Revitalization, transformation and the ‘Bilbao effect’: testing the local area impact of iconic architectural developments in North America, 2000–2009

ABSTRACT

The term ‘Bilbao effect’ describes the potential of iconic architectural developments (IADs) designed by world famous architects to act as a catalyst for economic revitalization and transformation within neighbourhoods or regions. Despite the ubiquity of this term, its validity is still debated. Furthermore, research on the topic has relied almost exclusively on individual or small-N comparative case studies. This paper builds on this research by testing the Bilbao effect through a quantitative analysis of 142 IADs completed in Canada and the United States between 2000 and 2009. Using fixed effects modelling, a method that controls for selection bias, the analysis examines the effect of IADs on a set of outcome variables that measure neighbourhood-level economic and cultural changes during this period: population, rent, the number of local arts establishments and the number of cultural workers living in the area. The analysis demonstrates that neighbourhoods with IADs generally experienced more economic and cultural growth than non-IAD neighbourhoods during this time period. However, the paper also complicates these findings by examining differences in how this growth manifests itself within emerging versus established neighbourhoods. These differences are illustrated through a comparison of the Dallas Arts District and Lincoln Square, Manhattan.

KEYWORDS:

• Iconic architecture
• culture-led urban re-generation
• Bilbao effect
• cultural industries

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to the input of several colleagues and collaborators. The idea for this paper first emerged in conversations with Daniel Silver, Davide Ponzini and Stephen Sawyer. I also benefited greatly from discussions with Hyesun Jeong and Terry Nichols Clark. Thanks as well to Alex Bierman who directed me to fixed effects modelling and the work of Paul Allison. Finally, the paper was significantly improved based on the input of Nadia Alaily-Matter, Alain Thierstein and Georgia Lindsay, as well as the anonymous reviewers at European Planning Studies.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Sklair’s (2017) original definition includes ‘fame', ‘brand-stretching', ‘recognition', and ‘global reach'.

2 Use of and openness to mixed-methods approaches that combine quantitative and qualitative analysis differ according to discipline. This paper follows an approach that sociologist Morgan (2014) calls the ‘QUANT→ qual' design in which supplementary qualitative analysis is used to add descriptive detail and further explore the findings of a core quantitative model.