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Dr. Cordelia Polinna
- © CMS
cordelia.polinna@metropolitanstudies.de
Center for Metropolitan Studies (CMS)
TU Berlin
Hardenbergstr. 16-18, HBS 6
10623 Berlin
PDF of English CV
Postdoc Research Project
"Immigrant towns: Change in immigrant quarters in London and New York in the context of post-modern urban regeneration strategies"
City quarters which are inhabited by immigrants from a certain country, for example quarters such as "Chinatown", "Banglatown", "Little Italy" or "Little Odessa", can be considered a special example for the spatial manifestation of globalization processes. In the context of post-modern urban planning, those areas (working title “immigrant towns”) have been assigned with functions that go beyond the alleviation of arriving and the assimilation of immigrants – they have turned into cultural quarters, tourist attractions, zones for entertainment and the night-time economy. Due to the multi-cultural “urban” atmosphere they often also serve as locations for clusters the creative industries. Those immigrant towns are not a new phenomenon, Chinatown in Manhattan existed since the 1750’s, the area of Spitalfields in East London was already known as a colony of Huguenot immigrants in the 16th century. What is new is the differentiation of the functions of immigrant towns in the context of post-modern urban regeneration strategies. In the media and among political stakeholders, concentrations of immigrants are frequently regarded as a threat for a balanced urban structure. The potentials of those areas are often neglected in the scientific and policy discourses.
The analysis will focus on inner-city immigrant towns in London and New York which have a substantial amount of historic buildings. I will look at the history of the area, the structure of its architecture and urban design, the function of the area for immigrants on the one hand and for the entire city on the other hand and the problems and potentials of the area especially regarding questions of architecture and urban design. Furthermore, I want to examine which strategies were pursued for the marketing and popularization of the area and whether their implementation can be seen as a success. It is to be clarified which stakeholders were involved in the planning process and in strategies for the popularization of the area. Apart from that, I want to analyze in which way the architectural, functional and urban structure of the area serves as a catalyst for the attraction of an innovative milieu. In connection with this, the question will be raised whether immigrant towns can develop an inspiring and attractive atmosphere for creative industries. Finally I want to examine whether experiences from the examples in London and New York can help to develop similar strategies for areas shaped by immigrants in Berlin.
Curriculum Vitae
since 01/2008
DFG Post Doctoral Fellow at the Transatlantic Graduate Research Program,
Center for Metropolitan Studies, Technical University Berlin
EDUCATION
20. April 2007
Final exam (“Wissenschaftliche Aussprache”) for acquiring the doctoral degree
02/2003
Start of work on doctoral dissertation (Dr. Ing.) on the subject „Towards a London Renaissance. Städtebaulicher Paradigmenwechsel in London: Projekte und Planwerke für den Umbau des Zentrums“ (“Towards a London Renaissance: A shift in the urban design paradigm in London: projects and plans for the regeneration of the city centre”) at the Technische Universität Berlin
07/2001
Diploma at the Technische Universität Berlin
09/1997 bis 06/1998
Town and Country Planning and Urban Design at the Edinburgh College of Art
10/1994 bis 07/2001
Town and Regional Planning at the
Technische Universität Berlin
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
since 05/2008
Polinna Hauck Consultants - Consultant for urban Quality
02/2002 - 01/2003
Researcher with the DFG-funded research project “Postmodern urban design since the 1980ies: Remake of the ‘European City’ in Berlin and London” led by Professor Dr. Harald Bodenschatz, Technische Universität Berlin
10/1999 - 09/2001
Student assistant at the Department of Architectural and Planning Sociology, Technische Universität Berlin
02/1996 - 08/1997
08/1998 - 09/1999
Student assistant at the Beratungsgesellschaft für Stadterneuerung und Modernisierung mbH (BSM), Berlin (Berlin-based urban design and town planning consultants)
RESEARCH PROJECTS AND RESEARCH INTERESTS
since 2008
Destination Immigrant Town
Change in immigrant quarters in London and New York in the context of post-modern urban regeneration strategies.
Post Doc Research Projetc at the Centre for Metropolitan Studies, Berlin
02/2003 – 04/2007
A paradigm shift in urban design in London – projects an planning strategies for the regeneration of the city centre
Doctoral Thesis
www.rohn-verlag.de/37.html
since 2006
Beacon-projects of the social-led regeneration in London
The Idea Stores in Tower Hamlets, the Rich Mix Centre and the Rivington Arts Centre in Hackney, the Peckham Library in Southwark and the Bernie Grant Centre in Tottenham as examples for the culture-led and social-led regeneration.
02/2002 bis 01/2003
Postmodern Urban Design since the 1980ies: The Remake of the ‚European City‘ in Berlin and London
Junior Researcher working on the example of London // Research project funded by the German Research Foundation from 2002-2004 // Lead by Professor Dr. Harald Bodenschatz, TU Berlin.
2000-2003
Berlin City Attack
The marketing strategy of Nike in Berlin
2000-2001
Berliner Erlebniswelten
Strategies to cope with large-scale urban entertainment structure in Berlin
Diploma Thesis
AWARDS AND BURSARIES
08/2007
First Prize at BilfingerBergerAward for the case study “Promoting disadvantaged urban districts: The Idea Stores in Tower Hamlets, London as a pilot project”
www.award.bilfingerberger.de/C12571950027E31F/vwContentByKey/W276AMDG502WEBBEN 04/2003 - 03/2006
Dissertation Fellowship with the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung
09/1997 - 06/1998
SOCRATES Scholarship of the EU to study at the
Edinburgh College of Art