Anton Rick-Ossen argues for pedestrian zones in the city: http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-plc-anton-car-free-zone.artjun28,0,1177741.story
Closer to home, New York City has recently blocked off Times Square and Herald Square from cars. Responses so far are positive. Tourists seem to love it and traffic is reportedly moving smoother along the adjacent avenues. In Hartford, the idea of a car-free zone might not be too far off.
Allyn Street, between Union Station and the XL Center, is often closed off for block parties. Permanently setting aside Allyn Street for pedestrians would not only help the pubs and restaurants that are already there, it could also help attract new business, possibly even new construction. Brick paving and well-chosen trees could really create ambience.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
IQuilt: Pedestrian Zones in Hartford, CT?
A thought-provoking piece from Tom Condon about Downtown Hartford, and walkability:
Read it at http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-plc-condon-arts-iquilt.artjun21,0,1473190.column. Excerpt below:
Downtown Hartford is compact and generally attractive, but it doesn't feel that way. It feels disconnected and confusing, not woven together. Outside of Bushnell Park, much of downtown isn't inviting to pedestrians.
Downtown Hartford has a myriad of wonderful arts and cultural institutions, perhaps unmatched in the country for a city its size, but these tend to be known, and visited, individually. The parts don't equal the whole. The city doesn't have the arts reputation it deserves.
Can the iQuilt solve both problems? The iQuilt is a plan to connect Hartford's cultural institutions with pedestrian and bicycling routes running from the Capitol and Bushnell Park to the river, and then enhance the area with physical and programmatic improvements. The idea will be rolled out at a meeting Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Belding Theater at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.
Read it at http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-plc-condon-arts-iquilt.artjun21,0,1473190.column. Excerpt below:
Downtown Hartford is compact and generally attractive, but it doesn't feel that way. It feels disconnected and confusing, not woven together. Outside of Bushnell Park, much of downtown isn't inviting to pedestrians.
Downtown Hartford has a myriad of wonderful arts and cultural institutions, perhaps unmatched in the country for a city its size, but these tend to be known, and visited, individually. The parts don't equal the whole. The city doesn't have the arts reputation it deserves.
Can the iQuilt solve both problems? The iQuilt is a plan to connect Hartford's cultural institutions with pedestrian and bicycling routes running from the Capitol and Bushnell Park to the river, and then enhance the area with physical and programmatic improvements. The idea will be rolled out at a meeting Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Belding Theater at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
TONY Featured Weekend Getaway: New Haven, CT
Time Out New York raves about the city in a feature travel article: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/travel/74521/weekend-trips-from-nyc-new-haven-ct. An excerpt:
Watering hole Firehouse 12 (45 Crown St; 203-785-0468, firehouse12.com) marries a deep beer selection with live jazz, while rock-minded imbibers can stake out a spot at Toad’s Place (300 York St; 203-562-5694, toadsplace.com), where Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is playing on Friday, June 19.
We’d expect nothing less than braininess from the host city of the International Festival of Art & Ideas.
Clear your head the next day with some outdoor activity. “There are also some great bike trails along the Farmington Canal and along the shoreline,” says festival executive director Mary Lou Aleskie. “There’s a real mix of nature within this urbane environment.”
You won’t need a car once you get there, Aleskie explains. “One of the things that makes this festival is the walkability of New Haven itself.”
Watering hole Firehouse 12 (45 Crown St; 203-785-0468, firehouse12.com) marries a deep beer selection with live jazz, while rock-minded imbibers can stake out a spot at Toad’s Place (300 York St; 203-562-5694, toadsplace.com), where Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is playing on Friday, June 19.
We’d expect nothing less than braininess from the host city of the International Festival of Art & Ideas.
Clear your head the next day with some outdoor activity. “There are also some great bike trails along the Farmington Canal and along the shoreline,” says festival executive director Mary Lou Aleskie. “There’s a real mix of nature within this urbane environment.”
You won’t need a car once you get there, Aleskie explains. “One of the things that makes this festival is the walkability of New Haven itself.”
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Tale of Two Shopping Plazas in New Haven County
A comparison of Downtown New Haven and North Haven shopping plazas that raises two questions: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2009/06/17/a-failure-of-design-in-downtown-new-haven/
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Summer Bike Rides and Events in New Haven
According to the Census Bureau, New Haven has one of the highest percentage of walkers and cyclists of any municipality in the country. A list of bicycling events is published here: http://downtownnewhaven.blogspot.com/2009/06/2009-summer-cycling-events-in-new-haven.html
Stephen Kobasa on Metal Tree Sculptures at the Anlyan Center
Commentary on a monumental New Haven sculpture by VSBA Architects: http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2009/06/object_lesson_1_5.php
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Southport: Plantation-Style Homes and Safe Streets
NYT Real Estate profiles Southport, Conn., an area of historic properties along the Fairfield County waterfront. The town center is known for its plantation-style homes and quiet streets, making it a great waystop for the thousands of cyclists and motorcyclists who ply the beautiful waterfront roads between New Haven and Greenwich, Connecticut each weekend:
"On weekends, Pequot Avenue teems with runners and bikers — and with police officers cracking down on speeders to keep the road safe."
"It may not be an accident that many houses resemble Southern plantations. In the 19th century, Southport traded with Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., where many families had relatives, according to V. Louise Higgins, a local historian."
See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/realestate/14living.html for more.
"On weekends, Pequot Avenue teems with runners and bikers — and with police officers cracking down on speeders to keep the road safe."
"It may not be an accident that many houses resemble Southern plantations. In the 19th century, Southport traded with Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., where many families had relatives, according to V. Louise Higgins, a local historian."
See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/realestate/14living.html for more.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
West River and Dwight Residents Continue to Develop Vision for Route 34 Redevelopment
Design New Haven reports on the ongoing community efforts to rebuild New Haven's Route 34 highway corridor. The post includes a couple of excellent architectural visualizations of what the redeveloped city neighborhood could look like: http://downtownnewhaven.blogspot.com/2009/06/neighborhood-builds-hopeful-vision-for.html
Monday, June 1, 2009
Connecticut General Assembly Passes Complete Streets Bill
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign's Connecticut planners report on the news here: http://blog.tstc.org/2009/06/01/amended-complete-streets-bill-passes-ct-senate-faces-action-in-house-today/. The bill passed both the House and Senate by a very wide margin (123 to 20 and 31 to 4, respectively), with members of both parties in support. Next up is a signature from Governor Rell.
See Design New Haven for some background on the legislation: http://downtownnewhaven.blogspot.com/2008/08/complete-streets-legislation-proposed.html
See Design New Haven for some background on the legislation: http://downtownnewhaven.blogspot.com/2008/08/complete-streets-legislation-proposed.html
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