How to make a bad place better (or a possible solution to the Silver Spring Transit Center)

Holiday Shopping
Originally uploaded by Eye Captain.

Rendering of the planned Silver Spring Transit Center.

The success of this year's downtown holiday market proves that location and design matters, that you can't make a seemingly good thing work in a marginal location.

Well the Silver Spring Transit Center will be in a good location, even if the design is a dog. Here's something to make it palatable: Baroque music, according to this article from the New York Sun, "Transit Hubs See Benefits of Baroque in the Background."

And maybe this is something for WMATA to think about too, especially in high-use stations that need more speedy movement during peak periods, such as at Metro Center or Union Station after VRE/MARC trains unload.

Even though I don't like piped in music in public places because it reminds me of being in "Neighborhood 9" at Potomac Mills Mall, I do sometimes think about the ability of classical music to be used to reduce the likelihood of teen loitering, etc.

Also see:
-- Classical music as crime stopper (LA Times)
-- Classical attempt to curb loitering (BBC).

Index Keywords: transit