The future is open to the past: Public memorials in evolving urban landscapes

This paper examines decision-making about the location and design of new public memorials in three major world cities: London, Berlin, and New York. All three cities have remained foci of political and economic power over several centuries. The historical development of each city has been marked by numerous shifts in the spatial distribution of political power and its representation, and the installation of hundreds of memorials to a plethora of subjects throughout their built fabric. Each new memorial in these respective cities must find a place within a complex constellation of existing forms, settings, and values, and each new work also contributes to an ongoing redefinition of priorities regarding collective memory and identity. In each city, commemorative works have to fit within a constantly evolving landscape, potentially undermining their long-term effectiveness as markers of memory. Ongoing demand for new memorials in London, Berlin, and New York has created a need to develop strategies for regulating the themes, sites and designs of future memorial proposals. The paper examines the historical evolution of formal planning strategies and decisions in each city, in relation to the proposals and designs of individual new memorials, and the availability of suitable sites.