A few articles of note lately:
- The Project for Public Spaces has released the top 12 public squares in the U.S. and Canada. Personally I would have put Rockefeller Plaza (NYC) and Pioneer Square (Portland) higher than Jackson Square (New Orleans). Jackson Square doesn't feel as enclosed as the other two, because the buildings are historic and low. I suspect that PPS put it first only because of the NOLA rebuilding issues. And hey, Detroit's new Campus Martius came in at number 4! I was surprised that Chicago's Millenium Park didn't have an entry though; I suppose it doesn't qualify because it is bounded by the lake, rather than buildings like a proper plaza. I still would have put it in over, say, Bryant Park. It's anouter PPS slant, I suppose - a full third of the entries are in NYC, while there are more diverse, well-done plazas elsewhere.
- CNNMoney.com's list of the top 10 fastest growing states - predictably, the West and the South. What I was surprised by were the particulars: Nevada and Arizona are growing the fastest (rather than California or Washington); top cities included Atlanta, Dallas, Jacksonville, Phoenix and Portland, Oregon, rather than San Francisco or Seattle.
- And my favorite, given the angst my town has been going through in contemplating *gasp* 10 story buildings: Planning Commission Embraces Height and Density! (link is to Google's cached copy of an Oakland Tribule article)
Oakland's Planning Commission is delighted to approve two residential highrises as the city continues enjoying its downtown revival under Mayor Jerry Brown.
"After years of low-rise residential construction, Oakland's push for higher density building downtown is finally paying off. A practically giddy Planning Commission last week approved plans for two 22-story apartment buildings — one at 11th and Jackson streets and the other at 23rd and Webster streets.
The commissioners gushed over the designs, but more than anything, over the height and the density of the projects." Just as significantly, the developers will "help with measures to improve pedestrian safety in the area," a big concern for the nearby Chinatown area.
They even have a Whole Foods going in downtown. Wouldn't we just love that! Now given, Oakland is slightly less than 4 times bigger than my town, but surely we could manage a couple of 10 story buildings around here. The fact that other cities can somehow manage to embrace, rather than deny, density for those who want it is amazing to me. Why can't we do the same??
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