Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Learning the Hard Way: Boston-Style


Another case of when you build it, they don't always come. This would have been the same fate as the park Mayor Marty proposed at 3rd and Roma. The addition of green space is not enough to attract the masses. Dallas is in the middle of constructing something similar that is being lauded by designers (Calthorpe even has a hand in this one if I'm not mistaken). Sadly, it'll be nothing more than a pretty green space best viewed and experienced from the surrounding highrises.

Edit: Calthorpe & Associates was the master planner for the arts district, the Office of James Burnett completed the actual park design. Regardless, it's money wasted by the city of Dallas as the best thing about these projects are the big names behind them. Even the district will sit empty unless they fill the surrounding areas with lots of residential. And even then, the clientele Dallas will likely attract will add little in the way of vitality to the streets and parks. The park plan in all its myopic glory:

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