An Environmental Examination of Oklahoma City's Revitalization

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

This research documents the decline and renewal of Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district through photographs. Created days after the Land Run of 1889, Bricktown was Oklahoma City’s first warehouse and distribution district. Activity declined in the 1960s and 1970s with urbanization removing industry and residents from downtown. The previously prosperous area quickly dwindled down to nothing more than decrepit structures and empty lots. The passing of the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) in 1993 was a strategic attempt by developers and investors to revitalize the dying Oklahoma City. With the assistance of MAPS, the once abandoned area of Bricktown has returned to be a prosperous hub, drawing many tourists and generating more sales tax revenue than any other district in Oklahoma City. This project focuses on comparing the area of historical and present day Bricktown, as well as investigating environmental factors that contribute and deter present day crime in the area. A content analysis of the secondary sources, including literature, media reports, and crime data, was conducted using both thematic analyses and the compare and contrast method. Analyses were focused environmental crime factors such as crime attractors, crime generators, and risky facilities.

Author

• Danielle Stoneberg, University of Central Oklahoma