development – Black and White

LOS A

Charlotte NC, peaceful from the air.

Faux CHO

anywhere USA — Recently added to the Charlottesville architectural catalog. I think it is part of the Wegman’s building.

nature bandaid

the tree of choice — Developers love the crape myrtle. Easy to plant, easy to maintain. Makes me sad. Why the circular sidewalk to nowhere? Why not plant a noble tree? A long lived native species that would create a quarter acre of shade, lower temperatures in the neighborhood, capture rainwater, feed and shelter local fauna. I think nature bandaid is Jim Kunstler’s term.
Places I don’t want to sit.

build out

UVA Parking garage — The desirability of a 3D tool so non-architects can understand the implications of plans, orthographic drawings, has long been discussed in local planning circles.

new hotel — The tools exist. SketchUp is such a tool. The building could be built with digits. Visualized in a way the layman can understand. Lets see what proposed development looks like in context before the bricks get mortared one on top the other.

10th and Page neighborhood — How will a neighborhood with a 35′ vertical envelope fare when more massive buildings come on the scene? Lets see it before we build it. Lets try visually informed planning.

what remains?

Danny Meeks & homeplace — Once there was a park, a commons and a house on a hill. The hill remains, for now.

drunken spider

Carlton Avenue — Here in the hinterland we run our utilities in the air. It is the cheapest way.
Akin to keeping our inventory of used auto parts in the front yard.
Some of the poles are owned by the Dominion, some are owned by the telephone people?
Providers who want to run wires and cable rent space.

A Green City
Charlottesville citizens live in a community with a vibrant urban forest,tree‐lined streets, and lush green neighborhoods.
We have an extensive natural trail system, along with (a) healthy ~~rivers~~ river and streams.
We have clean air and water, we emphasize recycling and reuse, and we minimize storm‐water runoff.
Our homes and buildings are sustainably designed and energy efficient.–Council Vision 2025

strip mall backside

albemarle square backside — the backside of this local mall is more interesting to look at than its front side

stump and rump

oak stump man in a suit rump
“Streets and their sidewalks, the main public places of the city, are its most vital organs.” The Death and Life of Great American Cities Jane Jacobs

The giving tree

street stump
“Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.” Shel Silverstein.
In 1975 Charlottesville developed a street tree plan.
It was never implemented.
The way we get many of our street trees is making developers plant them,
when the development requires a site plan.
But when the required tree dies, does anyone replace it?
Street Stump!

transportation services

man in a bear suit
The sense of enclosure and the shade these trees provide helps to make “mode-shift” more inviting.
Park the car and walk. Sadly, when individuals in this allee have been cut down in recent years
they have not been replaced.