A.G Edwards’ “Street Smart” Brochure Adds to Workers Fear of City

Earlier in the week I found myself on the 2nd floor of A.G. Edwards’ main building and next to the soda machines were some employee brochures. In a few prior posts I had been a bit critical of the A.G. Edwards campus. Wait, that is an understatement. I started off with an expletive laced rant last November.

Street Smart: Facts you need to know about the A.G. Edwards campus and your safety.

I could not believe this brochure. As soon as I read it I was furious. Sure, it is wise to advise employees about safety but you can do it in a way that doesn’t scare them so much they don’t explore the city.

Oh, good start. I can just see the new suburban employee that doesn’t know the city just having fears reinforced by such language. It only gets worse.

They are told while driving to lock your doors because, “a driver is especially vulnerable immediately after parking or when stopping for a traffic light or stop sign.” Other sections while driving include “be aware of your surroundings”, and “have your keys ready.”

The first subheading after “If your car breaks down” is, funny enough, “Avoid a breakdown.”
I love it. For your safety have “plenty of gas and good tires.” This is good,

Granted, if you get a flat directly in front of a crack house then stopping and changing the tire may not be advisable. However, i lived across the street from a crack house for over a year and never had any problems (and no, I was not a client).

In the ‘While Walking’ portion of the brochure the first subheading is good advice — “Know your surroundings, and walk with a purpose.” Makes sense. But the paragraph that follows is just fear mongering:

The entire brochure (3-panel letter sized) includes very sound advice but in a way that would discourage employees from walking and exploring the city. The safest sidewalk is a populated sidewalk and the A.G. Edwards campus creates lifeless sidewalks. If the area around their campus is not safe it is not because it is in the city but because all their parking lots and parking garages have removed diversity from the streetscape.

If only A.G. Edwards’ architects and planners would have had some urban design “street smarts” the area would likely be more vibrant.

– Steve

The Best Urban Place In St. Louis – The Loop Market

Without question the best urban place in the St. Louis region is the “outdoor dining” space adjacent to the Loop Market. Many times over the years I’ve passed by and observed the best one can expect in an urban space — strangers interacting.

On Sunday, September 11th, I spent an hour hanging out in the little plaza area between the buildings. The view at right is taken from the sidewalk along Delmar. People just walking along the sidewalk have stopped to check out the scene, others play chess, kids play on and around the sculpture, a few people work on their juggling, a few others are playing hacky-sack and many are drumming. The majority of the people are simply hanging out enjoying this urban mix.

Nowhere else in the St. Louis area do people of all ages, races and economic class come together so naturally. This is not some “program” that artificially attempts to attract people for an event. Here people just come together.

But why here? Why this place? Looking at the space it is actually quite ordinary. No special paving patterns, no fancy graphics, not enough seating and on the West side – a rather blah building. To the North-West is a drab farmer’s market that from what I’ve seen isn’t the most popular. From this space you can also clearly see the large parking lot to the North.

Yet on Sunday evenings this simple square transforms into the best urban place in our region. No other place in our region brings together such a diverse group of people that doesn’t involve commerce or ticket sales.

Drummers and dancers always convene in the same corner of the square. I’m not sure why they picked this corner but for years this is where they gather. Could be acoustics? Perhaps just tradition at this point? The drummers bring their own chairs and stools while others stand the entire time. This is not some formal drumming group. If you hang out long enough you’ll see drummers come and go. The leadership is decidedly African-American but all races are welcomed into the circle. On Sunday a very young white guy was so moved by music he spent much of the time dancing in and around the circle.

A number of factors contribute to the success of this square. The proximity of students from nearby Washington University is a key factor but not the only one. The mix of stores and restaurants along the Loop bring together a good mix of people. If you want a $30 meal or a $3 slice of pizza on the go you are covered. But looking at the space when empty most people would have a hard time predicting its success. Many, including designers and planners, would likely suggest a makeover to “improve” the square.
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US Bank Installs Bike Racks At St. Louis Area Operations Center

Regular readers of Urban Review – St. Louis know I have a thing for bike racks. Most often it is either the lack of bike racks, wrong type being used or the right type in the wrong place. My focus to date has been on bike parking for the general public — at local stores and shopping districts. For me going to work is walking downstairs to my office. But for most people going to work means heading to an office. Such is the case for my friend Jeff Jackson.

Jeff lives in North St. Louis County and works for US Bank in Olivette. This is not a branch location but instead a 300+ person operations center supporting their home mortgage officers in 26 states. In other words, an ideal place to have bike racks aimed at employees rather than customers.

Rather than finding excuses not to ride, Jeff is a committed transportation cyclist. Rain or shine, hot or cold Jeff is on his bike. Lack of proper bike parking at his workplace didn’t stop him either. He simply asked for what he wanted. Although it took some time to get it done, US Bank was receptive to Jeff’s request for bike parking. Sometimes all it takes to bring about change is asking a few questions of the right people.

Earlier this month two new bike racks were installed at the US Bank Olivette Operations Center in Olivette MO where Jeff works.
These two racks combined can accommodate a total of eight (8) bikes. The racks are an offset wave rack. These function very well as they support the bike in two places in much the same way an inverted-U rack does. These are great where you want to parking for more than two bikes.

“Bicycle Commuting to work has been a challenge for me (weather, darkness etc). But I wouldn’t change it for the world. It has made me a more productive worker, kept me healthy, less stressed and more focused. I appreciate that US Bank has put in new bike racks showing that it supports bicycle commuting as a valid alternative to the automobile. They are in turn making investments in their employees that will reap benefits in the long term.”

– Jeff Jackson

The lesson here is if you want bike facilities at your workplace you may have to ask for it. Many employers many not be aware additional facilities would be helpful. I applaud Jeff’s efforts to make commuting by bike to his workplace easier for himself and others.

– Steve

Stupidity Reigns In Every City

I pick on the City of St. Louis often. It is where I live and what I see most frequently. When I make my way out to our suburbs I will remark on what they are doing wrong (or right if that ever happens).

Today I got an email with a link to California’s East Bay Bicycle Club “Hall of Shame.” Pretty sad stuff that proves cities all over the U.S. just sometimes don’t get how to put things together in the right way.

I think my favorite is the picture of the police department sign asking drivers to buckle up that is conveniently placed in the bike lane. The good thing is drivers will be properly secured as they hit cyclists going into the lane to avoid the sign!

Click here to see the Hall of Shame.

– Steve

Reviewing New York City

The view of Canal & Broadway from the 3rd floor fire escape was awesome. The hustle and bustle on a New York Saturday afternoon in China Town was in full swing. But I wasn’t on the 3rd floor of a building for the view — I was there as part of experiencing New York. The location with the great view was Sacred Tattoo where I was about to get tattoo #5. No silly t-shirt for me to remember the trip.

I wanted to share my thoughts and observations on NYC while they are still fresh in my mind. Although with over 1,000 photos I can easily go back and retrace my steps. I hold some strong beliefs about what makes a city great and specifically what we should be striving for. This trip to NYC as well as recent trips to Chicago and Oklahoma City have confirmed much of my thinking but challenged some notions on others.

While mostly in Manhattan I did spend time in Staten Island and Brooklyn. Most relate to Manhattan except where noted. These are in no particular order:

> It is the older 4-6 story buildings and old high rises that are most interesting. Some newer buildings are also interesting but most are just massive and sterile. Modern can be intimate but not at these scales.

> The Financial District is far more interesting seen from the air or the Staten Island Ferry than from the sidewalk.

> Trump Tower is truly garish inside and out. Acres of polished brass. But, the size and scale of the spaces and their relationships to each other was quite pleasant. The foyer is not some overwhelming scale but this is probably due to the price of real estate rather than sound aesthetic judgement on the part of Trump.

> NYC must be iPod capital of the world. I saw the white headphones everywhere. Some argue it is cutting down on social interaction on subways but I didn’t see many non-iPod strangers talking.

> I felt completely safe no matter where I was. Everyone was friendly. Passing people on residential sidewalks it was not uncommon to have natives say “hello” as we passed. We stopped to see people’s dogs as they were out walking them. Felt very neighborly.

> Public transportation is for everyone in NYC. But with neighborhoods so compact one resident I talked to said he hadn’t been on the subway in weeks — he simply walks where he is going. With a very complete subway system buses are a less visible than in St. Louis. Logically buses are more common where the subway doesn’t go (such as East-West along 125th Street).

> Yellow cabs and black Lincoln Town Cars are the most common vehicles on the road. Lots of both. Nearly saw one accident but it is amazing how they all speed around without getting into more collisions.

> Took a pedicab ride from Central Park to Trump Tower. Very fun. As gas prices rise I think we’ll see more and more of these efficient cabs throughout America. Seems like the pedicab drives and taxi drivers have some sort of mutual respect. At one point we were so close to a cab I could have reached out and touched it.

> Bicyclists were pretty common throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Not so much on Staten Island but they may have something to do with the hilly terrain. Seldom was a cyclist wearing a helmet. It was common to see cyclists riding the wrong way on the road. All the rules of the road that I am certified to teach were thrown out the window. Very seldom did I see a bike rack — parking meters, railings and anything secure was used to lock bikes. Most have massive chains that are hard to cut. With a 5th floor walk-up apartment you are likely to store your bike outside. Not a place for a pretty bike unless you can keep it indoors.

> The length of mid-town and uptown blocks in the East-West direction are way too long. This is compounded by the fact that most subways go North-South. I found myself trying to decide on which subway to take so that I could save a block or two in the East-West direction.

> Buildings, even in burroughs other than Manhattan, occupy nearly all of the lot. Very little yard or garden space. This is not all bad as parks are throughout the grid. It seems the combination of very little personal yard and small living spaces get people out onto the sidewalks and into the public parks. Could this be the key to a vibrant urban city — reduce living spaces and yards?

> I was amazed at the number of “projects” still in use in NYC including the Lower East Side, Harlem, and the Bronx. We walked through ‘Alphabet City’ on the Lower East Side. The sheer number of people kept the projects from seeming vacant but they certainly were low on life compared to the blocks around them. Jane Jacobs was so right.

> Street vendors were everywhere. Some were selling various foods and sodas while others offered their own original art. Many were targeting tourists with NYC merchandise. Regardless of what they sell they add life to the city.

> I love fire escapes. I must admit I was nervous out on one. I can’t imagine using it to get down multiple flights in an emergency as they have far too little railing for my comfort. I think they add a nice element to the fronts of buildings. The streetscapes would be too sterile without them.

> Window boxes and planters were everywhere. All shapes and sizes. The city felt lush and green in most places.

> The basement level apartments and restaurants are interesting. Shows how valuable the real estate really is.

> Restaurants are small and full most hours of the day and night. St. Louis places could never survive being so small because they depend upon large lunch and dinner crowds whereas in NYC they have a constant stream of customers. The number of restaurants with roll-out awnings on the front to create covered outdoor seating is quite high. I love roll out awnings compared to fixed awnings such as those on Blockbuster. A considerable number of restaurants also had opening windows and/or doors. Keep in mind they have much more severe winters than we do and get just as hot in the summer. If they can do it so can we.

> We saw a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Wednesday. We had to wait a good two hours on the sidewalk and another 45 minutes inside. The studio was much smaller than expected and is in one of the areas that is not the most attractive, Hell’s Kitchen.

> SoHo has become a big chain store stopping district. Still active with lots of people and great architecture but the stores are commonplace. I visited only one — The Apple Store.

I’m sure I have lots more on NYC but that is what comes to mind right now. While St. Louis will never be New York we can certainly apply some lessons of efficient public transportation, creating urban streetscapes and models for urban parks.

– Steve

[UPDATED 8/29/05; 8:30pm — added photo]