Architecture has both healed and inflamed Belfast's Troubles

(PhysOrg.com) -- The stubborn persistence of sectarian attitudes in Belfast can be partially blamed on everyday urban features which would be uncontroversial in cities less blighted by conflict, a study has found.

Dr Ralf Brand, from The University of Manchester, discovered that buildings, fences, parks, footbridges and even a playground can influence the location, intensity and duration of bitter conflict between Catholics and Protestants.

However, Dr Brand’s study also found examples of where architecture can help to heal the wounds of the Troubles.

As part of the study, Dr Brand handed out disposable cameras to community workers, teachers and others locals to photograph areas which they felt were trouble spots - giving a revealing picture of the city’s problems.

The project - which also examined the architecture of Beirut, Amsterdam and Berlin - was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Its results will be presented at an exhibition in the PLACE Centre for Architecture and the Built Environment, Belfast, this week.

Dr Brand, who is based at the School of Environment and Development, said: “There’s no doubt that great strides have been made in Northern Ireland, politically, but in terms of the urban fabric, considerable problems remain.

“Our study shows that in areas of conflict, there are very few neutral features in a city.

“In other words, we have seen many examples of how architecture can inadvertently make things worse. But the good news is that architecture can also make an important contribution to the resolution of conflict.

“This doesn't mean there’s a quick fix to the problem, but professionals from planners to engineers need to be more aware of the importance of architecture to urban conflict.

“Consultation really matters a lot. You cannot design in meaning to an object.”

He added: “Every city is different with different problems and solutions.

“But in Belfast, a fence can be tempting to throw a stone over it simply to prove how tough you are and that can trigger a sort of arms race.

“Some of the heavily fortified structures, such as police stations and some peace walls - though needed - can reinforce tensions by their mere appearance. It’s obviously too simplistic to just dismantle them.

“We even found a park in north Belfast which had been divided with a wall, mainly to separate young people from the two adjacent neighbourhoods.”

Case study: a controversial footbridge
A pedestrian bridge built across the Westlink motorway in West Belfast was moved 50 metres to improve disability access. Both ends of the bridge were elevated giving young people a vantage point to throw stones into each others’ neighborhoods. Dr Brand said: “This problem could have been easily avoided if there had been proper consultation between engineers, local government and the community. It would be too simple just to blame the youngsters.”

Stewartstown Road Regeneration Project
The careful planning and construction of a community centre with shops, offices and a café has helped to transform a particular area in outer West Belfast from a hotbed of inter-communal violence to one of peaceful coexistence.

It was achieved, says Dr Brand, by meticulous consultation: a corridor through the building gives equal access to the building from both sides to both communities. A series of changes to the original plans came up with identically shaped and sized offices.

Dr Brand said: “Through the efforts of a group of courageous people - mostly women meeting secretly at first - the tension and crime in this area has dropped significantly.

“It may seem to outsiders that there is little need to consult about seemingly mundane features such as a corridor or the shape of an office.

“But in areas of conflict - that is exactly the sort of initiative which is required- and the results are very heartening.

“The building has never been attacked and there is hardly any graffiti; a pretty important indicator in Belfast.”

Provided by University of Manchester