A tale of the last two film row districts: historic preservation and urban design in Kansas City and Oklahoma City

摘要

Film rows existed in 32 North American cities to distribute movies across the continent. This paper examines the diverging outcomes of the last two remaining film row districts in Kansas City and Oklahoma City. After a period of decline, these former warehouse districts have been remade and revalorized as creative spaces in the post-industrial city. Kansas City has no formal recognition of its district and development pressures threaten to erode it further, while Oklahoma City's has formal historic designation, branding and design review for construction. This paper considers the challenges for historic preservation and urban design for these similar places.