Envisioning Smart Growth
A California firm known as Urban Advantage Inc. is doing to some great work helping people envision how their environment could be transformed. I thought showing some of their work might illustrate to all of you how small & incremental changes can, in the end, have a big impact. I contacted Urban Advantage principal Steve Price and obtained his permission to use a few of his images:
Price starts with the “existing conditions,” in this case an older shopping street that has seen better days.
He then subtly adds in some “building facelifts, restoration of ground floor retail, infill development.” The changes are few but you can begin to quickly see how a few tweaks here and there can begin to have an impact.
Then we can see how it might look with new sidewalks and a resurfaced street. Minor change but freshens the whole look.
And finally with urban street trees, new street lamps and pedestrians.
See the Urban Advantage website for roughly 10 more examples in a variety of settings — I think you will be impressed by the changes. Well, most of you anyway. Others will stubbornly cling to what they know and refuse the accept that we can actually design public streets for people on foot, bike, scooter, transit or car. It takes good planning and making improvements with each and every capital improvement or construction project.
Price’s images have been published in many places and recently he did some “Community Transformation Images” for the Sierra Club that are amazing. Please check out all six of those, paying close attention to how gas stations and wide streets are handled.
I’m looking into training in such Photoshop work through Mr. Price or some other architectural specialists doing similar work. My thanks again to Mr. Price for allow me the use of his images and for helping people everywhere see how their ordinary spaces can be transformed into walkable streets.
I’m familiar with their work, and yes, a picture IS worth a thousand words . . .
How do you think he puts the final image together? My speculation is he uses photoshop and has a library of pre-designed elements he “adds” to the original image, scales them, and changes their perspective to match, then adds shadows and such and post-processes. Any other thoughts on the process of doing work like this? Thanks.
[UR – Pretty effective huh? Check out the “links” on his site for Architect’s Toolbox — training in photoshop. Mr. Price does use photoshop and does use various images to montage, collage and layer. – SLP]
Awesome images! Thanks for the post! Any idea how much time went into something like what you posted?
I like it.
It looks like a well-executed case of gentrification.
My seniors would be concerned about the cost, but my yuppie homeowners would be very happy.
My low income? They don’t have time to pay attention and they don’t vote.
Wow! It is amazing what you can do with software.
If you ever want a practice site, Steve, we could use your help on Downtown Dutchtown along Meramec from Grand to Compton.
[UR – Ah but Travis one of the keys to a successful project is a client willing to open their mind to new ideas and concepts. I tend to work with those who are open to a dialog and accepting of a more urban vision. – SLP]
Is that Smart Growth or redevelopment/revitalization? To those pictures above, I’d have to say “No s–t.” What would be more impressive is images of suburban strips or messy infill transformed into walkable or urban areas.
[UR – Check out the other examples on the Urban Advantage site as well as the Sierra Club — both have auto centric places tamed to accommodate both cars and people.]
Steve, though I like the look, it doesn’t look like subtly added things. He completely remade those buildings, knocking down brick walls to make them glass and adding one story to atleast one building. Not minor changes to say the least. And if you came to any Alderman with images like these I am sure that they would try and help out.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Just saying to people they could have done better doesn’t show them how.
[UR – Well, Worried Citizen, I do the best I can. My apologies for not being able to create these lovely images as alternates to every bad project in town. I’m only one peson and this gig pays zip. I do it because I have a passion around these issues and want to see change. I do show examples from other cities but these are often dismissed by people because they are not in St. Louis. Yet, I can’t really show St. Louis examples until we actually begin to build good urban design in St. Louis. You see my dilemma?
The changes are subtle in that it is not about having a $500 million 30 acre single owner project. A building here, a building there. The idea is to develop zoning, codes and guidelines that encourage the things you picked up on — glass fronts along sidewalks. Two story buildings rather than two on commercial streets, etc… These are subtle relative to our usual development patterns of massive all eggs in one basket projects.]
This scene reminds me a lot of Olive just west of Boyle. Actually, they’re not doing to bad renovating those buildings either.
I love this site, you should show the urban BP example they use.
[UR – You get the prize for saying something I thought the very first time I saw these images — Olive!]
Steve:
I was serious about my invitation to assist in your own backyard of Dutchtown. We could really use some fresh, outside-of-the-box thoughts on revitalizing the Meramec strip. And, you seem to have the skill set for the job.
[UR – Travis for once you are completely correct! The area does need help and I do have just the skill set for the job. But where were my neighbors when I was working “in my own back yard” to save the Virginia Mansion from being razed? They were silent because they didn’t want to cross then Ald. Dan Kirner or the current property owner.
I’ve been in the area for 12 years now and have done quite a bit over the years such as the successful ‘Imagine Virginia’ tour to attract artists to the area. I’ve made numerous attempts to bring in some fresh thinking to numerous places but you clearly demonstrate, through your comments, the general lack of openness to new thinking.
The St. Louis region comprises a large 8 county area in two states, I am able to pick and choose where and whom I want to work with and I can tell you it is not among those that question a denser and more urban lifestyle. – SLP]
^ While YVA is intrigued by the spice of Steve’s reply to Mr. Reems’ last comment, YVA is perplexed.
The e-alderman has witnessed the neighborhood’s successful effort to block the demolition of the historic Virgina Mansion and the subsequent historic rehab of the building presently underway.
Steve, it would seem your efforts on Virginia were a success!
[UR – The neighborhood had zero effort to block the demolition! Officially the neighborhood organization took no position. At the time I was told that if they did vote it would have been in favor of demolition. Instead, they remained silent. Others actively supported the demolition on an individual basis. Myself and a few others filed a lawsuit to help stop the demolition. It took two years, thousands of dollars, and considerable grief. We are still taking donations by the way to help pay off the debt to the attorney!
The owner sold the building to a developer who is creating condos in the building (with some great floor plans). Sorry, but I’m clearly bitter over this. I worked really hard to save that building.]
One of two things are needed to make the above four pictures a reality. A man with control over a significant portion of properties and a vision, i.e. Mr. U City Loop or several small business owners with a sound biz plan and dedication.
The main problem nobody has talked about is city hall’s massive amount of red tape when opening a biz. Several years ago when I opened my biz in the city, I jumped through hoop after hoop after two month hoops. Biz was good and prospered. Opened up a second location in St Peters and blocked out two days in my schedule to take care of red tape. Went to city hall and left half hour later with scheduled inspections (fire, occupancy, etc) which the clerk coordinated to take place two days later in a four hour time frame!
The final reason for lack of this real transformation of bldgs into something greater involves commercial/residential props. Extremely tough to loans on these props and insurance is outrageous. Larger bldgs with several storefronts and apts upstairs are much better than storefronts with residences upstairs.
[UR – You bring up some good points but the solutions can be different. Certainly, a person like Joe Edwards can help set the direction for the loop (completely lacking in bike racks btw) but it need not rely on a single person. This is what zoning and planning are all about. Our system is the way it is not because it is the best but because that is what has evolved over the decades and the aldermen aren’t about to change the process now.]
The biggest change between “before” and “after” (and what makes the CWE so wonderful) is the addition of the trees – just bring back the urban forest!
[UR – Yes! Just mandating we have street trees between the curb and the sidewalk would make a dramatic difference. Many otherwise boring streets are enlivened due to street trees.]
If you look at the web site, the other ‘big change’ for a lot of them is removing the power lines and utility poles.
Cool pics! Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Keep Cycling!
Cool . . . the middle two pictures eliminate the streetlights. Great when the sun’s up, a bit scary after dark . . .
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