Download and Read online, DOWNLOAD EBOOK, [PDF EBOOK EPUB ], Ebooks

download, Read Ebook EPUB/KINDE, Download Book Format PDF

Downtown Revitalisation and Delta Blues in

Clarksdale, Mississippi: Lessons for Small Cities
and Towns John C. Henshall

OR CLICK LINK
https://textbookfull.com/product/downtown-
revitalisation-and-delta-blues-in-clarksdale-
mississippi-lessons-for-small-cities-and-towns-
john-c-henshall/

Read with Our Free App Audiobook Free Format PFD EBook, Ebooks dowload PDF
with Andible trial, Real book, online, KINDLE , Download[PDF] and Read and Read
Read book Format PDF Ebook, Dowload online, Read book Format PDF Ebook,
[PDF] and Real ONLINE Dowload [PDF] and Real ONLINE
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Muddy Thinking in the Mississippi River Delta Ned

Randolph

https://textbookfull.com/product/muddy-thinking-in-the-
mississippi-river-delta-ned-randolph/

Urban Bodies Communal Health in Late Medieval English

Towns and Cities Carole Rawcliffe

https://textbookfull.com/product/urban-bodies-communal-health-in-
late-medieval-english-towns-and-cities-carole-rawcliffe/

Biota Grow 2C gather 2C cook Loucas

https://textbookfull.com/product/biota-grow-2c-gather-2c-cook-
loucas/

Your Towns Cities In World War Two Essex At War 1939 45

Frances Clamp

https://textbookfull.com/product/your-towns-cities-in-world-war-
two-essex-at-war-1939-45-frances-clamp/
International Immigration, Integration and
Sustainability in Small Towns and Villages: Socio-
Territorial Challenges in Rural and Semi-Rural Europe
Ricard Morén-Alegret
https://textbookfull.com/product/international-immigration-
integration-and-sustainability-in-small-towns-and-villages-socio-
territorial-challenges-in-rural-and-semi-rural-europe-ricard-
moren-alegret/

Smart Cities in the Mediterranean Coping with

Sustainability Objectives in Small and Medium sized
Cities and Island Communities 1st Edition Anastasia
Stratigea
https://textbookfull.com/product/smart-cities-in-the-
mediterranean-coping-with-sustainability-objectives-in-small-and-
medium-sized-cities-and-island-communities-1st-edition-anastasia-
stratigea/

Big Man s Bride Big Men Small Towns 1 1st Edition

Penny Wylder

https://textbookfull.com/product/big-man-s-bride-big-men-small-
towns-1-1st-edition-penny-wylder/

Lean Transformations for Small and Medium Enterprises

Lessons Learned from Italian Businesses 1st Edition
Arnaldo Camuffo

https://textbookfull.com/product/lean-transformations-for-small-
and-medium-enterprises-lessons-learned-from-italian-
businesses-1st-edition-arnaldo-camuffo/

Canadian Perspectives on Immigration in Small Cities

1st Edition Glenda Tibe Bonifacio

https://textbookfull.com/product/canadian-perspectives-on-
immigration-in-small-cities-1st-edition-glenda-tibe-bonifacio/
JOHN C. HENSHALL

DOWNTOWN REVITALISATION
AND DELTA BLUES IN
CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI
LESSONS FOR SMALL CITIES AND TOWNS
Downtown Revitalisation and Delta Blues in
Clarksdale, Mississippi
 John C. Henshall

Downtown
Revitalisation and
Delta Blues in
Clarksdale,
Mississippi
Lessons for Small Cities and Towns
John C. Henshall
Essential Economics Pty Ltd
Carlton, VIC, Australia

ISBN 978-981-13-2106-1    ISBN 978-981-13-2107-8 (eBook)

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2107-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018955438

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether
the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and trans-
mission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or
dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or
the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any
errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Cover illustration: Tim Graham / Alamy Stock Photo

This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721,
Singapore
 Acknowledgements

This piece of work describing the achievements in the revitalisation of

downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi has only been made possible by the
efforts that local people and newcomers to town have made over the past
15 years or so.
To name two people in particular: Kinchen “Bubba” O’Keefe and Bill
Luckett.
Bubba is described in an article dating back to 1999 in The Living Arts
section of The New York Times (NYT; 26 October) as “building a bridge”
to Clarksdale’s cultural past. Bubba has focused his efforts for over 20
years on recognising and building upon downtown Clarksdale’s cultural
roots for the benefit of the local community and those who visit. As
Bubba was quoted in the NYT article all those years ago: “We’ve got gold
in the stream that needs mining.”
Bill Luckett is a Clarksdale lawyer with clients in the Delta and well
beyond. He has broad and invaluable interests, from restoring old build-
ings and promoting the Blues to encouraging local business opportuni-
ties. Bill, during his time as Clarksdale’s Mayor, re-defined the importance
of local development for the benefit of the local community. Ground
Zero Blues Club is a fitting reflection of Bill’s interests and his support for
Downtown.
Many other individuals have assisted the author, perhaps unwittingly,
in the publication of this book on Clarksdale’s downtown revitalisation.
v
vi Acknowledgements

They include Charles Evans, owner of the Clark House which he restored
as a residential inn and where he provided me with accommodation while
I prepared the manuscript. Lois McMurchy, who has provided much wel-
come friendship and support over all of these years. Mac Crank, the inau-
gural “steward” who guided Clarksdale Revitalization Inc. in its early
years and introduced important development initiatives to assist in
downtown regeneration. Roger Stolle, owner of the Cat Head Delta
Blues & Folk Art, who is an absolute promoter of Delta Blues and
Clarksdale. Delta Bohemains, Billy and Madge Howell, who promote
Clarksdale through their Delta Bohemian Tours and regular publications
highlighting life and times in the Delta. Richard Bolen, who has spear-
headed the digital and signage aspects associated with downtown’s defined
‘culture and arts’ precinct.
Also, Bill Talbot and Guy Malvezzi, owners of the unique Shack Up
Inn accommodation and venue on the edge of Clarksdale, and James
Butler, owner of the re-birthed Hopson Commissary, a popular venue
also located just south of town. Stan Street, musician and artist, who has
ensured his Hambone Gallery is a focus for locals and visitors alike.
Panny Mayfield, an educationalist, photographer, and writer of matters-­
Delta. Gary and Carol Vincent of Delta Sound Stage, where true Blues is
recorded for posterity. Mark Benson, developer of unique places of visitor
accommodation in downtown, and with the artistic input of John
Magnusson. John Ruskey, curator of the Lower Mississippi with his
Quapaw canoe company. Shelley Ritter and Maie Smith, who are custo-
dians and promoters of the Delta Blues Museum. Theo Dasbach and
Cindy Huddock, with the Rock & Blues Museum transplanted from the
Netherlands. Janet Coursin, California-born and now a local business
consultant. Sarah Crisler-Ruskey and Janice Williams at the Clarksdale
Library. And Mike and Mary at the Uptown Motel, who have ensured we
Aussie visitors from the other True South continue to enjoy our down-
town accommodation and in-house curries. Special appreciation goes to
family, friends, and colleagues who have in so many ways encouraged this
publication: thank you!
 Contents

1 Introduction  1

2 Downtown Decline and Revitalisation: National Trends and

Clarksdale’s Experience  7

3 Delta Blues and Culture 29

4 Clarksdale, the Delta, and the Economy 51

5 Businesses in Downtown Clarksdale 73

6 Clarksdale and Tourism 93

7 Creative People in Downtown Revitalisation: The Theory107

8 Clarksdale’s Champions and Creative People: The Reality119

9 Planning for Economic Development and Downtown

Revitalisation143
vii
viii Contents

10 Community Views on Downtown Revitalisation161

11 Clarksdale’s Experience in Downtown Revitalisation: An

Overview181

12 Lessons in Downtown Revitalisation for Small Cities and

Towns185


Appendix: Blues and Culture-Related Businesses and Features
in Clarksdale201
 Author’s Note

I was driving from New Orleans to Memphis in my rental car, having

attended an American Planning Association conference on urban plan-
ning and development. The drive up to Memphis to catch a flight to Los
Angeles and home to Melbourne marked the end of this visit, my fourth,
to the USA.
As I proceeded up Highway 61 and across to Highway 49 through the
Delta, I checked my Lonely Planet guidebook for possible places to stay
for the night, as I was totally new to this region. I simply did not appreci-
ate that this was The Delta, writ large. My quick reference to the guide-
book advised that if you like the Blues, you must visit Clarksdale, the
fabled ‘crossroads’ in the mythology of Blues music. As the story goes,
Robert Johnson went down to the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 and
sold his soul to the Devil in return for the gift of playing Blues guitar.
With no second thoughts, I drove into Clarksdale, and that was the
beginning of my relationship with this Mississippi Delta town. I have
now been to the USA a total of 25 times, and 22 of those visits have been
to Clarksdale. My close attachment to Clarksdale is now truly exposed.
I had no preconceptions of Clarksdale as a town or its place in Blues
music. Although I had been a collector of Blues music for some 50 years,
I had never delved deeply into the detailed back story of the genre; I
knew the Blues I liked, and that was enough for me.

ix
x Author’s Note

Driving into Clarksdale was an experience in itself. Approaching from

about three kilometres south of downtown, industrial and highway com-
mercial activities litter the landscape. ‘Litter’ is a fair expression, as the
buildings along Highway 49 were generally in a poor state of repair, many
vacant and unused, or simply lying derelict. As I drove closer into town,
the gas stations and fast food outlets came into view, and the number of
dishevelled buildings appeared to proliferate. This journey into the
unknown led me along what I now know to be DeSoto Avenue and
under a railway viaduct, with the signage directing me straight into East
Second Street and downtown Clarksdale.
This was late afternoon in March 2001, and the downtown was
deserted. No cars parked in the streets, no shoppers or others out on the
sidewalks. No activity at all. Most of the shops and other buildings were
closed and boarded up, or with cracked display windows filled with junk
piled high in old cardboard cartons, along with other rubbish that had
obviously missed the local municipal garbage collection for years.
I found a motel out on State Street, a couple of kilometres from down-
town, and settled in for what I expected would be a quiet night before the
short trip up to Memphis and the long flight home. The downtown
intrigued me, so I drove in, and of course, readily found a carpark. Few
people visit downtown at that time. Just one restaurant was operating
and it was new to Clarksdale: Madidi, with its white tablecloths and fine
dining. The owner, a tall and distinguished gentleman, asked why I was
in town, and I mentioned the conference in New Orleans and its focus
on urban planning and economic development. “Well, we certainly need
some development around here!”, he replied. That was Bill Luckett, local
lawyer and property developer.
That evening, some young people who had been dining at Madidi
were keen to show me around. The only place open was Sarah’s Kitchen,
a juke joint in nearby Sunflower Avenue. This was an unforgettable night,
with Razorblade and ‘The Deep Cuts’ playing their Delta Blues in an
almost-derelict shopfront building. Next morning a stranger on the street
hailed me over and offered to show me around the downtown, providing
some fascinating background to this place called Clarksdale. His name
was Kinchen “Bubba” O’Keefe, a local building contractor and devel-
oper, and truly Clarksdale’s “community statesman”. Both Bubba and
 Author’s Note xi

Bill feature in this story about downtown Clarksdale, along with a cast of
many who have injected energy, enterprise, and funds into the revitalisa-
tion of downtown.
After all of these years, I am reminded of what Charlie Musselwhite
told me at a gig at the Corner Hotel back home in Melbourne. As he
stood in front of the audience, the lid of his aluminium harp case was
open, and across that lid were the words “I (heart) Clarksdale”. Charlie
had finished up for the night and was now signing CDs, so I approached
him, bought a CD and casually mentioned that I was going to Clarksdale
in a couple of weeks’ time. Charlie smiled and simply responded: “[O]
nce you’ve been to Clarksdale, life is never the same.”
How true.
In 2008 I spent three months in Clarksdale, and I went there with a
plan to write what I was calling my Blues Odyssey, a story about this
small town’s efforts at downtown revitalisation associated with Blues
music and Delta arts and culture. This revitalisation was something I had
observed during my visits since the first time back in 2001, and I was
intrigued to document the changes that were underway. However, my
objectives for the Odyssey were short-lived as a result of attending a pub-
lic meeting in the Greyhound Bus Station. A group of townsfolk had
gathered there to investigate the possibility of establishing an organisa-
tion to encourage and support downtown revitalisation. The chairman
for the meeting, Bill Luckett, said: “[W]e know what we want, but we
don’t have a plan.”
As much of my professional life has been involved in the economics
and urban planning associated with small-town development, I decided
to turn my work into an Action Plan for Downtown Clarksdale. I had no
client as such, but proceeded with my work over that three-month period.
Upon completion, I provided copies to the City of Clarksdale and to
Coahoma County, and to those in the local community interested and
involved in downtown development and revitalisation. For me person-
ally, the positive outcome has been the friendship of many people who
hold Clarksdale dear to their hearts. And I also very much value my “Key
to the City”, which was formally given to me, totally unexpectedly, at a
Council meeting by the Mayor of the City of Clarksdale before I left for
home back in 2008.
xii Author’s Note

The research from a decade ago piqued my interest in updating the

Clarksdale material and actually presenting it in the form of a book—
something readable and informative, and noting the impressive work
undertaken by individuals in the community who enjoy the “sense of
place” that attaches to this Mississippi Delta town.
This publication tells the story of the revitalisation of downtown
Clarksdale. A story that is continuing today and well into tomorrow …

Melbourne, VIC, Australia John C. Henshall

2018
 List of Figures

Fig. 1.1 Location of the City of Clarksdale and Coahoma County.

(Source: Mississippi Geospatial Clearinghouse & MapInfo) 2
Fig. 3.1 Location of Clarksdale, the Delta, and Mississippi Blues
markers—Mississippi Blues trail. (Source: VisitMississippi.org;
MsBluesTrail.org; Mississippi Geospatial Clearinghouse;
MapInfo)31
Fig. 4.1 Regional context—Clarksdale, Coahoma County, and the
Mississippi Delta. (Source: Mississippi Geospatial
Clearinghouse & MapInfo) 52
Fig. 4.2 Population levels in City of Clarksdale and Coahoma County,
1890–2018. (Source: US Census, except (*) author) 57
Fig. 5.1 Location of Downtown and State Street, Clarksdale. (Source:
Mississippi Geospatial Clearinghouse & MapInfo) 74
Fig. 5.2 Aerial view of Downtown Clarksdale. (Source: Mississippi
Geospatial Clearinghouse & MapInfo) 75
Fig. 5.3 Downtown Clarksdale trade area. (Source: Mississippi
Geospatial Clearinghouse & MapInfo; author 2018) 80

xiii
 List of Tables

Table 4.1 Population levels in City of Clarksdale and Coahoma County,

1890–201857
Table 4.2 Socio-economic profile of City of Clarksdale and Coahoma
County residents 59
Table 4.3 Distribution of employment by key industry sectors for City
of Clarksdale and Coahoma County residents, 2010 62
Table 5.1 Estimates of Downtown Clarksdale’s trade area population,
1970 and 2018 81
Table 5.2 Estimates of retail and office floorspace in Downtown
Clarksdale, 2018 82
Table 5.3 Estimates of Downtown Clarksdale’s retail sales, trade area
spending and market share, 2018 85
Table 6.1 Summary of travel and tourism impact, Coahoma County,
2009 and 2017 94
Table 6.2 Estimate of overnight and day visitors to City of Clarksdale
and Coahoma County, 2017 96
Table 6.3 Estimate of visitor spending in City of Clarksdale, 2017 98
Table 8.1 Businesses, events, and buildings in Downtown Clarksdale
associated with tourism, 2018 122

xv
 List of Boxes

Box 3.1 Festivals in Clarksdale, Mississippi, 2018 44

Box 3.2 Juke Joints and Other Venues at Festival Time in Clarksdale
201845
Box 7.1 Initiatives Taken in Downtown Clarksdale Matched with
Charles Landry’s “Ten Ideas to Start the Creative City
Process”115
Box 8.1 Radio XRDS.fm 128
Box 9.1 Objectives in Pursuing Downtown Revitalisation in
Clarksdale146
Box 12.1 Ten Essential Do’s and Don’ts for Downtown Clarksdale’s
Revitalisation198

xvii
 1
Introduction

This is a story about Clarksdale and the economic revitalisation process

that led to the rebirth of the city’s downtown after many years of decline
and dereliction. The special significance of Blues music to downtown
revitalisation is highlighted through cultural tourism, with Clarksdale as
the location of the Crossroads at Highways 49 and 61 and associated
with the birth of the Blues.
Clarksdale is like so many other small cities and towns in America: at
first sight it appears to be poor, desolate, and seemingly without a goal for
future development and the well-being of its community. The same can
be said about many small cities and towns in Australia, but a leisurely
drive through the American urban areas—with derelict downtowns—
highlights the issues that truly need attention. These aspects are recorded
in this story.
Of course, much has been written about the economic revitalisation of
downtown areas in cities and towns, including the role of cultural tour-
ism and the so-called creative people in enabling such revitalisation to
occur. However, less attention has focused on the importance of cultural
tourism in promoting economic revitalisation in the downtowns of small

© The Author(s) 2019 1

J. C. Henshall, Downtown Revitalisation and Delta Blues in Clarksdale, Mississippi,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2107-8_1
2 J. C. Henshall

cities and towns. This story addresses this situation by focusing on

­revitalisation efforts in the long-established downtown of Clarksdale,
Mississippi, where the town’s resident population totals around 16,170
persons in 2018, a substantial decline on the 22,000-plus residents of the
early 1980s. Lessons are provided for other small cities and towns where
a decline in economic activities in the downtown has been in evidence
over many years.
For decades Clarksdale, located in Coahoma County in the northern part
of the Mississippi Delta as illustrated in Fig. 1.1, had lost its role as the cen-
tre providing a wide range of business opportunities, jobs, and community

Fig. 1.1 Location of the City of Clarksdale and Coahoma County. (Source:
Mississippi Geospatial Clearinghouse & MapInfo)
 Introduction 3

services to those living in the town and surrounding region. This situation
was not uncommon for many cities and towns in America where downtown
decline has been associated with the flight to the suburbs, out-of-centre
retail mall developments, and the increase in personal accessibility provided
through universal car ownership, among other factors.
In Clarksdale’s case, downtown decline has been due to several specific
factors, including the advent of big box retailing and the location of new
retail and commercial businesses along South State Street on the edge of
town; a declining trade area associated with the loss of population, jobs,
and spending flowing from agricultural restructuring and manufacturing
decline; the loss of workers and their families as they seek employment
opportunities in (mainly) larger, northern cities; and the increasing level
of competition from other cities and towns.
Today, however, Clarksdale has taken up the challenge to “revitalise”
its downtown in the face of economic adversity. Recovery is underway
and much of this is associated with Blues music and Delta culture—
Clarksdale is situated at the fabled “crossroads” of Highways 49 and 61,
and is also the home to national icons in literature, art and other cultural
pursuits. These are key elements around which the downtown revitalisa-
tion effort is now focused, with growth in many new businesses associ-
ated with the Blues legacy, ranging from music venues and art galleries,
to museums, cafes and restaurants, and specialist retailers.
This story charts the background, process, and progress through which
the Clarksdale community has embarked on the road to downtown
recovery. It highlights the town’s indelible links with Blues music, borne
out of years of toil, hardship, and socio-economic deprivation visited
upon the African-American community. Emphasis is placed on the
importance of “champions” and “creative people”, drawing on commu-
nity support in achieving downtown revitalisation.
Positive results are now evident, with increasing numbers of new busi-
nesses and jobs, improved levels of service, refurbishment of derelict
buildings, a renewed sense of place, and an uplift in community confi-
dence. However, some concerns are voiced in the community that much
of the revitalisation has been achieved by private sector interests, particu-
larly individuals setting up new businesses in downtown, with a lesser
degree of involvement by local government. These aspects are discussed.
4 J. C. Henshall

Consideration is also given to national trends in downtown decline

and subsequent revival, including reference to the writings of Jane Jacobs
and other observers of downtown change in American cities over the
years. The role of “creative people” in fostering economic development—
drawing on work by writers Charles Landry, Richard Florida, and oth-
ers—is also assessed for its relevance to a small city like Clarksdale. An
outline of the very significant place of Blues music and Delta culture in
Clarksdale’s revitalisation over the past decade or so is highlighted,
emphasising how Blues is the fundamental element contributing to
downtown’s economic revival.
Lessons for small cities and towns are principally focused around rec-
ognising the importance of a particular theme or asset or other feature
around which economic and community development can be pursued.
These themes or assets include the importance of champions and creative
people in fostering economic development; the need for good commu-
nity organisation; the importance of having an “action plan” to guide
progress; the need to have in place—or encourage the provision of—the
supporting infrastructure and services; and the significance of supporting
the viable operation of both existing and new businesses as a means of
adding to investment and new job creation. The lessons are borne out of
the Clarksdale experience, and they are applicable in other small cities
and towns where the community wants to encourage new opportunities
for local development, prosperity, and well-being.
In particular, the significance of cultural tourism to downtown revitali-
sation is highlighted, with emphasis on the global appeal of Blues music,
but with the Blues roots firmly established in the fertile soils of the
Mississippi Delta and Clarksdale.
 Introduction 5

Clarksdale Entrance on West Second Street

State Street Approach from Highway 61

6 J. C. Henshall

Sunflower River in Clarksdale

The Bank in East Second Street

 2
Downtown Decline and Revitalisation:
National Trends and Clarksdale’s
Experience

While the focus is on the revitalisation of downtown Clarksdale, it is

appropriate to examine the broad trends at the national level in America
in terms of downtown economic decline and revitalisation over the years.
This “global” view assists in placing Clarksdale’s issues and achievements
in perspective.
Numerous reasons underlie the decline in the economic fortunes of
downtowns over recent decades, especially the decline in downtown roles
and functions, the “flight” to the suburbs, and the trend to “out-of-­
centre” commercial development. Downtown decline is counter-bal-
anced by the trend to downtown revitalisation, with approaches that
include “Main Street” and other programmes or processes aimed at
downtown revival.
Since the first days of urban settlement in millennia past, the geo-
graphic centre of communities has been the place where civic, business,
and other activities have located to serve community needs. In the
American vernacular, the “downtown” emerged as the locale for a wide
range of activities, and this was particularly so for retail and commercial
businesses serving the local community, and with the extension of this
servicing role to meet needs in the surrounding hinterland. Downtown

© The Author(s) 2019 7

J. C. Henshall, Downtown Revitalisation and Delta Blues in Clarksdale, Mississippi,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2107-8_2
8 J. C. Henshall

was regarded as the place where the lifeblood of business and the com-
munity was focused. This is the location where significant investment of
many generations was traditionally directed, and where opportunities
were to be found in developing properties and investing in new and
expanding businesses and jobs, and participating in social activity.
However, a decline in the economic base of long-established down-
towns in many American cities and towns has been in evidence for
decades and with a multitude of contributory factors, ranging from sub-
urbanisation and universal car ownership, to out-of-centre development
and strong competition from larger centres.
The trend to suburbanisation was in evidence in industrialising
England in the nineteenth century and with the Garden City Movement
in the early twentieth century. However, it was the introduction and
widespread adoption of the motor vehicle some 100 years ago that facili-
tated the substantial movement to the suburbs, and this was very much
in evidence in America. Suburban land prices were cheaper compared
with land prices in city centres and environs, and the car ensured that
suburban land was more accessible in a transportation sense, giving peo-
ple the opportunity to enjoy large blocks, new dwellings, and a sense of
new opportunity (Jacobs 1961; Glaeser 2005).
In the American context, the move to the suburbs was also associated
in many cases with the “flight from blight” (Mieszkowski and Mills
1993; Bradford and Keleijan 1973). This movement was characterised
by city residents seeking opportunities to move away from what they
perceived to be declining liveability as low income households moved
into inner city neighbourhoods. These neighbourhoods had become
congested and were experiencing a decline in local amenity. Race issues
were a further factor in the flight from the city centres. Other factors
exerted a “magnet” effect in attracting development to the suburbs and
included such diverse influences as cheaper mortgages for suburban
properties and improved access to better schools (Glaeser 2005). This
outward movement of higher-income households away from inner city
environs led to a loss of retail support to downtown businesses and con-
tributed to the continuing downward spiral in downtown economic
circumstances.
 Downtown Decline and Revitalisation: National Trends… 9

The trend to suburbanisation is also reflected in the view that “most of

the fastest growing ‘cities’ of the late Twentieth Century – Los Angeles,
Atlanta, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas and Charlotte – are primarily collec-
tions of suburbs, often with only marginal links to the traditional urban
core” (The Planning Center 2005, p. 9). Under the heading of “Downtown
Delusions”, The Planning Center states that “Despite much-ballyhooed
accounts about a return of residents to the nation’s downtowns” the pop-
ulation movement into downtowns is insignificant, with downtowns
forecast as having only a 2.3% share of metropolitan residents in 2010
compared with 1.6% in 1998. At least, according to these figures, the
downtowns are increasing their share of metropolitan populations.
However, just as importantly as absorbing more residents, the down-
towns need to be supported for the business, civic, and community roles
they perform for populations from the local level to the metropolitan
level, and for the significant investment, economic activity, and jobs these
downtowns typically represent.
Downtown decline was also a result of the development of new shop-
ping centres established in the suburbs to serve the expanding suburban
populations. A hierarchy of centres emerged, ranging from small neigh-
bourhood shopping centres to large, drive-in regional shopping centres
or shopping malls covering many acres of land. In turn, this development
of larger centres in the suburbs and away from the city core led to a loss
of business for the established downtowns. This trend followed the pat-
terns observed earlier by Jacobs (1961) where suburbanites no longer
needed to travel back into the downtown for their goods and services or
other requirements, thus leading to the demise of many downtown
businesses.
Out-of-centre development thrived, with major retail operations mov-
ing to large, affordable sites located away from downtown centres and
suburban centres, yet remaining accessible to their retail trade areas
through the convenience afforded to people due to universal car owner-
ship and the development of major highway and freeway networks.
Today, a common sight in American cities and towns is the development
of these retail and commercial activities at freeway interchanges, often far
from residential neighbourhoods they serve, but readily accessible by car.
10 J. C. Henshall

These are the “edge cities”, as described by Garreau (1992), which are
large areas of mixed-use urban development accommodating significant
residential, retail, and commercial activities, typically located at the inter-
sections of major freeways.
Development of suburban shopping centres and out-of-centre retail
and commercial premises in American cities and towns has drawn valu-
able custom away from established downtowns, thereby adding signifi-
cantly to the loss of business revenues and contributing to an increase in
other commercial pressures on long-established downtown localities.
However, some observers (including Garreau 1992) argue that the devel-
opment of “edge cities”, now an international phenomenon, is important
in driving economic development, jobs, and wealth.
A further contributor to downtown decline has been the movement of
manufacturing activities to the suburbs and, additionally, the loss of con-
siderable levels of manufacturing activity from American cities as they
suffer severe competition from low-cost manufacturing operations
abroad. Employment areas surrounding downtowns no longer provided
the manufacturing base, jobs were lost, and families moved on to places
where they perceived employment opportunities to be greater (Lemann
1991), and this was typically in suburban areas. Affordable and accessible
land in the suburbs was attractive to both manufacturing activities and
their labour force, compared with higher land prices in heavily built-up
city centres (Mieszkowski and Mills 1993, p. 136).
While suburbanisation and car ownership are readily acknowledged as
contributors to downtown decay, the urban planning profession has also
failed to assist downtown prosperity. This view is readily supported by the
lack of planning that consequently fosters out-of-centre developments.
The failure of planning is also in evidence with the lack of effort in actu-
ally planning and developing the downtown as a comprehensive locale
for work, shopping, and residential living, and as a place to engage in
lifestyle and other interests. This situation was highlighted by Jacobs
more than 50 years ago: Jacobs observed that “When a city heart stag-
nates or disintegrates, a city as a social neighbourhood of the whole begins
to suffer … It falters at producing something greater, socially, culturally,
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
angel’s wings. By night the moon goddess rose in silvery beauty and
bathed the garden in light; it kissed the leaves of the bamboo, until
the dew sparkled upon them like diamonds in a setting of silver.
Fragrant flowers bloomed at the bamboo’s feet: irises from their
meadow home, azaleas, rare lotus lilies, and a fringe of purple
wistaria wafting its breath in friendship upon her. Here she grew in
strength and grace. All things were her friends, for she gave to all of
her sweetness; and to the winds she bowed her head.
“Great North Wind,” she said gently, “how thou art strong!” And to
the South Wind she said, “How sweet and kind thou art!” To the
flowers she gave shade and to the children, who still loved her,
companionship.
“the great bamboo, prostrate upon the ground”
 One night she shivered and bowed her head very, very low, for
there came a storm from the sea, a storm so fierce and wild as to
frighten her very soul. The waves of the sea tossed the white foam
heavenward; they rose up in giant walls of fury until ships sunk in the
troughs between and were dashed to pieces. The beach was strewn
with wrecks, and when daylight came, Lady Silver Mist gazed upon
the scene. She recognized her old friend, the great bamboo,
prostrate upon the ground, while all around him lay bits of the junk
over which he had reared his haughty head.
“Alas! my poor friend!” she cried. “What a sad fate is yours! Would
that I could aid you.”
“No one can help me,” he replied with a moan. “Would that I had
been made into a common coolie pole with which to push a country
junk! Then might I have been useful for many years! No, my heart is
broken, Silver Mist. Farewell.”
He gave a long shuddering sigh and spoke no more. Soon some
men who came to clear up the wreckage, chopped the mast up for
firewood; and that was the end of the boastful bamboo.
 Footnotes
[5] Sash.
 THE ANGEL’S ROBE
Once an angel bore to earth the soul of a child. She bore it to a
little bamboo house beside a bamboo tree, and there it received a
loving welcome. Many friends gathered around to greet the little
newcomer as soon as they saw the kite[6] fly up from before the
house. Dear little kimonos were given the baby. One was of the
finest silk and embroidered with the crane and the pine; for these
mean long life in Japan.
The angel loved the little child she had brought, and she tarried
long at the window of the little bamboo house among the trees and
flowers. She felt glad that she had brought the little one to such a
happy home.
She had left her robe in the trees; for it had caught there in her
flight, and she had not waited to remove it. A fisherman passing by,
saw the beautiful, floating silk and, loosening it, he said, “This is a
very pretty thing. I have never seen anything like it before. I shall
take it to my sweetheart.”
The angel heard him as she floated through the air, and she cried,
“I pray you, sir, give me back my robe! I may not return to heaven
without it!”
“Do not return, fair one,” he replied, dazzled by her radiant beauty.
“Stay here upon the earth and delight us all with your grace.”
“Not so, not so,” she cried in fear. “Know you not that an angel
may not stay long on earth and live! Her beauty fades, her soul
grows sick within her, and soon she is no more. Give me my robe
and let me return, for I pine for the pearly gates and the golden
streets.”
“I will return it if you will dance for me,” said the fisherman; and the
angel consented.
“First give me my robe that my dance may be more perfect,” she
said.
“No, no, my beauty,” he answered, “for then you will fly away and I
shall never see you dance.”
 “Fie upon you, base mortal! Deceit was born of man; the heavens
know it not!” she said in displeasure.
Then the fisherman was much ashamed and gave her the robe;
and she danced for him a dance of wonderful grace and beauty,
such as mortal had never dreamed of before. He wished to gaze
forever at the lovely, floating being. The moonlight shone upon her,
bathing her in silvery light, beneath the feathery bamboo, with snow-
capped Fuji above the clouds, calm and serene.
While she danced, visions of heaven came to the fisherman, and
when she was wafted from his sight by a snowy cloud, he sank upon
the ground and, covering his face with his hands, he wept bitterly, as
he cried, “Alas! alas! Nevermore will things of earth seem fair!”
“she was wafted from his sight”
 Footnotes
[6] In Japan a kite is always sent up from a house where a little
boy is born.
 THE MOON AND THE CUCKOO
In the far years of the twelfth century the Lord Mikado was cursed
with a terrible illness. All Nippon prayed to the gods. Men offered all
their richest offerings to appease the wrath of heaven, but it availed
them naught. His Majesty grew worse and none of the great men
who came to him could divine the cause of his trouble.
Every temple was full of devotees. Each shrine had its worshipers,
but Sorrow was the guest at every door. His Majesty grew worse and
worse, and every night was stricken with a horrible nightmare.
At last it was noticed that each evening a dark cloud moved across
the heavens and hung over the palace. From it shone two fiery orbs,
gleaming fiercely. The priests prayed and threatened, but the
brooding demon remained. At last a young warrior whose name was
Yorimasa came forward and said, “Let me slay this horrid beast who,
with his black breath and fiery eyes, threatens the life of our beloved
emperor. If I fail I can but die and my life is the Mikado’s in any case.
Let me go!”
“from it shone two fiery orbs, gleaming fiercely”
 “Go, and the gods go with you!” the priests replied, and Yorimasa
went forth to conquer or to die.
He breathed a prayer to the great god Hachiman, his patron, and
set a heavy arrow in his well-strung bow. Twang, went the bow
string, and lo! the arrow brought the monster low. It was indeed a
fiend, terrible enough to have destroyed the emperor, for it had the
head of a monkey, the claws of a tiger, the body of a lion, and the tail
of a mighty serpent.
Yorimasa was brave, however, and he made at the beast with his
good sword. Nine times he plunged it into the ferocious monster’s
breast, and at last it fell dead.
The emperor now promptly recovered, and wishing to reward
Yorimasa for his bravery, he called him and said: “At the risk of your
own life, you have saved that of your emperor. What will you have in
reward?”
Yorimasa answered, “Most August One, my life was your own.
Why should I not risk it to save that for which all Nippon would be
honored to die? I claim no reward. In my heart is joy that I have
served my emperor.”
“But I will reward you,” said the Mikado. “For I should be as just as
you are generous. Here is the sword Shichi-no-O (the King of the
Wild Boars) for since you can wield a sword so nobly, it is fitting that
you have a noble sword, my brave Yorimasa. Two things delight the
heart of brave men, love and duty, woman and warfare. Since you
have been successful with the one, I will give you success with the
other. It has come to my ears that you love Ajama[7] and that she
loves you. Take her and may you be happy and may your children
live and prosper and grow up to serve their emperor as their father
has served his.”
Then Yorimasa bent low before him and thanked him; and a
gentleman of the court composed a verse about Yorimasa, and sang
a song to him in which he compared his rapid rise into favor to the
cuckoo’s flight toward the crescent moon. But Yorimasa was as
modest as he was brave and would not admit that he deserved any
special praise. So he answered the poet’s song by singing these
lines:
 “Like the cuckoo
So high to soar
How is it so?
Only my bow I bent,
That only sent the shaft.”

But he and Ajama were soon married, and lived happily ever after,
in the sunshine of the Mikado’s favor.
 Footnotes
[7] Ajama, Flowering Sweet Flag. In Japan all women are
named for flowers.
 THE HANG-THE-MONEY-UP TREE
Once upon a time, nearly a thousand years ago, a man named
Ononatakamura offended the Mikado and was sent into exile. His
wife loved him dearly and wished to go with him, but, though she
cried and begged to be allowed to do so, the Mikado would not
permit her.
In her despair at being separated from her beloved husband, she
made up her mind to go to the Sacred Shrine of Isé and pray for him.
She stole quietly away to the foot of Mt. Hi-yei, but not being used to
walking she soon grew weary and sat down to rest under a pine tree.
It was a beautiful country that she looked upon. The hillside bloomed
with flowers. The pines waved their green branches against the soft
blue sky, and, serene and lofty, the mountains rose heavenward. A
kind wind caressed her brow as she sat resting, and the murmur of
the trees seemed to bring her comfort.
A farmer coming that way, she spoke to him saying, “Good day,
kind sir. Pray tell me how far it is to the temple of Isé?”
“Twenty days’ journey,” he made answer, being a rude fellow and
unkind. He wished to annoy her, for he knew well it was not so far.
“i will here make my offering”
 “Alas!” she sighed. “I shall never reach that sacred shrine! How
then shall my dear husband be brought back to me! Surely the gods
will hear the prayer of a faithful wife, no matter where she may be. I
will here make my offering and my prayers, and the Eternal Kindness
will hear.”
Then she hung some coins upon a pine tree, and prayed earnestly
that the gods would bless her husband and take her to him.
The farmer heard her, but his heart was still hard, and when she
went aside to rest he tried to steal the money from the tree. But the
gods had heard her prayer, and the tree suddenly turned into a two-
headed serpent which spit fire at the thief’s approach. The farmer
was so terribly frightened, that he repented that he had been so
unkind; and he took the woman by the hand and led her in safety to
the shrine she sought.
Then were her prayers answered, for the gods softened the heart
of the Mikado, and when one told him of the devotion of this good
wife, he sent for her to come to his throne.
“So faithful a woman should have a reward,” he said. “What will
you that I bestow upon you?”
“The return of my husband, Most Revered One,” she answered;
and straightway he sent word to Ononatakamura to come back from
exile.
Of the pine tree upon which the money had been hung they made
a shrine. Whoever was ill of any complaint, and prayed there, was
made well; and whoever besought there any favor of the gods was
sure to receive it in abundance. And from that time the place was
called the “Shrine of the Hang-the-Money-Up Tree.”
THE GODDESS OF GREEN-GROWING
THINGS
Amaterasu, the sun goddess, loved the earth. So long had she
shone upon it with her gracious light that it was to her as a beloved
child and she wished for it all good things. When she found growing
from the body of Ukimochi, whom Susanoo had slain in wrath, a
mulberry tree, and also a silkworm, rice grains, barley and beans she
said to herself,
“Behold, the gods make good to grow out of evil. From death
comes life. The slaying of Ukimochi was a deed of wrath, yet from it
will come peace to the people of the earth.”
She made barley and beans the seeds of dry places, and rice the
seeds of moor and fen. Mulberry trees she planted upon the
hillsides, and upon these she reared silkworms so that the art of silk-
weaving might begin.
Having thus given to the world things of such usefulness and
beauty, the sun goddess desired to have them cared for. So she
commanded Susanoo to send to earth his daughter, Mihashirano. He
obeyed and the daughter came down from heaven. But she could
find no place to live, and therefore wandered for a long time to and
fro in Nippon.
One day a fisherman named Sakino, who lived at Itsuku, one of
the isles of the sea, was casting his nets near Okanoshima. As he
fished he saw a curious boat with a bright red sail coming towards
him. There seemed something strange about the boat; and Sakino
waited until it sailed close to him. Then he beheld upon it the
goddess Mihashirano, who spoke to him.
“Sakino,” she said, “long have I passed to and fro in the Isles of
Many Blades, and watched by field and moor and hillside to see the
life-giving seeds which Amaterasu bestowed upon you. Well
nourished have they been and watched so that you have had much
rice and barley. Now, wherefore have I not a shrine built in my honor,
where men may come to bring thanks, and where I may dwell in
peace?
“Go thou to the Mikado and request that he build for me a temple
at Miyajima; then will I protect the Mikado’s land forever and ever.”
Sakino hastened to Kioto and revealed all this to the Mikado. At
that time there was a great famine in the far provinces of Nippon,
and the Mikado said, “The goddess is displeased with us, and so this
famine has come upon my people. Hasten your return to Itsuku and
build there a temple to do her honor. Here is much treasure; go
quickly and build.”
“it flew ahead of sakino’s boat”
 Sakino was delighted with this task, and he hurried homeward as
fast as he was able. He could not at first decide which would be the
best place for the temple, so he sailed around the islands seeking
the loveliest spot. Then as he sailed a strange thing chanced; for
from the very top of the mountain flew a huge bird, and it flew ahead
of Sakino’s boat all the way. This he took as an omen, and he
followed the bird closely until it stopped and hovered over a wooded
hillside.
“Here we shall build the temple of Mihashiranohime-o-kami, the
gentle goddess of the earth’s fruitfulness. We shall raise a temple to
do her honor,” he cried. “The torii shall rise up out of the sea; the
light-bearing pillars shall guard the entrance, and men shall come
from far and near to see the shrine. Then shall they see how the
Goddess of Green-growing Things is honored in the Land of Many
Blades.”
This he did and the goddess dwelt happily in her abode, and there
was no more famine in the land; for the shrine of the Goddess of
Green-growing Things is to this very day honored in the isles of
Nippon.