retrospective new urbanism: “sustainable stairways”, citified

On March 6, 2010July 11, 2010 By Chuck WolfeIn everyday urbanism, pedestrianism, sustainability, urban views3 Comments

Crosscut recently adapted the original February 23 post, which contrasted “sustainable stairways” in three Italian venues, with a “greened-up” escalator in a suburban mall.

For those who need remedies for the tongue-in-cheek, magnificent stairways do exist in older Seattle neighborhoods, as documented in the Seattle Stairways Walks Blog, not to mention steep, green alleys nearby.

In the Madrona neighborhood, pictured below, the network of alleys and stairways interface with the spirit of the Olmsted Brothers’ early twentieth century Plan for Seattle Parks.

urbanism=humans adapting, vancouver edition

On March 6, 2010 By Chuck WolfeIn compact development, housing, infill development, pedestrianism, politics, sustainability, urban administration1 Comment

Seattle has recently seen and speculated: Transportation behavior changed by necessity (and consequent “community-building” often occured) during the city’s 2008 snow and Summer 2007 “freeway fright” construction.

For those weeks of necessity, we lived in an auto-limited world.

And just last week, by the way, we saw how Nord Alley can work.

Fast forward and head north from Nord Alley.

In the March 6 Vancouver Sun, Public Affairs consultant Bob Ransford reports on lessons learned from the Winter Olympic city’s experiments with pedestrian space and alternate forms of transportation, and the so-called “Vancouverism” branch of urbanism:

urban telephone boxes, however useless, recall Britannia’s rule

On March 5, 2010 By Chuck WolfeIn pedestrianism, urban views1 Comment

The English telephone booth, or “telephone box”, has a history all its own, including national competition to arrive at a uniform design. Browse the web and you can buy one for your basement.

Or, if you can, travel the world, and see the uses of an anachronism, ranging from an expatriate icon in a former colony to a thematic gateway to a Seattle restaurant. Cell phones have denied us one urban symbol of the British Empire.

the Seattle urbanist promise: the night the alley showed the way

On March 5, 2010December 6, 2010 By Chuck WolfeIn compact development, infill development, pedestrianism, sustainability, urban views, vignettes10 Comments

As recently touted in local press, on the evening of March 4, the reclaimed, illuminated Nord Alley in Seattle’s Pioneer Square emanated urbanism. The much anticipated Green Alleys Competition, sponsored by the International Sustainability Institute, AIA Seattle, and other groups, awarded the Grand Prize to Seattle’s Weinstein A|U LLC.

As a placemaking prototype of the sort discussed in the two part myurbanist“Placemaking Comes Home” series earlier in the week, the evening experience amplified angle, color and texture consistent with the eighth of the twelve principles repeated below.

The photos which follow show the rich possibilities of reclaimed pedestrian spaces, without the need to travel thousands of miles to find them.

Here is a one-stop summary of the 12 myurbanist principles to foster placemaking in Seattle, consistent with the current multiple public dialogues about enhancement of alleys, public spaces, street appearance and safety:

1. Emphasize an alluring focal point.
2. Use hanging green.
3. Use simple, green plantings and encourage ornamental building features in the path of view.
4. Where possible, enhance multi-level exposure to vernacular buildings amid the urban fabric.
5. Provide varied forms of encounter with surrounding commercial uses.
6. Celebrate exotic signage.
7. Provide for a multi-color, mixed use environment.
8. Together amplify angle, color and texture to highlight organic street life.
9. Enhance structural features to frame places enroute.
10. Celebrate the marketplaces of vending and dining.
11. Make angles magical.
12. Highlight iconic buildings.

bringing placemaking home, the sequel and summary: more panache in Seattle spaces?

On March 2, 2010April 8, 2010 By Chuck WolfeIn compact development, infill development, pedestrianism, sustainability, urban administration, urban views5 Comments

Last week brought active discussion of pedestrian and safety enhancements to Seattle streets. This week began with Councilmembers Burgess and Rasmussen commencing a City response to graffiti and street litter.

And below, in association with such safe and clean street initiatives, myurbanist resumes exploration of qualities might Seattle adapt from afar to implement and enhance alleys and related public space. This article, the second of a series (which began here on February 28), proposes additional qualities for Seattle placemaking.

Here is a one-stop summary of the 12 myurbanist principles to foster placemaking in Seattle, consistent with the current multiple public dialogues about enhancement of alleys, public spaces, street appearance and safety:

1. Emphasize an alluring focal point.
2. Use hanging green.
3. Use simple, green plantings and encourage ornamental building features in the path of view.
4. Where possible, enhance multi-level exposure to vernacular buildings amid the urban fabric.
5. Provide varied forms of encounter with surrounding commercial uses.
6. Celebrate exotic signage.
7. Provide for a multi-color, mixed use environment.
8. Together amplify angle, color and texture to highlight organic street life.
9. Enhance structural features to frame places enroute.
10. Celebrate the marketplaces of vending and dining.
11. Make angles magical.
12. Highlight iconic buildings.

It may be that no vantage points can create the drama of Rome’s Spanish Steps at Harbor Steps.