Post details: Ypsilanti WAS Walkable
Ypsilanti WAS Walkable
I just saw this Ann Arbor News article at Ypsidixit and am absolutely infuriated by it.
Apparently some time last week, the executive director of Walkable Communities, Inc., sponsored by the Cool Cities Initiative, walked through Ypsilanti and made a number of ridiculous recommendations.
"One of (Burden's) suggestions was to design a pontoon walkway system that can rise and fall with the water level," Goulet said. "It's a creative system to get people across Michigan Avenue or under the bridge." - A floating walkway over the Huron would be useless. Not only is there nothing on the other side of the river to walk to, but if the DNR allowed the city to put it in, I doubt it would fair well over the winter. The city is not able to keep the trees trimmed in the parks and recently appointed a Blue Ribbon Commission to look for ways to cut the budget further. The last thing we need is another useless thing to maintain.
Factors such as sidewalk width, traffic speeds and handicap accessibility were taken into consideration - Having a community that is walkable from parking spaces to stores isn't what Richard Florida had in mind. A walkable community is defined as one in which you can get the majority of needed services within 1/8th of a mile of your residence. Ypsilanti is missing the "services" part of this equation.
Transformer boxes that hang on posts two feet above the ground could be obstacles for blind people using canes to feel their way along the sidewalk. "A simple solution is to put a pot of flowers under it." - How much money will we spend on the 2 blind people walking around town? Again, the city is not able to keep the trees trimmed. At the last city council meeting, several people from Bell and Casler streets came to beg for gutters and curbs on their street... they didn't even ask for sidewalks. Ypsilanti should be ashamed to have two streets so close to the central business district without sidewalks.
New benches to provide a resting spot for pedestrians and adding wheelchair ramps are other small additions that the DDA will explore. - Again, there has to be a place to walk to. It's nice that this group was able to take a stroll around town, but the rest of us are walking for transportation. We don't have time to sit around on a bench (unless it's at a bus stop) and the flowers are one more thing to maintain that you can't chain a bike to.
Burden also suggested reducing Huron and Hamilton streets to two lanes by adding angle parking, thereby slowing traffic and encouraging people to park their cars and walk through the city. - This takes the cake. Not only will MDOT never approve Huron or Hamilton (trunkline) lane reductions, but rows of cars in-front of businesses hinders walkablility. Cars parked on the street make crossing dangerous by obscuring the view of pedestrians and drivers. Parking belongs behind buildings.
Dan Burden doesn't know the first thing about Ypsilanti and has no business evaluating our city after one pleasure stroll through town. Every public participation event Steve and I have been to has resulted in the city going along with the recommendations of an out-of-town consultant (or public university) against the wishes of citizens at the meeting. Steve asked for financing information for the Water Street Project months ago and the city blew him off. Others have started to ask questions and aren't doing much better. We also asked the city who decided to change the original plan from commercial units on Michigan Avenue to residential. They have not responded. Ironically, some of the ground on the site is heavily contaminated and may not be salable as residential. The solution: Spot zone it for commercial!
Comments:
Comment from: Mark [Visitor] · http://www.markmaynard.com
Perhaps if the city had spent the money used to pay this fellow on an initiative to get EMU students downtown to shop we actually could have kept one of the businesses that are leaving. Instead, our money (either through the state or Ypsi itself) is spent on this kind of nonsense. It's pathetic.
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08/17/04 @ 08:48
Comment from: leighton [Visitor] · http://www.livejournal.com/users/leighton/
Wonder if we can find out exactly how much "we" paid this guy?
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08/17/04 @ 09:23
Comment from: leighton [Visitor] · http://www.livejournal.com/users/leighton/
The scary thing is there used to be a good, urban rail system just for Ypsi that made parking a non-issue. Before GM detroyed the system, you didn't need a car at all - even in a small town like Ypsi.
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08/17/04 @ 09:25
Comment from: leighton [Visitor] · http://www.livejournal.com/users/leighton/
If Ypsi ever grew as planned, Mich Av. and Huron would HAVE to be regulated at one point. Ann Arbor's Main St was probably at one time much like our current Huron.
Maybe the state and fed. Highway people see this and are lukewarm to Ypsi's future growth?
Maybe the state and fed. Highway people see this and are lukewarm to Ypsi's future growth?
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08/17/04 @ 09:31
Comment from: Steven [Visitor] · http://seat.defcode.com
Main in A2 wasn't ever like Huron today. I think we ought to look at other sections of Michigan Avenue instead.
Ypsilanti is the way it is because M-12, M-17, and I-94 all converge in a tight area.
Traffic needs to get from Washtenaw to Michigan Avenue. Slowing all this traffic down isn't going to help Ypsilanti.
Ypsilanti is the way it is because M-12, M-17, and I-94 all converge in a tight area.
Traffic needs to get from Washtenaw to Michigan Avenue. Slowing all this traffic down isn't going to help Ypsilanti.
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08/17/04 @ 10:26
Comment from: leighton [Visitor] · http://www.livejournal.com/users/leighton
Main St was probably like Huron in comparable traffic like 100 years ago (US 23 replaced Manin St.?).
But downtown Ypsi is kinda screwed because too many outside forces (natural and unnatural) are keeping traffic moving at unfriendly speeds. You have to get all the way into E Dearborn to see any kind of in-town speeds on Mich ave. And almost everywhere West, you are taking you life into your hands just trying to cross (even in Saline).
But downtown Ypsi is kinda screwed because too many outside forces (natural and unnatural) are keeping traffic moving at unfriendly speeds. You have to get all the way into E Dearborn to see any kind of in-town speeds on Mich ave. And almost everywhere West, you are taking you life into your hands just trying to cross (even in Saline).
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08/17/04 @ 14:39
Comment from: Hillary [Visitor] · http://bunker.defcode.com
I see the road construction has unearthed another section of rail on Washington by the Elbow. When shipping becomes cheaper by rail again, we'll be able to lobby for reduced traffic speeds on trunklines. May not be long if you believe Dave Pollard. He's forcasting an energy crisis resulting in the price of oil quadrupling to $160/barrel in 10 years.
http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2004/08/05.html#a830
I think this is a compelling reason to live in the city, Mark. You're very close to the train station and the bus station. Your property value is going to shoot way up when the light rail opens (and I believe it will eventually). Your yard is big enough for subsistance farming too.
http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2004/08/05.html#a830
I think this is a compelling reason to live in the city, Mark. You're very close to the train station and the bus station. Your property value is going to shoot way up when the light rail opens (and I believe it will eventually). Your yard is big enough for subsistance farming too.
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08/17/04 @ 16:13
Comment from: Cory [Visitor] · http://www.empirewilderness.com/weblog/
As newcomers to Ypsi, one of the first things we tried to do was get out and walk the center of town. Having moved from a city that has a thriving, pedestrian-friendly downtown area, the intial thing we all noticed was the challenge associated with just getting across S. Hamilton and Michigan Ave. Assuming that new businesses actually started opening up and making downtown a destination, which I agree needs to happen before all else, the traffic flow is still going to be a problem. It's super-loud and a little scary, both of which serve to detract from any walkable feel. Are there no other major east-west routes through town that could alleviate the conjestion? Given all the construction, it's been hard to tell whether the traffic we've seen in Ypsi so far is the norm or not.
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08/17/04 @ 16:22
Comment from: Hillary [Visitor]
"Are there no other major east-west routes through town that could alleviate the conjestion?"
Yes, but they are all one-way. Washtenaw (17) comes from Ann Arbor two way, but becomes one way at the water tower. From there, most take Hamilton from Washtenaw to either Michigan Ave (12) or 94. The other way, Washtenaw is Cross Street, which is one way begining at Huron. There is a request from the city with M-DOT to have Cross and a few other streets changed to 2-way traffic, but few think it will ever happen. That being said, I think it is the only one of all the traffic proposals I've heard about that has any chance of being approved. Even if it is though, there is a proposal to "improve" Cross Street with parking on the street and narrow sidewalks.
http://seat.defcode.com/index.php?title=west_cross_street_did_the_developers_lis&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments
Yes, but they are all one-way. Washtenaw (17) comes from Ann Arbor two way, but becomes one way at the water tower. From there, most take Hamilton from Washtenaw to either Michigan Ave (12) or 94. The other way, Washtenaw is Cross Street, which is one way begining at Huron. There is a request from the city with M-DOT to have Cross and a few other streets changed to 2-way traffic, but few think it will ever happen. That being said, I think it is the only one of all the traffic proposals I've heard about that has any chance of being approved. Even if it is though, there is a proposal to "improve" Cross Street with parking on the street and narrow sidewalks.
http://seat.defcode.com/index.php?title=west_cross_street_did_the_developers_lis&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments
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08/17/04 @ 16:42
Comment from: leighton [Visitor] · http://www.livejournal.com/users/leighton
Interstates like 94 tend to remove congestion / traffic relevency on roads like 12 (Mich. Ave.). But in our case, Mich. Ave. seems to be a bleeder road for a poorly timed construction project or tanker accident on 94.
Again cars are the problem, but they are also the main source of indirect revinue --- even in Ypsi.
Again cars are the problem, but they are also the main source of indirect revinue --- even in Ypsi.
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08/18/04 @ 10:40
Comment from: Murph [Visitor] · http://www.commonmonkeyflower.net/cms/
"a pontoon walkway system"? I think the consultant has been watching too many Kevin Costner movies.
(me is flabbergasted)
(me is flabbergasted)
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08/18/04 @ 11:42
Comment from: Murph [Visitor] · http://www.commonmonkeyflower.net/cms/
More generally, it looks like they're trying to ice a cake that hasn't been baked yet. They need to make sure there's a reason to walk downtown--then they can worry about making it pleasant.
This consultant is too useless to look at the big picture; that's probably partially his fault and partially the city's fault for paying him to ignore the big stuff, but there's really no excuse for looking at Ypsi and saying the biggest problem to walkability is putting flowerpots under transformers. I don't think I've *ever* seen a city where that would rate as a prime walkability issue.
This consultant is too useless to look at the big picture; that's probably partially his fault and partially the city's fault for paying him to ignore the big stuff, but there's really no excuse for looking at Ypsi and saying the biggest problem to walkability is putting flowerpots under transformers. I don't think I've *ever* seen a city where that would rate as a prime walkability issue.
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08/18/04 @ 11:48
Comment from: Jennifer Albaum [Visitor] · http://www.henriettafahrenheit.com
The walkability study - from my understanding (and I'm kind of new to this) - was something that the State set up as part of the Cool Cities grant. Since Ypsilanti was awarded the grant and because walkability was the number one response to "what makes a city cool" in those web surveys the State conducted, they sent this guy to conduct a walkability study. I'm quite sure the City didn't pay for this. On a side note, because of this Cool Cities grant, Ypsilanti might have leverage with MDOT to implement some of the proposed changes to Huron/Michigan Avenue, but that just might be hopeful thinking?
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08/19/04 @ 09:14
Comment from: Hillary [Visitor] · http://bunker.defcode.com
I'm positive our State taxes paid for this bullshit. Why did we pay a jackass from Florida for something our public universities would have done for free? EMU has an urban planning program. The professor teaching it attends Ypsi public meetings (and is blown off with the rest of us). I think the most likely outcome of this consultation will be some worthless flowerpots and a bridge to nowhere. MDOT isn't going to allow lane reductions on trunklines from 94. Maybe when the trains are running again and freight returns to the rails.
Regardless, on-street parking is bad for walkability. Parked cars obscure the view of street-crossing pedestrians who then step off the curb into the street to see better. Drivers don't see them standing behind the cars and clip them on right hand turns. To make angle parking safe for peds, the city would have to build bump-outs at all the corners. The city shouldn't be building bumpouts when Casler and Bell have no gutters or curbs or sidewalks.
Regardless, on-street parking is bad for walkability. Parked cars obscure the view of street-crossing pedestrians who then step off the curb into the street to see better. Drivers don't see them standing behind the cars and clip them on right hand turns. To make angle parking safe for peds, the city would have to build bump-outs at all the corners. The city shouldn't be building bumpouts when Casler and Bell have no gutters or curbs or sidewalks.
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08/22/04 @ 02:30
Comment from: Cory [Visitor] · http://www.empirewilderness.com/weblog/
How active are the EMU urban planning folks? I would think this would be a prime location to do a lot of local work to address and investigate some major planning issues? I also understand this whole "cool cities" thing was a big project pushed by the governor, so I can see how bringing in a big, national consulting group might be looked at as providing a little more flash than sensibly relying on your own experts at home. But, how seriously is this urban renewal agenda truly being pursued anyway? We heard a lot about it even before we moved, which was one reason we chose to live in Ypsi, but it seems like things are moving in the opposite direction. Multiple downtown businesses have recently left or are leaving (http://www.livejournal.com/users/leighton/116401.html), the city apparently has no money to actually pursue the initiative’s objectives (http://seat.defcode.com/htsrv/trackback.php?tb_id=592), etc. It's not as though it's some big secret that if broad programs aren't well thought out and supported financially, they won't go anywhere. Is this the case? Was there significant support for the "cool cities" initiative on a statewide level? If not, why the big push for it?
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08/22/04 @ 10:38
Comment from: Steven [Visitor] · http://seat.defcode.com
Take a look at Grand River Ave in East Lansing. There is no on-street parking yet business thrives in a very-walkable strip in the alley between Grand River and Albert.
Shoppers can park their cars in The Habitrail (parking ramp), which has commercial space on the first floor. They can then walk 8 blocks in an improved alley and visit over 100 stores on both sides.
This pedestrian walkway has kiosks for fliers, benches, and an occasional planter for skateboarders to fliptrick trick off. Police on bicycles zoom by occasionally.
We're looking too hard for solutions and we're making them up out of thin air. This myopia is killing me. Go park in the Habitrail and walk down to Rick's American Cafe and then tell me we need on-street parking.
Shoppers can park their cars in The Habitrail (parking ramp), which has commercial space on the first floor. They can then walk 8 blocks in an improved alley and visit over 100 stores on both sides.
This pedestrian walkway has kiosks for fliers, benches, and an occasional planter for skateboarders to fliptrick trick off. Police on bicycles zoom by occasionally.
We're looking too hard for solutions and we're making them up out of thin air. This myopia is killing me. Go park in the Habitrail and walk down to Rick's American Cafe and then tell me we need on-street parking.
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08/22/04 @ 14:00
Comment from: Steven [Visitor] · http://seat.defcode.com
Cory, it seems that folks in the "Cool Cities" camp think that building the products of a sucessful city will in-turn create the causes.
Banners, Berms, Bricks, Benches, and Bumpouts are the products of a sucessful area. Not the precursors.
If we instead grew commerce and quit down-zoning our cool little city, we'd all start to see the benefits.
When people cut a path across a park, that's when you put in a walkway. When bicycles are locked to fences, that's when you build bikeracks. When people are sitting on the bikeracks, that's when you build a bench.
We've got the cart before the ox and nobody understands.
Banners, Berms, Bricks, Benches, and Bumpouts are the products of a sucessful area. Not the precursors.
If we instead grew commerce and quit down-zoning our cool little city, we'd all start to see the benefits.
When people cut a path across a park, that's when you put in a walkway. When bicycles are locked to fences, that's when you build bikeracks. When people are sitting on the bikeracks, that's when you build a bench.
We've got the cart before the ox and nobody understands.
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08/22/04 @ 14:08
Comment from: Hillary [Visitor] · http://bunker.defcode.com
"How active are the EMU urban planning folks?"
I recognized the proffesor in an article about EMU planning as someone we'd talked to at the Cross Street meeting. I've seen no other evidence of involvement.
The cool cities initiative started because Michigan is losing young people like rats from a sinking ship. The national consulting firm they hired has 1 employee. I'm sure they were chosen because they were lucky enough to have registered walkable.org.
The truth is that most of Michigan is like Grand Rapids.
http://bunker.defcode.com/index.php?p=77&more=1&c=1&tb=1#comments
All my old friends have joined cults, died or left the state. Michiganders should be ashamed of the state of our cities, but people with money never see the tough parts of town and could care less about them. The adult literacy rate in Detroit hovers around 50%. The extent of urban renewal in Michigan is white people with money building enclaves of opulance in the hardest hit (black) areas so they can enjoy the excitement of the city during heavily policed events.
If you have a minute, check out the DetroitYES Rivertown tour.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2003/04autumn/05-01atWatRC.htm
There's a Borders across from the RenCen now.
I recognized the proffesor in an article about EMU planning as someone we'd talked to at the Cross Street meeting. I've seen no other evidence of involvement.
The cool cities initiative started because Michigan is losing young people like rats from a sinking ship. The national consulting firm they hired has 1 employee. I'm sure they were chosen because they were lucky enough to have registered walkable.org.
The truth is that most of Michigan is like Grand Rapids.
http://bunker.defcode.com/index.php?p=77&more=1&c=1&tb=1#comments
All my old friends have joined cults, died or left the state. Michiganders should be ashamed of the state of our cities, but people with money never see the tough parts of town and could care less about them. The adult literacy rate in Detroit hovers around 50%. The extent of urban renewal in Michigan is white people with money building enclaves of opulance in the hardest hit (black) areas so they can enjoy the excitement of the city during heavily policed events.
If you have a minute, check out the DetroitYES Rivertown tour.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2003/04autumn/05-01atWatRC.htm
There's a Borders across from the RenCen now.
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08/22/04 @ 14:40
Comment from: Jennifer Albaum [Visitor] · http://www.henriettafahrenheit.com
The EMU Planning Department is a respected department. Unfortunately, they're currently dealing with internal university politics in that they're a part of a department that is dissolving right before our eyes (Geography and Planning). No chair, no department.
Steve is absolutely correct in that Grand River in East Lansing is HOPPING! But the fact that Michigan State University is DIRECTLY across the street with its critical mass and "consumer" density provides the audience for those businesses. Parking or not - most people can just walk across the street.
Steve is absolutely correct in that Grand River in East Lansing is HOPPING! But the fact that Michigan State University is DIRECTLY across the street with its critical mass and "consumer" density provides the audience for those businesses. Parking or not - most people can just walk across the street.
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08/24/04 @ 09:09
Comment from: Steven [Visitor] · http://seat.defcode.com
I'm just saying on-street parking isn't necessary for a thriving business district.
Most of the dorms at MSU clear across campus from Grand river save the Virgin Vault and that's up by the library, almost a 1/2 mile from Grand River.
Peds get across the 4 lanes for Grand River just fine since they put in the ped-friendly boulevards in the early 90s. Before that it was a dash across. It's much like our Michigan Ave in many ways.
Grand River in East Lansing is MDOT Trunkline with no on-street parking and it's a success. So we can rule that out.
Most of the dorms at MSU clear across campus from Grand river save the Virgin Vault and that's up by the library, almost a 1/2 mile from Grand River.
Peds get across the 4 lanes for Grand River just fine since they put in the ped-friendly boulevards in the early 90s. Before that it was a dash across. It's much like our Michigan Ave in many ways.
Grand River in East Lansing is MDOT Trunkline with no on-street parking and it's a success. So we can rule that out.
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08/24/04 @ 21:14
Comment from: Jennifer Albaum [Visitor] · http://www.henriettafahrenheit.com
Steve, I wasn't dismissing your observations of Grand River, just adding to them.
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08/26/04 @ 09:03
Comment from: Steven [Visitor] · http://seat.defcode.com
I know, I just get riled up by the "on street" parking drum. It seems like we all talk about walkablity but still are slaves to car culture.
I noticed that cities swing from one extreme to another on this parking issue. Main Street Ann Arbor has on-street parking and their sidewalks are too narrow. They only gain a scant few spots this way anyway.
The logical solution here is to remove the 10-few spots per block and widen the sidewalk. Instead I hear proposals of closing the whole street down to pedestrian mall.
One extreme to another.
I'd most like to have wide sidewalks on Michigan, Cross, and Huron with off-street parking.
I noticed that cities swing from one extreme to another on this parking issue. Main Street Ann Arbor has on-street parking and their sidewalks are too narrow. They only gain a scant few spots this way anyway.
The logical solution here is to remove the 10-few spots per block and widen the sidewalk. Instead I hear proposals of closing the whole street down to pedestrian mall.
One extreme to another.
I'd most like to have wide sidewalks on Michigan, Cross, and Huron with off-street parking.
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08/26/04 @ 22:42
Comment from: Eric [Visitor]
I haven't read a lot of your posts, but just responding to the first few comments I've read... I coordinated Walkable Community Workshops in Dayton, Ohio and while they weren't led by Dan Burden - Charlie Gandy was the consultant - the two are colleagues and share similar viewpoints. They were highly successful in Dayton and we are probably going to be doing several more.
I think you guys are missing the boat here. Walkable Communities are not just about making cities more "walk friendly;" It is also about changing the mindset of people and creating a "sense of place" in a city. To be a city of success, you need to stand out above and beyond what other cities are doing. I could go on for hours, and I'm positive I could convince you in person, but thousands have other cities have already done things like this, and that's why people choose Austin, Texas or Asheville, North Carolina over Yspilanti. Your city needs to stand out from the rest. Not many people move to cities because they have the best Super Wal-Mart. And in a few years, every place on Earth will have a Super Wal-Mart.
Oh by the way, what they say directly ties in with what Richard Florida speaks about. I have seen them all speak before. I also believe that they are personal colleagues with him. I probably will be meeting with Dan Burden in a few weeks and I'll have to mention how closed-minded the people of Yspilanti were to his great ideas. Why do you think he has been successful in the past? Because he gets it, and most of America just doesn't get it.
I think you guys are missing the boat here. Walkable Communities are not just about making cities more "walk friendly;" It is also about changing the mindset of people and creating a "sense of place" in a city. To be a city of success, you need to stand out above and beyond what other cities are doing. I could go on for hours, and I'm positive I could convince you in person, but thousands have other cities have already done things like this, and that's why people choose Austin, Texas or Asheville, North Carolina over Yspilanti. Your city needs to stand out from the rest. Not many people move to cities because they have the best Super Wal-Mart. And in a few years, every place on Earth will have a Super Wal-Mart.
Oh by the way, what they say directly ties in with what Richard Florida speaks about. I have seen them all speak before. I also believe that they are personal colleagues with him. I probably will be meeting with Dan Burden in a few weeks and I'll have to mention how closed-minded the people of Yspilanti were to his great ideas. Why do you think he has been successful in the past? Because he gets it, and most of America just doesn't get it.
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09/15/04 @ 23:32
Comment from: Eric [Visitor]
Before you go ripping on me, I should point out I realized that I spelled Ypsilanti wrong. I read something about it being impossible to spell in an ESPN article. I didn't seem to think so, but, I guess maybe it is when you don't think about it before you type. I apologize.
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09/15/04 @ 23:38
Comment from: Steven [Visitor] · http://defcode.com
Eric, do you sell planters?
Burden's departure from Richard Florida's ideas are more-than-apparant and Florida's ideas are simply derivitive of Jane Jacbob's work. Burden's got the cart before the ox and so does Ypsilanti.
You see Ypsilanti is nearly bankrupt. We have three police on duty for 25,000 people, we've cancelled the entire recreation budget, the fire department is operating below NFPA standards, and our store-fronts are empty. Ypsilanti doesn't even have a super-market.
Of course you relize that a walkable community is one in which most goods and services are within a 1/8 mile walk. Just to clue you in, we don't have most goods and services. Come on up sometime, I'll show you around.
All this Burden garbage is contingent on there being something to walk to. For the past thirty years the city has worked on a number of projects to "create a sense of place", you can read about them in the back issues Ypsilanti Historical Foundation Newsletter. In the 80s it was "gateways offering a sense of space". No evidence of gateways today. Apparently Eric has some new idea about "sense of place" that haven't yet been tried.
We have park pathes that are in-use and crumbling yet the State ships Dan Burden out here to give us ideas on how to spend money and suggests changing things of which we have no control.
He suggested a floating pontoon bridge across the river. I'm sure the DNR would have a laugh about that one.
Eric, are you a floating-bridge salesman? Have you ever read The Death and Life of Great American Citites by Jane Jacobs?
For cities to be walkable they must have good and services to walk to. We can decorate our walkways with flowers and bullshit once: when we do have some businesses, or twice: once now and again when we have some businesses.
Burden's ideas are fine for communities with extra money to spend, Ypsilanti's not one of those communities and Burden is no Student of Florida's or Jacobs'.
Burden's departure from Richard Florida's ideas are more-than-apparant and Florida's ideas are simply derivitive of Jane Jacbob's work. Burden's got the cart before the ox and so does Ypsilanti.
You see Ypsilanti is nearly bankrupt. We have three police on duty for 25,000 people, we've cancelled the entire recreation budget, the fire department is operating below NFPA standards, and our store-fronts are empty. Ypsilanti doesn't even have a super-market.
Of course you relize that a walkable community is one in which most goods and services are within a 1/8 mile walk. Just to clue you in, we don't have most goods and services. Come on up sometime, I'll show you around.
All this Burden garbage is contingent on there being something to walk to. For the past thirty years the city has worked on a number of projects to "create a sense of place", you can read about them in the back issues Ypsilanti Historical Foundation Newsletter. In the 80s it was "gateways offering a sense of space". No evidence of gateways today. Apparently Eric has some new idea about "sense of place" that haven't yet been tried.
We have park pathes that are in-use and crumbling yet the State ships Dan Burden out here to give us ideas on how to spend money and suggests changing things of which we have no control.
He suggested a floating pontoon bridge across the river. I'm sure the DNR would have a laugh about that one.
Eric, are you a floating-bridge salesman? Have you ever read The Death and Life of Great American Citites by Jane Jacobs?
For cities to be walkable they must have good and services to walk to. We can decorate our walkways with flowers and bullshit once: when we do have some businesses, or twice: once now and again when we have some businesses.
Burden's ideas are fine for communities with extra money to spend, Ypsilanti's not one of those communities and Burden is no Student of Florida's or Jacobs'.
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09/16/04 @ 09:51
Comment from: Steven [Visitor] · http://defcode.com
The city's putting up banners that say "cool city" on them. That should afford a sense of place right?
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09/16/04 @ 09:52
Comment from: Hillary [Visitor] · http://bunker.defcode.com
I'm disappointed that you didn't read more before you posted, Eric. The people posting on this thread don't need to be convinced of the evils of auto culture. We don't need someone to change our midset. We don't shop at Walmart.
When you say they were "highly successful in Dayton", what exactly do you mean? Has their visit had a measurable impact on walkability in Dayton?
Ypsilanti has a "sense of place". Every 10 years some crackpot sells the City on banners, planters, trees and bushes and they have no effect on our empty downtown. Ypsilanti is never going to have the money to be the most flower saturated city in the county. We're going to have to make it on character (which luckily we have plenty of, even if the City is trying to crush it).
The point is that none of Burden's suggestions address the real problems in town... those you find out about by living here.
a) The police have a history of civil rights abuses. The city just paid off Adult Book Store and now (after being caught on VIDEO) the police are being investigated by the FBI for another unwarranted search. The officers being investigated are STILL working.
b) How would you like to live here? Diversity was a key point in Florida's book. We have a serious racism and segregation problem that is not being addressed.
c) Taxes are outrageous. People in the Central Business District are paying $6000/yr.
d) Slumlords and speculators are asking way too much for buildings that are falling in. Young people can afford to rent but not buy. 66% of town is rentals.
e) TIF financed property specualtion may bankrupt the City.
What we really need are some goddamn $300 bike racks because nothing is within walking distance. Our zoning doesn't permit it. Even better than bike racks, changes to zoning ordinances are free.
When you say they were "highly successful in Dayton", what exactly do you mean? Has their visit had a measurable impact on walkability in Dayton?
Ypsilanti has a "sense of place". Every 10 years some crackpot sells the City on banners, planters, trees and bushes and they have no effect on our empty downtown. Ypsilanti is never going to have the money to be the most flower saturated city in the county. We're going to have to make it on character (which luckily we have plenty of, even if the City is trying to crush it).
The point is that none of Burden's suggestions address the real problems in town... those you find out about by living here.
a) The police have a history of civil rights abuses. The city just paid off Adult Book Store and now (after being caught on VIDEO) the police are being investigated by the FBI for another unwarranted search. The officers being investigated are STILL working.
b) How would you like to live here? Diversity was a key point in Florida's book. We have a serious racism and segregation problem that is not being addressed.
c) Taxes are outrageous. People in the Central Business District are paying $6000/yr.
d) Slumlords and speculators are asking way too much for buildings that are falling in. Young people can afford to rent but not buy. 66% of town is rentals.
e) TIF financed property specualtion may bankrupt the City.
What we really need are some goddamn $300 bike racks because nothing is within walking distance. Our zoning doesn't permit it. Even better than bike racks, changes to zoning ordinances are free.
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09/16/04 @ 14:44
Comment from: Eric [Visitor]
I just wanted to comment after revisiting this site months after I posted. It would be fun to sit back and argue over things in person, I think typing kind of limits the flow of thoughts and ideas. But anyway, I just wanted to say sorry for sounding so harsh before. I read some things and I got upset for what seemed that some people are being closed-minded.
I am a planner and I feel the same way that you do, that conventional planning in a lot of ways has destroyed cities. That's why I feel obligated to make a change in planning. TIFs screwed up my hometown as well. And I agree, if there is nothing to walk to, why invest all this money into something that won't be utilized? The same problems we face in Dayton. The trick is trying to find the cheap ways of doing it that can serve as a catalyst for other things. I personally don't like investing tons of money necessarily into streetscaping, because a lot of times it's not done right.
The way that the workshops have been successful in Dayton is the buzz that has been created. And there are small steps, but the backbone is already in place with regional committees. Communities are applying to the DOT for money. Artists are getting involved in activities in downtowns designing public art, and so on and so on.
I think the pontoon boat idea sounds cool, and it could be something that really brings people to Ypsilanti. My guess is that it wouldn't and it would be way too expensive. But what does it hurt to be creative sometimes? I'm sure he didn't focus too much on that point. I did bring it up with him, though. Sometimes communities take to him well, and sometimes they don't. Especially ones that have been sold things before that didn't work. I think the main thing is to get cheaply creative, and have champions for walkable communities in places of power. It takes people that care to turn things around.
And no, I am not in the planter or the floating-bridge business. Although I do like planters when overdone in small sections. I have not read Jacobs book either although since I've been in a planning background, it's only been referenced like 8,000 times. At least it sounds like your city is trying, and hopefully someone can turn it around. My guess is one look into your city's budget and I could find plenty of areas where there could be money to use for walkable communities efforts (bit by bit). And by the way, just because Dan Burden said all of this, doesn't mean that I agree with it all. Just seemed like no one was defending his side.
Have a nice day.
I am a planner and I feel the same way that you do, that conventional planning in a lot of ways has destroyed cities. That's why I feel obligated to make a change in planning. TIFs screwed up my hometown as well. And I agree, if there is nothing to walk to, why invest all this money into something that won't be utilized? The same problems we face in Dayton. The trick is trying to find the cheap ways of doing it that can serve as a catalyst for other things. I personally don't like investing tons of money necessarily into streetscaping, because a lot of times it's not done right.
The way that the workshops have been successful in Dayton is the buzz that has been created. And there are small steps, but the backbone is already in place with regional committees. Communities are applying to the DOT for money. Artists are getting involved in activities in downtowns designing public art, and so on and so on.
I think the pontoon boat idea sounds cool, and it could be something that really brings people to Ypsilanti. My guess is that it wouldn't and it would be way too expensive. But what does it hurt to be creative sometimes? I'm sure he didn't focus too much on that point. I did bring it up with him, though. Sometimes communities take to him well, and sometimes they don't. Especially ones that have been sold things before that didn't work. I think the main thing is to get cheaply creative, and have champions for walkable communities in places of power. It takes people that care to turn things around.
And no, I am not in the planter or the floating-bridge business. Although I do like planters when overdone in small sections. I have not read Jacobs book either although since I've been in a planning background, it's only been referenced like 8,000 times. At least it sounds like your city is trying, and hopefully someone can turn it around. My guess is one look into your city's budget and I could find plenty of areas where there could be money to use for walkable communities efforts (bit by bit). And by the way, just because Dan Burden said all of this, doesn't mean that I agree with it all. Just seemed like no one was defending his side.
Have a nice day.
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