Urban football stadiums in the US: The good

This article originally appeared on the fantastic website Greater Greater Washington as part of a debate over whether the Washington Redskins new football stadium belonged in the District itself.  The team over at Greater Greater Washington contacted urbanists across the country to weigh in on the issue and discuss how football stadiums have affected their respective cities’ urban environment.  I offered my two cents on Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, an example deemed ‘bad’ in the debate.  Below are three examples thought to be ‘good’ urban football urban designs in the United States. (Original Post here.)

Chicago
Aaron Renn is the Urbanophile, a nationally recognized expert on urban issues, who lives and works in Chicago.

Chicago’s Soldier Field is a bit unique among US football stadiums. It exists in the urban center, but not as part of the urban fabric. Rather, it is located in the lakefront park, just south of Roosevelt Road where the Grant Park restriction on buildings is lifted. Because of this restriction, the area actually has several buildings, including the so-called Museum Campus of the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium.

Soldier Field has long been cut off from the city by Lake Shore Drive — in fact, the stadium at one point was in the median of the roadway, which split around it — and the Illinois Central Railroad. The railroad now provides transit access to the stadium via the Metra Electric line, as do multiple nearby CTA rail and bus lines.

Soldier Field was actually opened in 1924 and while it was used for football games, the Bears actually did not start playing there until 1971. Prior to that they played at Wrigley Field. So whatever the merits or lack thereof of the stadium’s location, it has little to do with pro football.

The stadium was extensively reconstructed to be a long term home for the Bears in 2003. As with most teams, they said they could not make enough money in the old stadium. After the typical local debate, it was decided to renovate Soldier Field. But perhaps the term obliterate is more appropriate. The new stadium retained the classical colonnades, but little else.

There is now a completely modern seating bowl that is quite nice. However, the exterior architecture is all modernist glass that presents a jarring contrast with the old stadium, leading some to brand it the “UFO that landed on Soldier Field.” This was decried by preservationists but to no avail. Ultimately, the US government stripped Soldier Field of its status as a National Historic Landmark — the highest designation of historic site given by the feds — as a result of this project.

Photo by joseph a on Flickr.

Some might say that a stadium is inappropriate on the lakefront. The classical elegance of the old stadium fit right in gracefully, however. The same cannot be said of the new. However, the lakefront has ample open space, and there’s no per se problem with using that land for a stadium. Also, the parking that normally blights stadiums in downtowns is limited to one parking garage used also by the museums, so doesn’t go to waste as in so many other cities. Some urbanists might decry it, saying hulking stadiums belong in the suburbs, but Soldier Field has been an integral part of Chicago’s lakefront for decades, and few would likely choose to remove it. The new modernist bowl will remain an architectural blight for years to come, however.

Cincinnati
Randy A. Simes earned a Bachelor of Urban Planning degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2009. He is a master planner at CH2M HILL and writes about urban public policy and planning issues for the Cincinnati Business Courier and UrbanCincy.

Through its history, Cincinnati has seen a typical evolution of urban sports venues for American cities. The intersection of Findlay and Western, in Cincinnati’s West End neighborhood housed the Cincinnati Reds from 1864 through 1970 in three iterations of ballparks — League Park, Palace of the Fans, and Crosley Field — until the team moved with the Cincinnati Bengals football team to Riverfront Stadium.

The Bengals also spent their first two years playing at Nippert Stadium on the University of Cincinnati’s campus uptown. But when the two teams moved to Riverfront Stadium, they followed a national trend of cookie cutter stadiums in urban environments meant to serve as economic development generators. The problem was that the promise never came to fruition in the cities that went after the golden egg.

Most of those same cities have rebuilt their professional sports venues, many in the urban core. But the question still remains whether the return on investment is worth the valuable land for these lightly-used behemoths.

Photo from JT K on Flickr.

In Cincinnati, the Reds host more than 81 games every year drawing tens of thousands of fans to each event. Additional events are held at the ballpark, and its related attractions, throughout the year that also create a draw. Four blocks away, Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Bengals, hosts 10 games each year in addition to the smattering of high school events and concerts held there annually.

The result is a larger football stadium with far fewer events and a ballpark with more events but smaller crowds. The winner in this case is the ballpark, and the new generation of urban ballparks appears to be as successful as the original wave of urban ballparks in the late 19th century.

The problem with urban football stadiums can be both a structural issue and a programmatic issue. In the case of Paul Brown Stadium it is more about the program. The large, tailgating-bound crowds demand available parking for their pre- and post-game festivities.

In Cincinnati, developers are currently constructing The Banks, a mixed-use urban entertainment node wedged between Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium and will eventually house thousands of new residents. Before each phase of development begins, it must first have two-floors of underground parking built before it even begins to satisfy the parking demands for the new residents and workers to be housed above.

Photo by the.urbanophile on Flickr.

Once complete, The Banks may set the stage for a truly unique urban sports and entertainment area, one that would have no surface parking and force tens of thousands of sports fans, visiting the area, out onto the streets for live music, food, drink, and festivities. This may end up being Paul Brown Stadium’s saving grace.
The beautiful thing about professional sports venues is that they can turn what is otherwise worthless land into something economically productive and thus improve land values in nearby areas. But most often franchise owners often want their venues to be located in prime real estate so that they can maximize their visibility. In Cincinnati that meant handing over prime waterfront property to two large concrete masses that only stay active a fraction of the year.

When other cities examine plans for an urban sports venue of their own, they should keep more in mind than the wishes of the franchise ownership and the promise of skyline shots on national television once or twice a year. Less is more. You want the venue to blend in so that it does not detract from its surroundings when it is inevitably non-active. You want the venue to be versatile so that it can serve other functions beyond that of playing baseball or football. And most importantly, get rid of the parking so that venue’s support facilities do not kill what you want the venue to create — economic development.

Seatle
Martin H. Duke is the Editor-in-Chief of Seattle Transit Blog. An Electrical Engineer who grew up in the DC area, Martin has lived in Seattle since 1997.

Seattle, a city of 600,000, is somewhat unique in having not one but two big-time football stadiums within its city limits. One is seldom used, but not in an urban neighborhood; the other is on the edge of downtown but is combined into a bustling event district.

Husky Stadium, home of the University of Washington Huskies, is used for only seven major events a year. However, it is bordered by a lake, the University campus, medical center, and the rest of the athletic complex. Opening in 1920, nothing around it could be remotely described as an urban neighborhood.

However, Husky Stadium also sits on a transportation chokepoint. At one end of only two bridges that provide connectivity with the prosperous eastern suburbs, in the peak dozens of buses pass by each hour on their way to campus, and one of Seattle’s few light rail stations will open in its parking lot in 2016. There is a strong case that the land should be used more intensively and the Huskies should share a home with the Seahawks. Regardless, many people treasure an emotional and historical connection with Husky stadium, and the Athletic department has zero interest in such a move. They are privately raising $300 million to renovate the stadium after being rebuffed by a broke state legislature.

Photo by Erwyn van der Meer on Flickr.

Qwest Field was only opened in 2002, but lies on the site of the old Kingdome, built in 1977 upon Seattle’s entry into the NFL. The densest part of the downtown core is only blocks away; in between lies the historic Pioneer Square district, dense but low-rise. Beyond Qwest is the Mariners’ Safeco Field and industrial-zoned land. Qwest also lies amidst the greatest transportation hub in the Pacific Northwest: light rail, Amtrak, commuter rail, ferries, hundreds of local bus routes, and three freeways all converge there.

Because the Mariners also provide 81 home dates, and the MLS Sounders have had freakishly high attendance at Qwest (36,000 a game!), it’s difficult to separate the impact of the NFL from everything else going on. Pioneer Square is a particularly active nightlife district, which meshes pretty well with the sports bar scene. There is a pretty large chunk of social services there, which tends to attract transients and drive off the more squeamish among us.

Photo by camknows on Flickr.

One promising trend is the disappearance of surface parking. When one stadium turned into two, several surface lots were replaced with two stadium garages. The last remaining major surface lot is slated to become 950 condos and apartments, doubling the number of residents in Pioneer Square to join the jobs, shops, and recreational options already there. It would be difficult to say that Pioneer Square is thriving, but equally difficult to say that having adjacent regional attractions is hurting it. I think the key lesson is that taking away the moat of parking allows the stadium to be properly integrated into the neighborhood.

Cincinnati: America’s First (And Next) Boomtown

As America’s first boomtown, Cincinnati exploded with growth, culture, and prosperity in the early 1800’s.  By 1850, the city was poised to become the New York of the Midwest; a true epicenter of commerce and industry.   But a number of circumstances including the rise of the railroad and decline of the canal system ultimately doomed Cincinnati’s prominence and Chicago ultimately rose to power and took the throne from the Queen City.  Since then, Cincinnati’s prowess has leveled off, its economic growth has stagnated, and as of today, the city stands in relative obscurity as a mid-size American city.

Ten years ago, it might have been easy to write off Cincinnati as a place that will never return to its stature.  But more recently, a new sense of optimism and forward thinking has taken over the city and excitement and positive energy have become the norm.  And with good reason, as there are a significant amount of great things currently happening that have the potential to truly transform the city in ways not experienced since its hey-day.  With this new-found, still under the radar excitement and opportunity begs the questions:  What is going on in Cincinnati?  Is the city setting itself up for nominal growth or is something more happening; is Cincinnati poised to become America’s next boomtown?

When you study the economics on how well a region is doing, job growth, net in-migration, and population growth tend to be key indicators that are referenced and drawn upon.  While these figures are important in understanding what is happening to your region from the outside-in, I believe they miss a bigger picture of what is occurring from the inside-out.  Certainly, for the past 30 years Pittsburgh has been toward the bottom of the pile in terms of job growth, net in-migration, and population growth.  And yet, few would disagree that the Pittsburgh of today is poised to become an a lead economic performer for years to come.  This success is due to its ‘work with what you have’ and ‘build off existing assets’ attitude.  Essentially, this is an inside-out approach to planning and economic development that doesn’t wait on the next big company or thing to come in and save the day.  Instead, a city or region pools together existing resources and makes change happen from within.  This is what Pittsburgh has done (eds’ and meds’ will be shouted on end from years to come) and in doing so, has provided a great example of how a region can turn itself around from economic collapse.

Cincinnati seems to be following in Pittsburgh’s footsteps, typically performing poorly on the outside-in economic indicators and yet beginning to see truly transformative progress from the inside-out.  In my opinion, this progress has the ability to shift the city’s future in a big way.   Examples of this transformative progress include:

• Physical projects – Megaprojects like ‘The Banks’ , Queen City Square, and the Central Riverfront Park are redefining the cityscape, all during troubled economic times.
• Transit projects – The streetcar and the bicycle transportation plan are progressive policies being implemented that have the ability to reshape the city’s premiere urban neighborhoods.
• Urban revitalization – Significant progress is being made in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine as numerous vacant buildings are being transformed into apartments, condos, restaurants, and retail stores.  With future projects coming on-line (Washington Park renovation, Mercer Commons) and the streetcar line running through the area, I expect a critical mass to take hold and a truly vibrant, totally unique urban neighborhood to rise up.
• Urban urban designs – The city is seeing quality urban design projects across the city limits.  Anything from Michigan Terrace in Hyde Park to Trinity Flats in Over-the-Rhine proves that the city subscribes to quality urbanism.
• An ‘act local’ attitude – The recent announcement of downtown’s new grocery store is just another example of city residents not waiting around for the big box brand (Kroger) to come in and build that much-needed downtown store.  Instead, local residents have taken the initiative, worked with what they have, and created the outcome they desired.  This attitude seems to be the rule instead of the exception in Cincinnati.
• Visionary economic development initiatives – Whether you agree on principle with Agenda 360, Go Cincinnati, or the city’s recent Hub of Consumer Marketing and Innovation status, the plans are visionary, expecting big, and dreaming big.  These characteristics reflect well on the region’s self confidence and are needed to secure a bigger, better future.

This transformative internal progress is coupled with numerous assets that have been around for years.  Some of these include:

• Beautiful built form and architectural heritage;
• Fantastic geography;
• Top notch cultural institutions;
• Highly educated populace;
• Numerous universities; and
• Home of many Fortune 500 companies.

These traditional assets coupled with the transformative progress currently taking place are changing Cincinnati for the better.  In fact the city is already starting to see the fruit of this positive change, as the population is posting gains for the first time in well over fifty years.  I believe this population shift is the early signs of bigger and better things for the Queen City.  What remains to be seen is how much bigger and how much better Cincinnati will become.  My hope is that the city will reclaim its status as America’s first boomtown and become the first boomtown of the 21^st Century.  Time will tell, but one thing is for sure, Cincinnati is on the rise.  Look out!

Midwest Urban Forms Present Varying Opportunities, Challenges

This past weekend, I traveled to Chicago, Illinois for a weekend trip, something that only takes 2.5 hours from my home in Indianapolis.  As always, I was blown away by the city’s urban forms, street life vitality, and sheer scale, both vertically and horizontally.  Chicago is a world-class city to a degree not matched by any other Midwest City.  In the mid-to-late 1800’s, a number of circumstances, decisions, and situations ultimately elevated the Windy City past Cincinnati and St. Louis to become the regions node of activity, culture, and industry.   Because the city was able to develop pre-car, its urban forms developed around modes of mass transit and pedestrian activity, a fact reflected in the city’s present density, linear neighborhood-oriented commercial streets, and a strong, healthy Central Business District (CBD). 

Pre-Car Urban Forms

Chicago shares these urban form patterns with other pre-car cities in the region such as Cincinnati and Pittsburgh (although to a lesser degree in scale and vitality to Chicago of course), each enjoying numerous unique, neighborhood commercial centers, and dense, walkable CBD’s.  In these two examples though, urban vitality seems more neighborhood-centric, as each region’s local commercial strips and districts (think Squirrel Hill and Shadyside in Pittsburgh and Clifton and Hyde Park in Cincinnati) thrive while their regional urban centers (downtown) fall short of expectations.  The difference between these three cities CBD’s has a lot to do with Chicago’s world-class status, mass transportation system, sheer size, and tourism opportunities that ultimately allow Chicago to enjoy both successful neighborhood centers as well as a regional and international center. 

Post-Car Urban Forms

Meanwhile, newer, post-car cities like Indianapolis and Columbus take on still yet another urban form.  These cities are not located in geographically advantageous locations along rivers, lakes, or oceans, and thus began growing only after a mode of transportation (the car) allowed them to do so.  As a result, these places enjoy fewer neighborhoods with pedestrian-oriented commercial centers than their older counterparts.  What Indianapolis and Columbus do enjoy, however, are strong regional centers that are vibrant, full of life, and have the ability to draw people from far distances.  This ‘regional centric urban form’ is likely because these cities regional centers haven’t dealt with neighborhood-level competition and thus have been able to maintain a level of vibrancy not matched in Cincinnati or Pittsburgh. 

In Indianapolis, two such urban regional centers exist – Broad Ripple and downtown.  In Columbus, High Street from German Village through Clintonville acts as a regional center, attracting people and activity from around the area.  These regional centers have maintained a pedestrian orientation despite being plagued with parking woes, as they are located in each cities traditional urban core.  But once again, these two cities fall short of enjoying the gamut of urban forms as they are not of the world-class status, did not develop in dense enough ways, and most importantly, do not have notable public transit systems like that of their big neighbor Chicago. 

Each Offers Opportunities, Challenges

When I talk to Cincinnatians, they tend to be very proud and boastful of the neighborhood they live in, often bragging about what makes their neighborhood unique and what restaurant, bar, coffee shop, or clothing store is located there.  I’ve talked to people who have relocated to Cincinnati and time and time again, the city’s neighborhood-centric built form is always brought up as one of the qualities most enjoyed.  On the other hand, Cincinnati seems to have an uneven reputation with out-of-towners and visitors who have never spent much time in the city.  Likely, these people have only experienced downtown and perhaps a few surrounding areas, places that don’t quite live up to other regional centers across the Midwest, leaving people with a negative perception of the city as a whole.  On the contrary, people who visit Indianapolis tend to rave about the city and its vibrant downtown while residents seem more concerned about the lack of services within walking distance of their home and the lack of overall neighborhood identity.  This proves that, based on my personal experiences, encounters, and conversations, the two cities opposite urban forms result in opposite experiences for out-of-towners and residents alike.      

For those cities like Cincinnati and Indianapolis that only have a neighborhood-centric form or only a regional-centric form…what do you do?  Do you build on your existing assets or do you attempt to develop the form you currently lack?  Well, it’s always my opinion that a city or a region ought to build off their existing assets and make great what they have good.  And it seems Indianapolis and Cincinnati has both been doing this for decades, as Cincinnati has great neighborhoods and Indianapolis has a great downtown. 

So what to do now, should each city focus on developing the urban form and experience they lack since it seems their respective forms have reached a critical mass?  In Cincinnati’s case, the city seems to be doing just that.  With the streetcar, the Banks, the Fountain Square makeover, the Gateway Quarter, the Washington Park renovation, and the rejuvenation of Main Street, it definitely seems Cincinnati is starting to take the focus off its neighborhoods and reenergize its regional center.  Can Cincinnati have strong neighborhood centers and a strong regional center?  This remains to be seen, but hopefully the impending streetcar and its phased connections can create an environment where the neighborhood and regional centers complement one another instead of competing and create a city that features both.  After all, with a strong mass transit system, it seems you don’t have to be a Chicago to have both.

As for Indianapolis, I think there is a definite potential to create neighborhood-oriented commercial strips and districts throughout the city.  Irvington, College Avenue, and Fountain Square are all areas that have what it takes to become neighborhood centers for Indianapolis.  What is needed are urban transit options such as streetcars and light rail that places urban development as a priority and commuting patterns as tertiary.  Time will tell on the fate of Cincinnati’s and Indianapolis’s urban form models, and really, I’m not sure if one is preferable over the other or if one city is likely to create an environment where both neighborhood and regional centers can co-exist.  But based on my experiences in Chicago and other world-class cities, having both healthy neighborhood and regional centers is ideal and the best way to go about achieving this is through urban-oriented mass transit.    

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Cincinnati’s Best Business District

It’s been over a year since I finished, but graduate school at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) was both rewarding and challenging.  Cliché I know, but the ability to study urban planning and design in a city like Cincinnati and in the atmosphere of DAAP was something I won’t soon forget.  For the second half of my two-year program, much of my energy was geared towards writing my Master’s thesis, something that proved to be the most academically challenging process I’d ever partaken in.  But it was also rewarding because I chose to study the implementation of Form Based Codes in Cincinnati’s Neighborhood Business Districts, a topic that allowed me to truly explore every inch of the city.  By the time my thesis was written and turned in, I had gained a true appreciation for Cincinnati’s built form and fell in love with the varying and unique business districts that truly make Cincinnati a city of neighborhoods.

For those unfamiliar with Cincinnati, the city has numerous neighborhood business districts (NBDs) spread across its urban landscape – places of mixed-use and/or commercial activity that are typically pedestrian oriented, intimate, and urban scaled.  These unique, diverse NBD’s often act as identity markers and place makers for their respective neighborhoods as they are centralized in their communities and retail tenants tend to reflect the population that serves them.   For example, when people think of or talk about Hyde Park, the famous Hyde Park Square and its restaurant and upscale boutiques are often the images conjured up that represents that neighborhood, for Clifton its Ludlow and the Esquire Theatre, and for Northside, its Hamilton Avenue and the unique eateries and shops located there. 

As part of my thesis, I had to define and inventory every NBD that officially existed within city limits and from there, I had to discuss different types of form based codes that was appropriate for that neighborhood’s future.  For the sake of discussion and an interesting blog post, I thought I would re-visit my thesis topic and put together a completely subjective list on both form and experience that summarizes what I generally concluded about the city’s business districts.  So for fun, here is what I think of some of Cincinnati’s best NBD’s:    

Most unique:  Northside

The NBD with the most unique eating, shopping options (hello Casablanca Vintage, Shake It Records, and Melt), and bar scene (where Northside Tavern meets Bronze) all in a wonderfully unique urban form with a terminating vista and everything!   

Most aesthetically pleasing: Hyde Park and Mt. Adams

Hyde Park

The picture of neighborhood business districts, with a beautifully landscaped esplanade, a fountain, wide and clean sidewalks, and well-groomed buildings. 

Mt. Adams

Not as ‘squeaky clean’ as Hyde Park, yet has a great intimate feel, brick walks, and hilly landscape that makes its sense-of-place undeniable.   

Most active: Clifton

One of the smaller NBD’s, yet this short strip of activity along Ludlow Avenue packs a big punch.  Right when you enter the district, pedestrians, bicyclists, and dogs on leashes fill the sidewalks and plazas in an urban, fairly dense atmosphere. 

Most walkable:  Clifton

While most of Cincinnati’s NBDs are quite walkable, Clifton is the ‘most’ walkable because of the amount of essential services provided along Ludlow, the narrow nature of the street, and the great transit access the district has.    

Most underrated: Oakley

Oakley Square seems to get looked over by its more prominent neighbors: Hyde Park Square and Mt. Lookout Square.  And yet, it is Oakley who has some of the city’s best restaurants (Boca), ice cream parlors (Aglamesis), shopping (Voltage and Closson’s), and the best Skyline.  The Square’s current streetscape and design overhaul should make the district a bit more aesthetically pleasing and allow people to truly appreciate all it has to offer.

Most urban: Northside

Probably Cincinnati’s true ‘urban village’, as it is features the most densely built form outside the basin.  Plus, the experience is as diverse and eclectic as Cincinnati has to offer. 

Most diverse:  Northside

The business district that brings together Cincinnati’s hipsters, gays, African-Americans, college kids, socialites, and restaurant snobs. 

Best architecture: DeSales Corner (East Walnut Hills)

St. Francis DeSales, San Marco flats, and the entire building stock along Woodburn are simply breathtaking. 

Most untapped potential: Peebles Corner (Walnut Hills)

It’s central location, density/urbanity, potential for mix of uses, beautiful architecture, and transit access makes this NBD Cincinnati’s diamond in the rough.   

NBD to watch out for: Mt. Lookout   

        

Surrounded by promising demographics (young, educated, and wealthy), its sense of place characteristics (the NBD sits in a small valley tucked between hills), its strong community anchors (MLT’s), and its desire to get better and more urban (currently going through a significant streetscape and redesign), Mt. Lookout Square is quickly catching up with Hyde Park Square, it’s glitzy, more attractive neighbor.   

Best Overall NBD: Clifton

In the end, I have to go with the NBD I lived by during my two-year stint in Cincinnati.  While Northside’s Hamilton Avenue gave it a good run for its money, Ludow Avenue in Clifton is the clear winner.  When it comes down to it, Ludlow probably has the most energy and activity, is surrounded by considerable density, has great transit access, and has all the essential services (urban grocery store, library, post office, hardware store, banks, movie theatre, restaurants, bars, etc, etc, etc) that cater to an urban lifestyle.  basically, Clifton provides the best opportunity to live car free in Cincinnati outside the basin. 

It is important to know that this list excludes any neighborhood found in the city’s basin, as this is generally referred to as ‘downtown Cincinnati’ and thus considered one giant business district (sorry OTR).  This list also does not include the wonderful NBDs of Northern Kentucky.  Certainly, Bellevue, Newport, and Covington all can lay claim to a number of these titles.   

I know there are some prominent NBDs left off my list (O’Bryonville and Pleasant Ridge come to mind) but in reality, I could go on and on and on with a list of ‘most’ this or ‘most’ that so for the sake of this post, I limited myself to ten categories.  So what do you think?  What is Cincinnati’s most unique, most underrated, most diverse?  All in all, what do you think is Cincinnati’s best neighborhood business district?

Cincinnati’s MuralWorks program reinforces City’s neighborhood feel

If you’re a regular urbanOut reader, you can attest to my love for Cincinnati.   As I have said on here before, I think the city is one of the two most underrated cities in the United States (Pittsburgh being the other, although these days, I think the secret might be out on that one.)  Aside from the fabulous geography and architecture, one of the main reasons I rave about and crave for Cincinnati is its neighborhood-oriented built form and mindset.  Each city neighborhood is unique and interesting in its own right, practically all featuring a walkable neighborhood business district with a flavor their own.  Recently, the city has embarked on initiatives and funded specific programs that reinforce this neighborhood mentality.  One such program is MuralWorks, fueled by Artworks. 

Founded in 1996, ArtWorks is a non-profit arts organization that connects local artists of varying ages with opportunities in the arts through inspiring apprenticeships/internships, community partnerships, and public art.  Under the ArtWorks umbrella, MuralWorks has become a very successful and popular program.  For those that don’t know, MuralWorks brings vibrant and exciting works of art to Cincinnati, Newport, and Covington, with aspirations of bringing a mural to every one of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods as well as Northern Kentucky.   The organization employs teenage and professional artists as well as community members and activists to create murals that speak to each neighborhood’s history, imagination, and future all the while acting as powerful images of neighborhood transformation, civic pride, and identity.  To get a mural in a community, a neighborhood association or group has to apply to ArtWorks – a seemingly easy process that has allowed 28 murals to be created since 2007. 

Needless to say, I am a huge fan of the program and think it has done great things for community level activity, fostered civic pride in places as diverse as South Cumminsville to Oakley, and enhanced each neighborhood’s unique cultural identity.  Plus, these murals are top-notch, high quality, professional works of art that beautify each neighborhood while adding character to otherwise blank walls and surfaces.  Seeing the successes of these murals and the attention they bring, private institutions such as the Know Theatre have begun creating murals on their properties, something that has further enhanced specific neighborhoods by effectively creating outdoor art galleries for anyone to see at anytime.

Ultimately, I praise MuralWorks for its neighborhood focus and its ability to reinforce the idea of Cincinnati as a place of neighborhoods, each identifiable and each a community center.  This feature continues to be unique and special in a country full of places and spaces that have become generic, monotonous and unidentifiable.  The city needs more programs like MuralWorks that reinforces the city’s proud neighborhood focus.  If this is done, Cincinnati’s health and vitality will strengthen and the neighborhoods can continue to leverage their biggest assets: neighborhoods that are walkable, compact, community oriented, unique, full of life, and full of murals.     

Below is a sample of murals recently installed across the city.  My favorite: Camp Washington’s ‘Campy Washington.’  How…progressive and wonderfully funny.  I mean come on, putting President Washington in drag – too good to be true.  (And Bill Cunningham fans, no, the mural is not a racial black v. white thing, it’s a gay thing.  Let it go.)

Cincinnati Sees Dramatic Increase in High Quality Urban Designs

I have been following the current events of Cincinnati development since I discovered the Queen City Square project in the early 2000’s on cincinnatiuprise.com.  While that site is now defunct, Queen City Square has since become reality and is currently being topped off with the installation of its ‘crown’ as I write this.  While the building as a whole is quite a monstrosity and poorly proportioned, the ground floor urban design along 4^th Street isn’t that bad.  Sure, there are gripes and complaints to point out about it, namely the scale of the 4^th Street structure compared to the rest of the street, but the fact that the City essentially forced developers to include retail with an articulated entrance and were successful in fighting off a skywalk is proof positive that progress has been made in quality urban designs in the City. 

 In fact, within the past few years, I have noticed quite a few high quality urban designs in new construction projects throughout the City that are urban, properly scaled, and mixed-use.  I have become very encouraged by the progress in this regard, as the more recent designs to come out of Over-the-Rhine, namely Mercer Commons, are of very high quality and concede little to what many developers might consider ‘too risky’ or ‘too expensive’ in the Cincinnati market.  Below is a non-comprehensive, highly representative rundown of high quality, new construction urban designs that have recently occurred or will soon be occurring in Cincinnati:     

14/v – Over-the-Rhine: urban, interacts and connects with the street, proper contextual fit, proper scale, turret scaled at overall block building wall, right mix of uses, increased density, quality materials, hidden structured parking. 

Trinits Flats – Over-the-Rhine: urban, interacts and connects with the street, proper contextual fit, proper scale , right mix of uses, increased density, hidden structured parking. 

City Home – Over-the-Rhine: urban, proper contextual fit, proper scale, increased density, proper placement of parking (off alley).

Mercer Commons – Over-the-Rhine: amazingly urban and transformative, interacts and connects with the street, infuses modern aesthetic in traditional district, proper scale, contextual fit, right mix of uses, increased density, hidden structured parking forced to the block interior.  (For more of my take on this transformative project, check out this article.) 

 

DeSales Plaza – East Walnut Hills: interacts and connects with the street, infuses modern aesthetic in traditional business district, proper scale, right mix of uses, increased density, hidden structure parking forced to the block interior. 

Michigan Terrace – Hyde Park: urban, interacts and connects with the street, proper contextual fit, proper scale, upper floors set back from street to maintain district scale, right mix of uses, increased density, quality materials, hidden structured parking. 

University Park Apartments – Clifton Heights: urban, interacts and connects with the street,proper scale,  right mix of uses, increased density, hidden structured parking.

The Banks – Downtown: urban and transformative, interacts and connects with the street, right mix of uses, increased density, hidden structured parking forced to the block interior as well as subsurface parking.

City West – West End: urban and transformative, replaced Le Corbusier-esque projects with contextually sensitive, urban neighborhood, proper scale, connected street grid to surrounding neighborhood, right mix of uses, quality materials. 

Queen City Square – Downtown: transformative, interacts and connects with the street (4^th Street), ground level retail, hidden structured parking, embellished entrance. 

University of Cincinnati – Uptown: amazingly urban, transformative, and interesting urban campus, great juxtaposition of buildings to create urban, eclectic feel, transformed surface parking lots to functional uses, increased student housing and density, creation of dynamic public spaces  – both hardscaped and landscaped.    

Mount Lookout Square renovation – Mount Lookout: encourages walkability, places pedestrian needs on the forefront, provides increased green space for community gathering, discourages auto-orientation.

Oakley Square renovation – Oakley: encourages walkability, places pedestrian needs on the forefront, provides increased green space for community gathering, discourages auto-orientation.

Washington Park renovation – Over-the-Rhine: demolished suburban style elementary school, renovation will provide increased park space for urban neighborhood, able to be programmed, provide utilities for residents such as dog parks, hidden structured parking below surface. 

Central Riverfront Park – Downtown: urban and transformative, features multi-modal facilities that place pedestrian and bicyclists needs in the forefront, connects to nearby open space, capitalizes on natural assets (Ohio River), interacts with surrounding uses (The Banks.) 

Streetcar – Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, and Uptown: (not necessarily an urban design, but should nonetheless be mentioned,) amazingly urban and potentially transformative, transportation system that provides places priority on urban neighborhood development, promotes walkability and urban livability, connects Cincinnati’s two largest employment centers, unlocks potential of underutilized assets (namely Over-the-Rhine), and on and on and on. 

There are numerous projects that have recently been completed, are nearing completion, or are still on the drawing board that have elements of proper urban design yet on the whole do not live up to the standards that the aforementioned projects have set.  These projects include, but aren’t necessarily limited to: Corryville Crossings, the Gateway Condos, the Clifton Plaza, Parker Flats, the Residences at 2801, Marburg Square, and Stetson Square.   And yes, other urban designs in the region have been a  letdown, namely the Kentucky condo towers lining the south bank of the Ohio River.  The Ascent, South Shore, Harbor Greene, and WatersEdge generally ignore their context, create invisible walls of exclusivity, and don’t interact with their urban surroundings.  Plus, they privatize riverfront land that ought to be utilized by public spaces. 

All in all though, I am very encouraged by the progress Cincinnati has made in the last decade with regard to urban design.  And future projects such as the American Can Factory renovation in Northside, the casino in downtown, and Uptown Commons in Clifton Heights promise to bring a further refinement to design and push the envelope even further for a higher quality product.  This bodes well for the City and its future as an increasingly urban product will set Cincinnati apart from its Midwest counterparts in look and experience.  A new(and old) Cincinnati is upon us. 

Cincinnati’s Clifton Plaza: An Urban Design Crit.

 

Back when I was a Cincinnati resident living in the neighborhood of Clifton, I loved being able to walk to Ludlow Avenue and watch a movie, eat at numerous types of restaurants, go to the grocery for a last-minute gallon of milk, or enjoy a late night craving of Graeter’s.  I took a sense of ownership and pride in my business district and always had a vested interest in whatever happened along the Avenue.  When the news broke that the Bender Optical building situated in the heart of Ludlow was being torn down and replaced with public space, I had a general distaste for the concept and criticized it publicly.  First off, I wanted to see an urban structure replace the existing building, something that would go towards maintaining and enhancing the existing coherent urban form in one of Cincinnati’s best business districts.  Second, I thought the addition of this plaza would cause a glut in plaza space along Ludlow, as there was already a nice public plaza (Diggs Plaza) at the corner of Clifton and Ludlow just a block from the Bender Optical site. 

As time passed, the building eventually came down and the site sat vacant for some time.  During this period, Ludlow underwent a massive streetscape project, enhancing street trees, grouping overhead utility wires, and improving sidewalks and other pavers.   The district also saw an interesting public space created at the corner of Telford and Ludlow, as the City narrowed Telford, bumped the sidewalks out considerably, and installed public benches, bike racks, and a community board for event postings.  Immediately, the simple yet effective public space drew numerous patrons, people watchers, and activity.  People seemed to spill out of the popular establishments of Sitwell’s, Pangea, and Graeter’s nearby and relax on the benches or get caught up on community current events.

Living in the neighborhood and watching this turn of events transpire, it immediately dawned on me that the space was so successful because of one simple characteristic: its location.  Before the improvement, the intersection of Telford and Ludlow easily had the highest pedestrian counts of anywhere else along Ludlow.  While the plaza at Ludlow and Clifton sat relatively unused due to its poor location, creating a public space where the people already were made perfect sense, enhanced current pedestrian patterns, and helped establish the Telford-Ludlow node as a great public space.  Once I realized this and understood the importance of urban design responding to existing user patterns instead of attempting to force them to use certain spaces at certain times, I came on board with the idea of a public plaza on the Bender Optical site.  The way I now saw it, such a space would further enhance the already vibrant public space at Telford and Ludlow as it was situated directly across the street.  I just hoped it would be designed well! 

Within the past few months, Clifton Plaza at the Bender Optical site has officially become reality and has opened to the public.  I was in Cincinnati this past weekend and was able to see the new space for myself.  I was encouraged to see the space actually completed but was more or less underwhelmed by its design – for numerous reasons:     

• No enclosure – the space feels too open to the outside environment on the south end and needs plantings and trees to allow for a more intimate and urban experience.  The initial design indicates trees will be planted here so perhaps these will be included in future phases.   
• No interaction with surrounding uses – When designing the space, it would have been nice to work with business owners and redesign the exterior wall along the Aquarius Star, Om Cafe & Shangri-La Spiritual Center, allowing the use to spill out onto the space or feature garage door style windows to create inside-out connections.  This is undoubtedly a long-term goal but it is nonetheless something that should be looked at and championed.  In the mean time, a great mural would do wonders for the brick wall currently bounding the plaza. 
• Odd designs – The open space to the back of the plaza is awkward, uneven, and oddly designed.  The space could have been a flat surface or featured a slight slope with large raised planting beds towards the back of the space to make up for the drop off in elevation. 
• Closter phobic tree canopy –   At first glance, the trees seem planted too close together.  As they mature and grow, this could cause a visual clutter issue as well as overly shaded areas that are uninviting.
• Generic identity elements – The flags at the south end of the space are tacky and will likely need to be replaced relatively soon.  What would have been nice is some sort of feature that signified the space’s uniqueness and identity.  Instead, Clifton Plaza’s only ‘identity element’ is generic and cheap. 
• No moveable seating – Moveable seating in public spaces is an important feature to a spaces success, as it allows the user to feel in control over their space and allows for flexible utility for various events. 
• No true focal point – The space, whether it is a simple mural or a grand water feature, needs a focal point that draws patrons and enhances activity.  I think a mural would go a long way in this space. 

I must be fair, there are features of the space I do like:

• Location – I already touched on this, but the plaza’s location sits at the intersection of the pedestrian center of Ludlow Avenue.  Surely, this plaza will only enhance that activity. 
• Diverse seating options – While there isn’t any moveable seating, what is offered is actually quite diverse and somewhat flexible.  The space features benches with supporting backs, patio seating, standing level tables, and interesting marble-like slabs that allow users to rotate their view depending on how they prefer to use the seating. 
• Multiple zones – the small space features at least two distinct and defined zones: the ‘seating section’ abutting Ludlow and the ‘open plaza’ on the north end of the space.  This allows for various activities and a wider range of users at one time, all the while not completely interfering with the other zone’s activity. 
• Connectivity– The space connects the parking lot to the south of the space and interacts well with Ludlow Avenue, providing a great connection that allows auto users direct access to the district and increases pedestrian counts at the already busy Ludlow-Telford intersection. 

Clifton Plaza is still very new and the community hasn’t had the chance to truly ‘own it’ and ‘make it their own.’  As time passes, this will undoubtedly happen and perhaps some of the complaints I listed will be resolved and the space will become a true reflection of Clifton.  What is important for city and neighborhood residents to remember is that public spaces should never be looked at as static or finite – Clifton isn’t ‘stuck’ with the Clifton Plaza of today.  Instead, the community should constantly be looking at ways to improve their public spaces with the ultimate goal of creating the best public realm possible.   Over the next few years, I am excited to see how Clifton Plaza evolves and comes into its own, something that will undoubtedly result in an even better urban design for the community of Clifton.

Enjoy these images (or try to), taken on a rainy and dreary Sunday morning with my camera phone. 

Repost: The Pedestrianization Acceleration of Cincinnati

I originally wrote this piece last October for Randy Simes, Owner & Managing Editor, over at Urbancincy.com when Issue 9, the anti-rail initiative voted on last November,  was the talk of the town in Cincinnati and the streetcar was on everyone’s mind.  I thought it was a good idea to repost it here for urbanOut readers.  For the Indianapolis crowd, this piece is especially pertinent, considering the recent news that Monument Circle will become ‘pedestrianized’ shortly.     

If anyone has had the experience of traveling throughout Europe, you may have noticed a predominant feature in their center cities not found in typical American cities: pedestrian only thoroughfares. Many of these thin ‘streets’ have been around for decades, as European’s slowly took back their medieval centers and placed pedestrian access and connectivity in the forefront. Places like Paris, Copenhagen and Amsterdam have all created such places in their center cities, and, coupled with modern transit systems, have formed vibrant, provocative, and eclectic urban places.

Venizelou Square in Iraklion, Greece (photo by Randy A. Simes)

On a recent trip to Crete (known to be conservative by European standards) I again noticed an abundance of pedestrian only streets. After talking to a few locals, it was brought to my attention that many of these pedestrian thoroughfares were relatively new to the large city of Iraklion, and that they had finally come on board to the notion of pedestrianizing their center city, following western and northern European standards. This got me thinking; if even the most conservative western European places are completely pedestrianizing their center cities, it’s only a matter of time before the United States does the same.

Actually, the United States is already beginning to come on board with this trend, proven with the recent news that New York City has been experimenting with pedestrian only plazas in Times Square and Herald Square and San Francisco’s Pavement to Parks initiatives have been implementing such ideas as well. Even Indianapolis, Indiana has started a significant road diet, as seen in their downtown Cultural Trail, where road lanes are slowly disappearing and making way for multi-use, pedestrian/bike facility zones.

Indianapolis’ Cultural Trail (photo from Indy Cultural Trail)

These trends indicate American’s are warming up to the idea of pedestrian only thoroughfares and ‘pedestrian malls’ in their downtown’s, an idea initially rejected by American’s in the 1960’s and 70’s. In 2009, America is continually becoming an urban-oriented society and our cities need to start planning for a pedestrian acceleration that I believe will occur in our urban centers.

Cincinnati needs to understand this and start planning for the future to stay competitive in attracting the creative class. Luckily for Cincinnati, the city already has an amazing built environment suitable for pedestrian-only thoroughfares and malls; found in amazing Over-the-Rhine. A number of the neighborhood’s streets, especially the east-west routes, are thin, intimate, and well-connected, making them ideal for pedestrian only access.

So what can we do now to get ready for the pedestrianization acceleration that will eventually dominate the American urban landscape? In the immediate term, we can choke down car-centric streets like Liberty and Central, increasing sidewalk widths, adding bicycle lanes, and decreasing vehicular speeds. In the long-term, we need to develop a strong multi-modal transportation system for the city.

Not surprisingly, pedestrian only zones cannot withstand themselves without being supported by a modern, multi-modal transportation system. You simply cannot expect people to live in a car free environment if they do not have attractive public transportation options. If Over-the-Rhine is ever going to become pedestrianized, we must promote modern transportation options such as the Cincinnati Streetcar. If Cincinnati doesn’t offer these options, good luck keeping up with the impending pedestrianization acceleration and good luck attracting a more diverse population in age, income, and race to help ensure a healthy, vibrant Cincinnati for years to come.

The Power of Place in Unifying an Urbanist Community

I’ve been living in Indianapolis on a full-time basis for almost a year now and have been very familiar with the happenings of the City for almost two.  Prior to moving to Indianapolis, I lived in Cincinnati, Ohio for two years and attended the University of Cincinnati.  While the two cities may be geographically (and perhaps socially) close to each other, they still seem quite distant in many aspects.  It has been my observation that the urban, city-loving community in each City is quite different, as Cincinnati’s seems to have coalesced and is identifiable whereas Indianapolis’s seems disparate, disconnected, and lacking a true message.  When it comes down to it, it’s my conclusion that the reason for this has to do with Cincinnati’s one main advantage over Indianapolis – the power of a place for urbanists to rally around.

Cincinnati’s basin – downtown, Over-the-Rhine, and the West End, is one of the best urban fabrics in the country.  For those who know a thing or two about urbanity and an understanding of city life, the basin is a dynamic urban sanctuary teeming with possibility and opportunity.  There is an undeniable power to the basin, a mystique about its form that has been the source of great pride, frustration, and debate over the course of Cincinnati’s history.  Truly, this is a Place – a place with so much emotional power that it has created a thriving urbanist community who have rallied around celebrating its unique form, history, and complexities. 

The community, made up of long time citizens who have longed for a revitalized Over-the-Rhine and West End and the newer, younger generation who is pushing for a return to city living, initially worked together and organically unified their message around the regeneration of the basin.  In no time, the community became activists for themselves and, fueled by advocates such as Randy Simes, Owner of UrbanCincy, Brad Thomas of the CincyStreetcar Blog, and Bob Schwartz of 5chw4r7z, began rallying around specific projects and ideas.  Through local blogs and social media, the community coalesced and developed a unified voice and significant presence that began to have real sway in City Hall.  

Today, the urban, city-loving community is starting to bear the fruits of  its activism and unified message, seen in the recent allocation of $64 million in municipal bonds for the streetcar, the huge successes of Findlay Market, food trucks and a significant increase in street food vendors, and high quality urban design.  With these successes the community will only become more unified, bolder, and bigger, causing even more significant gains for urban Cincinnati.  Without the power of place the basin delivers, I am not sure the  urban community would have come together and caused real change the way they have so far.  Most likely, the urbanists in Cincinnati would be where Indianapolis urbanists currently find themselves – all over the place.

Based on my observations and conversations thus far, the Indianapolis urban movement does not have a strong, unified community with a clear, concise message.  My main argument for the reasoning behind this phenomenon has to do with the placeless nature of the community, but I will come back to that in a moment.  There does seem to be quite a bit actually going on in Indianapolis – the Cultural Trail to the rejuvenation of Fall Creek Place to the near eastside projects to Fountain Square – but each singular project is too small or too focused to actually unify an urbanist community.  Instead of a project or an idea, what Indianapolis needs is a place, an entire place, to identify with, form a community around, and advocate for.  Ultimately, this is what is lacking in Indianapolis and why I believe the urban, city-loving community is not as prevalent or identifiable as Cincinnati’s. 

Certainly, Indianapolis has places and neighborhoods that urbanists could rally around and make even better, but none stand out above the rest, none have that place power exuding from them.  Ultimately, this could explain the dispersion of urban minded people across the City landscape and the lack of identity.  Sure, there are great organizations, great people, and great ideas but what the City needs is a little focus and in my opinion, this focus needs to be on a specific place, a specific neighborhood or area (my vote is for Mass Ave, a place that is doing fine right now but has the potential to be significantly better).  Through this, a community can coalesce the way Cincinnati’s did and significant change can begin to happen.  I am not advocating for the abandonment of great projects and ideas throughout Indianapolis neighborhoods, I am simply calling for the identification of a place that urbanists can own and identify with and truly make great.  Whether this happens organically or through other means remains to be seen, but it definitely needs to happen so Indianapolis’s urban movement can keep pace with its Midwest counterparts.

Cincinnati Takes an Important Step in the Great Streetcar Debate

Yesterday, Monday May 10^th, the Cincinnati City Council voted 6-2 to approve $64 million in bonds for the streetcar project, moving the plan very close to reality.  Because all City council members serve on the finance panel, the bonds measure is all but guaranteed to pass by the same margin when it goes before the full council this Wednesday.  Ultimately, this is a very important step in the ever-lasting streetcar debate as this sends a strong message to the federal government of a firm local commitment to the project, something top Washington officials say is important to receiving federal grants in the future.  And with $50 million more needed to fund the $128 million project, such sources of funding is key to the streetcar becoming reality in Cincinnati.

The streetcar has long been a pet project of mine, as I am a strong supporter and advocate of the idea and have been since day one.  Back in late 2009, I ran numerous pieces against Issue 9, a ridiculous anti-rail referendum put forth on the ballot last November.  Thankfully, the Issue failed in a dramatic fashion, and in doing so sent a clear message to City Council that the residents of Cincinnati support progressive transportation options like the streetcar.

So why are the people of Cincinnati and myself so gung-ho about the streetcar?  Here are a few reason why:

• The streetcar will give Cincinnati a competitive edge in the Midwest.  No other city in the region is currently implementing this type of progressive rail transportation and Cincinnati has the chance to be the first and in doing so, redefine itself a place that takes urbanism seriously. 
• The only way to truly revitalize Over-the-Rhine in a proper, contextually sensitive manner is through mass transportation (ala  the streetcar).  The neighborhood was developed before the car and thus has an incredible pedestrian scale and environment.  Essentially, there is no room for a car culture in OTR and  unless major transportation improvements serve the neighborhood, the only way to encourage investment is by providing ridiculous parking requirements and demolishing numerous buildings to make room for all the cars.  If the streetcar is built, parking requirements for new developments will be lessened and the neighborhood can revitalize in a true urban manner.     
• Building a streetcar line that connects downtown and uptown is a giant first step towards a regional mass transit system.  The City has to start somewhere and connecting the region’s two largest employment centers is the perfect place to do so.  If the streetcar proves to be successful and a link to Ohio’s 3C Corridor is created, expect future rail expansions to happen in the region, both light and heavy. 

As it stands today, the City has done all it can to make the streetcar a reality.  Now, we are forced to sit and wait to see if the federal government will kick in the additional funding in their next round of stimulus monies.  Based on what local experts and inside sources are saying, the City’s federal grant application is a ‘top contender’ to receive support, with some people going as far as assuring the money is all-but-guaranteed.  As a Cincinnati lover and a true advocate, I truly hope this is true because the City deserves a world-class transportation system and this is the first step in achieving such a goal.  Make in happen Cincinnati!

By the way, for a complete, in-depth analysis and discussion about the Cincinnati Streetcar, check out the CincyStreetcar Blog, a site also featured on my blogroll to the right.  The site is known for numerous photoshopped images of a streetcar running through Cincinnati streets, a great feature that allows people to see exactly what it would be like to have this type of transit in the Queen City.