Div’s early interest in architecture was expressed in an attempt to park the cars within the confines of the building site.
Category: Urban Planning
Monoculture
Sunday a forum was staged by the Martha Jefferson Neighborhood Association to brainstorm with members of City Staff, Council and Planning Commission what to do now that MJH has taken the suburban plunge.
I have deep affection for Martha Jefferson Hospital but no love for the mess its exit leaves behind, the acres of impervious surface, the far-flung degraded neighborhood landscape of single family residences repurposed to house the filing cabinets and fax machines of medicos.
No summary offered here of brain storm sequelae.
On a personal note, I had a profane response, an emotive outburst (fortunately, not televised) following the brainstorming session. The position in which Martha Jefferson and Little High neighborhoods find themselves is similar to that of the Woolen Mills neighborhood and that similarity provoked me to say GOD DAMN.
Fifty years ago the Woolen Mills lost a neighborhood institution. Since the time of that loss the Woolies (Woolen Mills neighbors) have worked with City Staff, the Council and the Planning Commission to take corrective steps to lessen the consequences of the vacuum, the big emptiness that happens when a mono-culture moves on.
These cases of institutional death and institutional relocation are different. The problems faced by the neighborhoods are different. But the cast in the plays are the same. Planners, bureaucrats, politicians, developers and citizens.
Woolies have worked steadily for 50 years to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood.
Frankly, we have received little aid from the City in our efforts.
GD.
look up not down
yeah, thanks
Rivanna
The Charlottesville and Albemarle Planning Commissions had a joint work session yesterday. As is my custom, I begged them to pay attention to our river.
Their custom regarding the river is not to see it.
Move in
There are a vast number of residential properties around the former Martha Jefferson hospital that were upzoned to B-1. The houses had their yards paved, their trees cut down and their souls replaced by medical tradespeople.
What will be the fate of all those houses?
Some of the houses fared better than others, the trees stayed, the asphalt stayed away. They still feel like residential properties. This man was moving into one of them. Urban pioneer. Eyes on the street. Will the residential life of this neighborhood return?
what remains
oaks, east McIntire
Urban Design
Our City is currently involved in several urban design discussions simultaneously.
Are cities gender neutral? Our city, being Charlotte’s Ville. Maybe she can multitask. Talk about redesigning her central park and her bridge downtown and not cut off the wrong leg by mistake.
I have missed the bridge-design events & discussion. Watching the video by Dan Bluestone and Brian Wimer has me playing catch-up.
Why do we allow our bad things to happen to our cities? Why do we allow our cities to be designed by autos and fire engines?
Jim Kunstler talked a bit about the Law of Perverse Outcomes in his November 2011 “Eyesore of the Month”.
Humpty Dumpty
dreaming
People dreaming of a community where the humans are bipedal.
The word in the bicycle-blogs, the sky is falling, Republicans are going to run us over with cars.
best practices
We like to talk about zoning best practices. Some neighborhoods have more zoning “best practices” than others.
This is not one of those neighborhoods.