Placemaking

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. That's a bit melodramatic, but the story of elevated parks in New York and St. Louis is truly a tale of two cities. New York's High Line, its saving, transformation and end result, has been lauded in every major news and design publication. National Geographic titled it the "Miracle Above Manhattan". And it should be celebrated. Opened in 1934, the elevated tracks eliminated 105 grade crossings in NYC. A portion was demolished as early as 1960 and the line was abandoned in 1980. A grassroots effort to preserve the structure began in 1999, ultimately receiving support from Mayor Bloomberg. The first section opened as a park in 2009.

Urban elevated railways aren't rare. While many have been demolished, many can still be found, especially in older cities with central rail lines that served a once vibrant manufacturing base. In St. Louis, the elevated track is simply referred to as the Trestle. As City Garden's albatross will always be the comparison to Chicago's Millennium Park, the Trestle seems destined to be saddled with never-ending references to the High Line. Such a comparison is not only incorrect, it's terribly detrimental to St. Louis's effort to preserve and reuse the Trestle.

Read more...

The headline quote is a brilliant statement from a big city mayor. Unfortunately it's not from City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, though it should be. The quote is from the Mayor of Edmonton, Canada, who, when elected in 2005, decided that the aesthetics of his city mattered. The Edmonton Design Committee was formed. This is how you begin to produce new aesthetic heights in architecture. First must come a determined statement of intent.

However, the structures need not be looming towers or monumental in scale. Edmonton recently completed a competition to design pavilions in five city parks. The total budget: $13.2M. Such public calls for inventive design can change a city. Why not focus on covered bus stops, public restrooms, unique streetscapes, etc.? Clearly St. Louis needs to raise its architectural expectations. Why not follow the lead of Edmonton or the well-known effort in Columbus, IN?

Read more...

Successful urban parks have thick edges. So says the Michael Van Valkenburgh design plan for the Arch grounds in downtown St. Louis. The MVVA Team included the image above in their design submission, illustrating the concept of the "First 100 Feet" as it appears around the world. This inherently makes sense. Why not use the measure to assess parks in St. Louis and the MVVA revised plans for the Arch grounds?

By any measure, Forest Park is the region's marquee park, by some measures the largest urban park in the country. Millions visit the museums and zoo each year and millions more use the park to walk, run, ride or just relax. The revitalization of Forest Park this past decade was incredible. The edges of and entrances to the park remain abysmal.

Read more...

{rendering of the South Grand streetscape project}

With a growing number of projects like the redevelopment 14th Street in Old North St. Louis, the Washington Avenue Loft District Streetscape improvement downtown, the Loop Trolley project in University City, and South Grand and Manchester Avenue traffic lane reductions, there is a continued focus on development of great streets in St. Louis. The St. Louis Great Streets Initiative, started by the East-West Gateway in 2006, is another example of growing commitment to great streets in St. Louis. The city has also passed the “Complete Streets” bill, as of June 11, 2010. Though this bill does not guarantee the creation of great streets, it signals new promise for the future of streets in St. Louis.

Read more...