Too Much Open Space Just as Bad as Too Litttle

In the early 20th Century St. Louis, like many cities, was a crowded place.  Nearly every foot of land had a structure.  The public street (sidewalk + road) was packed with pedestrians, streetcars, horses, buses, trucks, bikes, and cars.  Around the edges you could find relief in parks such as O’Fallon & Forest.  Downtown had only the Lucas Gardens (now Lucas Park).

Demolition began in the blocks West of Tucker and North of Market for the Soldier’s Memorial and Aloe Plaza across Market from Union Station.  As the city’s population thinned, smoke ordinances cut air pollution, and jobs went to the suburbs the destruction continued as if it was still 1917.

The image above is looking South from AT&T.   The Western block of Citygarden is at the bottom.  Market street runs left to right with 10th Street top to bottom.

We’ve got open space for a city of a million people but we have 350,000. An excess of open space just feels lifeless.  Put 20 people on 20 acres and it will be boring.  Put the same 20 people on 20 square yards and now you’ve got urban open space where you might have some interaction.

The Arch grounds are not going away and the city is committed to the Gateway Mall (5th to 20th) so we need to reduce the amount of other open space to bring the total in line with our population.  The block next to Bank of America was planned for a future building — lets get that built.  Beyond that is a seldom used space across from the federal courthouse.  Build that out as well.

Even on the blocks of the Gateway Mall adding structures for food service (restaurants/kiosks) and restrooms is a good idea.  We need to have less green space but better green space.  That is what makes the two block Citygarden work so well — it is quality space for all ages.  People are drawn to it and as more people fill the space the more you are drawn in.  People attract people.  Empty spaces repel.  Recently I saw two wedding parties having pictures taken in Citygarden. Much of our open space has never seen a single wedding party in decades.

Of course it is not just open green space we need to reduce.  We have lots of open gray space — surface parking lots. We’ve got to fill in the numerous gaps in our downtown and neighborhoods.  The economy today isn’t going to permit the breaking of ground on lots of new construction but now is the perfect time to articulate the vision for when the economy does improve.

– Steve Patterson

St. Louis Rams Playing to the Right? (Updated)

You’ve probably all heard the latest Rams news.  From the LA Times on 10/6/09:

It appears conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh wants to be an NFL team owner.

In a statement released today, Limbaugh said he’s partnering with St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts in a bid to buy the St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh didn’t go into details, but said he and Checketts “have made a bid to buy the Rams and are continuing the process.”

Such a move would most certainly keep the Rams in St. Louis, good news to many.

Would the controversial Limbaugh make fans question their loyalty to the team?  Would the conservative radio host ask for taxpayer help to build a new stadium when the Rams have an out on their current lease at the Edward Jones Dome?    Or would he argue for a free market solution – he and the other owners building their own facility? Would they be happy keeping the team in a politically blue city?

Los Angeles is still without a team, and a loophole in the Rams’ lease allows them to move as early as 2014 if the Edward Jones Dome is not deemed among the top quarter of all NFL stadiums. Though just 14 years old, the dome is fast becoming one of the league’s older venues, and getting it into the top quarter seems unlikely. (Source: AP)

The poll this week, in the right sidebar, asks for your reaction to the possibility of Limbaugh as a Rams owner. Read the answers carefully before answering:

• I don’t like Limbaugh but I would continue supporting the Rams.
• I don’t like Limbaugh, used to support the Rams, but will stop if he becomes an owner.
• I don’t like Limbaugh and this would make it easier to stay away from the Rams.
• I don’t care who owns the team as long as it remains in St. Louis.
• I don’t have an opinion on Limbaugh buying the Rams.
• I like Limbaugh but not the Rams/football.
• I like Limbaugh so I might start supporting the Rams.
• I like Limbaugh and the Rams, great match.

I tried to cover all the options with the answers listed above.

The comments to the LA Times story covered all views from left to right:

– Steve Patterson

Where Is Your Third Place?

There is one thing cities provide in much greater abundance than suburbs: the essential “third places” in our lives that provide respite and relaxation for us outside our homes or workplaces.

Third places are defined as one of three places that meet fundamental human needs: home, a first place; work, a second place; and a third place, where we go to find community, relaxation, and simply “be” when we aren’t at home or working.

For all the people who work from home offices, the line between the first and second places, home and work space, may have blurred, but it makes the third place even more important. We all need a common place to hang out, see friends, find conversation, or simply watch the world go by. We seek a place that is separate from our homes or workplaces and all their attendant comforts and irritations.

Third places are very individual. In a family of four, there could be four different third places: church, coffeehouse, club or park. They are where you go to get away from your immediate responsibilities and expectations. You don’t have to do housework or laundry; you don’t have to finish that project or spar with your partner. You are (temporarily) free to indulge your own thoughts, talk or not talk, do or not do anything.

In the city of St. Louis there are many good third-places: local coffeehouses like The Hartford, Shaw Coffee or even the London Tea Room. There are neighborhood bars and cafes where they get to know you and you can stay as long as you like. There are libraries, drop-in centers and parks. There are churches and clubs, both social and athletic. There are museums and entertainment districts like The Loop on Delmar or Washington Avenue downtown. And there are intentional places like Left Bank Books with book groups, author readings and community events. These third places are close at hand, across the street or down the block, most of them within walking distance.

The suburbs of St. Louis are trickier, especially in second-ring suburbs. Newer, more affluent suburbs like Chesterfield and Wildwood have been built with more modern sensibilities about community gathering spots and the intentional communities created by mixed-use construction. You may be more likely to hang out at commercially sponsored third places like Starbucks or the mall, but they exist and are well used.

The second-ring suburbs are in a tougher spot. They belong to an earlier time, before we realized how much we would miss the communal third places that are so abundant in the city. Like the outer-ring suburbs, they may have some commercially-sponsored places like Starbucks, McDonalds or Dennys, but there may be only one or two in a municipality and they are rarely within walking distance. There is a real dearth of small, local businesses like independent coffeehouses, casual cafes or bookstores. Which pretty much leaves the bar, gym or possibly church and almost all of them require driving in your car.

There is a misplaced attempt to fulfill this need for third places in the construction of suburban great rooms, finished basements and fully-equipped media rooms, but all of these fall short. A third place requires distance from home and family. It also requires diversity and randomness in the people you might observe or start a conversation with.
When I lived in Seattle, I could easily walk a few blocks to any of six coffeehouses, each with its own ambience and crowd of regulars. There were bookstores with cafes where you could hang out from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. When I lived in the South Grand area, I had my choice of places to hang out.

In Maryland Heights, I’m stumped. I occasionally get in the car and drive to Starbucks at Westport or I go farther afield to Creve Couer or Chesterfield. More and more, I drive farther to Main Street in St. Charles or into the city to find a third place, but none of them are my third place.

City planners take note: vibrant cities or suburbs don’t exist without a multitude of viable third places. And if you want to attract the young, the creative, the socially engaged, that advice is doubly important.

What I’d like to know, especially if you’re a suburbanite, is where is your third place? Where do you regularly go to hang out, read a book, see friends, or just escape home and work responsibilities? What makes a place your third space? I look forward to what you have to say.

-Deborah Moulton

Riverport Area Should Be Walkable (Updated)

For the first time in my 19 years in St. Louis, I went to the suburban Riverport area last weekend (map) .  I went to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (formerly known as the Riverport Amphitheater) for Farm Aid.

But this post is about the amphitheater (bottom above) as it is about the entire area along the loop road known as Riverport Drive.  This compact area contains offices, hotels and restaurants – all within easy walking distance of each other.  Sure, nobody is going to walk to Riverport but people should be able to walk within Riverport.

The #34 bus stops at Riverport Drive.  Then what?  Walk in the street to get to your destination?  Are sidewalks and a pedestrian network just too much to ask?

The area includes several hotels.  I know I’ve had long days before driving in a car for hours and after checking into a hotel the last thing I want to do is have to get back in the car to drive to dinner.  Walking should be an option in addition to driving.  As designed, the only option is driving.

I’m not asking for a recreation of a downtown, just tie it all together with sidewalks.

Update 10/9/09 @ 10am:

I looked up the directions to get to Riverport from my place downtown.  It is very easy but it is that last bit that makes it unpleasant.

I love the caution about missing sidewalks.

– Steve Patterson

Finally Back Online (updated)

Originally posted 10/6/09 @ 6:14pm:

My 3rd-party server space has been experiencing issues since last Saturday.  It is back up now obviously.  The problems were completely beyond my control.  Hopefully the host company has the issues resolved.   To stay connected I suggest following the blog on Twitter at twitter.com/urbanreviewstl.  Don’t want to sign up for Twitter?  Just subscribe to the RSS Feed to get updates.    Your patience has been appreciated.

Update 10/8/09 -@ 5:20pm:

Server performance has clearly been spotty.  While I’m hopeful the issues at the host have been resolved I’m not holding my breath.

– Steve Patterson