Today's Photo: A Good City Intersection

I took this picture from the roof of the Guilford Building looking down upon the intersection of South Elm and Washington Streets. That is South Elm Street running left to right (north being to the right), and Washington Street running from top to bottom (the top of the picture pointing west).

I have crossed this intersection on foot or in a car hundreds if not thousands of times over the last two years, from every direction. This is a very pedestrian friendly intersection. The crossing lights are clear and obvious. The brick walkways delineate walking space very clearly. Cars are set back enough not to impede or inconvenience pedestrian traffic. Most of the eight sidewalks emanating from the intersection are wide, also delineated by the color and texture of brick, and separated from the street by a buffer. It is, in summary, a lively and a safe intersection for the pedestrian.

As a driver I have found the intersection very efficient as well. There are left turn lanes coming from each direction. This does a lot to keep traffic moving quickly. Traffic flows well through the intersections, but at a measured and safe rate. This intersection is thus both pedestrian friendly and driver friendly.

More and more intersections downtown need to work as well as this one.

More downtown pictures.

DDG and the Futue of Downtown Greensboro

I have been thinking about the Downtown Design Guidelines now being considered by the city of Greensboro. Until recently I have had little basis for an opinion. I rarely came downtown except for special events like Fun Fourth. I spent little to no money downtown. I really didn't think much of downtown Greensboro.

But now I am downtown almost every day. I have an office at South Elm and Washington. I walk around a lot. I work and socialize and spend my money downtown. I like downtown, well, the part in which I spend my time, which is mostly Elm Street between Center City Park and the railroad tracks.

There are many factors that make a downtown space attractive and appealing to me personally, and one factor more important than all the rest.

Downtown has to be pedestrian-friendly. This is the key factor. There must be ample and safe room for strolling, and little fear of being run down. This invites foot traffic to the shops and restaurants and art venues. To make this strolling pleasant and safe there must be wide sidewalks and narrow streets with slower traffic. Who would ever stroll on purpose along or across Davie or North Green Street? Shade also contributes to a positive pedestrian experience as does having a place to sit down.

There is aesthetic/emotional aspect to a space being inviting or friendly. Parks and green spaces, even small ones, mitigate against claustrophobia and urban fatigue. Many very large cities in which I have lived (or visited for some time) have managed to preserve these green spaces at appropriate “intervals," intervals in the sense of distance (providing physical rest for the pedestrian), intervals in a spatial sense (opening of the feel of the city and reducing claustrophobia), and intervals in an aesthetic sense (providing change in color and texture, particularly in the sense of softer colors and softer textures).

The aesthetic/emotional aspect is impacted by many other factors too – green spaces, hanging flowers, interesting architecture, and what I might call “composition,” that is, the visual balance of sky, street, tree, and building, a balance which contributes to a pleasing and relaxing experience for the pedestrian.

When I think of pedestrian traffic I am not thinking so much those folks who commute to downtown, hurry from car to office, rush out from their office buildings to have a quick lunch only to rush back to office, hurry later from office to car, and leave downtown. Certainly these folks enhance the economic vitality of downtown in many ways.

But it is the non-commuting pedestrians who make a downtown pedestrian-friendly. This kind of pedestrian is not in a hurry. He or she "strolls" more than rushes. I commute downtown, but I "hang out" downtown too. I have the flexibility to do that.

Downtown needs residents. Residents create demand for services and then the availability of services attracts residents. The more people who actually live in a downtown the better the pedestrian experience will become.

There is another kind of "commuter." This is the person who drives downtown in order to enjoy downtown - go to a play, eat dinner, have a drink, shop around, etc. This kind of commuter leaves car behind in a parking space to become a non hurried pedestrian. As far as developing the kind of pedestrian traffic that is most desirable, this sort of commuter is very important - crucially important.

Downtown can no longer compete with suburban shopping centers for car-based shopping and business. Any attempt to try will fail. For downtown to be vital it must offer an alternative - a much needed alternative - to the suburban car centered shopping center. It must be pedestrian friendly.

Having read about the founding of Greensboro and a little bit about its history I would have to conclude that it has been extremely poorly planned from the beginning. It seems that short term expediency has guided planning measures more than anything else along the way. The city has woefully lacked vision – vision that extends into the future to children and grandchildren.

I say that because I see almost no recourse for parts of downtown other than ripping up some of the main streets and rebuilding the traffic-pedestrian-store interface. We need to get rid of the multi lane one-way racetracks. These streets act as barriers to the growth of a pedestrian friendly downtown.

Obviously downtown needs investment dollars from the private sector. But a “downtown” as a physical/cultural/economic entity almost inherently requires collaboration from many sectors – the private sector of course, the local and state governments, and various advocacy and interest groups.

I know that there is much debate at present about architecture – about maintaining the “ambiance” of the more architecturally interesting and coherent older buildings. I myself like this ambiance.

As I weigh the primary need – that is, of making downtown pedestrian-friendly – against the interests of historical preservation and architectural conservation, I think I am less concerned about the architecture of many of the old buildings (on Elm for example) as I am in attracting capital for new residences and businesses. Many of the older buildings in the 300 block of South Elm, while having interesting and diverse facades, do not strike me as being particularly noteworthy structures. All things being equal I would much prefer to see them preserved, but if I had to choose I'd rather see newer structures designed and built as part of a strategic plan to attract residents and businesses into a pedestrian-friendly downtown.

If extensive renovation or reconstruction would impede the development of more residences and pedestrian-friendly businesses, then I’d rather see new construction which “mimics” a generally desired look or feel. I certainly would not wish to see any more buildings like First Citizens, which is to me the most horrid building in downtown Greensboro (next to the News and Record and the various Stalin-esque government buildings). I would want to see enough of an actual planning framework in place to assure visual and aesthetic coherence, yet with wiggle room to allow for diversity, which is itself interesting and pleasing. But the bottom line is that if there is no investment there will be no people and no impetus to convert the rest of the downtown core into something vital and pleasing.

There has to be a bold vision that is embodied in clear and accessible planning guidelines. The city has a key role in establishing and articulating) this vision – seeing ahead ten or twenty or even fifty years and putting in place the framework for getting there. Everyone needs to “give” – the city which may want to control everything, the developers who may wish to build anything, and the preservationists who may wish to preserve at all costs.

I hope as the process runs its course various interests can coalesce as one mind and find ways to balance varying interests. That’s asking a lot, and perhaps praying people have their own role in this process too.

Where Are the Prophets When You Need Them?

I've been quiet on the goings on a half block down and across the street on S. Elm. And yeah, I have an opinion.

Parking downtown stinks. That's just a fact. If I didn't have a parking lot for my building I'd be mighty frustrated. I doubt I'd come down here very often because of the parking. The businesses up and down the 300 block of S Elm are doing their best to make it with poor parking options (and without city incentives).

It takes a lot of dough to renovate these old buildings. How come the city can't make that process easier? And for real, I walk around a lot down here. I think the city could do a lot more to help with the parking other than writing $25 tickets which is what the guys at the barber were talking about yesterday. There are a lot of empty lots here and there, and we could even build a architecturally appropriate parking deck if we wanted to.

Every building in this block is old, or, if it isn't, it was built to fit the rest of the architecture. The thing they plan to put up in that lot on S. Elm is going to butt ugly in context and stick out like a sore thumb. It will steal much of the charm away from the block and further diminish the "cool" factor for people wanting to come down here enough to put up with pathetic parking problem.

So after the new building and its proprietary parking lot takes away thirty some parking spaces that otherwise would be for patrons of local businesses, well, where are people visiting the other businesses supposed to park? I have a real problem as a taxpayer knowing my tax money is going to be given unjustly to the fancy-dancy new developer and at the same time further hinder the ability of the shop owners to survive. Maybe a tax revolt would be in order. It's enough to turn me off from downtown entirely.

Once again the monied interests win out, and the developers on our council sit on their hands and look the other way. It's a nice little racket they've got going here.

It reminds me of some things I have read in my Bible:

Woe to those who join house to house,
who add field to field,
until there is no more room,
and you are made to dwell alone
in the midst of the land (Isaiah 5:8).

Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance (Micah 2:1-2).

Basically Isaiah and Micah were talking about developers, monied influence-peddlers who "influenced judges" so as to take over the land of those less able to sway the foxes looking out for the hen house.

The city council is the judge in this scenario, and rather than doing what is right it succumbs the the influence peddling of the developer set. I just wonder what deals got cut in the country clubs or in the dark chambers hidden away from public view - and how did the council come to change it's mind so abruptly? Very strange if you ask me.

So, a guy is going to make a three and a half million "investment" in ruining a very nice block and discouraging hard working small business owners - wow, I'm all ga ga. Doing wrong by the people who have been working so hard to make a living and promote downtown isn't worth ten times that much.

Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, we need you guys here to kick some serious butt.

And while you're at it can you get the developer interests and their proxies to find a place for the homeless to stay during the day and night?

Joel Gillespie
301 South Elm

South Elm Rocks

I don't mean any disrespect for all you good folks north of Market Street, but having had my office down here on South Elm for almost nine months now, I can definitely say that South Elm is cool.

There seems to be more and more people about, more shops being renovated, and more places to eat every month. There is cool urban vibe - a little Greenwich Village like - art, food, music, theater, quirky and interesting people everywhere (my favorite kind).

I'm thinking of riding my bike to work. Thanks to my good friend Kay at the city who gave me the newest copy of the Trails of Greensboro (which included a great bicycle map of greater Greensboro) I figured out that I could ride all the way from my home out near Greensboro Day School to downtown and not be on a major road except for a few blocks downtown. I just have to figure out how to "clean up" after. Does anybody out there know of a "wipe down" product that would approximate the benefits of a shower?

I'm also thinking of getting a scooter - no, not the little Razor but the Vespa type. It would be such a blast to "scooter" around down town with camera in tow.

I can't wait until the Mellow Mushroom opens. Meanwhile on days when I don't have a lunch appointment somewhere I tend to hang out at Jimmy Johns for a late lunch. Good sandwiches, good prices, and totally rocking music after the lunch crowd leaves. And I don't need to eat dinner.

I'd love to live down here. Maybe someday.

Jimmy Johns, 1000 Prints, Trumpet Vine, Green Space, Mini Stores

Just got back from Jimmy John's. It has become my favorite haunt when I don't have a lunch appointment that otherwise takes me away from downtown. I love their # 14 Club Tuna on 7 Grain Bread. Yum.

I tend to eat late when "I eat alone" (George Thorogood just came to mind), and I tend to like to read. I always concentrate better when there is noise around me. They always have good music at Jimmy John's - another plus.

On the way back I stopped at the corner of Washington and South Elm, just outside of 1000's of Prints, you know, the store on the corner with the vines all over the south wall. I had thought that all those vines were Virginia Creeper, but lo and behold there's a bunch of Trumpet Vine blooming. I love Trumpet Vine blossoms, especially the color - same color orange as the sweatshirt I am wearing now, which is a hoodie of an ACC school and NOT Virginia, Virginia Tech or Miami! A sweatshirt you say in this weather? Well, it isn't "this weather" in my building. It's freezing!

Anyway, I can also see the lovely orange trumpet vine outside my window - it's nice, especially set against all that green!

Speaking of green, there needs to be more of it downtown. I like the park several blocks north, but there remains a woeful lack of green space generally. City's need green spaces. These don't have to be big. Tiny little "parks" with grass and a couple of trees and benches are great. You find them all over many cities. There are enough empty lots that I think we could have more of these spaces. It would make the downtown experience more pleasant, especially for the pedestrian. Our city still is not very pedestrian friendly.

A couple of other business ideas. I hear that a grocery store is going to be built eventually in the site south of Lee. In the mean time, somewhere along Lee, I think there is need for "mini" versions of 1) a real grocery store, 2) a Kinko's type store, and 3) an Office Depot type store. Mini versions. I am sure the prices would be higher and the selection of course less, but it is for these things that I most often have to leave downtown. OK, a book store would be great too, but small bookstores seem to be a thing of the past. I wonder if Borders or Barnes and Noble could have like a small "satellite" downtown. That would be cool too.