Civic Identity in Changing Cityscapes: Material Rhetorical Obscurity at Denver’s Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse

Abstract

Landmark civic architecture in the United States traditionally has been constructed along classical designs that function rhetorically to reinforce foundational values, ideals, and civic identities. Denver’s Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse is of interest in this regard because its architectural style, artistic rather than governmental, masks its function and invites participation in different registers of engagement. Based on classical and contemporary rhetorical theories, I conduct an analysis of material rhetorical obscurity at the courthouse. I argue that the unintelligibility of the courthouse as a governmental structure encourages a social imaginary and the adoption of civic identities that contribute to deterioration of urban community and further marginalization of the city’s most vulnerable residents.

Keywords:

• Civic Engagement
• Communication Ethics
• Material Rhetoric
• Rhetorical Obscurity

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Robert Rowland and the anonymous reviewers at Western Journal of Communication for their generous and valuable insights on the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.