Preservation Park and themescape economics in Oakland, California

Abstract

Preservation Park is a site in downtown Oakland, California, where original houses from the late nineteenth century have been restored in a re-creation of a period neighbourhood. This article begins by framing the site as a themed environment, or ‘themescape’, in which the act of historical preservation is undermined by various modern interventions that fabricate the past, such as the relocation of many of the houses from their original locations and the addition of idealized faux-Victorian details. Using the Developer’s Guideline, the principal text in the design of the site and contemporaneous city planning documents, the article identifies how the artificial reproduction of Victorian Oakland was intended to increase investment and reverse economic decline in the city centre. Drawing on theories of tourism and gentrification, the article analyses the design and theming of Preservation Park as economic devices and aesthetic entities that restrict movement, create a visual experience and use various signifiers of private space to make the site exclusive and valuable. These readings are then employed to contextualize the site’s racial and social history, leading to a discussion of the relationship between the economic objectives, the theming and the actual usage of Preservation Park and similar sites.