The Graffiti
Immortalised Words: Is the regeneration sustainable in Urban Splash’s attempts to imitate the past?
Once, graffiti scrawled by a man attempting to win over his lover, now a marketing stunt by urban splash, how far do these famous words act as an indicator to the sustainability of the regeneration of Park Hill flats?
Firstly, the decision to not only keep the graffiti, but enhance it suggests an attempt to remain socially sustainable after the regeneration of Park Hill. “I love you will u marry me” has become something of an iconic statement amongst the people of Sheffield. Keeping the graffiti would imply Urban Splash’s efforts to try and keep the previous heart and character Park Hill maintained, thus minimalizing the impact of change and remaining socially sustainable.
On the other hand, the original architect, Ivor Smith stated that Urban Splash’s project, “gives real meaning to the word ‘regeneration’. It represents a new beginning, a new vitality”. This would completely contradict the use of preserving the graffiti because rather than reusing remnants of the past as a socially sustainable ploy, Smith suggests that in fact Park Hill is undergoing ‘change’, something not affiliated with sustainability at all.
It may be argued that rather than social sustainability. Urban Splash are actually engaging in socially responsible investing by keeping the graffiti. Rather than maintaining the previous character, they are using the graffiti to create financial return and bolster social good. This means that on the one hand the graffiti enhancement is socially sustainable in its attempts to engage with all members of the public and provide a ‘feel good’ factor for locals. However, from a financial perspective it indicates that “I love you will u marry me” has become more fashionable and materialistic than meaningful. Instead the graffiti was preserved and enhanced to boost Urban Splash’s profits. It gave Park Hill a new ‘flashier’ make over which may attract the rich and young professionals to the area. This surge of money to the area would not be a socially sustainable factor because it would force the previous users of Park Hill out due to lack of funds.
At the present moment, rather than the graffiti illustrating Urban Splash’s attempts to preserve the character of the old Park Hill flats, the neon lights of “I love you will u marry me” will become an indicator of social sustainability over time. Will the ploy be so effective in 5 to 10 years’ time when one of the bulbs stops working and nobody is there to fix it? If it is fixed, it will prove that there is a real effort to maintain Park Hill flats as a socially sustainable residence.
Once, graffiti scrawled by a man attempting to win over his lover, now a marketing stunt by urban splash, how far do these famous words act as an indicator to the sustainability of the regeneration of Park Hill flats?
Firstly, the decision to not only keep the graffiti, but enhance it suggests an attempt to remain socially sustainable after the regeneration of Park Hill. “I love you will u marry me” has become something of an iconic statement amongst the people of Sheffield. Keeping the graffiti would imply Urban Splash’s efforts to try and keep the previous heart and character Park Hill maintained, thus minimalizing the impact of change and remaining socially sustainable.
On the other hand, the original architect, Ivor Smith stated that Urban Splash’s project, “gives real meaning to the word ‘regeneration’. It represents a new beginning, a new vitality”. This would completely contradict the use of preserving the graffiti because rather than reusing remnants of the past as a socially sustainable ploy, Smith suggests that in fact Park Hill is undergoing ‘change’, something not affiliated with sustainability at all.
It may be argued that rather than social sustainability. Urban Splash are actually engaging in socially responsible investing by keeping the graffiti. Rather than maintaining the previous character, they are using the graffiti to create financial return and bolster social good. This means that on the one hand the graffiti enhancement is socially sustainable in its attempts to engage with all members of the public and provide a ‘feel good’ factor for locals. However, from a financial perspective it indicates that “I love you will u marry me” has become more fashionable and materialistic than meaningful. Instead the graffiti was preserved and enhanced to boost Urban Splash’s profits. It gave Park Hill a new ‘flashier’ make over which may attract the rich and young professionals to the area. This surge of money to the area would not be a socially sustainable factor because it would force the previous users of Park Hill out due to lack of funds.
At the present moment, rather than the graffiti illustrating Urban Splash’s attempts to preserve the character of the old Park Hill flats, the neon lights of “I love you will u marry me” will become an indicator of social sustainability over time. Will the ploy be so effective in 5 to 10 years’ time when one of the bulbs stops working and nobody is there to fix it? If it is fixed, it will prove that there is a real effort to maintain Park Hill flats as a socially sustainable residence.