extreme entertainment

The Urban Entertainment Center (UEC) is yet another parallel to Syracuse’s own Destiny USA. It’s interesting that this radical concept began in the early 90’s. When I visited places like Disney World as a child I was amazed by the surroundings that looked to me, like pages from popular Disney books and movies. Now it is interesting to read about the history of the UEC and the brains behind this forward thinking concept. When the article was written UEC’s were under development in 20 U.S. cities. At this rate it feels like one day every major city will at one level or another have its own Times Square. As a means of urban revitalization the UEC encompasses many aspects of a bustling city. It is advertisement, commercial, retail, and entertainment all in one. Bringing all of these aspects together is a logical and sustainable approach to design but branding these urban centers is a sour idea. What makes places like Time Square successful is it’s branding mix. Who wants to walk through a street corner and see that Nike has transcended the retail world to encompass restaurants, theatres, etc. If that were the case the UEC be reminiscent of a New Urbanist community. What the UEC has done is revolutionized the traditional town center by densifying touristy attractions. This radical concept is now popular culture and may one day be a standard building type in every major city. To highlight its success this typology should implement in all its UEC’s a diverse number of branding companies.