Use Value Versus Exchange Value in Adams Morgan

The commercial sector of Adams Morgan is primarily focused along 18^th Street and Columbia Road. On the former of these two routes, many of these commercial venues are re-purposed rowhouses. In this section of the neighborhood, the additional exchange value brought in by these properties (additional rent generated by renting to commercial, instead of residential, tenants) has clearly overshadowed the use value of those previously living in those buildings.

However, this situation is complicated by the fact that many of these buildings are mixed use. This allows for the remaining residents to have their use values of their homes increase due to the proximity to shops and restaurants.

Mixed use

The central question on the use versus exchange debate (as presented in Logan and Molotch) should be “whose use values are being impacted and to what end?” not “if and why do increases in exchange values always come at the determent of use values?”. For example, a nightclub can increase the use value of a neighborhood for a single person in the 20-30 age group, but can decrease the use value of that neighborhood for a family with children.

Bars, bars everywhere!

As I noted previously, most purely residential structures in Adams Morgan and the surrounding communities are well maintained and public space is respected by the general community. This not increases the exchange value of the residential and commercial property in the neighborhood (because a safe community can command higher real-estate prices) but also increases the use value of the community for the residents, as well maintained buildings inspire a sense of pride in residents, and well maintained public space encourages residents go outdoors.

Well maintained buildings

In this case, the use value is increased for all groups. Those moving into the neighborhood can utilize its commercial and recreational areas, while long time residents can use the strong sense of community brought about by pride in residence to build their social networks.

Throughout the neighborhood, several condominium buildings were advertizing units for sale. While these advertisements did not have prices listed, one can only assume they cater to those of higher incomes who tend to place exchange value over use value. I noticed several Southeby's International reality signs in front of buildings, a general indicator that they command high exchange values.

Typical condominium building

I also examined the cars lining the street. Very few were noticeably high dollar, but many of them were recent models. The majority of them were in very good condition, indicating a high upper class neighborhood.

Most cars are relatively new

Community gatherings can also affect the use value versus exchange value balance. When I was there most recently, the Adams Morgan Pet-A-Palooza was taking place, and the demographic was skewed accordingly, an example of use value benefiting exchange value for a particular group.

In addition, many community establishments serve the needs of minorities. School banners are posted with one side in Spanish and the other in English, for example. This directly contributes to increased use values for members of the community that do not have a thorough understanding of English.

Overall, I feel that use values and exchange values are fairly well balanced for all groups in Adams Morgan, and that they are somewhat reciprocal to each other, with certain aspects of the built environment that increase exchange value also serving to increase use value.

A Survey of Adams Morgan

For the majority of its existence, Adams Morgan (originally written with a hyphen) has been a community of immigrants and minorities. The neighborhood was formed from combining Meridian Heights, Lanier Heights, Kalorama, and several other neighborhoods. It was created because residents of these neighborhoods wanted a common voice to protest urban renewal plans for this area and thought that their neighborhood could be revitalized through restoration and repair, not reconstruction.  

The residential area of Lanier Heights...

...And the commercial sector of 18th Street.

Adams Morgan is composed primarily of rowhouses, many of which (especially on 18^th Street) have commercial space on their first and second floors. Having been adapted to this purpose, they make 18^th Street the primary commercial artery in the neighborhood. A sidewalk widening project on 18^th Street has recently been completed, this should help the area grow in its role as a commercial hub and pedestrian artery, as well as providing ample space for outdoor restaurant seating.

The wild rowhouse (once endangered) in its native environment.

Newly widened sidewalks.

In addition to the rowhouses, there are also large apartment/condo buildings in the neighborhood. Some of these have been renovated substantially and are quite desirable, others have had less work done to them and appear to be much more affordable. Houses throughout Adams Morgan seem to be well kept up, and a variety of cars are parked on the street. This, combined with the diversity of the commercial enterprises on 18^th Street, leads me to believe that people of varying income levels live in Adams Morgan. If this is correct, than socioeconomic status cannot be determined by the condition of buildings, which I feel is ideal for an urban neighborhood.  

These look like affordable housing...

...And this was found close by.

From a design standpoint, the neighborhood is extremely diverse. In addition to the Modernist residential towers and rowhouses, industrial buildings and warehouses are present, some of these are still being used for light industrial purposes, such as self storage. Others have been converted into offices and condominiums. Government buildings from the later half of the 20^th century are also present, such as the police station and the elementary school.

Modern architecture makes me uncomfortable.

An electrical substation found a block off 18th Street.

Recently, some replenishment of the housing stock has been occurring. Newer, and mostlikely more expensive dwellings have been built and more are under construction. However, some of this newer development does not respect pedestrian space as older development does, despite being of similar density. Other new development may not include provisions for affordable housing.

Does "PH" stand for "public housing"? 

Some newer buildings completely disregard the street.

While the community has gentrified somewhat over the years, it still retains a high degree of diversity and ethnic culture, despite the fact that an Ethiopian grocery store on 18^th Street has recently closed. The commercial scene is primarily composed of bars and restaurants, however, many record stores, vintage stores, book stores, and ethnic stores, as well as several liquor and convenience stores, line 18^th Street, all housed primarily in older construction.

On the left, a liquor store, on the right, a take out restaurant. 

A bit excessive, no? 

A sprinkling of commercial services are also provided in Adams Morgan, such as dry cleaning, dentistry, health and fitness, and shoe repair. I neglected to note the owners of these establishments, but their location and interior decoration led me to believe that they support the greater community, and not just the younger set.

A news stand on 18th Street (these still exist?!)

And a Middle Eastern Affairs bureau.

Despite the revitalization of the neighborhood, there is plenty of evidence of a grittier past. About half of the houses have bars on the windows, and very few pedestrians were present in the residential areas of the neighborhood. The houses with bars on the windows seem to be evenly distributed throughout the neighborhood, leading me to believe they belong to older residents who were present during the time period most of the crime occurred in.

Well-kept houses, but the owners don't feel safe.

Even though Adams Morgan has gentrified somewhat, I feel it is the ideal model for an urban community. It has used the energy and economic potential of the gentry to its benefit, and it has done so without completely neglecting its original, lower income, residents. The commercial enterprises of Adams Morgan cater to both newer, upper income residents who desire active night live, and to lower income residents who have been in the area longer who desire grocery stores, ethnic markets, and community gathering places.

The ubiquitous fixed gear bicycle of gentrification...

...Parked in front of something noticeably non-yuppie.  

Southwest DC and Urban Renewal

In the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, the common consensus among sociologists, architects, and urban planners was that the city needed to be drastically re-imagined in order to address new social concerns, such as the epidemic of urban poverty, and to address new technologies, such as the mass-availability of automobiles.

Urban renewal can be addressed in two contexts, the social and the architectural. I will begin with the social context.

One problem that was seen as central to the epidemic of urban poverty and a result of increasing slum size was loss of community. It was believed that as the population of slums increased, their populace had less and less in common, and therefore less to build a community on, as it was believed at the time that a "community" could only exist in one cultural or ethnic group.  

Southwest in 1949, a year before renewal

With this, it made sense to divide the populace of a neighborhood into exclusive groups and provide for these groups accordingly, or as well as could be expected given the social prejudices of the time.

Southwest DC was an area of extreme poverty, and was deemed so hopeless that the only remedy seemed to be redesigning it altogether. This was at the detriment of the existing residents, the vast majority of whom were African American. They were removed from their houses and social networks and many were not allowed back in. The result was a much more homogeneous neighborhood, but that does not necessarily mean that a stable community developed.

Southwest in 2012

This idea of separation was beginning to be applied to land uses as well, as advances in transportation, first with streetcars, then subways, and finally automobiles, made it possible for one to live farther from where one worked, and the idea that places of residence had to be in close proximity to places of employment was seen as antiquated.

This brings to light the architectural context. Southwest DC was redeveloped almost exclusively in the style of high Modernism, which blended well with the Utopian social ideas of the time. Modern architecture was seen as pure, and free of the ornamentation and frivolousness of the past.  

However, placing functionality and technology over usability caused issues relating to the urban fabric. Modern architecture does not give much room for public space or social gathering, creating buildings which seem bland and uninviting, and separating uses run contrary to the way cities have historically worked. Many buildings have high iron fences around them, and some houses have bars on their windows, indicating that there are still problems with crime in Southwest.

Does this want to be friends with us?

This is immediately noticeable when one examines the foot traffic in Southwest when compared to other areas of Washington. I noticed a distinct lack of pedestrians in Southwest and a plethora of cars, this was understandable, given that entrances to buildings fronted onto parking lots or driveways, and rarely onto sidewalks. An interesting note is the Modernist interpretation of a rowhouse, two story residences built wall-to-wall with each other and with driveways in the front. What they are is immediately apparent, but the fact that they would be included in the renewal is striking at first, perhaps a toung-in-cheek nod to what once was.

Recently, attempts are being taken to revisit Southwest with an eye towards usage patterns of urban areas. Most notably, the redevelopment of the Arena Stage by Bing Thom. Last year, I attended a presentation by Mr. Thom on the renovation of Arena Stage and future plans for Southwest, including discussion of the Southwest Ecodistrict, currently in planning stages. Thom noted that efforts are being considered to greatly increase pedestrian mobility around Southwest, and that these will go a long way towards improving the livability of the area.

The Arena Stage, the old structure is encased in the new shell

Despite the checkered past of Southwest, do not think that it deserves another full scale redevelopment like it had in the 1950s. It is a unique part of DC that should be made to function as well as its built environment will allow, and should serve as an example to future urban planners of how and what not to do. It can almost be thought of as successful simply due to the fact that the renewal efforts did not result in total failure and additional demolition decades after it was built.

Demolition of Pruitt Igoe. St Louis, MO. 

Cities and Individualism

Georg Simmel's 1903 work The Metropolis and Mental Life relates the effects of urban living to the development of the individual. He begins by discussing how the majority of recent societal problems have come from the clash between individualism (the human) and collectivism (the city), and discusses the argument that prolonged exposure to city life can hinder development of the individual. 

Simmel goes on to note that "swift and continuous" changes in one's surroundings can lead to changes in one's mood, and that to comprehend this, living in a city requires a mental astuteness which he states leads to intellectualism. He details how intellectualism will lead to rational, as opposed to emotional, thought.  

He then connects rationalism with the importance of money in cities, noting that dense commercial and financial activity and intellectualism are highly connected, to the point where it cannot be determined which one created the other. One thing that is important to consider is that from the late 19^th to the mid 20^th centuries, cities relied heavily on manufacturing for their economies. Those employed by these factories were almost exclusively impoverished, and slums were commonplace. This explains his aversion to money, as he notes that an excess of it can lead to an indifferent attitude, and a lack of it can cause one to care only about obtaining more of it, at the expense of their development as an individual.

Simmel goes on to point out that money and rationalism create arbitrary relationships that do not depend on personal character, rather on goods and services provided by one individual to another. He links this to a shift from making decisions based primarily on emotions to making decisions based primarily on calculations, and that this has resulted in the distillation of life into a mathematical problem waiting to be solved. He sees this as problematic because he thinks it will lead to people being viewed as commodities, rather than as individuals.   

He discusses how impersonality is a necessary trait of urban life, as one would quickly become overwhelmed if they had to form an emotional connection to every person they interacted with throughout the course of a day.

He notes that this particular viewpoint can make one indifferent to life around them, but that this indifference is a way of safeguarding the senses and protecting one's individuality by allowing it to develop in private. He also discusses how specialization of labor can bolster one's individualism, as he states that commercial enterprise and the specialization of labor allow one to create a position within a city that is unique and cannot be replaced or duplicated easily.

Simmel seems to discuss both sides of the issue of cities fostering growth of the individual. He notes that intellectualism and rationalism give money a prominent role in cities, which he claims is contrary to the process of individualism and emotional development. However, he also notes that markets can aid in developing individualism, because they have specific niches waiting to be filled.

I disagree with his first point. I feel that rationalism, intellectualism, and the broad and varying surroundings in cities can contribute to a well-rounded individual. Cities have become meccas of diversity and culture, and being exposed to this can add to one's world views and life experiences. In addition, each city has its own distinct regional culture, which one often directly incorporates into their identity.

However, I agree with his second point about markets. Cities offer a vast array of economic opportunities, and while manufacturing is no longer a viable employment option in most cities, small businesses have come about as an economic force. This allows the individual to seek his own niche in commercial enterprise. In addition, proprietors of these businesses are often members of the creative class, a group which would not exist without the intellectualism of cities.