UrbanABQ

Paths Through Albuquerque

2012-02-08T13:06:00.001-08:00

Paths though Albuquerque, a photo by Eric Fischer on Flickr.

More data visualization awesomeness of Albuquerque from Eric Fischer.

Enter 2012

2012-02-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Above: Mesa del Sol is shaping up

Working as a planner has certainly hampered my ability to sit and write like I used to do. I've primarily been responsible for writing comprehensive plans and area plans in areas around the state. Despite my continued interest in issues related to the metro area, I have found it quite difficult to dedicate the necessary (desired?) time to UrbanABQ. However, the start of 2012 also begins with a new job opportunity that will allow me be more involved in projects that directly effect our city and metro. I will certainly try harder to post more often, particularly on projects in which I can provide an insider's perspective. I will also try harder to post on topics that readers will be interested in and will be more inclined to comment/critique/etc.

Happy new year, everyone.

Tim

Urbanized

2011-12-10T21:50:00.001-08:00

Possibly the finest cinemotography dedicated to urban planning issues. A must see for those in the field or interested in our developing world.

Inbound/Outbound Migration

2011-11-25T09:38:00.000-08:00

Forbes has released its latest interactive map using 2010 Census data. Similar to last year, we're pulling from Florida, the Midwest, East, and Southwest, while hemorrhaging to Texas, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest. Texas for jobs and the others for creative class, urban centers (i.e. more emphasis on quality of life and less on jobs)? My wish for 2012 is that we begin to see investment in the quality of the built environment so that people will move here for the quality of life and not just for work. I believe this happens to some extent, but quality of life needs to become a part of our brand.

Shop Local for the Holidays

2011-11-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

I'm loving the mayor these days. He referred to the "built environment" of our city in his State of the City address, displaying his increasing sensitivity and understanding of urban issues. He's now putting our money where his mouth is with his continued support for ABQ the Plan. An initial $20 million for the convention center, $1 million to complete an environmental impact statement for BRT along Central Ave, and now money for both the completion of the 50-mile bike loop around the city as well as for "river work." It is not clear if that's the boardwalk that was originally supported by the committee or not. Regardless, I'm already on board. Lastly, there's been commercials dedicated to encouraging people to shop locally for the holidays. The City has gone an extra step by providing free street parking in three city neighborhoods; Nob Hill, Downtown, and Old Town.

In other news, la Tejana Susana helped the Downs obtain a 25-year lease on Expo NM, with the unrivaled proposal to add a casino near the intersection of Central and Louisiana. Naturally, the brilliant plan set the new structure behind a sea of parking. While most people hoped for more, the outcome was about par with the golden nuggets coming out of Santa Fe these days. It's sheer unimaginative, conservative, old thinking, and there's no excuse for it given the level of interest and the prime location. (photo courtesy of the Albuquerque Journal)

Urbanized

2011-10-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

I desperately wish this film was being screened in the Duke City.

Healthy Urbanism

2011-10-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

A quote from Peter Calthorpe's recent book, Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change, that I feel is a perfect metaphor for the current condition of many of our cities - and Albuquerque certainly resembles these remarks:

"Urbanism so defined has been on the wane for the last half century. Our cities and towns have been on a high-carbon diet - and our metropolitan regions have become, in short, obese. Oil is like a high-sugar and high-starch diet for cities; it expands the waistline without nourishing strength or resilience. Urban neighborhoods are like healthy diets: they build on unique places and local history, they use natural ingredients and mix them well, they tend toward local sources, and they are lean. America's postwar suburbs are like fast food: their history and sense of place trumped by mass production; their ingredients dominated by a few generic staples; their resource distant and large; and their infrastructure highly subsidized. Our urban footprint-its physical size and resource demands - has expanded in unsustainable ways for too long."

Alvarado Urban Farm

2011-10-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Alvarado Urban Farm, a photo by ABQturkey on Flickr.

Another block of the downtown urban fabric being put to better use than parking or abandonment. The urban farm is well on its way to success and ownership by the larger downtown community. Hats off the the Downtown Action Team for making this happen.

Park(ing) Day - Albuquerque 2011

2011-09-16T17:22:00.001-07:00

Aside from the UNM Landscape Architecture students and their park on Harvard near the university, there were two parks today on Gold Ave. downtown. This one was by a group that called their park, Parametrix Parquito. It was a fun day downtown as many people asked about the event and were extremely supportive of the event's effort to raise awareness and advocate for urban, social space for people. Cities for people! (not cars)

Park(ing) Day - Albuquerque. September 16th

2011-08-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be lazy and post the generic press release. There are just over 2 weeks to plan one with your friends/family/kids/coworkers/mist(e)ress/whoever.

September 16, 2011 — In cities around the globe today, artists, activists and citizens will temporarily transform metered parking spaces into public parks and other social spaces, as part of an annual event called "PARK(ing) Day."

Originally invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. “In urban centers around the world, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel and more pollution,” says Rebar’s Matthew Passmore. “The planning strategies that generated these conditions are not sustainable, nor do they promote a healthy, vibrant human habitat. PARK(ing) Day is about re-imagining the possibilities of the urban landscape.”

Locally, the event will be celebrated in Albuquerque by various groups, organizations, businesses, and anyone else that would like to participate in the free event. There are planned parks in downtown and the UNM area. Join your friends, coworkers, classmates, or someone random on the street and create a public space in a metered parking spot between 10 and noon on Friday, September 16th!

More information can be found on the event website:
http://www.parkingday.org

A page for the event in Albuquerque can be found at:
http://my.parkingday.org/group/albuquerque

If you are interested in participating, the group webpage can be used to coordinate and discuss any planning related issues.

We hope to see many parks, er parquitos, on the 16th!

UrbanABQ

About the founders of Park(ing) Day
Rebar (www.rebargroup.org). Founded in 2004 in San Francisco, Rebar is an internationally recognized art and design studio operating at the intersection of art, design and ecology.

ABQ Bicycle Master Plan. Is It a Plan or an Evaluation?

2011-08-03T20:54:00.001-07:00

Trusty Steed, a photo by ABQturkey on Flickr.

Looks like the city awarded the plan update to another non-planning firm and is getting quite the nugget in return - and it ain't golden. See it here.

For those of you that use the bicycle facilities in this city, please take a look and provide feedback to this document. The city's website calls it a "final" document but it appears to be more like a 50% draft. And...discuss.

LRT > BRT

2011-07-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

Found this fantastic illustration created for the city of Waterloo, Canada. I'm personally against BRT to the extent it's being proposed for our city. There's no single solution to this growing transportation quandary as it will take a combination of technologies applied in contexts best suited to their respective strengths. I'm losing faith that the COG understands this and there's no question that the board at Rio Metro don't have a clue as to what their role is...

edit: The graphic doesn't seem to work so I added a link up top to the website. Have a look see. I'd love to hear other thoughts on the matter.

You Say Fiscal Challenge, I Say Lack of Leadership

2011-07-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

In the Sunday Journal, Mayor Larry Abraham, also the vice chairman of the Rio Metro RTD, wrote about how it was our fiscal responsibility to cut weekend service. He went on at length to explain how it was inevitable given falling tax revenues and ending government subsidies. This is the typical, exhausting, lazy leadership we hear excuses from time and time again.

What about the money that 4,000 plus people save on a daily basis. Their money in turn goes toward purchasing more goods and services in the community rather than paying for gas (which in turn doesn't nearly pay the price of roads). Then there's vehicle maintenance. Did I forget air quality? The railrunner has spurred development in downtown Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Belen, etc. Does that economic development get counted?

With real leadership at Rio Metro, we'd have more transit oriented development around our stations, which would lead to a more viable system that is more useful to greater amounts of people as well. This eventuality is the only means to making this system truly viable.

Thanks for taking the lead on that questionable vote, next time keep your hand down. Thanks. Perhaps next he'll suggest an enlarged 4th Street through Los Ranchos?

Top 10, no, 12 Wish List

2011-06-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

A couple guys at skyscrapercity posted their wish lists and it got me thinking. Below is mine in no particular order.

1) Create a loop of elevated light rail (Central, Coors, Paseo(?), Louisiana/Wyoming???), with a cut and cover subway along Central from Rio Grande to San Mateo. This would allow for the complete rehab of Central in that corridor.

2) A regional scale park (probably not quite like Zilker but more akin to Millenium in Chicago but smaller, and extends to the north along 1st a-la Old Montreal's waterfront park) on the north side of the Rail Yards where one can take in the Sandias, the Railyards, and downtown skycrapers, while reading a book in a lawn.

3) A streetcar running in a loop on 2nd and 3rd between Cesar Chavez and I-40. Also, a line between UNM and the airport along Yale to connect with the loop.

4) An upzoned warehouse district for mid and highrise housing and commercial, which extends the downtown core to the north.

5) Upgrade the Bosque trail to include wider pathways, places for seating, and lighting...at least in the busiest portions

6) Desertpunks Comp Plan idea is spot on. We need to designate and upzone nodes for density (a REAL centers and corridors plan) and compliments the transit system.

7) The fairgrounds I'd like to see turned into an urban village that supports housing, commercial, and an MLS soccer stadium/complex that compliments a downsized fairgrounds area. All parking could be structured and underground.

8) A symphony hall downtown...or the fairgrounds if you must, but only if 9...

9) A downtown arena and 35+ story hotel tower all crammed into downtown proper...none of this sprawling-into-edo mess

10) Bus service extended to late night to compliment the mass transit loop

11) New, attractive, modern central library...hold an international design competition so you know who doesn't horde that project as well...

12) I do like the idea of utilizing the river for recreational purposes. We have an amazing natural environment that compliments the built environment but we need to incorporate it better.

Oh, and bike lanes and paths all around downtown. It's flat and there are trees...perfect for walking/biking!

Cities for People!

What's your wish list? Did you send it to the Mayor?

Fool Us Twice?

2011-06-14T20:26:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a tip from skyscrapercity username swerve3030, we have evidence that Goodman is pulling the good 'ol bait and switch on us. First, Hunt sold us on a mixed-use, multi-story ABQ Uptown. Now, Goodwin's plans for Winrock appear to have withered to a worst case scenario and we've already agreed to help him finance it.

Locals and Tourists #243 (GTWA #763): Albuquerque

2011-06-12T18:38:00.001-07:00

Locals and Tourists #243 (GTWA #763): Albuquerque, a photo by Eric Fischer on Flickr.

Eric Fischer was nice enough to post this on his flickr account after a friendly request. What does this image say about our built environment? How can the urban design of Albuquerque be influenced by this?

Smoke Filled Evening

2011-06-07T14:35:00.001-07:00

Smoke Filled Evening, a photo by bobthemtnbiker on Flickr.

Burque Moon

2011-06-01T20:23:00.001-07:00

Burque Moon, a photo by rt41959 (Randy) on Flickr.

Just one example of the excellent photography being shared on the UrbanABQ flickr page.

"The Plan"

2011-04-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'd say that Mayor Barry is drinking the Kool-Aid and I hope he continues to do so. Last week he presented "The Plan," aimed at investing in quality of life projects for our fair city. He even included a laundry list of potential projects as a way of beginning the conversation and I would say that every one of his projects deserves consideration except for the Paseo Interchange. That one in no way contributes to place-making or our community's culture. I'm also a little disappointed in all BRT talk coming out of MRCOG. But, again, it's all worthy of discussion and also happens to be transit planning's technology du jour. If this is the type of foresight the mayor has developed as a result of trips to Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, and Chicago, imagine what would happen if we sent him to Copenhagen and Bilbao. I salivate at the mere thought.

This discourse originating from city hall complements an article from my favorite, local rag, Local iQ, where they have proclaimed that "Albuquerque is perched to become the best place to live, play, and ride in America."

Mayor Barry and Local iQ are my favorite people/entities of the week.

Coming and Going

2011-04-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Forbes published a nifty interactive map that illustrates inter-county population movement using 2008 census estimates. What stands out to me is how we tend to pull people from the Northeast and Southwest while hemorrhaging noticeable amounts to the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, and Southeast (jobs?). LA, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, and Minneapolis appear to supply us with ample new citizens. Meanwhile, 'Burqueños tend to leave for job creation centers like Atlanta, Dallas, and Austin as well as the real urban centers of NYC, DC, Seattle, Portland and Boston. This is rather old but interesting none-the-less. What does this imply with regards to our city? Are people happy/unhappy with our quality of life? Perhaps our job opportunities? Built Environment?

Now let's compare our performance with that of Austin, TX (Travis County). I'd say they're doing something right.

We're NOT a Dangerous City - New Rankings

2011-04-04T20:43:00.001-07:00

Do you think this will allow the local news media to cover real news? Yeah, I doubt it. We ranked 77th most dangerous city. Our ranking suggests we are safer than many of our neighbors including OKC, Dallas, Tulsa and Las Vegas.

Quality of Life = Jobs, v2.0

2011-03-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

An article that uses an example in Troy, Michigan to equate quality urban environments with educational/talent attainment. With a world class institution and several strong universities nearby, this is quite telling for this Michigan city. The author and CEO try too hard to associate poor development with sprawl but the point about young talent requiring a variety of quality urban environments is spot on. It's nice to see our city slowly paying attention to those details with projects like Lead/Coal, Central Ave. in Nob Hill, and MLK between UNM and I-25. But still, these reports and comments are important for the City (and University!) to pay attention to so that we can address the gaps that make our city and region less competitive for investment. Asking educated 20 and 30 somethings, as well as CEO's, what this city needs would reveal a few surprising things and lots that we probably already know but are slow to address.

Mesa Del Sol is Back Online

2011-03-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

A new era of smart growth for the Albuquerque metro area is about to begin with the construction of new homes at Mesa del Sol set for groundbreaking on March 28th. This is great news on so many levels. First, it's a strong indication of Forest City's confidence in our market. Second, it bodes well for future employee retention for all the companies that have chosen to locate in an area that looks like a big 'ol gamble at this point. I'm personally excited that it will help to push the geographic center further south from the current center, which is near Journal Center. Theoretically, this will help push an increase in redevelopment pressures at the core.

Samitaur Selected as Developer of the Barelas Railyards

2011-03-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

My first response was, "WHO?!" Then, I did what anyone not in the know would do: I did a google search. This revealed a heap of information and press regarding their Culver City project that includes their headquarter building, which resembles a modern version of Bart Prince's home along Monte Vista. Further research

yielded a partnership with Eric Owen Moss Architects, also out of Los Angeles. I was, im-mediately, angry that we are again contracting a non-local firm to do work in Albuquerque but then drew a blank when attempting to conjure up a superior, local solution. I'm now happy to see that even though we went beyond our borders, we didn't settle for some "starchitect" like Gehry, Liebskind, or Foster, whose works can be found in nearly every major, damn city from Trenton to Timbuktu. Their works are growing a bit too commonplace and it's nice to see fresh ideas rather than the same three designs twisted and contorted in unoriginal ways.

Enough about that, these are exciting times seeing that this process is proceeding. Imagine what a redeveloped railyard and (this is optimistic, I know) arena/hotel project would do for downtown Albuquerque. Below are some images of projects from Eric Owen Moss Architects. Oh the things we may see in our very own ciudad...

I think what I appreciate most about this team's work is their heavy, industrial, yet modern designs. The railyards are large, hulking, industrial masses lurking in their corner of downtown. I would hate to see new development not complement the precedent they've set. Nearly every attempt at post modernism that's been attempted in our city has a stripped-down feeling to it that makes it feel like it'd be more at home in Omaha. I am comfortable and confident that this team will push our boundaries as a community and I'm giddy at the mere thought.

UrbanABQ on Flickr!

2011-03-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

I've added a slideshow to the page and a link to the new flickr group for those that use the site. It would be great to see people sign up for the group and post their favorite pics of urban Albuquerque. Cheers!

State of Our ROWs

2011-02-19T10:50:00.001-08:00

2011 begins with my first job as a planner...in the great city of Albuquerque! While I'll miss riding the bus to UW, walking downtown to shop along Pike and Pine, and taking light-rail to the stadiums and Sea-Tac, I am wholly content to begin my career in the Duke City.

I now find myself commuting in my SOV to work while lamenting our auto dependence. Absorbing the scene, I find myself contemplating the various reasons our right-of-ways (ROW), and our sidewalks, in particular, aren't filled with pedestrians and bicyclists. Sure we see a few gusty winds, a few weeks of warm (almost hot) temps, and occasionally frigid temperatures now and again. But overall, our weather is pretty temperate when compared to wet and gloomy Seattle (yeah, yeah, Summers are great but what about the other 9 months?), and extremely hot and muggy and/or frigid and snowy rest of the country. Sure, I left out a bit of the country or glazed over some of its intricacies but overall our weather rocks. Take that, Austin! What's up now, Portlandia? Go shovel your driveways, Denver.

So what gives? Where's the street vitality? Well, it doesn't take too many Marble brews to figure out that it's our streetscape design. Let's take our prime pedestrian friendly corridor, Central, through Nob Hill as our case study. How many open air patios can you count along that corridor? How many pedestrians do you see socializing along the street? The answer is not that many. I have not seen traffic counts in that corridor but I'd venture to guess in the realm of 35,000 vehicles per day. Each of those pollution belching motors revving along at 35+ miles per hour does not facilitate the pedestrian experience that architects like to render in their utopian collages. While urban design elements such as street trees and sufficiently wide sidewalks go a long way in aiding in this effort, even more is necessary.

Once the city figures out what it really wants to do with its streets, and more importantly its centers and corridors plan, then it can begin to structure its arterials in a complementary fashion. While the Great Streets plan attempted to address this effort, it can be argued whether or not it really followed the centers and corridors plan as a guide. Central Ave, from Washington to the Rio Grande will never be the pedestrian corridor it can be until its design is properly addressed. This change may necessitate a designation change. I'm not familiar with the classification system of ABQ but I'd assume it needs to be downgraded from major(?) arterial to a minor arterial. This change would allow sufficient modifications to the street to provide the elements within the ROW that need to happen for Nob Hill to truly flourish as a pedestrian environment. Protected bike lanes, anyone?

This process is gaining popularity and is known as a "road diet." The city is dabbling in this movement along the segment of Central between downtown and Rio Grande. I'm unsure where plans currently lie but I'm aware of an existing proposal/plan that aims to do so. I think Lead and Coal also followed this movement before it had a name. But what's interesting about this plan is its location. Very little development has taken place along that corridor over the last decade compared with the entire length of Central between downtown and Washington. I suppose it was more palatable to start in a less congested segment? The problem with doing this is the city will see a muted result due to the intensity of development along that portion of the corridor. So, unless the economy changes for the better in the near future, we may not see the ramifications of this reconfiguration for at least a decade. Why not go straight to our greatest neighborhood and let it be all that it can be?

The sooner we see the benefits of tailored street designs the sooner we can modify various corridors near those so-called "centers" so that they can create what I am assuming is the vision of the comp plan. Or we can study what other cities have done and how they've managed to successfully implement these roadway changes in exchange for healthier neighborhoods. Regardless, let's hope the upcoming update addresses this centers and corridors concept's lack of clarity. While it takes a step in the direction of establishing the necessary framework, there is much work to be done. Inner city sector plans which require one parking spot per bedroom with a maximum of two per unit is not going to get us to where we are claiming we want to go with our envisioned "sustainable" future but that's a whole other related discussion.

2010 Outro

2010-12-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

Pondering the various activities that took place over the past year from my favorite downtown coffee shop I can't help but feel optimistic about 2011. In the past year we've seen the completion of several new housing developments within the downtown core as well as discussions of an downtown arena and hotel, a redeveloped Expo NM grounds, redeveloped railyards, and Winrock Town Center. Of course there's been whispers about developments further out of the city center but we like to minimize their significance here on UrbanABQ. These four projects have the potential to greatly alter the image of urban Albuquerque and each project's surrounding areas due to their sheer magnitude.

Currently, there's a proposal for Expo NM to expand the casino. It will be important for the International District to continue their dissent of this plan. The mere suggestion of such a lame solution reeks of laziness and lack of imagination. If state fair commissioners won't take into consideration the effects of that white elephant on it's surroundings then it's important for the community and city to make them see the error in their ways. This is where the councilor of that district and mayor would be helpful in voicing the concerns of the community. Fortunately, Senator Tim Keller, has been doing his job in advocating for a smarter approach.

Recently, Gary Goodman announced plans to begin construction at Winrock mall. I refuse to call it a town center till there's more than a sea of parking lots surrounding the entire site. While this proposal is small in scale, the theatre that was announced will do well to attract patrons to the area that currently lacks a nearby, modern cinema.

The arena and railyard projects are the least likely to occur anytime soon, unfortunately. The political will just doesn't exist despite public enthusiasm for both.

Additionally, while I am concerned about plans for the removal of the homeless from downtown, I can't help feel a little relieved for the downtown area. There are positives and negatives to concentrating such services. While a concentration lends itself to a network of services that are accessible, the concentration of users paints a negative image on the community where the services are located. After extensively studying marginalized populations in foreign countries, I feel some level of guilt for my moderate entusiasm. My hope is that the city is moving these services to locations that are still accessible for those that are in need. It'd be nice to see one of these facilities placed in the far northeast heights as to create a balance but that's just not the way these things work. To this day they have been tight lipped regarding their plans, though, which is disconcerting.

Lastly, a drive around the urban core of our city presented a sort of carte blanche that I am ecstatic about. In Seattle, I have seen how an existing, dense urban fabric has limited possibilities through well established zoning, design guidelines, and NIMBYism. While those elements exist here as well, we still have many open lots along vital arterials and corridors that lend themselves to an enhanced urban environment that can greatly turn the tide against our auto-centricity. The big question is whether we, as a community, will see to it that smart development occurs. Hopefully 2011 will see a significant step forward in the progression of our built environment to match that of our unmatched and unique natural environment. A safe and happy new year to all.

Race and ethnicity: Albuquerque

2010-11-09T22:59:00.001-08:00

Race and ethnicity: Albuquerque
Originally uploaded by Eric Fischer

This has been discussed around the intarwebs but I thought I would post again because it really provides us with an image of ourselves. From one resolution we're a bicultural metropolitan area, but at the highest resolution you can make out the blue and green dots all over. I have always been proud of our multicultural, integrated community. Now, compare our map with Chicago, or even worse, Portland. Yikes.

Voter Apathy

2010-11-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

So far voter apathy has resulted in the death of the streetcar, the arena and convention center hotel, and now there are threats aimed at the RailRunner. Unbelievable. No Susana, this isn't Las Cruces anymore, or a family business. Meanwhile, Mayor Barry is traveling to other cities to see how they approached urban development...ironically, in cities that used large scale public facilities (see: arenas, football stadia, and convention centers) as a part of their plans.

In other news, local property owner, Jim Long, is crying about his hefty, required contributions to the downtown Business Improvement District. As one of the largest property holders it doesn't take much to understand that he's also the largest benefactor of the benefits of a BID. Having a difficult time maintaining clients, Jim? Perhaps you should stop with your horrendous signage and lighting.

Hopefully this worst possible scenario will result in a hefty swing back to the left in 2-4 years. Hopefully. Did they legalize marijane.....?

Poor Pedestrian Environment

2010-11-06T12:47:00.001-07:00

I was browsing the blogs and came across an article with a photo that was immediately recognizable. The photo is from a pedestrian's perspective at the corner of Menaul and San Mateo, with bus users awaiting the next bus at the barren bench right next to the arterial. The article, in brief, says a poor pedestrian environment exacerbates poor mobility. It is time for drastic changes in our street design. We cannot afford to be the posterchild for bad urban design. Lead and Coal, although the construction process will be a bit of a headache, will result in a friendlier environment that encourages people to utilize several mobility options given its safer design. Better living through design? Yes please.

The PDX

2010-10-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

After nearly two years in the Pacific Northwest I finally had the opportunity to visit the posterchild of modern American planning: Portland, Oregon. I have one word to sum it up: overrated.

"But how so?" you ask. Let me start by stating that it has a ton going for it. The compactness, the walkability, bikability, and vitality is glaringly apparent the moment you arrive within the center city area. There is a reason it is described as the most European city in the US, particularly with the mish mash of density and transportation options. But in the end, I think it was doomed due to its stratospheric reputation. In Seattle and many cities in this country, the planning community is constantly preaching Portland examples to the point where one begins to place it among the elite cities in the country. And rightly so in terms of planning. But alas, it is a young city of only two and a half million citizens. And while that number is rather large, it ranks 23rd largest in a list of US metropolitan areas. This fact begins to prove itself after a day or two in the city and then you being to ask, "Is that it?"

There are two more significant factors to my overall assessment. First is the fact that there is no major university in the city. Portland State has a growing presence in the southern end of downtown but it's more similar to a CNM-type campus (granted, it's much more attractive and attentive to its context) but you get the idea. This factor subtracts from the city's vitality in a way that provides a sterility to the environment through its older, professional image. Second, there is a blaring lack of diversity that gives the city the feeling of a midwest suburb - ala Boulder, CO. I kid - kind of. One of the various attractions of our cities is the diversity they contain. Portland's diversity exists across the Willamette River in small pockets while its center city has apparently left certain classes(races?) out of its burgeoning urbanity.

However, it's hard for a city to live up to a reputation that has been lauded for years. Where Des Moines has my vote for best midsize city in the country, I would vote for Portland in a "best American city with a population between 1 and 3 million people" in terms of its built environment. The urban design qualities of the city easily match the natural beauty of the surrounding area. If the image of the city is a reflection of its citizen's values, then this city rightly deserves its kudos.

Albuquerque, being in the tier of cities below Portland's, should take note of its successes and failures in an assessment of what it can be. The principles of its urban design, through its network of transportation systems, its accessibility, and its attempts at enhancing the sustainability of its built environment, and thus, its inhabitants. These are the elements that construct the principles of the city that is held to such a high esteem. Take heed, ABQ, and then go out and do better - because you can.

Street Art

2010-10-11T23:48:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if anyone reads this anymore but this event seems like something that should be promoted and supported. I think our city has been more proactive than most American cities in incorporating street art in our built environment. There are several, very interesting events coming up. Check 'em out.

30/10 Plan for ABQ?

2010-10-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Des Moines: a Model for Albuquerque

2010-09-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's a hard pill to swallow when a city has to look for direction from a smaller, younger peer. While I was in undergrad at nearby Iowa State (go Cyclones!), Des Moines was in the process of conjuring up a plan for downtown revitalization. A decade later, I might argue that the city has one of the nicest downtowns in the country for a midsize city. Greenville comes to mind as a contender but I have no personal proof.

Des Moines came up with a varied approach that included several elements which would improve several key areas in its downtown.

A public library (by David Chipperfield) and urban park on the west end.
Streetscaping improvements in the east village that connects downtown proper with the Capitol.
Streetscaping also along Court Avenue (entertainment district ala Central Ave.)
A science center to anchor the southern end of the entertainment district.
An arena and convention center to anchor the north end near I-80.
A riverfront park.

When all was said and done the city had spend well north of $300 million. In response, private businesses have chipped in approximately $2 billion. That's incredible in a metro area nearing 600,000 people. In all fairness, our fair city was injected by about $85 million in various small projects plus nearly $125 million for the courthouses and federal office building. Private investment has been a little less excited, investing around $100 million in residential developments. That gives a total investment package worth about $310 million, not including nearby investments such as Tingley Beach and the venerable National Hispanic Cultural Center.

So, why such a disparity between the two? Well I'm glad you asked. The Des Moines plan had support from city leadership, the community, and the business community. Downtown Des Moines was already home to several large insurance corporations with thousands of employees. City and business leaders saw this as a means to retain a fraction of the graduates the state was hemorrhaging to nearby Chicago, Minneapolis, and Denver. The businesses recognized that the city needed such urban amenities to attract and retain employees to the region. After a recent visit, I can say that the results are stunning.

This is not to say that there was not a lack of buy in from the various stakeholders here in Albuquerque. The fact that there was already 60,000 employees flooding downtown Des Moines daily was a huge factor. But Albuquerque's business community never really got behind the downtown plan in a way that encouraged businesses to move or expand there, necessarily. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Forest Service, and Fidelity Investments represent over 3,000 employees housed in shiny, new facilities on the periphery which have either expanded or relocated to the metro area ever since downtown revitalization began. Imagine what just one of those companies would have done for office vacancy rates downtown as well as demand for services in an area clinging on to its existing workforce of approximately 20,000.

Additionally, while the location of Des Moines's arena has issues, the $217 million dollar investment had a significant impact on the area. Minor league teams in addition to concerts and tournaments have injected new life into the area by bringing hundreds of thousands of spectators, annually. There was certainly a shift in attitude in the region once the facility was completed and people no longer had to make the drive to a larger city nearby for big-name entertainment. Here's where I would normally go into a long rant in support of our stellar arena plan but I'll refrain this time and, instead, leave you with a few photos from my visit.

One thing that plagues the sidewalk vitality of Des Moines is its skywalk system. Like Minneapolis, most downtown buildings are interconnected by a network of skyways, allowing employees and shoppers to get around downtown without having to be exposed to the harsh summer heat and especially, the bone-chilling, winter cold. Thus, despite having a daytime population of cities two and three times its size, the streets remain downtown Albuquerque-like quiet.

Another issue the city is facing is how to integrate the arena and convention center with the commercial core. The commercial streets, Grand, Walnut, and Court all lie in an east-west direction several blocks away to the south of the arena. Therefore, there is less opportunity for patrons to take in all that downtown has to offer. This connectivity has not been addressed aside from the waterfront park that begins to strengthen downtown connectivity in a north-south direction.

I can't begin to stress how lucky Albuquerque is to already have some of the best weather in the country. This fact alone is reason enough to push our effort toward a more walkable, bikeable city. The RailRunner, Route 66, existing convention center, movie theater, and growing residential market are a wonderful framework from which to improve our downtown. Now we really just need the willpower - and a revised plan.

Park(ing) Day 2010

2010-09-15T21:27:00.001-07:00

Friday is the big day! Looks like UNM is once again taking part with a park in Albuquerque this year across from the new planning, architecture, and landscape architecture building along Central. If anyone gets a photo or two, I'd love to see them posted. I am going to try and catch one of these in Portland this year. Cheers!

Arena Politics

2010-08-30T19:28:00.001-07:00

Anyone notice how they call Dale Lockett, the president and CEO of the ACVB, a "contractor" in this news piece? When it comes to convention business and marketing, I'll take his expertise over a politician and a preacher any day. Way to go ABQJou...what? KOB? For shame.

As an aside, I actually prefer the plans shown on the kob website over the latest ones. The renderings show a 15,000 seat arena, hotel, retail, residence combination all to the west of the railroad tracks. I like the intensity of this plan as it compliments the developing area behind the Century Theatre development. This plan would allow for some interesting spaces on 1st Street and Copper near the arena. This would also alleviate some of the issues that the Edo 'nabe has with the current plans as it would open up more adjacent land for development that better compliments that neighborhood. The arena-to-neighborhood transition is a tough design issue that I don't feel has been thoroughly addressed in the latest plan. But the plan as shown on kob assumes a resolution to the Big Bytes building fiasco. Perhaps it should be done now that the real estate industry is in a lull.

AFF

2010-08-24T01:05:00.000-07:00

Albuquerque Film Fest is here. Sounds like a great lineup. Show your support for our local, burgeoning industry...and catch an awesome flick too! link

Food Systems

2010-08-24T00:25:00.000-07:00

With regards to sustainability, the transportation of food products globally has such a dramatic affect on energy consumption. It's great to see Albuquerque residents making a dent in this issue at a local and regional level. Local IQ had a fantastic article about our local CSA's. Have a look-see.

The keys to realizing an affective local strategy will be in our ability to preserve agricultural land (i.e. not selling to Wal-Mart), assuring that youth learn the value in local food sources, and that local food reaches the plates of populations in need.

Arena Momentum and a Westside Sith Preacher

2010-08-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

Arena

The Convention and Visitors Bureau has stepped up and proclaimed it's support of Arena and Hotel plan downtown. Officially. Hopefully this, in addition to the fire at the baptist church will jumpstart this project. Surely the Mayor has had enough time to form an educated opinion. Now would be a good time for the Chamber and Downtown Action Team to get behind this plan.

Centers and Corridors

I found it. The portion of the Comprehensive Plan that discusses the Centers and Corridors concept I've been denouncing for months. Based on research regarding mode travel and activity centers, this is a brilliant plan for our multi-nodal city. However, I would love to see some prioritization of these centers and corridors. Is the design dictated solely by sector plans? Seeing as most neighborhoods haven't updated theirs, I'm guessing this plan is essentially useless with regards to this plans effort. What about transit? This plan discusses the need to strengthen transit options between centers, but does the transit department use this plan as a guide? Based upon the MTP I'm guessing not.

I bring these up for discussion purposes. I am not familiar with the process that has taken shape in Albuquerque over the years as I was an engineer following different codes and regulations. However, the answers to these questions greatly affect the relationship between the city's plans and the quality of the built environment.

I have been working with the City of Seattle to begin the process of creating an urban design element to be included with the comprehensive plan update. This work led me to take a closer look at Albuquerque's plans in order to try and wrap my ahead around the Duke City's urban design policy framework. A short blip in section II, I'll call it an element, discusses urban design. It goes on to list what parts of the built environment that should be evaluated by sector plan(?). But how exactly is this evaluated? Who evaluates this? Again, I'm trying to understand this. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone knows these answers and can enlighten me on these issues.

As part of my work, I have been reviewing work by other cities on this front. The lack of cities with urban design plans really illustrates the state of our cities in terms of design, or lack thereof.

I am aware of a Great Streets Plan that is or was making its way through the EPC last year but I'm unaware of where it stands today. This plan's effectiveness is crucial toward implementation of the centers and corridors concept. Hopefully the plan is not watered down before being approved.

At last week's Design Commission meeting, the mayor of Seattle stated, "Don't let your transportation engineers design your city." I giggled when I thought of the Barry administration responding with, "Oh no? But why?"

Sith Preacher

Meanwhile, the new councilor from west of the river is tinkering with sector plans and transportation taxes. The public process that occurred a few years back to create the Volcano Vista sector plan (that I can't find online now) which called for ample open space and mixed-use development near Volcano Vista High was of no concern to him as he cried property rights for a few folks who feel their rights were violated. Where were these property owners when the plan was being forged? Now the whole community has to pay the price in addition to the lost time and effort of the community. Gosh, why do we even have a planning department, councilor?

Additionally, all the effort of calculating the impact fee structure has meant nothing to him and a few other councilors. This man is single-handedly pissing on months of planning efforts and tax dollars spent to create a solution.

This same councilor has now proposed that excess transit tax revenue be used for road construction. Are you kidding me? Instead of using the money that voters approved for improving transit, we're going to use it on roads? Seriously, this guy has got to go. I wouldn't have a problem with him if he didn't have the support of 4 other councilors that seem to all band together...for their constituents of course...

Recently

2010-07-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

I-25/Paseo:

The lack of funding for this project might have been a blessing in disguise. Actually, it is a blessing as this will work to slow down the flow of development and investment in the northwest part of the city. As long as we continue to subsidize sprawl development, we don't have any right to complain about a lack of investment in our built up areas. I can think of countless projects that would be better uses of $350 million dollars. However, there was recently news that the city will improve Unser and 98th(?), I believe, into Rio Rancho. This will be interesting to watch new, poorly planned and poorly designed developments grow along these arterials into Rio Rancho, filling the coffers of Rio Rancho and Sandoval Country, which will then be used to support and encourage more crappy development. I'm wondering what the reasoning was at city hall to do this.

Transit Tax

Let's see, we voted to support AND expand our current service, but instead we're going to see that new money used to plug budget gaps? I'll bet we never see that intended money redirected to its intended purpose before Mayor Berry leaves....

Montaño Station Plan

The city was soliciting comments for the station plan awhile back and so I submitted my two cents. I received a response from Tony Sylvestor. What shocks and appalls me is the fact that even after several years of service, there is no real solid plans for TOD within the city, aside from downtown. With full parking lots and limited land area to utilize for expansion the capacity of passenger growth is limited. Rio Metro is in a terrific position to affect real change in land use around the stations but has chosen the cheapest, easiest, least affective approach. Below is my email to MRCOG and Mr Sylvester's responses. He included his name in front of his remarks.

Mr Sylvester

As a forward-thinking "authority" I feel as though the policies and

priorities exhibited by this station area and those preceding

represent what amounts to a baby step in the progression of

Albuquerque's built environment. After briefing through the

presentation and EIS it would appear that the foremost priority

within this plan lies in its ability to accommodate the automobile.

This priority is what has led us to the point we're at. As the

Railrunner is struggling to prove its value in tough economic times,

shouldn't it be a priority to maximize its potential to catalyze new

growth patterns and land use?

TONY - we are really trying to develop a station that balances auto and bus access. The station accommodates up to 8 buses, including those that use the bus bays on Montano. In the immediate future there really aren't plans for many more buses in the area (right now there are only 2). But - the station is designed to potentially evolve into a more "transit" accommodating facility, as well as to accommodate some built structures. One of the reasons to prioritize the auto is that folks in the neighborhood know the overflow conditions at El Pueblo, and the fact that for at least the immediate future, autos play the key role in access. The "we don't want people parking in our neighborhood" concern was one raised at the last public meeting.

Mixed-use

The footprint of the land within the proposal is large enough to

accommodate a mix of uses rather than just parking lots. Granted, the

parking lots are wonderfully designed as it's apparent someone has

had lots of practice. But with the station and its location near a

north 4th area planned for mixed-use, it would seem like a priority

would be to extend this mixed-use development to this area. Why not

build into the system a new population of users? I hate using other

cities as an example because people often become defensive and say

their city is so different. BUT, Seattle did a wonderful job creating

new urban villages at their stations, thus building automatic system

users. I'm not suggesting this model is a direct correlation as the

commuter rail is different from light-rail but it still provides

valuable lessons for station area planning. The RailRunner model is

built on a continued need for expanded parking lots (ie. Journal

Center) and nothing else. We're several years into this service and

TOD only exists in downtown ABQ and SF and it's limited at best.

TONY - We are working with the City to evaluate mixed use opportunities in the area, and to develop a framework plan to move ahead. While we see this as a vision of the future, auto access is key in the short term. We know that if someone drives to the station, cant find a parking place and misses their train, we will lose a transit rider. We have planned buses along Montaño to serve the station, but at this point there are few people residing in walking distance, and very limited bus access.

Stormwater

The paving over of our desert environment is leading to the

degradation of our region including that of contaminated water

runoff. I'm sure it was looked at but surely more could be done to

maximize onsite stormwater treatment. For 60 years we've piped

everything into our gutters. The result is larger and larger storm

events due to increased runoffs. Then we get things like giant holes

in the ground along our major gateways. (see Lomas & Broadway)

TONY - The landscaped areas running east and west will capture and retain water. While some stormwater will go into the storm drain, we are retaining as much as possible on site.

I'm assuming the Rapid Ride will be integrated with this stop. It

wasn't clear from what I briefed over.

TONY - Rapid Ride does not serve this area. The Transit District plans call for east bound and west bound Montaño buses from the station.

Lastly, the 2025 estimate for travel time from downtown ABQ to

downtown Santa Fe is 115 minutes? Right now it's close to 60minutes.

Using this figure to gauge the "efficiency" of the RailRunner system

is a poor litmus test that doesn't meet reality. This number does

little to help make the RailRunner competitive currently. Again, more

could be done.

Quality of Life = Jobs

2010-05-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

Another article which equates quality of life with talent recruitment. We have better weather, we sure as hell have more culture, a university (granted, it needs a little tweaking but it's coming along), and talent. We just need that SOMETHING which keeps them here....

An Intermission

2010-05-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

Loved this.

Get up and go from Stefan Werc on Vimeo.

Learning the Hard Way: Boston-Style

2010-05-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

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:

Urban Design: Take 2 - UNM Court of Appeals

2010-05-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

I admit, I veered off topic last time. This time I'll keep it short and sweet. Urban Design: our local architects need to return to school for some "innovative" courses that have been taught for nearly 40 years now. A news story about some dumb-ass kids breaking into the UNM Court of Appeals gave me new ammunition to accuse the university of terrible planning and archaic architectural sensibilities masked in our regional vernacular.

NCA Architects (Planners?) proclaim to provide clients with innovative and economical design solutions...you know, the typical bs we've all come to expect from the profession and construction industry in general. But what's been provided is a monolithic, brown design that is more reminiscent of modern prisons. This location happens to be located in a very nice north campus neighborhood in a rapidly growing part of the university. Beautifully lining the building is a linear, double-loaded parking lot, complete with minimal sidewalk space and a lack of street trees for the crazy person that wants to enjoy this area by foot. Transparency facing the street is a plentiful 20 percent (I'm being generous). Who wouldn't want to walk through this part of campus on a lovely summer evening to appreciate the quiet, wonderfully appointed area? Surely the artîst behind this design included some energy efficient LED lighting to enhance the sense of arrival to his ode-to-Predock during the dark hours. Wow, UNM, what a beautiful campus you have.

I usually save this for DPS projects but the news exposure allowed another firm to present their ground-breaking work.

Urban Design and Our Institutions

2010-05-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering the reasons behind our city's lack of strong urban design, or urban design in general, and have come to the conclusion that neither the public sector nor private have taken the lead and, therefore, nothing has happened. Professionals have worked to create what hints of urban design have come to fruition in the Nob Hill area but that is all that exists in our region. There are other examples but none as notable and significant thus far. (I know professionals will grumble at that comment)

It has driven me mad to think that cities like Omaha, Des Moines, and Oklahoma City have seen wonderous progress in the design of their urban areas over the last 5 to 10 years. OKC has MAPS as a guiding plan. Omaha has Omaha by Design, complete with a Design Commission which is part of design review for public projects. And Des Moines...well, I'm not sure what they have besides tons of money flowing in from the insurance companies whom base their headquarters there. Their leaders have done a wonderful job in leading that city's revitalization. The community responded by building an new arena, convention center, and investing in other infrastructure in the area.

These cities, led by powerful CEO's, have come to understand the value in creating vital urban districts within their cities. College graduates no longer want the "American Dream" that our parents aspired to with a large home in the quiet suburbs complete with pickets fence, 2-car garage, and a giant lawn. We want lively cities. We no longer feel the need and pressure to settle down and make babies until we're in our 30s - at least. Until that happens, we're happy to work shitty hours at relatively modest pay scales. It's the reason tolerate the pollution, noise, and expense of living in large, dense cities.

Meanwhile, companies feel the pressure when searching for talented, young workers. Medium-sized cities need to compete with the likes of the first and second tier cities to attract those workers. But this issue isn't new. We've known this to be an issue for quite sometime. Sandia Labs had a hand in our initial revitalization efforts which began in 1998. But after an initial effort, it's been slow-going. Over the last decade, other cities have managed to retool, reinvigorate, and most importantly, sustain the redevelopment of their urban areas. Sometimes it was the private institutions which led the effort while other times it was the municipal government. Typically, it begins with one but trends toward collaborated effort.

An article in the Harvard Design Review recently published an article which touches on this subject. This leads me to believe that our failure to redevelop has been a lack of effort from both the private and public sides. Companies have moved their offices to Uptown and North-I25: think Blue Cross, First Community Bank, Forest Service, etc. The City of Albuquerque has done very little in the way of investment in downtown in over a decade aside from the giant hole in the ground at Broadway and Lomas. UNM and CNM obviously don't understand the correlation between their campuses, their students, and the city's redevelopment potential.

As a young professional who has relocated from Albuquerque, I have witnessed many friends whom have come and gone as a result of the city not doing anything for young professionals. The continued suburbanization of our city has had unintended consequences. This process really accelerated with the Paseo and Montaño bridge improvements in the 90s. Martin Chavez had a vision for our city that had arguably positive results on our community based almost solely on growth. However, some policies created the situation we're in today.

Mayor Barry has given me an inkling of hope in his, apparently, pragmatic approach to leading our city. He says he is "studying" the arena. He supports our improved transit system from what I have seen. However, I'm not yet sure he understands the consequences of our built environment with relation to the recruitment and retainment of talented professionals. Now, I am not suggesting an all-out strategy based on Richard Florida's writings. I just think we need some strategy, a focus, a goal, for some eventuality based on the realities of globalization and environmental change. We also need a leader to emerge and lead the way. Until then, developers such as SunCal and Forest City will continue to dictate our growth and development. Our motto at this time seems to be "cheap land and tax incentives!" We're being sold out because we have too much to offer to play this low-bid game.

Commuting Modeshare

2010-04-29T11:50:00.001-07:00

A brilliant graphic from the Infrastructurist. Unfortunately, me thinks our beautiful Duke City would resemble Houston. However, Rapid Ride, the RailRunner, and a stronger bicycling/pathway infrastructure are helping us to improve our repertoire. Now if we could just get our land use in order...

Also, the Journal had a wonderful opinion piece from Chris Blewitt about the importance of the RailRunner in which he eloquently justified its existence and viability in our sprawlburg.

Decisions

2010-04-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

As a soon-to-be graduating student I am left to ponder the ultimate question these days: "What's next?" This question is slowly growing increasingly burdensome as the big day approaches.

Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows that I ultimately want to end up in the Duke City. Family, friends, the weather, the geography. It really is a nice mix of everything. After living in the midwest, the northeast, the pacific northwest, and the southwest, I'd vote for Albuquerque in a best all-season city contest.

The latest census data shows our growth trajectory increasing more and more rapidly, presenting many new opportunities for our community. The big 1 million is just around the corner. However, such growth presents giant challenges to our arid, diverse, changing environment.

In the past 16 months I have had a taste of planning in China, Scandinavia, the Pacific Northwest, and now Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hazard mitigation and cultural preservation, forward-thinking carbon sensitive development and multi-modal transit, urban growth boundaries, mass transit and escalating gentrification, and now informal settlements amid increasing economic pressures. Now I get to figure out where I can apply my knowledge and balance it with a decent salary and self fulfillment.

I often ponder what I would do if I moved to Albuquerque and all I can think of is the wondrous ways I would change it. Less car lanes, wider sidewalks, increased bus service, streetcars, (light-rail?), tax-incentivized urban zones (that whole "centers and corridors" concept the city just mentions in documents on shelves in offices), green networks throughout the city, an overhauled planning department that actually communicates with the other departments, a mayor that understands a city's role in a contemporary context, just to name a few. Oh, and street trees. How are people expected to walk to a bus stop in the summer without shade amid 1-story buildings set back from the street?

But then I remember that Albuquerque is what it is because the citizens have voted for this. It did not happen by accident. Why should I impose my beliefs on a population which to date does not support such objectives? It's becoming quite apparent that despite what other cities have learned (Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, shall I continue?), Albuquerque still needs to go through the growing pains before realizing that a multi-dimensional approach to city planning is necessary. All the while, places like Portland, Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Austin, Denver and the like have taken a lead role in repositioning their cities to be competitive, efficient, livable places. Even cities like Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Omaha, and Salt Lake City have caught on. Not that Albuquerque isn't livable but you get what i am saying, I think. Alas, I have at least 5 more months to decide and this thesis to complete. No pressure.

I-40 Bike/Ped Bridge!

2010-02-25T22:29:00.000-08:00

BikeABQ member, Carl, captured this image of the bridge under construction. I am wonderfully pleased to see that the design for this bridge embraces structure as an art and really adds a bit of style to the project, as opposed to the typically boring style of bridges that cross the Rio Grande. This project makes me shake with excitement a little.

Due to my blatant "borrowing" of this photo, I'm going to plug BikeABQ again and commend them for the fantastic work they have done advocating multimodal transportation and bike safety in the Duke City. Kudos! If you haven't been to their website in a while, perhaps it's time you did. They've added a youtube site with "share the road" videos. Have a look-see.

Tuscon Streetcar

2010-02-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

If only our leaders would realize the opportunities. Tucson just received stimulus funding for 42% of the project's total cost. article. This is on top of the previous $25 million they received from the feds in 2008.

Oh, and did I mention that the University of Arizona is constructing residential halls with over a thousand beds in downtown Tucson?

While they've been studying our downtown and taking strategic action toward improving theirs, we've been resting on our laurels waiting for the market to fix things for us. Apparently.

Great Streets

2010-02-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

Last summer's seminar in Copenhagen and Malmo was the first half of a studio course which is currently wrapping up. As part of this course, we visited with Gehl Architects of Copenhagen to learn their techniques for public space design. Gehl Architects is currently involved in the development of Seattle's Pedestrian Master Plan as well as an area plan for a light-rail station in a southern portion of the city. Our studio is currently using the Gehl methodologies to develop and evaluate site designs for that station plan. Their methods for public space has had significant influence on the revitalization and pedestrian improvements in cities such as Melbourne, New York, San Francisco, and Copenhagen.

Two significant concepts have struck me as simple yet vital to urban space. One is the idea that right-of-way space is typically given over to the automobile in overly generous proportions. Our roadways are often designed to handle traffic capacities which only exist for a total of two hours a day - rush hour. Taking this into consideration, this concept has led to the redevelopment of places like Time's Square which has reallocated space according to use.

The other concept is consideration for human scale development that is attractive to people while walking. This includes many similar ideas as those presented in many design guidelines which neighborhoods use to shape new development. However, those guidelines often fall short when considering the five sense employed by a human when evaluating a place.

This, naturally, led me to evaluate the street design approach in my beloved Albuquerque. I can think of only one area in the entire metro area where street design appears to be well thought out by someone other than a traffic engineer and that is in Nob Hill. From the new lamp posts to the well-manicured medians, there is attention to detail that provides a sense of place which enhances the urban experience.

Taking this a step further, imagine the effects this type of approach to street design would have on activity centers throughout the city if carried over to places such as the University area, Lomas through downtown, north 4th, etc. Perhaps a reallocation of space is in order along Central which might enlarge sidewalks and squeeze down traffic lanes to 10-feet. Imagine what it would be like to walk along Central on a comfortably wide sidewalk with traffic moving a little slower on the other side of parked vehicles. Now imagine this same sense of place in other areas of the city.

The Great Streets plan that is working its way through the red tape attempts to bring some of these changes to designated activity centers. However, the current council's attitude toward such development is lukewarm at best. Some of the wording in the new documentation waters it down to be largely ineffective. Furthermore, the plan doesn't even designate locations for implementation. With this ommitance, coupled with the Centers and Corridors lack of defining said centers, it is highly likely that these plans will collect dust on a shelf. Locating a pilot project will be vital to the plans livelihood as it would provide the city a palpable example from which to learn whether or not it is right for the community. Nob Hills existence as an anomaly gives such concepts little legitimacy in a city run by conservative leaders. It is time that people begin to understand how their quality of life is affected by the continued allowance of urban street design to be left to traffic engineers whom design straight out of a handbook written at time when the car was the panacea to an urban utopia never realized.

The future is urban and we have the tools to create improved conditions for our cities. But this means we also need to be more proactive when it comes to informing our representatives whom have the ability to turn this ship.

Albuquerque's geography and weather lend to the city's ability to become a truly comfortable place for citizens utilizing all forms of mobility. But we need to taylor our built environment to allow for such diversified uses rather than our singular, current approach.

In the meantime, I'll imagine an Albuquerque with urban villages similar to Nob Hill but with wider sidewalks, more rain gardens, bikes lanes and slower traffic, throughout the city.

Prototypical Des Moines

2010-02-20T01:12:00.001-08:00

As a graduate of an Iowa institution, I'm proud to see the city of Des Moines taking a leadership role in building a dense, sustainable city center that promotes a mix of uses and quality of life matched only by cities of a significantly larger scale. Albuquerque should take note...

HSR - Visual Update

2010-02-03T00:22:00.000-08:00

This map illustrates stimulus fund implications. Now let's see if our local leaders can appropriately prepare. Perhaps a master plan for the ATC is in order? (and Zenu help me if you know who gets that contract as well....)

Quote of the Day

2010-02-03T00:20:00.000-08:00

"The space between buildings is architecture, and how one deals with that space between buildings is an architectural problem. I don't accept that architecture and urbanism are separate." - Peter Eisenman

Can we send this in memo format to those involved in the profession working in Albuquerque?

HSR

2010-01-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

Looks like we'll be getting a few extra bucks (it's a pdf) to further the study.

UNM and City: Take Note

2010-01-27T00:22:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of Jill Torrance, Arizona Daily Star

The University of Arizona is moving their architecture and urban design studio to downtown, according to this article. Imagine the possibilities if UNM got its s*%t together and worked with the city instead of continuing to build new car-centric facilities in the north campus area (hello Law School!). I know it isn't a done deal for the UofA as of yet, but this is a nationwide trend. Cities and universities are quickly understanding the power they have over redevelopment trends in urban areas. It's one thing to build secondary schools but it's another to have professional schools that contribute significant populations of adults enlivening an area over large parts of the day. Do you think Mayor Barry and Schmidly will ever have these discussions? I won't hold my breath.

Density Can Be Beautiful

2010-01-24T23:49:00.000-08:00

This was a presentation from a planner in Redwood City, CA providing examples of a range of residential development densities. These are important lessons to keep in mind as urban Albuquerque morphs into a denser existence. Hopefully a leader will arise to create a plan for our neighborhoods to determine which models best compliment the existing urban environment while progressively and carefully densifying areas in an effort to create the vitality that is desired in such settings.

2009 Review

2010-01-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the long pause between postings. Spring quarter has begun and life is a blur once again. The break did, however, grant me the opportunity to swing through the wonderful Duke City for a week of rest, rehab, green chile, farolitos, familia, and old friends.

Although 2010 has begun in the midst of an economic recession, there are some bright spots to provide hope. I was pleased to see significant progress with the various residential projects throughout downtown. Here's a few photos that I captured along the way:

700 2nd @ Lomas - A real model for future urban development and affordable housing in Albuquerque.

Silver Gardens - Continued downtown residential at good densities (albeit generic in design). Site work also appears to be starting across the street in the foreground. I wonder when phase two of Silver Gardens will be begin to enclose the block.

The downtown core with the renovated Hotel Andaluz. This project is not residential but puts another 100+ sets of feet on the street in the area on a regular basis.

Urban residential and quality, inclusive street design in Nob Hill

I left out a photo of Elements Townhomes as they were in the process of being stuccoed but they're a fantastic addition to an increasing selection of options enriching our urban fabric. I question the pricing set by the developer, Sean Gilligan, seeing as he's yet to sell 720 Roma's 9 units at much more reasonable prices.

I still question Jonathon Rose's decision to eliminate retail space from the ground level of Silver Gardens. The residents near the 1st and Silver intersection will feel the impacts of the Rapid Ride and Greyhound busses driving right by their window. I still believe this was a significant lost opportunity that was made more as a result of current economic conditions and a lack of long-term consideration.

Additionally, the start of construction on the Hotel Parq Central building in Edo will be another fantastic addition to the area. Hopefully the project will anchor the east end of Edo and create more energy for the area.

But still, 2010 will see the infusion of hundreds of new residents to the downtown core. As residential drives retail, prospects are favorable for a rapid turnaround once the economy begins to recover. In the meantime, it is exciting to see progress made toward the revitalization of our core. Be sure to check out the Downtown Action Team's redesigned website as well.

Inspiration in Trying Times

2010-01-04T21:22:00.001-08:00

Despite California's economic issues, the city of San Francisco is pushing forward with what will be America's best multimodal transit center. EVAR. article

Better Late Than Never

2009-11-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

This has the potential to be fantastic and really shape TOD for the city in years to come. I hope Goodman (the guy behind Winrock Town Center and Andaluca) knows what he's doing and gets good designers onboard...aka, NOT DPS!

Regional Planning

2009-10-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to talk about this after my trip to Scandinavia but never got around to it. Tonight I should be reading for class but I need to finally get this out before I 'splode.

So...regional planning. We don't understand this concept. Most of our leaders still see each municipality as its own autonomous blob defined by a color on a map similar to the one above. All the while, our leaders bicker over their differences and build their municipalities uniquely and without regard for their neighbors in another blob zone, while reports and articles continue to be written stressing the importance of regional planning. Our assets as a city are pretty wonderful, but together as a region, they're great.

For example, the water authority currently refuses to allow a development to take place without assuring water rights have been secured. However, and herein lies the problem. We all suck water from the same wells below the sand. While Albuquerque is reducing its use, Rio Rancho and other surrounding communities are tapping new wells and selling off rights to developers wanting to develop whatever haphazard, water-sucking building forms they desire. Is this sustainable? Does it matter?

Well of course I'm going to say no and yes, respectively. This water example is just one layer of the complexities involved with trying to sync a dozen or so communities. Transportation/mobility would be the ginormous white elephant in the mix, however. Transportation more than any other infrastructure affects land use and land use affects our building form and our building form affects the way we live, work, and socialize.

MR-COG is our region's first attempt at regional cooperation. They're in charge of overseeing the transportation infrastructure for the region and one of those duties is the creation of a Metropolitan Transit Plan. This plan forecasts growth and prioritizes projects accordingly. Sadly, their published and approved plan is nothing more than reactive to the regions sprawling, unfettered growth toward the northwest. See map. This is their vision for 2030.

What they are proposing (large projects) is lane additions to our interstates as well as a loop road that wraps around the far reaches of the west side and dumps traffic directly into Rio Rancho's "downtown." This plan is engineering driven as it's sole purpose is the increase flows without thought to consequences beyond the traffic realm.

Regardless, it has been proven time and again that lane additions do little to reduce congestion, but instead, promote increased driving by citizens. The inner city roadway infrastructure cannot be increased to the meet the demand created by these enormous feeder routes. Therefore, citizens will drive further only to sit in traffic in the city while wasting gas and polluting the air.

Next, it is common sense that the most efficient city form is a radial pattern. Montano Rd and Paseo del Norte have allowed this city to push growth further out into the northwest mesa over the last 15 years. Now, we want to unclog the system, so to speak, by building a 350 million dollar interchange to alleviate congestion at the intersection even though we know that I-25 will only be inundated by increased traffic. The lights currently act as a moderator to the traffic entering I-25. So then what? More lanes on I-25? A second level, San Antonio and Austin style? The map clearly indicates minimal transit construction for the southeast quadrant even though their housing construction maps clearly show significant growth in that area.

So, while we know that transportation infrastructure drives development, it's clear that our policies are not working to create a more efficient, sustainable form of development. The center of our region has become the north I-25 corridor and yet we wonder why it's the largest employment center in the region.

This begs the questions: What about the southwest mesa? What about Los Lunas and Belen? Belen isn't even shown on the metro map above even though we know that tens of thousands of citizens from those communities come to Albuquerque for work, education, health, socialization, and shopping.

So what exactly is the plan? The city really needs to step up to the plate and understand what is at stake. This plan will directly feed into SunCal and Rio Rancho's plans. And not that their plans are terrible, however, their plans can be described as unfettered growth for growth's sake. This current plan will also lead to little centralization, densification and appurtenant sustainability within our region.

The RailRunner is a fantastic infrastructure that ties the communities together and thus, has brought the cities together for the first time. However, it only works when the type of cooperation is practiced at all levels.

As part of my seminar in Scandinavia, we met with the mayor of Malmo, Sweden as well as leaders and planners from Copenhagen, Denmark whom all extol the benefits of regional planning. Stockholm laid claim to most significant Scandinavian metro until Malmo and Copenhagen, along with their respective countries, came to the table to develop a regional plan that would create a linked region that is a now a competitive powerhouse amongst all of Europe's large metro areas. They built a giant bridge (see $) that carries auto traffic on the upper level and a lower level that carries high speed trains as well as metro trains that travel between the cities (and countries) every 30 minutes. The region is now seeing increased growth on both sides of the straight and that growth largely made up of large, sustainable developments that make our attempts at sustainability appear childish.

We have work to do.

That's More Like It

2009-10-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

Beautiful. The US High Speed Rail Association has produced a plan for phased high speed rail lines across the US by 2030. The best part about it: Albuquerque, along with Denver, would be the link between East and West coasts. This is HUGE. Imagine the kind of traffic you see in an airport on a given day making connections through downtown Albuquerque. Yea. Huge.

Now, this is just one group's idea for HSR across the country but it's important that Albuquerque is seen as a vital cog in the wheel. You can bet that El Paso and the state of Texas will be lobbying like heck to get that connection through their city. They'll have a good argument too when you consider the combined trade area of the El Paso region in addition to topography.

Regardless. This is fantastic. I just know the libertarians are burning mad over a plan like this. I'm sure our own little "foundation" has already crunched some skewed numbers to prove their point.

Satellite Student Housing...ON MARS

2009-10-09T00:57:00.001-07:00

Shit is hitting the fan. Raise hell, people!

What an Effing Disaster

2009-10-06T23:43:00.000-07:00

I'm appalled and speechless by the election results.

Bicycle Friendly Albuquerque

2009-10-04T12:06:00.001-07:00

Over at the Bike PGH (Pittsburgh) website, they've got numbers showing commuting data for the country's 60 largest cities. Our little gem of a city came in #9 in bicycle commuting as a percentage of total commuters. That's fantastic! We're ahead of places like Boston, Denver, Philly, and Austin which makes me happy.

Unfortunately, using the same data from their nifty spreadsheet, the numbers show that we rank #36 in walkers, #35 in single-occupancy vehicles (behind Dallas!), and #43 in public transit ridership.

So, what this tells us is that for a city our size, we're doing a decent job with our bicycle infrastructure but a poor job with our mass transit. Also, our built environment is not made for walking, sadly. This data should be taken seriously by our future mayor and the planning department as it really gives some indication of our quality of life and where we're missing the boat in terms of infrastructure.

After returning from Copenhagen, where their local government is working very hard to improve mobility for their citizens, it proves that there is so much work to be done even in cities like Portland and San Francisco.

Now, I don't want to be labeled as one of "those people" that goes places and returns believing our precious city should be just like another place. I think I've been indirectly accused of this over at this extinct blog. The point isn't to go to other places and duplicate the things you see, but instead, observe, learn how and why it works, and taylor SOME of those things to work for Albuquerque. Just because light-rail works in Denver doesn't mean it's right for ABQ. Just because New York has converted former street intersections into public spaces doesn't mean Albuquerque should either....yet. I'm tired of people saying, "Oh, this is Albuquerque, we just do things different." Ok, fine, but doing things for the sake of being different and using it as an excuse to do nothing both rub me the wrong way. Cities all operate in the same manner. Transportation and land use affects people in Portland the same way it affects us. The fact is, our planning is in need of a major overhaul and learning from other cities can help us to skip the hardships other places have endured.

So, back to Copenhagen, they do an incredible job maintaining commuter data in an effort to track their progress. Currently, their mode share is 37% biking, 28% transit, 4% walking, and 31% driving. They set goals and pragmatically determine how to improve each and every year. I can hear the naysayers now, "Yea, but that's in Europe. They're different." Are they? How so? In the 1950s, Copenhagen was as car-happy, congested, and polluted as any American city. Their weather is horrible (don't get me started on their cuisine) for most of the year. Where they are different from us is they actually set goals and milestones. The citizens demanded change and held their government liable. They also took the initiative to change their lifestyle to reflect their ideals instead of telling others how they should live.

After reading V.B. Price's piece in the Independent, I can't help but think about how our politicians are leading us astray at the worst possible time. It's up to us to demand change and now is the time to vote for politicians who understand the real issues at hand.

PS. Vote for Benton and Cadigan!!! You all know I have my issues with Cadigan's westside, westside, westside mantra but at least he stands up to SunCal who isn't exactly looking out for the citizens of Albuquerque.

Urban Forest Project

2009-09-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

Check this out. A very cool project and ABQ appears to be one of the first cities to get involved. The idea is to raise awareness about sustainability through beautifully designed (locally) street banners hung in high traffic areas. Sponsorship appears to be decent. Be sure to check it out downtown! Wonder if I can get my hands on one of them when they get converted to bags...

Buy Local, Buy Local, Buy Local

2009-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Albuquerque has been quite good about this to some degree but sometimes I think it's more a result of chain stores and their general reluctance to enter the market. Therefore, we're limited, not by our buying power, but by limited options. The latest California Pizza Kitchen craze makes me fear what would happen if an influx of new chains converged on our city...and CPK isn't very good! I'd take Farina, Scarpas, or Il Vicino any day over CPK.

The Austin Independent Alliance completed a study that showed that for every $100 spent at a chain store, an average of $13 went back into the local economy. However, when that same $100 was spent on a local store, $45 dollars went back into the local economy. These aren't insignificant numbers.

Local business owners hire local architects, planners, and even construction workers when they open their businesses. They're often much more likely to be engaged in their local community since they care about the surrounding business. Restaurants are more likely to buy local produce (and if they aren't, you should request it), whereas chain stores truck in food from a distribution center where the food was produced in some foreign country with questionable production regulations. Now we can even compare the carbon footprint/economic impact of what we are consuming. The full impact of buying and eating local is tremendous.

This economy should be a wake up call to everyone as we can no longer take things for granted. Our city and our region needs to work together to support one another and buying local is one of the many ways that we can do so. The next time you go out to buy something, consider whether or not the product could be purchased from a local business.

Speaking of buying local...so I've become a coffee drinker the past few months. Caffe mocha and Americanos are my guilty pleasures. While in Albuquerque, I did a comparison of several coffee shops: Downtown Java Joe's, Flying Star/Satellite, RB Winnings, and Starbucks. Java Joe's wins hands down. As a matter of fact, their coffee could compete with some of the all stars in Seattle, me thinks. RB Winnings was pretty good as well but the place feels like an old bingo palace with cheap folding chairs and cheap old tables. Not that I mind a humble atmosphere but the place was rather frumpy compared to the quality of their coffee. Lastly, don't get me started on Flying Star's and Satellite's ridiculous prices and mediocre quality. (Oh, and Starbucks doesn't even count as true coffee). I heard that there are other shops around town that I missed. Any recommendations? I think it's time Albuquerque's coffee brewing scene had a renaissance.

Fantastic Film About Traditional Neighborhood Development

2009-09-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Summer '09 Wrap-Up

2009-09-23T15:45:00.001-07:00

Massive displacement, redevelopment and gentrification in Beijing's hutongs.

Rapid urbanization in Shanghai (along with loss of culture as well as environmental costs, ie. toxic air, water)

Chengdu pandas and Chinese tourism development.

Chengdu's vertical suburbs.

Lasting effects of the Wenchuan earthquake. This is what's left of the old road.

Massive scale redevelopment and challenges involved with tourism development and cultural preservation among ethnic minorities.

Tokyo's urban efficiency.

Stockholm's growth and sustainability.

Copenhagen's famous design as well as its balanced transit planning (ie. bicycle infrastructure)

Malmo's sustainable redevelopment

Overall, I have seen a multitude of ways in which planning can hinder and assuage issues associated with urbanization on many scales. Unfortunately, much of what I saw outside of the United States appears to miss out on the most important population of them all...the lower income citizens. Even in rich, socialist societies, development is aimed toward maximizing profits. Yet, combined, all these projects and plans contain many of the answers needed to achieve successful urban development. The problem is, no one has successfully used them all together in a truly sustainable way. My next posts will discuss some of these developments and their relation to Albuquerque.

Petrol Taxation Around the World

2009-08-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

Need I say more? It is really any wonder why we can't even afford to keep up with road maintenance? And it's no wonder we continue to consume it at a far larger rate than any other country. Ignorance IS bliss. (source)

More UNM Master Plan Ranting

2009-08-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

The picture above is the plan concept provided by planners back in 1996. The concept is simple and elegant: bridge the North and South campus with green space and surround the green space with new campus buildings. Now we have this:

I can only speculate that DPS took the old plans and trashed them because the new plan has no resemblance to the previous. Looking at the new plan, it appears EDAW had a hand in developing the 1996 master plan. Now, let's look at EDAW's credentials for a minute. They are an internationally reknown PLANNING firm with offices all over the world. Now, let's look at DPS...see ABQ Uptown. I'm really stunned about this.

At the beginning of the plan, they mention stakeholders with one, GIANT, missing element: the City of Albuquerque. Strike one! Actually, that's more like a home run except in the negative sense.

Now, let's consider what the city is attempting to do with the "centers and corridors" concept. As I have found no actual plan but only mention of such a concept, I'll assume they mean strengthening the built environment to encourage a mix of uses and increased densities to encourage walking, biking, and effective mass transit. Now, we also know that the city wants to implement a streetcar along Central, possibly University to the airport, and back down Yale to Central, creating a loop that connects Downtown, UNM, and the Sunport. The university wants to put upperclassmen housing on the South campus. How did they come up with the idea of putting all these students in the furthest reach of the entire plan? There's a neighborhood bordering Yale near the Stadium that I bet would love to have student housing there to block some of the noise. The city would also love to introduce a substantial population utilizing the streetcar.

Now, I'm going to introduce another stakeholder that was left out of the mix: CNM. Wouldn't Yale and University serve as wonderful pedestrian connections between the campuses? We're talking huge potential here to develop this entire area into a pedestrian friendly neighborhood filled with students, professors, and other faculty.

This brings me to my next point. One of the overarching goals of this plan is to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. This master plan still caters to the automobile. The north campus is almost completely tied together with roads. There's no easy and linear connectivity among the various areas being planned.

Perhaps I'm being far too critical. Granted, I didn't see the presentation and I was not a part of the planning that took place over the last two years. However, I do not see the connection between the stated goals and the actual plan design.

Everyone has till September 11th to provide comments. I hope people provide their opinions to the school because the university is in an aggressive growth phase that will forever change the face of the university.

Edit: Oh! And another thing! The master plan calls for an additional 2,000 beds in addition to the existing 2,300 for on-campus housing. If they're adding a residential complex to the South Campus, that's not a large addition to the Main Campus. Didn't a study come out recently that says that student retainment would be aided by an increase in on-campus residency? Ok, i'm done...for now...

Park(ing) Day - September 18. Get involved!

2009-08-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

Photo by Flickr user plaid_iguana

There is an annual event that occurs around the world called Park(ing) Day.

Straight from the organization's website: "The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate regarding how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat … at least until the meter runs out!"

A short video on the event in San Francisco in 2007:

On this day, groups take over a parking space in the city and create pocket parks. Typically, groups will print up flyers that provide information about the purpose of this event. I wish I could be in Albuquerque for this event, but ironically, yours truly will be in Copenhagen learning about such urban public spaces and the much lauded Scandinavian street design.

There are groups getting involved with this (see this and this) and I hope others decide to enter to be a part of the event.

Breaking Bad - Habits

2009-08-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our codepedency on oil is not a healthy one. I know, you've heard it before and yes, I might sound like a crazy hippy but more and more those hippies are sounding a lot more informed than some originally thought and also more informed than a majority of our political leaders. A study that was conducted a little while back concluded what we already knew but is now presented in a nifty chart: we spend far too much time in our vehicles for a city our size and for such a rural state. These figures only show money spent on gas. It doesn't factor in the cost of owning and maintaining an automobile! The chart:

We're right behind Texas. That's right, Texas. I'm of the opinion that we shouldn't be anywhere near Texas on any lists after living there for 14 months. Their low taxation, cheap land, minimal planning, and explosive growth is rapidly catching up with them in a very negative way (see healthcare, education, transportation infrastructure, etc.). Anyway, enough of that place.

Again, our land use and low density form of development has us driving further and spending less time doing the things we enjoy. In exchange, we're polluting our air and spending hordes of money developing and maintaining an unsustainable form of infrastructure. Perhaps if we all saw the figures for how much of our income goes to roads, then maybe the alternatives wouldn't look so "outlandish."

Now, you all probably think that I want the whole city razed and replaced with high rises for everyone but it's not true. I believe low density, single-family homes are here to stay. Not everyone wants to live in an urban environment for a plethora of reasons. But our city doesn't currently provide options. Furthermore, density doesn't mean high rises. There are many building typologies that actually create densities near those associated with high rises. There are neighborhoods in our city that would adapt well to increased density.

Globalization and global warming are two looming issues that will force us to change our ways whether we want to recognize them or not. The water will dry up on all those lawns they continue to grow for every new house constructed on the west mesa. Concrete and steel prices will continue to rise as China, India, and other countries develop at an exceedingly rapid pace. High oil prices are here to stay and will only get worse. Electricity generation is required to heat and cool each and every single, unnecessarily large family home. These small facts of life are taken for granted in our country but we'll all soon be faced with crisis as we are forced to compete. It's like a business during tough economic times, you either create a leaner operating budget or send everyone home and file for bankruptcy. Right now, we're on our way to bankruptcy and we act like we don't know it.

In a poor state such as ours, we are also negatively affecting those with low incomes by forcing them to invest in automobiles so that they may 'git things done. It's asinine! I could go on all day about this but I'll stop here.

Urban Form and Zoning

2009-08-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

After a two week excursion to my beloved Duke City, I am armed with more ammunition to produce more blogs. Well, that and I also have a week of downtime before embarking on another adventure in urban design and planning.

I had the opportunity to ride the Rail Runner to Santa Fe, visit family on the northwest mesa, bike ride along Tramway, ride the new Rapid Ride 777 bus as well as the 66 along all of East Central, and walk around downtown, Nob Hill, and Uptown. My observations reveal a growing distaste for the attention to form around our city, unfortunately. I want to note that I see positive signs for the future, particularly through UNM's design studios and various citizen groups.

Yahoo! displayed Albuquerque as the travel destination on my homepage. Taken from Rough Guides, "Like Phoenix, it's grown a bit too fast for comfort in the last fifty years, but the original Hispanic settlement is still discernible at its core, and its diverse, cosmopolitan population gives it a rare cultural vibrancy. Even if its architecture is often uninspired, the setting is magnificent, sandwiched between the Rio Grande – lined by stately cottonwoods – and the dramatic, glowing Sandia Mountains."

As a resident, the cultural vibrancy becomes apparent and the built environment becomes less important, I think. My two year absence, however, has somehow allowed these details to amplify.

I have seen the sector plans which call for density along "Centers and Corridors," per the Comprehensive Plan. But what centers and corridors are they referring to? A UNM design studio just completed some design work for the International District on East Central. But there is a new sign and construction for a suburban style CVS at the intersection with Louisiana. The downtown 2010 plan adopted nearly a decade ago calls for form-based codes which dictates that no buildings within the boundary shall be designed with such set backs and parking lots. However, just over the boundary along Broadway, they have built a drive-thru Starbucks and Carl's Jr. The city took it to a whole new level and created a giant retention pond at the gateway to downtown complete with chainlink fencing. Does no one at the city see this? The head planner, the architects, engineers.....anybody?

I've slowly begun to understand the connection (or lack thereof) between the entities involved in the making of these decisions. The fact is, there is no connection, or communication, between the entities. In an effort to reduce traffic congestion, traffic engineers have been given the green light to run the show. Clearly, these engineers have little to no understanding of their influence on the way we live. They live within the boundaries of their code books and traffic analysis which, till recently, was the full extent of their duty. However, the times are changing as they say. Universities are beginning to realize the error in this approach by teaching young professionals to reach consensus across disciplines. This technique has begun to save the construction industry huge sums of money by eliminating the extraneous coordination efforts required after construction has begun. Clearly our city's planning department has not heard of such methods. Ironically, today there was a post at Duke City Fix which touches on this topic with discussion about the much-needed pedestrian crosswalks in Nob Hill. Mike Riordan's apparent arrogance regarding his knowledge of the "criteria" to achieve such ends is emblematic of the attitude at city hall and the planning department.

Meanwhile, Denver continues to pave the way in progressive development practices. They have been the posterchild for urban revitalization for nearly two decades now as well as for mass transit (light rail AND streetcars). Architectural Record featured them in an article about their latest approach to zoning and the urban form. They are in the process of implementing form-based codes citywide. Albuquerqueans are adamant about blazing their unique path and being unique, but other cities are actually taking action in proactively planning and coordinating their futures. These can provide wonderful lessons and ideas that can aid in shaping the way we plan. It's our duty to make sure our leaders are getting the message...and if they're not, we need individuals in charge who will.

Choo Choo to the City Different

2009-08-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

I finally had the chance to catch the bird to Santa Fe. My trip began with a bus ride down Central on the 66 bus. I boarded the bus at 9:20am at the Juan Tabo stop with my destination being 1st and Central across from the ATC. I want to note that I am still stunned by how busy this bus route was in the middle of the morning. It was approximately half full when I boarded but it was essentially full once we picked up passengers at Wyoming.

When I reached my stop and deboarded, I was again surprised by the rather large crowd awaiting the RailRunner 30 minutes before departure. Impressive!

An hour and a half (or so) later, we finally arrived at the Santa Fe Depot. I'm so impressed by the transformation that has taken place in the area. REI, Flying Star, 2nd Street Brewery, a new park, and various small businesses have all invested in the area which has resulted in quite a vital area. I even noticed some very attractive and surprisingly modern (modern in Santa Fe?!) lofts under construction in the development area. Truly mixed-use at an appropriate scale.

Seattle's Mayor On Seattle...

2009-08-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

"Seattle, he says, is "competing with great metropolitan areas all over the world who are very deliberately laying out their future. And if we don't learn how to make decisions and move forward, rather than debating the same issues over and over and over again, we're going to have our lunch eaten."" - Mayor Nickels in the Seattle Times

Light-rail, arena, etc., etc. Sound familiar?

This is the eve of my return trip to the 505. I can't wait!

UNM Amateur Plan?

2009-07-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, amateur MIGHT be a bit of an exaggeration but how on earth did DPS (Dekker/Perich/Sabatini) become the master planner for the UNM main campus? They're a mediocre architecture firm first and foremost, what qualifies them to be planners? Aren't they the "master planners" that gave us the urban oasis of parking lots that is ABQ Uptown? Yea, that's them. Gotta make you wonder what kind of favors this company is donating to obtain contracts on all these lucrative projects (see, big $ projects) in the metro area. It sure isn't their portfolio...

This is a graphic from the latest plan that UNM has posted on their website. I want to tear into this design but there's just so much to critique. The traffic circle to nowhere, a complex road system through a pedestrian CAMPUS, what appears to be a major hospital off of Lomas that seems to open onto an interior campus street, very little in the way of obvious improvements to the connections between the main campus and north campus areas.

I'm appalled.

In last week's Journal, I happened to catch Dale Dekker's opinion piece regarding his company's efforts. He seems to understand the importance of this plan. Heck, he's more articulate than a majority of our politicians! I just don't have faith that his company is capable of producing the type of plan that our flagship university needs and deserves.

Ni Hao!

2009-06-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Chengdu, China! First there was the finals madness followed by this 5 week excursion for school and fun. I'll provide some insight and such upon return to the states but for now I wanted to share a pic or two.

Cheers!

Tim

The Great Paseo Brouhaha

2009-05-30T00:52:00.000-07:00

I remember back in the early to mid 1990s when Marty was pushing through the Paseo "Freeway" to the westside. I was in middle school and so incredibly excited that our city would have another freeway. That nearly made us like a big city!

15 years later, that freeway has fed into the sprawl machine that has pushed most new growth to the northwest mesa and Rio Rancho. I say sprawl as though it were a vile word but I have to admit that I don't truly see it being the devil, per se. However, in this day and age, feeding this 20th century "solution" to growth and traffic management seems a bit naive.

The biggest cheerleader is wanna-be mayor Cadigan whose constituents, obviously, want to cross the river much quicker and dislike sitting in idling traffic. Who doesn't? Here lies my inner communist planner: these people made the decision to move to this area with limited routes into "the City" (that makes it sound cool when you say it like that), they should not be bailed out of their poor decision. Cadigan, being the enlightened individual that he wants to be, balks at the mayors attempts at investing in the stagnant downtown (see: arena, streetcar) because of budget constraints. Yet, he is aggressively pushing for a short term solution that puts us further in the hole, financially, than this "boondoggle" choo choo. I want to qualify my "short term solution" statement by forecasting an increasingly growing westside and increased commuter traffic into "the City." This growth will put us right back to our current situation but only on a larger scale. Therefore, this $250 million dollar solution is not, in fact, a solution, but a very expensive, parasitic, band aid.

When will people wake up to the world around them? Albuquerque is already tip-toeing the line of excessive bad air quality days. We're using far more water than we planned. And our educated youth are leaving in droves.

I was recently given a presentation by a Chinese planning firm that stated what everyone seems to acknowledge (even in rural, northwestern China!) - that educated young adults are swarming to cities that exhibit smart growth practices and provide rich, urban environments. These places, in turn, attract employers looking for such talent. How do our city leaders not recognize this?

Screw quality of life, we need more roads, says Michael Cadigan!

Sorry, I can't help it.

Transportation in America

2009-05-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

PBS recently aired a terrific show on the subject. They use New York City, Portland, and Denver as their models to compare and contrast solutions over the decades and the ramifications of those decisions. Have a look-see.

Flooding Mitigation

2009-05-07T22:33:00.001-07:00

My past two quarters (crazy quarter system) of education have been filled to the gills with hazard mitigation material. I won't lie, the codes and regulations bore me to tears some days. However, there is a ton of new techniques and technologies that are being employed regularly that are quite applicable universally which are exciting if you're a geek like me. (stick with me here)

For example, new forms of permeable concrete have been developed to aid in storm runoff reduction and aquifer recharge. Also, crazy (sarcasm) landscapers and engineers have learned to create parks and other attractive landscapes to double as retention ponds (hello engineers and the planning staff that designed and approved the ugly hole at Lomas and Broadway!). Even bioswales (fancy landscape architecture jargon for ditches) are being installed in urban areas to create green space and act as a natural filter for storm runoff in streets.

These techniques really add up to create a healthier environment when you consider the current, archaic methods we have used for decades. For years we have attempted to engineer our civilizations out of harms way. We design our storm drainage system to a 100-year flood capacity (in ABQ) with the belief and hope that THE big storm will never hit. We even shoot rainwater runoff down pipes (unfiltered?) to the Rio Grande!

Well, in 2006, I believe, that 100-year event hit us quite hard. Twice. Some will say, "well, obviously, it's another example of global warming." Others, "That's God blaming us for allowing gay marriages." And others, "It's a fluke, who cares?"

This week, I have been studying hazard mitigation in the city of Snoqualmie, WA and today we were given a tour of the tiny city by the mayor and other officials who shared their knowledge regarding the city's preparation for the next big natural disaster.

Around 10am (after the caffeine had kicked in) I began to draw parallels between what I was hearing and what I had seen in Albuquerque when the floods hit a few years back. A visitor of China asked the question, "Why did the natives of this city settle in this flood-prone area in the first place?" I sorta chuckled when he asked this. But I didn't expect to hear the answer the gentleman received. Apparently, this area was not historically susceptible to flooding until the logging industry ran amok in the surrounding mountains. Interesting. Go on you say? The forests were ravaged to such an extreme that storm runoff had increased enough to make that drastic of a change to the environment.

So, the mice in my head began to run and I thought, "Hrm, could maybe, just maybe, the runoff situation in Albuquerque be the result of an increase in urbanized area?" Could we have built up the our roadways, sidewalks, and homes to the point where we have increased runoff so that our storm system actually reaches capacity with less effort?

I don't know about you but I'm suddenly intrigued with hazard mitigation and the ways in which we can use natural processes and nature-sensitive technologies (don't I sound like a hippy?) to cure the problems we have created through naive manipulation and false confidence?

The city's form of development has been so greatly affected by homogenization and generic growth to the point where our innovation has seemingly been forgotten. But alas, there are solutions. These solutions are so very simple, yet they require everyone to change the way they were taught to do things...and that's the harddest part.

Rapid Ride

2009-05-07T00:46:00.001-07:00

Seattle has just introduced a new fleet of BRT busses also called "Rapid Ride" with the same livery we've come to know. These would look quite sexy zooming down Montgomery, San Mateo, and Coors.

ABQ's "Burgeoning Bike Scene"

2009-04-27T16:22:00.001-07:00

Albuquerque has been named as one of the top cities for burgeoning bike scenes! A quick rundown of the top cities and their statistics shows that we definitely have the infrastructure - nearly 400 miles worth. But we lag in percentage of commuters. Hopefully the new I-40 ped/bike bridge will help us close the gap with peer cities. The article.

Urban Design Fail - Lomas & Broadway

2009-04-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

The corner of Lomas and Broadway now includes a gas station, drive through restaurants, and a dirt detention pond with surrounding chain link fence. How's that for a gateway into our revitalizing downtown? *shakes head*

KOB story link.

BikeABQ

2009-04-02T21:49:00.001-07:00

I am ecstatic about the bike boulevard and ped/bike bridge over the river as seen here and here. Soon we'll be talking about separated bike lanes like these. I'm thinking of Carlisle, parts of Central, parts of Lomas, 4th, and Rio Grande. Perhaps the Great Streets Facility Plan would be a perfect place to implement a test case? I find it incredible that people question the use of $7.5 million for a pedestrian/bike bridge when hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually to subsidize oversized roadways throughout the city and particularly at the fringe. But then again, Marty isn't looking to set the record straight, he has another term to run for in the meantime. A nifty video about separated bike lanes...

Affordable Lofts

2009-03-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how long these have been completed but I'm a little surprised they aren't filled as of yet. I only wish the developer had scrapped the parking lot and built urban townhomes along the street. Affordable for those just starting a career or looking for simple digs. Bell Trading Post Lofts

UNM On-Campus Housing

2009-03-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Finally, it is happening. Ok, well, not physically but the details are being ironed out according to this article. I hope they intelligently locate these buildings (hopefully multi-story, mixed-use) along Central Ave. or Lomas. The parking situation for UNM is out of control and locating dense housing near campus is key to enhancing the area in several ways. First, students who don't need to pay for automobiles will add to the vibrancy of the walkable neighborhood and take another vehicle off an already congested roadway system in the area. Also, students that don't need to pay for vehicles will have more spending money to support local businesses. Finally, this supports my desire to take over the world.

In the screenshot above, it is clear we have a horrendous pedestrian environment on the edge of our flagship university. With Nob Hill a block back and UNM retail a block ahead, this intersection screems for help. We can connect the two areas with very little effort. Locating student housing along Central in this area will go a long way toward realizing a decent pedestrian environment.

Yay for change.

The Seattle Model

2009-03-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

Having lived here for almost three months now, I have found it more difficult to relate the built environment of Albuquerque with the Seattle area. Dallas seemed much easier to compare. The relatively flat landscape, the pretty skyline but sleepy downtown, and the prevalence of suburban neighborhoods. Maybe it's the trees and varying geography of the Pudget Sound region? One thing that has shocked me, however, is the strong ties I have seen between my beloved Duke City and the Emerald City. First there is the empty box from Los Poblanos in the basement of my building at the UW. Next, there is the plethera of Land of Enchantment license plates. So many in fact, I'm pretty sure I have seen more NM plates here than I did when I was in Dallas. This fact shocks me considering Dallas is 1/3rd as far as Seattle. What was my point? Oh right, relationship.

Albuquerque seems to be right on the fence when it comes to economic and social issues. As a 20-something in Albuquerque, I tended to find other liberal, environmentally conscious, atheistic, gen x'ers which the Northwest is known for having in large quantities. Coupled with a rather sizable population of REI members who were ready to get out of the city to soak up some mountain and river goodness when there was free time to be had. But still, there was always an obvious presence of conservatism and almost Texas-like economic development defined by cheap land.

After my first quarter of courses, something I have learned is that a city represents the values of its inhabitants. I'm not sure how I feel about this given our overabundance of strip malls and parking lots. Our sleepy downtown. Our multi-nodal city with little to no relationship and seemingly zero planning. Too often I read about the local pride in our low density growth pattern that reflects the far-as-the-eye-can-see geography. These facts illustrate an abundance of opportunity for improvement. But what exactly are the values of the community?

While Seattle appears to be a pioneer of healthy, urban initiatives, it has quite a colorful history of political and social struggles. While the city claims to be diverse, it is similar to Albuquerque in that it's predominantly a bi-cultural city. The city actually has a quiet history of segregation. Until more recently, economic booms have tended to aid in the city's ethnic cleansing, if you will. Additionally, many people forget how spread out metro Seattle really is. The suburbs stretch north and south quite a long ways with typical low-rise sprawl. But this is hardly noticeable from the city proper where you're surrounded by dense, Capital Hill, Queen Ann hill, and the Sound. Much of this area is easily accessible by bike and by bus and much of it appears clean, safe, and again, dense.

As with every region in the country, and world, Albuquerque now has the opportunity to lay the framework for smarter, future growth in this slow economy. But this framework must be defined by the same community that has provided much of what we know as our ABQ. While the RailRunner provides the incentive and backbone for a positive shift, it remains to be seen if we've learned from our past. The knowledge of a warming atmosphere and straining natural resources exists. But will we choose a more equitable, livable, and environmentally sustainable form of development?

Models like Dallas, Denver and Seattle are prototypes for us to study our likely future. Each one of them is a dim reflection of our eventual city. So, instead of choosing to be stubborn and going through the growing pains of traffic congestion, social stratification, smog, etc., why can't we jump straight to the solutions these cities have begun to embrace?

Santa Fe Baboons

2009-02-26T19:21:00.001-08:00

No to domestic partnerships and yes to subsidizing sprawl. I'm not disappointed to be a resident of another state on this eve.

The International District

2009-02-23T21:30:00.001-08:00

Jim Scarantino wrote an excellent piece in the Journal about the former "War Zone" that I believe deserves kudos. I have to credit the mayor to some extent for his effort to revitalize this neighborhood. But, ultimately, it is the residents of the International District that we should applaud. Hopefully we will see some investment from the city in terms of urban design aspects like pedestrian crosswalks, shade trees, and wider sidewalks to encourage complimentary commerce.

Casa District

2009-02-20T00:53:00.000-08:00

I'll save my usual harangue regarding the housing/regional transit station transition and, instead, focus on the nascent district. A form is emerging that I'm, increasingly becoming fond of.

It's not the density an urban fanatic dreams about. However, the density in these three new projects will likely result in 500 or so residents within three blocks. The open, remaining half block may even be that 6-8+ story residential building we're all anxiously awaiting. My mood: hopeful.

High-Speed Rail

2009-02-20T00:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, I feel better after my previous post. The article. Imagine a train like this parked at the ATC awaiting passengers heading to Denver.

Note there is no HSR currently planned for ABQ. Not good. It would appear that the Front Range/Intermountain West has work to complete. Missing out on this type of infrastructure would be akin to missing out on the interstate highway system.

Did Someone Say Shovel Ready?

2009-02-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

Borrowed from the NY Times

Note the picture: Our savior president standing in front of the construction site for a...wait for it...parkway.

What a crock. Explain to me how sending money on projects like a third lane for I-25 will produce long term economic affects that aren't negative? Now tell me that spending stimulus money on pie in the sky projects like a streetcar or (gasp) arena won't produce lasting, positive effects? Not so pie in the sky when you boil it down. Apparently school construction isn't logical, either.

Watching our leaders salivate over this money to cover short term projects that didn't fit their anemic, annual budgets is quite embarrassing. I hope I'm wrong about this. I know there are worthy projects in this jumble but labeling this "forward-thinking" or to even comparisons to the New Deal are absurd.

Speaking of absurd, what's with the vote of no confidence for Shmidly? UNM employees appear to have trouble with change. How many leaders will they oust in an attempt to keep the status quo? (Perhaps I know too little to comment)

Marty for Downtown and MRCOG Says What?

2009-02-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of kevinkarnsfamily

I was happy to hear Mayor Marty endorse the city center this week. I can't find the link but I either read or heard him (news clip?) suggest that it would be good to obtain funds that could be spent downtown. Not the strongest statement but we'll take what we can get. I'm certain he was referring to money for a canopy for the ATC but I'm not sure what else he might be referring to knowing that money won't come from DC for the arena or streetcar.

While the city has minuscule amounts of money funneling down from new housing construction in the 'burbs, perhaps we'll see a return of serious talk concerning inner city development and density? For some reason I'm skeptical.

During my visit over Christmas I noticed some work has been completed on the last remaining building at old AHS. Does anyone have any information about that project? I know it's not part of Rob Dickson's development.

Speaking of Rob Dickson, anyone have a clue what he's up to now that his project is fully built out?

In other news...

Now, I have ranted and raved about the Railrunner and I can't help but add more fuel to the fire. My textbook contained some information that I felt was pretty obvious but it doesn't seem to make sense to so many:

"Transit's cost effectiveness increases with higher densities at origins and destinations. It is no surprise that public subsidies for transit have increased at the same time that metro transit is not as competitive as private automobile."

"A new rail system implemented in an area laden with density caps and minimum parking requirements will have less influence on land development than such a system implemented in areas where the community wide land use design, small area plans and development management plan include actions intended to support or leverage the opportunities provided by the investment."

"transportation plans either reinforce past development trends or stimulate development in locations not contemplated in the land use plan."

After reading this I immediately thought of Nob Hill fighting a streetcar and the horrendously planned (or lack thereof) Journal Center station area.

I also often wonder who is making recommendations to add more stops to the system. I heard talk of creating an additional stop at Montano. Really? Talk of a fourth station in Santa Fe seems incredibly asinine considering the ABQ metro area currently has just 6(see population differences between SF & ABQ) stations. Throw in the pueblo stations (don't get me started on these) and we've killed the purpose of commuter rail. The chance of MRCOG actually convincing citizens to ditch their gas guzzlers in favor of the system requires a huge convenience factor. Added commuting time plus limited service is not the answer. MRCOG is mixing the concepts of commuter rail with light-rail while leaving everyone wondering what they're doing because they don't appear to have transparency in their planning nor their execution.

Overall, this in a beautiful concept and project for the metro area. But the execution is what matters most. My confidence has been shaken.

Sorry for the brain vomit style of my post.

A New Year, a New Chapter

2009-01-26T14:36:00.000-08:00

I hope the new year finds everyone well. Aside from the new year, the new administration, and the economy, I find myself relocated to the City of Seattle where I have begun my transition from engineering to the field of urban planning. Long ago, I decided that my blog was more than a past time and I was dedicated to becoming an integral part of the urbanization movement taking place the world over. I intend to obtain the necessary tools to effect positive changes in the urban environment wherever I end up in the future. Those that know me know that my heart remains in Albuquerque and that I hope to one day play a vital role in shaping the city. Unfortunately, due to my absence, I will be unable to update UrbanABQ as often as I would like. I do, however, intend to relate some of my coursework and revelations to the Duke City. And with that, here's wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous 2009.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season.

MR COG and Urban Transit-Oriented Villages

2008-12-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

This is tentatively planned for the often touted Airport Station. It will be incredible to see the changes take place in this area over the next decade with Mesa del Sol and this urban village.

I am sitting in Seattle at the moment pondering the eventual growth of my beloved Albuquerque as it relates to Seattle. One word: DENSITY.

This city is littered with neighborhood retail in the city proper. Practically 100% void of any strip retail that our city "thrives" on for tax revenue. Seattle citizens have largely voted against the type of development that plagues our city, choosing, instead, a socially progressive, environmentally friendly, aesthetically pleasing urban form. It is up to us, as citizens, to get involved and become educated on how our built environment effects our lives. The baby boomers are luke warm to mixed-use urbanity, Gen X'ers are catching on, and millenials will know little else from the dense urban form. It is what today's younger generation is drawn toward.

Ultimately, the market will dictate and we'll be left with predominantly sprawling suburbs as exists today barring some massive economic boom (and skyrocketing gas prices) that seems to be elusive to our city. However, our future is in dense villages and multifamily units along transit routes. It may not be today or tomorrow but it will come. We can be proactive or reactive. The reactive approach is what got us into this mess. You choose.

MLS in the 505

2008-11-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Flickr user: swilsonmc

The governor has changed his tune and gone back to Expo NM with plans for an equestrian facility. Great. Now what about the remaining 200+ acres of highly unused land? As I have posted previously, I do not believe it to be in our best interest to continue with the fair as it currently exists. Between the Downs relocating to Moriarty and Tingley Colisseum becoming irrelevant, nearly half of Expo NM land will remain unused.

From above, it is glaringly apparent that a majority of the unused space lies along Central Ave. and Luisianna Blvd. Would this area not be best used by complimenting the city's efforts to strengthen the international district and redevelop Central Ave.? In addition, this could create a district of transit-oriented development that would likely compliment a rail line to connect downtown and uptown. I'm talking dense, walkable development with offices, residential and even some industrial space. This could reasonably be done while still maintaining the existence of the fairgrounds, if so desired. The lost parking spaces could be replaced with above and below-grade, multi-level garages.

Additionally, the main point of this post is to address the need (ok, want) for Major League Soccer. Imagine a regional park with soccer and baseball fields as well as an MLS stadium. This could be New Mexico's only chance to obtain a major league sport and soccer happy Albuquerquean's are likely to support such a team. I stumbled upon an article that lists the Duke City as a potential candidate for an expansion team. Granted, the article discusses expansion of a USL-1 franchise but I bet an argument could be made for an MLS team. And while the governor is attempting to solicit ideas for Expo New Mexico, now would be the perfect time to move ahead with efforts to secure a team. The article states, "A short list of markets from which we believe a USL-1 franchise could be successful with the proper ownership and venue include, but are not limited to (in no specific order): Omaha (NE), Tulsa (OK), San Antonio (TX), Tampa (FL), Phoenix (AZ), Boise (ID), Oklahoma City (OK), Albuquerque (NM), Memphis (TN), and Birmingham (AL) We are currently in advanced discussions with interested parties in several of these markets."

The stadium would be a sizeable catalyst for redevelopment to the area as it would attract approximately 15,000 fans (league average) to the stadium for 15-20 events, annually.

We have so, so, so much potential if we could just realize it. Where are the leaders, such as Mayor Tingley, with the vision?

What's Not To Love About This?

2008-11-20T23:38:00.000-08:00

I am sold. Transit oriented entertainment. What other city has the opportunity to do this? After reading the report explaining the reason for a 10,000 seat arena, I've decided I would be fine with a 12,000 seat venue...with expansion capabilities of course. The arena architecture is a little weak. I also think retail and taller residential is needed on Broadway. Kudos, design team!

Transit Oriented ABQ

2008-11-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

The Rio Grande Foundation (NM's version of the CATO Institute) has been given significant opportunity by the local press to bestow their "research" and "wisdom" upon the citizens of our state and region. Their libertarian slant and anti-taxation preaching, however, adversely clouds their judgement. Americans, in general, are highly likely to rebel against high taxes. So when plans for mass transit and a publicly financed downtown arena were announced, it was no surprise that they immediately pushed back with their agenda.

Before the transit vote, Paul Gessing, the current President of the Rio Grande Foundation, was a guest on Eye on New Mexico to tell us what a waste of money it would be to approve such a tax. He even conjured up scenarios for which the project was ineffective. Naturally, he used a worst case scenario. But while his argument immediately sounded rational and pragmatic, it ultimately failed to recognize the full cause and effect of the project.

Quietly and void of the fanfare of the librul (ha) media, towns up and down the commuter rail line have implemented plans to create vibrant, walkable town centers and villages around their RailRunner stations. These areas will eventually house tens of thousands of citizens whom will have the option to move about the metro area by public transit. This seems like such a foreign idea today but it will become the norm in decades to come.

Missing from the argument about this tax was the discussion of future generations ability to live sustainably and with transit options. It is about changing our lifestyles to reflect a rapidly changing urban reality. This tax was every bit about how our city will balance fringe growth with infill. The mayor and MRCOG need to stress this idea to get everyone on the same page because the current, [do it because it's good for us] argument is a tougher sell.

I'm proud of the citizens of the middle Rio Grande region for supporting this tax as it will further improve our transit systems. It will be interesting to see how this arena project will unfold. Will the city be able to sell the voters on the project or will Paul Gessing's misleading research combined with the city's marketing inabilities be enough to keep the project grounded, yet again?

Yes We Can

2008-11-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

An historic day I will never forget. Just 77 days till change.