Corner Re-Design: What NOT To Do

Before

After

While living away, I have often come back home to "The Village" of Highland in St. Paul to find something has changed. From smaller changes like the disappearance of a local pharmacy to massive ones, like the permanent shut down and leveling of the Ford truck plant. Then a Target replaced a Barnes and Nobles (years from now young people will be wondering what the heck that is) and possibly around this time, the corner in front of the store transformed. It once had trees, a ledge to rest, a community board and newspaper stand, and a fun red brick design in the pavement that I would follow along as an adolescent. Before, this corner used to be a meeting spot, where people of all ages would gather. Now? Any corner, USA. There's no there there! Why did this happen?!