Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

"A community’s physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Another example of urban shopping centers requiring urban (not automobile) centric planning policies

From "Retailers take a chance on a mall in the Bronx" from the New York Times:

Gateway Center is an eight-minute-walk from the 149th Street subway station, served by the 2, 4 and 5 lines, and from the 161st Street station at Yankee Stadium, served by the B, D and 4 lines. It is a two-minute walk from the new Metro-North Railroad station at Yankee Stadium. The Major Deegan Expressway runs right next to the site.

Mr. Goldstein said that Related originally expected about 40 percent of the mall’s customers to arrive by public transportation, but so far a majority of customers had been traveling this way. Livery cab service is available for shoppers who make bulky purchases, and some stores, like Best Buy and Home Depot, provide delivery for a fee.

I am starting to think that my proposed amendment to the DC Comprehensive Plan, requiring transportation demand management planning for a variety of organizations and enterprises, will face serious opposition... This is an example of how broader planning for mobility makes sense and ultimately saves money for everybody. (E.g., the parking garage at DC/USA, the big box shopping center on top of the Columbia Heights subway station, with 1,000 spaces, has an average of 20% usage.)

I am about to write a position paper on the topic, in advance of the "opposition." One of the many points it will make is about the need for shared delivery services in commercial districts, as another technique for reducing the demand or "need" for driving while buying.

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