designer is proposing, like or not.  Getting an entire community to go along with a controversial proposal, well, that requires all the charm and skill of Don Draper.  In the ongoing mission to satisfy legal requirements, planners often turn their attention to presenting codes, statues, and statistics.  The problem with this is that said planners often spend more time writing something tantamount to legal briefs then crafting the "big picture."  They often fall back of jargon like "sustainable growth" or "walkable urbanism."  This is not boring to listen to but it also obscures the real ideas and does little to inform or engage the public. Ideas are the currency of planners and how their sold to a skeptical audience is crucial.  In a recent blog post for Planetizen, Georgia Sheridan and Amber Hawkes share what planners can learn from the fictitious Sterling, Cooper, Draper, and Price.  So let's have a look at how planners can Draperize their next presentation.

Dove™ Real Beauty Sketch
businessinsider.com 

Make it Personal: Be Relatable-"You are the product. You feel something.  That's what sells." (Don Draper, Mad Men): Planning is about people, the way they live, the way they aspire to live-all simple but basic questions for planners to consider.  Put yourself and your life in the picture.  What do you want?  What are your choices.  Things like affordable housing, gentrification, traffic all affect you as well.  Find a way to relate your next planning project to your life.

One example is the spring advertising campaign from Dove-"Dove Real Beauty Sketches."  This thought-provoking documentary revealed women's own conceptions of their beauty and body image insecurities through interviews and a unique drawing exercises.  The video, available on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk), creates a relationship between the subjects, the consumers, and Dove the company.  Dove understands what it means to be a woman and in doing so, women will trust the company with their skin.  The power of these video clips comes from the women's honesty and willingness to be that raw. (Full disclosure: Yours truly uses Dove facial soap)

Google Chrome™logo
news.cnet.com

Tell a Story: "Being noticed isn't enough anymore.  You also have to reach hearts and minds." Oglivy Washington, Creative Studio (http://creativestudiodc.oglivy.com): Everyone loves a good story.  They are the most natural way we process information.  Who are the actors?  What makes them run?  What challenges to the face and how they react to conflict?  When preparing a planning, or for that matter any subject presentation, consider the results of your actions.  What's at stake for your audience.  What do they stand to gain or lose?  Who are the main characters and how do they interact?  Instead of writing a legal brief, humanize your proposal by tapping into feelings.  Tell stories, use humor and suspense to grab your listeners' attention.

Google used this method to market their browser Chrome (Full disclosure: I use Chrome) through a series of short videos that tell simple stories about a father and daughter ("Dear Sophie www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4kVHijdQk) to the virtual connection between Lady Gaga and her fans.  The videos tap our emotions while cleverly weaving the product as a way to tell the stories, instead of presenting a how-to commercial.  Google breaks the corporate barrier by inviting users to share intimate moments with the world as if sharing these moments with a close friend or relative.

Header image from myfigueroa.com
Logo and rendering by Melendrez
myfigueroa.com

Brand it: "Their value builds for years, and over time, a good tagline can be your best and least expensive form of advertising." Wild East Group, Brand Management and Business Development Agency (http://www.wildeastgroup.com): Give your title a catchy tagline, a brand, a graphic "look" that's simple, memorable, and connected to a core value of your message.  Think Nike's "Just Do It" campaign which was responsible for the rise of the Oregon-based athletic apparel company's market share from eighteen percent to forty-three percent; annual sales shot up from $800 million in 1988 to $9.2 billion in 1998 (http://www.business2community.com/branding/just-turns-25-nike-profitable-tagline-time-066077093loYM8H).  The tagline was more than just athletic ware, it is about a compelling mindset.  Related to the phrase is the widely recognized "swoosh."  Simple yet effective.  A persuasive tagline and logo can do more to push your project forward than just talk.

One urban planning example, when the city of Los Angeles wanted to transform the Figueroa corridor in Downtown Los Angeles, the project team made an effort to shorten the dull and verbose project title "Figueroa Boulevard Corridor Streetscape Plan" to the catchier "MyFig."  This implies public ownership of the street.  The attendant project materials and website engage and informs visitors while the equally catchy "GoFig" provides transit information.  Consistency is the key in branding and can help raise awareness, attract media attention, and encourage more public participation in the planning process.

Los Angeles Metro bus
blogs.kcrw.com

Simplify: "Most campaigns are too complicated. They reflect a long list of objectives and try to reconcile the divergent view of too many executives.  By attempting to cover too many things, they achieve nothing." David Oglivy, Oglivy on Advertising (Confessions of an Advertising Man, Oglivy): Reduce your message to three or four main ideas.  A long list of project goals will not only dilute the message but it bore your audience to tears.  Establish a hierarchy of information you want to present then get to the point quickly, don't mince words. The human mind is programed to remember information in blocks of four or less.  "The more people are asked to recall, the less accurate their recollection is." (100 Things Every Designer Needs to Known About People, Susan Weinschenk).  Assist your readers in following the flow of information with headers and visual cue to reinforce the informational hierarchy.  Bullet point when possible, use precision not jargon, use acronyms and repetitive adjectives.  Can you tweet it?

Take a lesson from the advertising industry and don't leave your audience guessing the main point of your message, in urban planning, this is crucial.  In 2009, the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Los Angeles rebranded their marketing information, creating simple, funny print adverts with the goal of increasing ridership.  The "opposites" campaign coupled opposing words (i.e. naughty versus nice; a problem versus a solution) in order to market Metro.  The simplicity of the campaign was stunning.  By shortening the content, they got right to the essence of their argument.  The moral of the story, when crafting plans and policies, it is vitally important that you craft a relevant message that can be delivered
quickly and effectively.  "Brevity is the sole of wit."

Samsung Galaxy™
gottabemobile.com

Confront the Controversy: "Truth is the key to great marketing.  In this day and age, with social media and gotcha journalism and Wikileaks, there is absolutely nowhere to hide.  We believe in telling the truth to each other and we believe in telling the truth to the people we are trying to sell things to.  Now, our job is make it a beautiful truth, and to shine a great light on things that are true...we are great at telling stories that are truthful, and that's why they resonate with people" Matt Jarvis (http://www.good.is/posts/goodco-video-making-brands-matter-in-culture-with-72andsunny): forget that line in A Few Good Men, "You want the truth?  You can't handle the truth."  Don't avoid the issues.  When advertising agency 72andSunny took on Samsung™as their client in 2011, they chose not to create advertising campaigns centered on the new look or features of the Galaxy.  Rather, they focused on the real issue, opting to go head-to-head with their competitor, Apple. Creating the tagline "The Next Big Thing is Already Here" campaign, Samsung poked at the Apple cult, while making themselves look like the poor relation.  Not quite as fanatical as Apple customers (Full disclosure: I use Apple products), Samsung customers are happy with their new phones, flaunting them to the glass-eyed Apple faithful.

This was a bold decision on Samsung's part, addressing the proverbial 800-pound Apple gorilla in the room.  Thanks to "The Next Big Thing is Already Here" campaign, Samsung surpassed the Cupertino, California-based company in global smartphone sales.  The lesson here also applies to urban planners.  When dealing with tough issues such as removing travel lanes in favor of more bus lanes or increasing parking fees to encourage more efficient land use, deal with the controversy head on.  Be transparent, list the pros and cons.  Don't skirt the issue, otherwise,  you create public distrust and lose your audience.

Street Vendor Guide
photograph courtesy of Prudence Katze and the Center for Urban Pedagogy
candychang.com

Tailor Your Message: Don't tell me how good you make it; tell how good it makes me when I use it. Leo Burnett, creative communication company (http://www.leoburnett.com): Advertisers are very aware that people are different.  Really.  Given this, they must tailor their message to every demographic group.  Products are promoted at different times and places, using different mediums corresponding to the daily habits of the consumers..  Within the budget  and time line constraints, planners often fall back onto the one-size-fits-all modus operandi.  This m.o. may work some of the time, but not all of the time.  Thus, tailoring the message and the medium to when and where it can be delivered to the target group is critical for placing planning ideas in the public square.

One example of this method is public artist, Candy Chang.  With help from non-profit group Tenants & neighbors, Ms. Chang redesigned the New York State's official Tenants' Rights Guide into a pack of easy to use "flash cards" for renters.  The flash cards cover every conceivable topic from pets to paint to security deposits.  In conjunction with her work with Street Vendor Project, Ms. Chang used a similar approach with New York City's street vendor, condescending codes and regulations into a cartoon pamphlets with limited text, translated into different languages.  The design was repetitive and engaging, taking care to tailoring the message to the target audience.

"Diamond Were A Girl's Best Friend"
Edward Tufte Chart Junk.  Figure by Nigel Homes
infosthetics.com

Make It Visual: "We remember 10% of what we hear, 20% of what we read, and 80% of what we see and do." Syntactic Theory on Visual Communication (Lestor, 1994-1996; http://www.hp.com/large/ipg/assets/bus-solutions/power-of-visual-communication.pdf): People are visual creatures.  Graphics, maps, charts, and photographs help strengthen the message.  A picture is worth the proverbial thousand words, but it must be the right picture.  Good visuals can illustrate data and clarify points, and guide your audience through your thought process.  A bad or the wrong picture is worth absolutely nothing and can bore or misdirect your audience.  Make sure your graphics are clean and at the scale you wish to present and pass the ten-second test  (do you understand the point in ten seconds).  Are the images clear or pixelated, are the charts readable, are annotation necessary?  Simply your graphics and eliminate extraneous information.  Check the font size, can you read it without squint.  Use colors carefully to highlight your message.  Avoid what Edward Tufte refers to as "chart junk" (i.e experimenting with graphic features in Powerpoint), which can create clutter and distract your audience from the information.  Infographics are becoming more common and not all inforgraphics are created equal.

The moral of our story is that clear, understandable, eye-catching communication is vital to urban planning and design.  The proposals put forth regarding the way we live and work have merit but without understandable, eye-catching, legible communications that demonstrate empathy and sentiment, they're worthless.

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