tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842483528656738212.post3704256580634352895..comments2024-03-07T05:41:09.636-08:00Comments on INArchitecture: The Circle is UnbrokenA Year at the Riverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17836965128291916468noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842483528656738212.post-37391091797509637922010-06-07T15:53:06.618-07:002010-06-07T15:53:06.618-07:00Apparently I wasn't the only one who expressed...Apparently I wasn't the only one who expressed outrage at the idea of closing the Circle. This was in my Inbox from a post on the "Keep Monument Circle Open" Facebook page. I am glad Indianapolis residents made their views known about this idea, which is now being tabled and studied further. <br /><br />Subject: Memo from the Mayor's Office:<br />From: Jen Pittman, Director of Marketing, City of Indianapolis <br />Date: June 7, 2010 <br />Re: August on the Circle 2010<br /><br />Since announcing the city’s plan to temporarily close Monument Circle to vehicular traffic in August 2010, we have received a significant amount of feedback from residents, businesses, and community organizations. <br /><br />Some feedback has been positive. Some has been negative. One clear theme has emerged: our community – including the Monument Circle stakeholders – wants to be more engaged in the planning process than they have been to-date. And we want to respond to that very reasonable request. A truly collaborative process has the potential to produce something special for Monument Circle and for all of downtown, and we are fortunate to have so many individuals who are passionate about making this happen. <br /><br />We believe at this point, the best way to successfully engage the community in finding ways to make Monument Circle an even better public space, is to set aside the planned lane closures for August 2010 and continue to organize special events through the Event Advisory Board, using the existing process that should be familiar to both residents and businesses. <br /><br />August 2010 will still have programming aimed at encouraging pedestrian and bicycle traffic on the Circle as well as complementary programming throughout the rest of the city to highlight other public spaces, such as Whistler Plaza at the City Market. The city will work to engage the community in this programming, beginning with the Monument Circle stakeholders. The planning of this programming will not be carried out in a way that specifically seeks to create lane closures. It will be carried out in a way that seeks to energize use and enjoyment of our public spaces. <br /><br />“August on the Circle” will become a unified way to market events taking place on the Circle during that month –an outreach campaign that promotes a calendar of events scheduled for a public space. Stakeholders’ already-planned events can become part of this promotion if they choose to include the events.<br /><br />Beginning immediately, we will also work with the stakeholders to plan a more robust pilot for the summer of 2011. The focus of that planning from the outset will not be on lane closures, rather on creative ways to energize the Circle, provide an economic boost for downtown, and improve upon an already great public space. The shape that pilot takes will be driven by community input and participation.<br /><br /><br />The website http://www.facebook.com/l/2a720;www.indy.gov/august will be updated within 48 hours to reflect the change. During that same timeframe, the city will work with local media to make them aware of the revised strategy. Planning for the summer 2011 pilot begin before the end of June 2010A Year at the Riverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17836965128291916468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842483528656738212.post-67334341612642888292010-06-06T10:31:47.429-07:002010-06-06T10:31:47.429-07:00Interesting discourse here. While I would agree t...Interesting discourse here. While I would agree that "lamebrained" is a bit harsh, it does seem like an idea that is "misguided" (to use a favored safe word from the POTUS), based on decades of failed pedestrian malls. It's even more intriguing that reps from ICVA would claim that "cul-de-sacs" might help them rethink living downtown. I doubt it. Besides, what they're trying to do with Monument Circle is restrict access to cars completely, something that would no one would dare propose in the suburbs. And yet they still want to import a stereotypically suburban road design, the cul-de-sac, to the city center. What they want isn't the same as a suburban court or cove; it's weaker stuff.<br /><br />Many people prefer downtown because they specifically don't want to live in an environment that restricts mobility the way dead-ends do. And it's not like cul-de-sacs would make the ICVA staff choose downtown when they'd still have to contend with struggling schools, higher crime, mildly greater difficulties parking, and small lot sizes. No, a city needs to be more of a city; when it tries to compete with the suburbs by replicating the look and feel, it is guaranteed to lose.AmericanDirthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600555386886915000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842483528656738212.post-18277367355661790992010-06-06T10:11:59.951-07:002010-06-06T10:11:59.951-07:00Joe, I wrote a long reply but decided that's n...Joe, I wrote a long reply but decided that's not necessary. I'll simply say this: <br /><br />My post is about closing the Circle. What I've written is not in any way directed at you as the plan to close the Circle wasn't, as far as I know, your plan. <br /><br />You are a realtor. I am a former downtown retail merchant and a preservationist. Those professions don't necessarily share a viewpoint at all times. I've also lived downtown for 13 years, so I bring that perspective to all my writing.<br /><br />You disagree with my view. You are free to do that. No need to feel insulted or to expect me to compel you to agree with me.A Year at the Riverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17836965128291916468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842483528656738212.post-1668312455829404912010-06-06T07:53:18.117-07:002010-06-06T07:53:18.117-07:00"It's based on my experience with how thi..."It's based on my experience with how this city is marketed..."<br /><br />I would suggest that it's less your experience and more your interpretation of how that marketing does or does not serve your personal ideas and interests which flavors your opinion.<br /><br />"...they want to "create" something that's better in their eyes."<br /><br />Please explain why this is a bad thing.<br /><br />I simply don't see closing the circle and promoting our city, its beauty and its architecture as mutually exclusive ideas. You obviously do. Please tell me why. Is getting rid of about 14 parking spaces really going to kill business on the circle? Tell me why.<br /><br />You say, "...Hoosiers need to park within eyesight of their destination or they simply won't go there." Are you insulting the people whom you're trying to support in the same sentence?<br /><br />And I also have yet to read why it's a lamebrained idea...except that you disagree with it. Compel me. Convince me. Engage me. Don't insult me.Joe Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15097539639192569296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842483528656738212.post-69561221428733887342010-05-31T08:12:28.398-07:002010-05-31T08:12:28.398-07:00Joe, sorry, but "lamebrained" seems the ...Joe, sorry, but "lamebrained" seems the best descriptor to me and that's not a hysterical reaction ("Hysteria" is a pejorative, as well, of course.) My view isn't a shoot-from-the-hip one. It's based on my experience with how this city is marketed and the sense of insecurity so many of our marketers and our citizens seem to have about Indianapolis and all that's great about it. Rather than market us for what we are--a beautiful, clean city with historic architecture and lots going on, they want to "create" something that's better in their eyes. If we can just turn Indianapolis into something else everyone will love it. I can think of less interesting adjectives to apply to this idea but I rather like the ring of "numbskull" and "lamebrained". <br />As you said, the Circle is a "there." It's not broken. Not in need of a quick fix to get some attention.A Year at the Riverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17836965128291916468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842483528656738212.post-70933041198344738722010-05-30T08:48:20.957-07:002010-05-30T08:48:20.957-07:00Connie:
Describing the idea as lamebrained and nu...Connie:<br /><br />Describing the idea as lamebrained and numbskull doesn't make your point, but rather serves to alienate anyone who might have a differing opinion - or who hasn't yet made up their mind.<br /><br />But to your point - as we've discussed in other forums - comparing the center of the Capital of the State of Indiana to downtown Richmond or Anderson is a red herring. I was born and raised in Anderson. That downtown died decades before they tried to turn it into a pedestrian friendly area, primarily as the result of a suburban mall, strip centers, and the opening of two suburban high schools. As I have previously stated, there was no "there" there.<br /><br />Monument Circle may be one of the biggest "theres" in the State. A reason to go already exists, and people who are already there on a daily or weekly basis aren't going to disappear if you take out the cars.<br /><br />Maybe.<br /><br />And that' what I want to hear discussed. What are the real implications - not hyperbole and hysteria. What is the data? Why has Pioneer Courthouse Square been so successful - a pedestrian-only block in the heart of Downtown Portland?<br /><br />Cheers!Joe Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15097539639192569296noreply@blogger.com