Posted June 22, 20231 yr When someone says density, some folks react with fear. But it need not be that way. There are lots of kinds of density. Here's an example of gentle density. What examples do you have and where would you like to see them built? I'd like to see this built in the median of Shaker Boulevard at the east end of the Green Line in Shaker Heights. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 20, 20231 yr Totally agree that moderate density with mixed uses should be the ideal. I’ll probably get shot, but I prefer this to the desire for tall towers. It’s one of the reasons most of the world seems so much better designed than the US.
August 20, 20231 yr 15 minutes ago, OH_Really said: Totally agree that moderate density with mixed uses should be the ideal. I’ll probably get shot, but I prefer this to the desire for tall towers. It’s one of the reasons most of the world seems so much better designed than the US. I agree and is partially why I like what is happening in downtown Columbus. Most of the new stuff being built has been under 15 stories. They focus on ground floor use and walkability though. There have been a few towers proposed but I don’t really care. I would much rather have a vast amount of 15 and under story buildings that incorporate neighborhood interactive use.
August 20, 20231 yr 43 minutes ago, VintageLife said: I agree and is partially why I like what is happening in downtown Columbus. Most of the new stuff being built has been under 15 stories. They focus on ground floor use and walkability though. There have been a few towers proposed but I don’t really care. I would much rather have a vast amount of 15 and under story buildings that incorporate neighborhood interactive use. I'm right there with you. I'm not opposed to the occasional tower, or a downtown with lots of tall buildings, but there is plenty of room for vibrant neighborhoods with dense neighborhood "centers" with midrise buildings as the tallest buildings, with decreasing density as the distance from that localized center increases. No single-family homes within a 15-minute walk of the community center could make these non-downtown neighborhoods a lot more lively than they are now, whether we're talking about Walnut Hills in Cincinnati, Clintonville in Columbus, or Buckeye in Cleveland -- there should be a localized "town center" with increased density in that community, and it shouldn't be the highrises of a downtown.
August 20, 20231 yr 3 hours ago, VintageLife said: I agree and is partially why I like what is happening in downtown Columbus. Most of the new stuff being built has been under 15 stories. They focus on ground floor use and walkability though. There have been a few towers proposed but I don’t really care. I would much rather have a vast amount of 15 and under story buildings that incorporate neighborhood interactive use. There's plenty of that out there, but it's the opposite of the current trend. Cleveland has taken the opposite approach, it's what I personally prefer. Manhattan in particular has been building to the skies again. Some bristle at calling the Billionaire's Row supertalls "vertical sprawl", but that's precisely what they are.
August 26, 20231 yr I can't believe a tornado hit Cleveland Thursday night and I'm glad no one was killed or injured. But isn't that remarkable? A tornado hits a major city and theres only some building damage? Thats gentle density!
August 26, 20231 yr Part of the tornado path was through "Terdolph Park" which has a lot of open land
March 11Mar 11 I think this is the best place for this podcast, though I'm not sure the phrase "gentle density" is ever actually used, nor is it the main subject, however, the core concept is really at the heart of the whole conversation. The core topic of conversation is actually courtyard blocks and how they are the ideal tool to get families to stay in cities and even raise their kids there. It's a really interesting conversation that I think hits on a few points of discussion and debate common on this forum. There are a few points that may be a bit counter narrative, I guess you could say leaning into the gentle side of gentle density, or searching for a goldilocks zone, particularly in the context of courtyard blocks. I think the focus on enticing families is smart, and that part of the argument is very compelling. Again, very interesting conversation, worth a listen. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/44-alicia-pederson-the-courtyard-urbanist-how/id1613784991?i=1000696816915 https://podcastaddict.com/the-aesthetic-city/episode/193262372 Spotify: https://t.co/qZN0GlgWXR
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