St. Paul Central HS is getting Re-Vamped!

Less Road, More Space

I've driven past this park on Guerrero countless times, and I finally got the chance to stop and experience it on a beautiful day (along with a Mitchell's treat :) This mini-park is somewhat like a dream! Once "inside" I learned that this plaza is part of a bigger project, Pavement to Parks, made possible by a collaboration between the mayor's office, the SF Planning Department, SFMTA, and Public Works. This is the kind of stuff I hope to be able to design in the future. 

BEFORE

Today: Looking north

Looking south

Sunny space to lay

Or sit

San Jose & 28th

Public Art

Left side looking north up Guerrero; right side looking south

Repost: Saint Paul reveals exciting plans for river balcony park

On September 24, Saint Paul Mayor Coleman presented the city's latest vision to improve the connections between the Mississippi River and downtown Saint Paul while improving the parkland and connections along the river between the Science Museum and the Union Depot. The current vision and model show exciting new features including additional linear and vertical trails, community gathering spaces, market spaces, a restaurant, a dock that welcomes people to the city though Union Depot and more.

This vision of reconnecting downtown Saint Paul to the Mississippi River has grown out of the 2011 Saint Paul Great River Passage Plan. That plan calls for:

• overlooks, and public stairs and elevators at buildings and bridges along the bluff 
• a series of outdoor rooms with panoramic views
• a great year-round destination for shopping, lunch or to relax with friends after a concert of sporting event
• daily lunchtime visitors and early evening entertainment programming
• a great streetscape that supports stronger pedestrian connections into Downtown, and a place in the Grand Round system.

While enthusiasm for the river balcony project is high, both the Mayor and city staff have been frank about the fact that this project is not expected to be completed in five or even 10 years. They have stressed that it is something that will evolve over the many coming years. Despite the long timeline, FMR finds it heartening that the city continues to plan for and work toward reconnecting with the Mighty Mississippi River--a feature that was long ignored and used as a dump.

_______________

This is a repost from Friends of the Mississippi River News, October 12, 2015 by Alicia Uzarek

TED Talk: Amanda Burden, Cities, Public Spaces

Everything Amanda says in on point.

Start watching at 14:10

The New York High-line: an elevated railway running through 3 Manhattan neighborhoods that once carried trains but has been converted into a green public space.

"You know, it's true, commercial interests will always battle against public space. You might say, "How wonderful it is that more than four million people come from all over the world to visit the High Line." Well, a developer sees just one thing: customers. Hey, why not take out those plantings and have shops all along the High Line? Wouldn't that be terrific and won't it mean a lot more money for the city? Well no, it would not be terrific. It would be a mall, and not a park. (Applause) And you know what, it might mean more money for the city, but a city has to take the long view, the view for the common good." 

I love and firmly stand behind the general idea that an investment in public spaces for people and greenery should be valued over commercial or economic interests. When you make an investment in public spaces that positively contribute to peoples' health and well-being, you are making a higher impact and longer-term investment in that place as a whole. SOCIAL CAPITAL.