1. How long have you lived in the area? 31 years total – Victorian Village: rented 4 years; Harrison West: rented 4 years, homeowner 23 years.
2. What was the state of the area when you first moved to it? Victorian Village was beginning its gentrification, focusing on the housing stock along Neil Avenue. Gentrification radiated out from that street to the more “working class” housing on either side of Neil. High Street from South Campus to Union Station was a prostitute and drug dealer hangout among the many empty, abandoned, or boarded-up storefronts. What caused the site to be in its current state? Were the changes in the neighborhood gradual or abrupt, were they based on zoning changes, demographic changes, or something else? Changes were gradual and began with the residential portion of the areas: initially in Victorian Village, then Italian Village and finally into Harrison West and Dennison Park. The commercial development followed as the neighborhoods began to stabilize. Among a number of urban gentrification pioneers there was a shared vision to celebrate the unique character of the residential neighborhoods and preserve as much of the original architectural significance and environmental texture as possible. The establishment of neighborhood Commissions for both Victorian and Italian Villages gave teeth to applicable city codes.
3. Do you know what this area was like in its prime, do you think it has had several "primes" since it was first started? High Street and Broad Street were the major corridors between the business portion of Columbus (Downtown) and its residential neighborhoods. Residential development expanded from these two arteries growing both north and east. High Street had one major difference from the Broad Street corridor: it had an additional type of area directly on its path. That distinctive area was the educational neighborhood of Ohio State University. The connection between the commercial and educational nodes was a very important segment of the city’s organizational structure. The residential neighborhoods adjacent to this OSU-Downtown segment flourished because of their proximity to both Downtown and OSU as well as their adjacency to Union Station and its connection to the rest of the nation. All the Short North neighborhoods had their primes prior to World War II. Like so many urban situations across America, families’ exits to the suburbs in the 1950’s brought about an abandonment of the residential, and subsequently the commercial, areas with close proximity to the cities’ cores. Additional rapid deterioration was related to the closing of rail connectivity when the Federal government took over rail service in the early 1960’s and the area surrounding Union Station was abandoned.
4. What district of Columbus do you enjoy hanging out in (for entertainment, for basic needs, for occasions only a few times a year) and why? (i.e. Art, Downtown, Campus, etc) Primary criteria for deciding on destinations is proximity to home. So, for the Performing Arts: Downtown (Symphony, BalletMet, CATCO); Fine Arts and Galleries: Short North, OSU (Wexner Center), Downtown (Columbus Museum of Art); Cinema: Lennox, OSU (Gateway), Downtown (Arena Grand); Dining and Cocktails: Short North, Grandview Downtown (Gay Street corridor).
5. What is the most occupied/inhabited part of the site on a consistent basis? Does it vary from weekday to weekend? Day to night? Seasonally? Your thesis site, High Street (Fifth to South Campus Gateway): Bus Shelters, consistently from early morning to late at night, and sometimes al night occupancy by homeless.
6. What aspects of the site programs are economically successful and should not be removed? Bus Shelters
7. What aspects of the site programs are not successful on urban, economic, and social levels? Parking lots facing High Street, longevity of City-installed street plantings
8. What site programs do you think the area is lacking, what do you feel needs to be done to tie the site in with the Short North and Campus areas to complete the transition through the site? 1. Portals or inviting entries to adjacent neighborhoods to demonstrate a direct connectivity between residential and commercial. 2. Gradual scaling change of the “street canyon” proportions between the narrow, moderate height of the Short North to the wider, taller height of the South Campus Gateway. 3. gradual “morphing” of the architectural texture of the canyon walls from the historic original cues of the Short North to the more modern interpretation of the walls in South Campus Gateway’s new buildings. 4. play off of the success of “The Cap” that linked Downtown and the Short North, physically, aesthetically, and psychologically. Urban renewal efforts in the 50’s created the chasm of what is now I-670 as a real, not imagined, barrier between the two areas. It truly had been a line of demarcation beyond which people from the Downtown/Convention Center area wouldn’t venture; now there is no impediment – the Cap has now generated a smooth, inviting portal or transition point into the Short North.
9. Would an introduction of green space (i.e. parks, gathering spaces, landscapes) have a positive impact on the site? if so, what location(s) would this green space be most successful? What kinds of green space would be the most beneficial? (basketball courts, tree-planted boulevards, parks with benches, playgrounds etc) Green Space is always a welcome visual and physical relief in an urban context. Any and all green spaces should include gathering space; the more passive or non-energized spaces should be in the transition from the commercial to the residential zones while the more active spaces should be scattered within the residential portions, encouraging residents’ active interaction and promoting a feeling of community.
10. What activities do you believe would be successful to incorporate into the green spaces (i.e. benches, water features, trees, outdoor amphitheatre, dining, public transportation stops, etc) All of the above. To help differentiate each green space area from the others and to provide a reference for conversational use, utilize one distinctive, unique feature for each space so that they can be easily referred to. In other words utilize landmarking principles to create a sense of place for these areas.
11. Are there any times of day/year when the site most utilized and abundant with street life? Your thesis site is a very busy thoroughfare 24-7-365. And that’s the problem – it’s a thoroughfare (i.e., few people have a need to stay there, there is no reason to stop or “be” there, it’s a transition area and not a destination).
12. Are you familiar with the Weinland park revitalization proposal? What aspects of it would be helpful to utilize on the current site? Assuring that there is a direct visual and implied connection between it and the High Street corridor; create that “portal” and incorporate some of that neighborhood’s architectural character into the final design recommendations for the Corridor.
13. What impact do you expect the street car line to have on the site and the real estate values within a 1/2 mile of the area, or will the current state of the area be a factor? If and when the street car line is installed, it will help reinforce the “people connection” between OSU and Downtown that has been lost over the past 50-60 years. It will allow more visibility of potential “stop-off” points along its path for passengers and thereby creating more real, purposeful destinations. Residential real estate values will probably remain the same in the more settled neighborhood areas. In nearby areas in need of improvement, the residential real estate values would logically improve as the process of gentrification progresses.
14. Would revitalizing the area beyond high street (boundaries of Neil Ave. on the west, 5th Ave. on the south, and campus on the north) help or hurt the revitalization of the area? why? If it would help do you think the area west of high street would thrive as a residential community for college students, young professionals, and/or families? I believe this residential area is a part of the University District and may have its own guidelines set. Since OSU-owned properties are interspersed among privately owned properties within this area, a master plan would need to be developed with the University. However, I believe OSU is attempting to be a responsible and good neighbor to the local associations and is working with then on improvement guidelines. This area would definitely benefit from a revitalization; its improvement would help in OSU’s recruitment efforts for faculty and staff as it could promote the proximity to work for its employees. Stabilizing this neighborhood also are would help in attracting families to the area as it has such direct and great access to many of the popular destinations in the “inside 270” portion of metropolitan Columbus.
15. What are your thoughts on introducing new mixed use retail, restaurants, and commercial structures along with apartment and condos into the area to promote entertainment and destination points (whether they be new construction or reuse of existing buildings)? These are all very good options to add to the mixed-use. As stated before, it’s imperative to create your thesis area into a destination “of choice.” Providing options (retail, entertainment, dining) to non-residents would give outsiders an opportunity to discover the area. Additional benefit is that area residents are offered these same options whereby they can say within close proximity (and be “greener’).
16. Do you think creating a building corridor along the site (similar to Short North, pulling the building facades towards the street and hiding parking lots in alleys) would help tie in the site with the surroundings and make the area aesthetically pleasing, both in architecture and economically? Yes – and for more, see my answer for #8 above.
17. What would be the best building style for the site (all new construction or a mix of the old and new to maintain the historical look of the area)? I think a mix of recycling the old and interspersing new, with a design-nod to the character of the old, is the best sort of transition. The “clear-cutting” philosophy of the governmental urban renewal efforts of the 50’s and 60’s has proven that it’s not successful for a city’s health when the existing fabric is completely eliminated and replaced. Throughout history, most all city’s neighborhoods have evolved with infilling, renovating, rehabilitating, and replacing elements in their environs. The same approach for your thesis site will benefit the final solution and give the best example of transitioning from one area to another as seamlessly as possible.
2. What was the state of the area when you first moved to it? Victorian Village was beginning its gentrification, focusing on the housing stock along Neil Avenue. Gentrification radiated out from that street to the more “working class” housing on either side of Neil. High Street from South Campus to Union Station was a prostitute and drug dealer hangout among the many empty, abandoned, or boarded-up storefronts. What caused the site to be in its current state? Were the changes in the neighborhood gradual or abrupt, were they based on zoning changes, demographic changes, or something else? Changes were gradual and began with the residential portion of the areas: initially in Victorian Village, then Italian Village and finally into Harrison West and Dennison Park. The commercial development followed as the neighborhoods began to stabilize. Among a number of urban gentrification pioneers there was a shared vision to celebrate the unique character of the residential neighborhoods and preserve as much of the original architectural significance and environmental texture as possible. The establishment of neighborhood Commissions for both Victorian and Italian Villages gave teeth to applicable city codes.
3. Do you know what this area was like in its prime, do you think it has had several "primes" since it was first started? High Street and Broad Street were the major corridors between the business portion of Columbus (Downtown) and its residential neighborhoods. Residential development expanded from these two arteries growing both north and east. High Street had one major difference from the Broad Street corridor: it had an additional type of area directly on its path. That distinctive area was the educational neighborhood of Ohio State University. The connection between the commercial and educational nodes was a very important segment of the city’s organizational structure. The residential neighborhoods adjacent to this OSU-Downtown segment flourished because of their proximity to both Downtown and OSU as well as their adjacency to Union Station and its connection to the rest of the nation. All the Short North neighborhoods had their primes prior to World War II. Like so many urban situations across America, families’ exits to the suburbs in the 1950’s brought about an abandonment of the residential, and subsequently the commercial, areas with close proximity to the cities’ cores. Additional rapid deterioration was related to the closing of rail connectivity when the Federal government took over rail service in the early 1960’s and the area surrounding Union Station was abandoned.
4. What district of Columbus do you enjoy hanging out in (for entertainment, for basic needs, for occasions only a few times a year) and why? (i.e. Art, Downtown, Campus, etc) Primary criteria for deciding on destinations is proximity to home. So, for the Performing Arts: Downtown (Symphony, BalletMet, CATCO); Fine Arts and Galleries: Short North, OSU (Wexner Center), Downtown (Columbus Museum of Art); Cinema: Lennox, OSU (Gateway), Downtown (Arena Grand); Dining and Cocktails: Short North, Grandview Downtown (Gay Street corridor).
5. What is the most occupied/inhabited part of the site on a consistent basis? Does it vary from weekday to weekend? Day to night? Seasonally? Your thesis site, High Street (Fifth to South Campus Gateway): Bus Shelters, consistently from early morning to late at night, and sometimes al night occupancy by homeless.
6. What aspects of the site programs are economically successful and should not be removed? Bus Shelters
7. What aspects of the site programs are not successful on urban, economic, and social levels? Parking lots facing High Street, longevity of City-installed street plantings
8. What site programs do you think the area is lacking, what do you feel needs to be done to tie the site in with the Short North and Campus areas to complete the transition through the site? 1. Portals or inviting entries to adjacent neighborhoods to demonstrate a direct connectivity between residential and commercial. 2. Gradual scaling change of the “street canyon” proportions between the narrow, moderate height of the Short North to the wider, taller height of the South Campus Gateway. 3. gradual “morphing” of the architectural texture of the canyon walls from the historic original cues of the Short North to the more modern interpretation of the walls in South Campus Gateway’s new buildings. 4. play off of the success of “The Cap” that linked Downtown and the Short North, physically, aesthetically, and psychologically. Urban renewal efforts in the 50’s created the chasm of what is now I-670 as a real, not imagined, barrier between the two areas. It truly had been a line of demarcation beyond which people from the Downtown/Convention Center area wouldn’t venture; now there is no impediment – the Cap has now generated a smooth, inviting portal or transition point into the Short North.
9. Would an introduction of green space (i.e. parks, gathering spaces, landscapes) have a positive impact on the site? if so, what location(s) would this green space be most successful? What kinds of green space would be the most beneficial? (basketball courts, tree-planted boulevards, parks with benches, playgrounds etc) Green Space is always a welcome visual and physical relief in an urban context. Any and all green spaces should include gathering space; the more passive or non-energized spaces should be in the transition from the commercial to the residential zones while the more active spaces should be scattered within the residential portions, encouraging residents’ active interaction and promoting a feeling of community.
10. What activities do you believe would be successful to incorporate into the green spaces (i.e. benches, water features, trees, outdoor amphitheatre, dining, public transportation stops, etc) All of the above. To help differentiate each green space area from the others and to provide a reference for conversational use, utilize one distinctive, unique feature for each space so that they can be easily referred to. In other words utilize landmarking principles to create a sense of place for these areas.
11. Are there any times of day/year when the site most utilized and abundant with street life? Your thesis site is a very busy thoroughfare 24-7-365. And that’s the problem – it’s a thoroughfare (i.e., few people have a need to stay there, there is no reason to stop or “be” there, it’s a transition area and not a destination).
12. Are you familiar with the Weinland park revitalization proposal? What aspects of it would be helpful to utilize on the current site? Assuring that there is a direct visual and implied connection between it and the High Street corridor; create that “portal” and incorporate some of that neighborhood’s architectural character into the final design recommendations for the Corridor.
13. What impact do you expect the street car line to have on the site and the real estate values within a 1/2 mile of the area, or will the current state of the area be a factor? If and when the street car line is installed, it will help reinforce the “people connection” between OSU and Downtown that has been lost over the past 50-60 years. It will allow more visibility of potential “stop-off” points along its path for passengers and thereby creating more real, purposeful destinations. Residential real estate values will probably remain the same in the more settled neighborhood areas. In nearby areas in need of improvement, the residential real estate values would logically improve as the process of gentrification progresses.
14. Would revitalizing the area beyond high street (boundaries of Neil Ave. on the west, 5th Ave. on the south, and campus on the north) help or hurt the revitalization of the area? why? If it would help do you think the area west of high street would thrive as a residential community for college students, young professionals, and/or families? I believe this residential area is a part of the University District and may have its own guidelines set. Since OSU-owned properties are interspersed among privately owned properties within this area, a master plan would need to be developed with the University. However, I believe OSU is attempting to be a responsible and good neighbor to the local associations and is working with then on improvement guidelines. This area would definitely benefit from a revitalization; its improvement would help in OSU’s recruitment efforts for faculty and staff as it could promote the proximity to work for its employees. Stabilizing this neighborhood also are would help in attracting families to the area as it has such direct and great access to many of the popular destinations in the “inside 270” portion of metropolitan Columbus.
15. What are your thoughts on introducing new mixed use retail, restaurants, and commercial structures along with apartment and condos into the area to promote entertainment and destination points (whether they be new construction or reuse of existing buildings)? These are all very good options to add to the mixed-use. As stated before, it’s imperative to create your thesis area into a destination “of choice.” Providing options (retail, entertainment, dining) to non-residents would give outsiders an opportunity to discover the area. Additional benefit is that area residents are offered these same options whereby they can say within close proximity (and be “greener’).
16. Do you think creating a building corridor along the site (similar to Short North, pulling the building facades towards the street and hiding parking lots in alleys) would help tie in the site with the surroundings and make the area aesthetically pleasing, both in architecture and economically? Yes – and for more, see my answer for #8 above.
17. What would be the best building style for the site (all new construction or a mix of the old and new to maintain the historical look of the area)? I think a mix of recycling the old and interspersing new, with a design-nod to the character of the old, is the best sort of transition. The “clear-cutting” philosophy of the governmental urban renewal efforts of the 50’s and 60’s has proven that it’s not successful for a city’s health when the existing fabric is completely eliminated and replaced. Throughout history, most all city’s neighborhoods have evolved with infilling, renovating, rehabilitating, and replacing elements in their environs. The same approach for your thesis site will benefit the final solution and give the best example of transitioning from one area to another as seamlessly as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment