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So, I figured no thread was appropriate for this - so I started it here. 

 

Yesterday, as I often do, I was reading before bed - and part of the subject-matter had to do with European rebuilds after WWII... Which then led me to GoogleMaps to look up some of these towns.. which then led to this string of crazy thoughts... 

 

I know there are developments like Crocker, Legacy, Eaton, etc. all over the country, and I guess that's similar to what I'm proposing... Nonetheless, I have yet to find an urbanized development similar to the European towns I've linked below. Why is that? I imagine that there the appeal would be there for a 2/3 acre, developed, pedestrian-oriented town center wherein all basic necessities can be handled. A mix of apartments, townhomes, and even free standing homes could be included, and all residents could be within a 10 minute walk to all necessities. 

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@48.7346793,7.0533208,3a,75y,93.99h,86.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGmG7DyVMvsY_23cRXf-ZjA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@46.5885921,1.5192555,3a,75y,39.22h,89.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXjvNvPe-iEKKPnyrIWt0jg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.7160842,4.6094334,3a,75y,88.49h,83.4t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swpSxsnqvGWN5pZ20H9fY9Q!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DwpSxsnqvGWN5pZ20H9fY9Q%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D1.2012751%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

 

I feel like it's almost a missed niche for developers - although I know next to nothing about real estate development. I just think this would be a really big draw for people and local businesses alike. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm looking for something more similar to Boston's North End than Crocker Park - does anyone know of anything like this? 

Look up the New Urbanism movement, Andres Duany, Seaside FL and Norton Commons near Louisville KY. Of course a lot of these same strategies/principles can be put to work on our existing cities which is where you get into Jeff Speck and “Walkable City”

Edited by thebillshark

www.cincinnatiideas.com

23 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

I feel like it's almost a missed niche for developers - although I know next to nothing about real estate development. I just think this would be a really big draw for people and local businesses alike. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm looking for something more similar to Boston's North End than Crocker Park - does anyone know of anything like this? 

 

OSU kinda tried it on a very small scale with the Campus Gateway Development.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9940263,-83.006543,3a,75y,67.97h,92.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDuE77JQhG4-DzZDQusrSqQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

1 minute ago, YABO713 said:

 

Yeah that's close... I'd mean like 2-3 acres of that, with sporadic greenspaces, retail, housing, and restaurants. 

 

Yea I understand. I definitely wish we had more of what you are looking for. We are about to get some interesting pedestrian only areas in Franklinton with the Gravity project, but nothing like what you posted. 

Check out Georgia St. in downtown Indianapolis. Still not quite to the scale of what you're going for, but it's basically a long 3 blocks of road that has been transformed with a cool, modern pedestrian median. There are a mix of hotels/restaurants/residences that line it.

 

I've only been through there during a big event, but at least then it was very vibrant and busy.

http://www.georgiastreetindy.com/ 

AboutGeorgiaSt.gif

  • Author
52 minutes ago, cbussoccer said:

 

Yea I understand. I definitely wish we had more of what you are looking for. We are about to get some interesting pedestrian only areas in Franklinton with the Gravity project, but nothing like what you posted. 

 

39 minutes ago, urbanetics_ said:

Check out Georgia St. in downtown Indianapolis. Still not quite to the scale of what you're going for, but it's basically a long 3 blocks of road that has been transformed with a cool, modern pedestrian median. There are a mix of hotels/restaurants/residences that line it.

 

I've only been through there during a big event, but at least then it was very vibrant and busy.

http://www.georgiastreetindy.com/ 

AboutGeorgiaSt.gif

 

Tbh - What I'm looking for / describing would be less of a neighborhood and more of a town, I guess. Like if we picked a few acres in an exurb, (or even a deserted neighborhood in CLE) and developed it on its own, free standing and self-sufficient

1 hour ago, urbanetics_ said:

Check out Georgia St. in downtown Indianapolis. Still not quite to the scale of what you're going for, but it's basically a long 3 blocks of road that has been transformed with a cool, modern pedestrian median. There are a mix of hotels/restaurants/residences that line it.

 

I've only been through there during a big event, but at least then it was very vibrant and busy.

http://www.georgiastreetindy.com/ 

AboutGeorgiaSt.gif

 

Honestly thought that was a 'Walnut Wednesday' at Perk Park in Cleveland when I first saw it! 

Edited by roman totale XVII

My hovercraft is full of eels

  • 1 month later...
On 10/25/2019 at 1:59 PM, YABO713 said:

 

 

Tbh - What I'm looking for / describing would be less of a neighborhood and more of a town, I guess. Like if we picked a few acres in an exurb, (or even a deserted neighborhood in CLE) and developed it on its own, free standing and self-sufficient

 

Opportunity Corridor?   Perhaps incorporated with a new Police HQ campus?   

^ great idea and umm, opportunity!

 

 

while its easy to pass off the continent in columbus as interesting, but just an early version of legacy or easton and the like, in its prime it was at least striving be something like what you are looking for -- all at once and with varied and useful villagey like shops and services (while our modern lifestyle mall versions are most definitely not).

 

https://radio.wosu.org/post/curious-cbus-what-was-continent-its-heyday#stream/0

 

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Edited by mrnyc

On 10/25/2019 at 1:59 PM, YABO713 said:

 

Tbh - What I'm looking for / describing would be less of a neighborhood and more of a town, I guess. Like if we picked a few acres in an exurb, (or even a deserted neighborhood in CLE) and developed it on its own, free standing and self-sufficient

 

This definitely sounds like Norton Commons. Here is an overhead view:

 

norton commons.JPG

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