tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37602692847797072082024-03-20T23:17:43.571-04:00Urban Residue - leftover thoughts from the dayUrban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-727416085385928922023-06-07T22:32:00.003-04:002023-06-07T22:53:24.987-04:00The Grand Cavern and the Back Corner<div class="separator">I got around to visiting the new Gilder Center by Studio Gang at the American Museum of Natural History last weekend, and it's visually stunning. It's a grand cavern, with stairs and stadium seating at the focal point. It's breathtaking. It's also a little heartbreaking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCRqaTERXMF2yj1jhh1trJBt8DnV5Iul4bCxZgU5k6xmHtQvGAsawIZshMU3-fbMYWXo66q71W86X1C9kIB9XgnwPU5BWACabWWXqIsNUJJekyz1MSFXzdxreyaQuhNFRCGgBoBuuOeA0J_hw0QDCKiRruChvZKUrut1b2oai1lAoLHs1A3tN9TAKOg/s4032/20230603_105339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCRqaTERXMF2yj1jhh1trJBt8DnV5Iul4bCxZgU5k6xmHtQvGAsawIZshMU3-fbMYWXo66q71W86X1C9kIB9XgnwPU5BWACabWWXqIsNUJJekyz1MSFXzdxreyaQuhNFRCGgBoBuuOeA0J_hw0QDCKiRruChvZKUrut1b2oai1lAoLHs1A3tN9TAKOg/w480-h640/20230603_105339.jpg" width="480" /></a><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you need an elevator, if you rely on a wheelchair or you're pushing a stroller, you don't get to be part of the main event. Follow the sign; your place is in the back corner.</div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9kayR8Pw6ZYBliYLTXR5NNhgtAtki8eELBR0_qGdXsxmP8WbBg3RlcmxsizkjijOz1DRXvCWOkAsMjMnhmvRSfxCzXbBENoRNqs_uN9vqWwOQuIGwZQfgRnJvmrl95_MLHLv8x6fi0rIHygnn6bDbkRIn4miQMJoN7hHVvqUv-MiIlRqn4BPsM3qeQ/s4032/20230603_105346.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Central stairs, with a free-standing sign pointing off to the side for the elevator" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9kayR8Pw6ZYBliYLTXR5NNhgtAtki8eELBR0_qGdXsxmP8WbBg3RlcmxsizkjijOz1DRXvCWOkAsMjMnhmvRSfxCzXbBENoRNqs_uN9vqWwOQuIGwZQfgRnJvmrl95_MLHLv8x6fi0rIHygnn6bDbkRIn4miQMJoN7hHVvqUv-MiIlRqn4BPsM3qeQ/w240-h320/20230603_105346.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCedYH6S6KZE8qindhjXhGwlB6aTGrkAWFc94AyfS-qA6YEyFA0Bo1ZusqiMtzS-wSZifA5a-177hYTrIYthwlwfSJMGOErNTV1sUm3ogbs218pwMiq2ax2t6VA0mDPi-G7FrG-pXu34J477ah3kZjLzXZKzSRqiDXJAlUTIbwL4AT27i1zrJXQ-BwBQ/s4032/20230603_110208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Another free-standing sign at a set of stairs pointing toward the elevator" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCedYH6S6KZE8qindhjXhGwlB6aTGrkAWFc94AyfS-qA6YEyFA0Bo1ZusqiMtzS-wSZifA5a-177hYTrIYthwlwfSJMGOErNTV1sUm3ogbs218pwMiq2ax2t6VA0mDPi-G7FrG-pXu34J477ah3kZjLzXZKzSRqiDXJAlUTIbwL4AT27i1zrJXQ-BwBQ/w240-h320/20230603_110208.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Wayfinding signs are necessary, since the architecture does not naturally attract you away from the central gathering space and intuitive main circulation. And beyond the rough shotcrete walls, the elevators are an entirely sleek, utilitarian affair. They are completely apart from the brilliant naturalistic esthetic that makes this section of the museum so engaging and memorable.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpebIa8Ub2dvAIIcrfCy3VEihKWG-ixDDKV_wmveQArLyKU8Pp-wdXSC6La7EvnrC0AGwG8NfRvHylwLKneqxwn8PHmSgkVF4bHnaSQbcWnqLcji0S9_IPyEqjUsIatEHd_7MX-B8QnwoQ5uCKDtOdY8HRETGvS3cQwqAppSl6QRhValV9vihx0nThQ/s4032/20230603_105413.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Plain white walls with an elevator door" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpebIa8Ub2dvAIIcrfCy3VEihKWG-ixDDKV_wmveQArLyKU8Pp-wdXSC6La7EvnrC0AGwG8NfRvHylwLKneqxwn8PHmSgkVF4bHnaSQbcWnqLcji0S9_IPyEqjUsIatEHd_7MX-B8QnwoQ5uCKDtOdY8HRETGvS3cQwqAppSl6QRhValV9vihx0nThQ/w190-h253/20230603_105413.jpg" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iYHw_gheFO_7Gz7Fqi6xJ66TQZd4bL1j9xNBRFkN5W_ASE2vzQsvlA9kRiFzhjWEEr1cHtGqMEuY6FLS4OVZSy32LFJn63d4fLp70DoWCOVNxgt1nrPa_jIyUg2I4suhqs3TkYKnDDtsrqi1R2MzSMb07SrDIwdouYs3XPvn6gD9dI4GsXLP2a0g-g/s4032/20230603_105501.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A smooth, plain white wall with a fire extinguisher, with a glance of the cavernous architectural space off to the side" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iYHw_gheFO_7Gz7Fqi6xJ66TQZd4bL1j9xNBRFkN5W_ASE2vzQsvlA9kRiFzhjWEEr1cHtGqMEuY6FLS4OVZSy32LFJn63d4fLp70DoWCOVNxgt1nrPa_jIyUg2I4suhqs3TkYKnDDtsrqi1R2MzSMb07SrDIwdouYs3XPvn6gD9dI4GsXLP2a0g-g/w340-h255/20230603_105501.jpg" width="340" /></a><br /><br /></p><p>When the elevator doors open upstairs, it is not into a dramatic view of an architectural space, but rather an artificially lit, whitewashed wall with the fire extinguisher. It does not compare well with the experience of climbing the main stairs and opening onto the floor above as the shapes formed by the curving walls frame constantly changing views and variations of natural lighting.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhti6zM9zoYhfUuXfOC3_vJ2Thw_3mb5tl7IQO9_5TvjDJOoHG-tr8U5lKNc7Kr--Vu8FeHkuSdraQq3aGymSL7hKBPJlwmQ254Sz6yep1kY5GOaPXcPZjaz3DbS_qUT9b4dnLPyjAdwPq-CJJpxWXVu8LYYMRHnZYrhZX3n1AGFiHdatkxYWXZKq4ywQ/s4032/20230603_105538.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="People at the top of the main stairs in the grand cavern" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhti6zM9zoYhfUuXfOC3_vJ2Thw_3mb5tl7IQO9_5TvjDJOoHG-tr8U5lKNc7Kr--Vu8FeHkuSdraQq3aGymSL7hKBPJlwmQ254Sz6yep1kY5GOaPXcPZjaz3DbS_qUT9b4dnLPyjAdwPq-CJJpxWXVu8LYYMRHnZYrhZX3n1AGFiHdatkxYWXZKq4ywQ/w480-h640/20230603_105538.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsLuUkAGntZ9fNoivKSRgah1MO_Z8QrS2BaorCM6-kJT2V7wpvwSPR6l3pVymQzrouYezduntCGwTmUlUbfQMxS-m33tKLnhxO9n3Bxw9PDXwhm84jydILUqAdIPLY9LVhJ18-CsgqYYqUB4XFVblgAHvVvJNjiOmfwWnYeK5ZUxCHYlYZbqVXEm9GQ/s4032/20230603_110038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="People taking in the views of the grand cavern" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsLuUkAGntZ9fNoivKSRgah1MO_Z8QrS2BaorCM6-kJT2V7wpvwSPR6l3pVymQzrouYezduntCGwTmUlUbfQMxS-m33tKLnhxO9n3Bxw9PDXwhm84jydILUqAdIPLY9LVhJ18-CsgqYYqUB4XFVblgAHvVvJNjiOmfwWnYeK5ZUxCHYlYZbqVXEm9GQ/w640-h480/20230603_110038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unlike the dramatic architecture of the Long Island City Library by Steven Holl that has now come in for disdain, the Gilder Center does not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). When I visited the library shortly after it opened, I immediately recognized the problem with the bookshelves that extend from landings on the stairs, inaccessible to anyone with difficulty navigating the stairs. This failure has the building mired in lawsuits. <div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgQA4NYSfgcoDtNtB2oYfDp7kza1IVxMSsN55omOIUhmEU-crnK_jnQ4g1_zS7GU36KiEDzAYne167zTZ1U21vFHelrntgmi-PmZTrpxVhJ8nUlLflNGJUhlqFNJKjT6-wGSeFIOXXXoopc6HItqRX0zBO_7g7_VET4RX4IxjVEVtnwABfyTxCXihfQ/s900/6sqft-NYC_sues_Holl_LIC_library.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="6sqft headline "NYC sues architecture firm behind behind new Long Island City library over accessibility issues"" border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="900" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgQA4NYSfgcoDtNtB2oYfDp7kza1IVxMSsN55omOIUhmEU-crnK_jnQ4g1_zS7GU36KiEDzAYne167zTZ1U21vFHelrntgmi-PmZTrpxVhJ8nUlLflNGJUhlqFNJKjT6-wGSeFIOXXXoopc6HItqRX0zBO_7g7_VET4RX4IxjVEVtnwABfyTxCXihfQ/w400-h290/6sqft-NYC_sues_Holl_LIC_library.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Yet there is a fundamental similarity between the two designs in the way they use a dramatic staircase as the central feature, without making that experience inclusive for everyone. Although the Gilder Center fails as universal design, it stays within bounds of the ADA by providing some physical way to access all of the museum's programmatic areas. Ultimately, this may be more insidious, because it does not draw the criticism it deserves. Instead, visitors captivated by the compelling visuals will post their favorite photos and smiling selfies.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQdCzUj6ktVMUK7dpbGuOQ8HQZBvxCmsPpPLeTacri2veNn6OXp0t6hSnyOy0OI0hCkndoZxhIfs6UdhTX5BeyyTHXDA2VkTNPiX5lyucmRSmrB8ObLMBckX45CRGU8nrYGXT8WrNxVcN7hmF3A2GoQ8hh3Kf5GEc3EDuJEO4arhGRrhfCqLG0L3I1w/s3024/20230603_105735.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bridge and entrance into an exhibit space at the top of the grand cavern" border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="3024" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQdCzUj6ktVMUK7dpbGuOQ8HQZBvxCmsPpPLeTacri2veNn6OXp0t6hSnyOy0OI0hCkndoZxhIfs6UdhTX5BeyyTHXDA2VkTNPiX5lyucmRSmrB8ObLMBckX45CRGU8nrYGXT8WrNxVcN7hmF3A2GoQ8hh3Kf5GEc3EDuJEO4arhGRrhfCqLG0L3I1w/w640-h512/20230603_105735.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-11548839959750807672021-04-17T19:03:00.005-04:002021-04-24T15:33:19.859-04:00Street Corner Campaign Stop<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A campaign stop on a street corner is a politician's opportunity to connect with voters by speaking directly to them. When you draw a crowd, people walking by tend to stop to see what is happening. It is also an opportunity to produce images for campaign material, so the backdrop can make a difference in choosing the right corner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the Norwood neighborhood in The Bronx, one street corner stands out after a couple campaign stops:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wEFurXGa3RMxqEExKMyllmyJQ4JDHp9Ush1ACGdu5sr-3hMXkC0ohg7PyJ2bTDbHsMlNs43Me-1XUkjudMKUdPgq6PvVUn1zzAULyhSnIC2wtWKQIbYgJ0is0z2NQv3tUZgzC5_cD8E1/w640-h360/20210321_123112.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">It was great to be out in Norwood this morning with our dedicated team of volunteers! Looking forward to many more days like this as we work our way through every corner of our district. <a href="https://t.co/Z0vRFIb00x">pic.twitter.com/Z0vRFIb00x</a></p>— Jessica Haller for NYC Council 2021 (@JessicaHaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaHaller/status/1296917484327636995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<div><br /></div><div>The mural creates a distinctive, identifiable place, while its bright colors lend positive energy to the scene. The wall without building entrances, combined with a relatively wide sidewalk, make it function well for drawing in a crowd to listen without blocking anyone.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div>This was not always such a nice part of the neighborhood. A couple years ago, it was just a blank wall on a dirty corner. It was the persistent organizing by neighborhood activist <a href="https://www.elisabethvonuhl.com/" target="_blank">Elisabeth von Uhl</a> and the artistic talent of <a href="https://www.lauralvarez.com/" target="_blank">Laura Alvarez</a> that <a href="https://urbanresidue.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-performance-on-dirty-corner.html" target="_blank">brought life to this residual space</a> and created a place where the community can engage in active civic life.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIlGgGwJGuLvse0DBYjJmMLCFSAx5SFxsloxf-BfdR04DJfGbhC7FE-6A3236MKpZXEFg5oV8HCI3WYwitCy1S0RmroNeSpghrB4qhG-YucnMKYMNYagdrJExxHKg0TDkUYbE139O5FMR/s1614/20210417_172017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="1614" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIlGgGwJGuLvse0DBYjJmMLCFSAx5SFxsloxf-BfdR04DJfGbhC7FE-6A3236MKpZXEFg5oV8HCI3WYwitCy1S0RmroNeSpghrB4qhG-YucnMKYMNYagdrJExxHKg0TDkUYbE139O5FMR/w640-h480/20210417_172017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgUgdwxnmCu_xcAA6S936_gGFQ6E2MGVjySG2Oaib4QoiF3mAbfrtqersrR9RFj3PYcm5tvrZYuZxbmJEPcFgKemivCOmuOG2MiFbdRlkgeDuEE5Gw-jDnNFNbAoJtRC1U_K2nZZFxhgW/s2048/20210321_180700.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgUgdwxnmCu_xcAA6S936_gGFQ6E2MGVjySG2Oaib4QoiF3mAbfrtqersrR9RFj3PYcm5tvrZYuZxbmJEPcFgKemivCOmuOG2MiFbdRlkgeDuEE5Gw-jDnNFNbAoJtRC1U_K2nZZFxhgW/w640-h360/20210321_180700.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oXTN_ydkR_xMWVzGcCfUozcmTg6DbciYie93rrGEnuKDn4sKjSwIIuFeMtUyMpXnqrv5DRPHAtpKz9cisRJzcNM2ef6ZCMMgif5_B-Qnqum80vW6ooLMM-4kNyspQV3aSZEA7Z_ljZv9/s2048/20210321_122632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oXTN_ydkR_xMWVzGcCfUozcmTg6DbciYie93rrGEnuKDn4sKjSwIIuFeMtUyMpXnqrv5DRPHAtpKz9cisRJzcNM2ef6ZCMMgif5_B-Qnqum80vW6ooLMM-4kNyspQV3aSZEA7Z_ljZv9/w640-h360/20210321_122632.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEen0FEPX143TbsRwYPH33Pg-JtbBNm43_x5Z12vO26KLDXyYF8g_u36fCW8BvKU1Cy4Nf2mxIMxRgqRXRzSkJMObx9Z5CphU9Sz_NzwkSC72rOCD1FEuVfRAb5ZCK7zwLbj9iUvQ8zXK/s2048/20210321_122444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEen0FEPX143TbsRwYPH33Pg-JtbBNm43_x5Z12vO26KLDXyYF8g_u36fCW8BvKU1Cy4Nf2mxIMxRgqRXRzSkJMObx9Z5CphU9Sz_NzwkSC72rOCD1FEuVfRAb5ZCK7zwLbj9iUvQ8zXK/w640-h360/20210321_122444.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BX LET’S GO! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/minoforthebronx?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#minoforthebronx</a><br /><br />🗳 Election Day is March 23 <a href="https://t.co/1kUXUsq3jy">pic.twitter.com/1kUXUsq3jy</a></p>— Mino Lora 🇩🇴🇺🇸 (@MinoLora) <a href="https://twitter.com/MinoLora/status/1373695222442553352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-41660349631332464472021-02-02T23:44:00.003-05:002021-02-02T23:45:29.397-05:00Sitting on Public Stairs<p>They are a place to rest, to wait for someone you're meeting, to relax and watch the world go by. On a thriving city street, large public stairs are naturally filled with sitting people.</p><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/2mDZYiMqBh4AhmRH9" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1074" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVSfPyIJMpB9vv6yRB3VsP6cbNjKjB0vmTGkNEDDfokYnBw1LDsfm3UecKJmtLRJ2B1fCOsKQQcx7leuNWKhZbuFsuHP1Vy1F8NL-L4hkSJh9J39vB87Wicn10QNN1mEBSvVSTtbAnUpA/w640-h480/20210202_184907.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #404040; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">Steps at the New York Public Library </span></span><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/2mDZYiMqBh4AhmRH9" style="text-align: center;">https://maps.app.goo.gl/2mDZYiMqBh4AhmRH9</a></p><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/AUwfbgf6ENYpHErr5" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1021" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc67jh5D_7SzP5n10_Qw9d6qjGMKubdiNqEVvFFvMBRGMCH6dRnrFbsk7VC1l-BiOpewfyV8BiUgrFar1bmDILdm0oOu-FrJ66E246Jw2ixnpZiQi5l3Qun3lVTx1ee4O0ZKZlWX8P82ip/w640-h475/20210202_185303.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">Steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/AUwfbgf6ENYpHErr5 ">https://maps.app.goo.gl/AUwfbgf6ENYpHErr5 </a></p><p><br style="text-align: left;" /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">So when I see an image of a large staircase on a busy street with nobody sitting on it, something is wrong with the picture:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBn3VZotk4sLwwjHzSqjZiu5VybQWaXts8zbBFhwx7St24T52Lp0odOOqPZAI80UraQzfoEwxXcUwKiHp3PHrMBZ3N8lKH2kKod_blqvN500Ndtdrkkpz8B3gV5mgdPMpkYPQJUWATBjjD/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBn3VZotk4sLwwjHzSqjZiu5VybQWaXts8zbBFhwx7St24T52Lp0odOOqPZAI80UraQzfoEwxXcUwKiHp3PHrMBZ3N8lKH2kKod_blqvN500Ndtdrkkpz8B3gV5mgdPMpkYPQJUWATBjjD/w640-h400/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>There are a couple possibilities here. It could be a simple oversight by the artist. Alternately, it may reflect the developer's attitude toward the public life on the sidewalk. <p></p><p>This private project at Grand Central incorporates significant improvements for passenger circulation as well as new public areas at the level of the elevated roadway. The project was covered in <a href="https://commercialobserver.com/2021/02/grand-central-terminal-grand-hyatt-hotel-replacement-first-look/#slide0" target="_blank"><i>Commercial Observer</i></a>, which notes, "The public areas will be landscaped with flowers and a reflecting pool, and include seating; two cafes; outdoor art..." It may seem this is just an issue of the artist's interpretation. My personal experience, after all, has been that renderings often do not accurately portray all aspects of the projects I work on.</p><p>Yet the developer approved the image for release. Apparently not all the renderings have been approved. At minimum, this would seem to indicate a lack of interest in the civic function of the steps, and it still leaves a real possibility that the intent is to tamp down on sitting on the steps.</p><p><br /></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">not sure what this means considering there are public benches and seating upstairs. I was just not allowed to publish those renderings because they aren’t ready for public consumption or whatever.</p>— Rebecca Baird-Remba (@thecitywanderer) <a href="https://twitter.com/thecitywanderer/status/1356664084746432512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>There may be some question about why the renderings of the public spaces have not been approved. Perhaps there is some wavering in their level of commitment for these spaces?</p><p>These concerns may not be entirely misplaced. There is a clear difference between seating enmeshed in the vibrant life of the public street and seating areas in a quasi-public, privatized space a floor above street level that is curated, commercialized, and undoubtedly carefully controlled.</p><p>Whatever the case with the rendering, it seems there are two possible outcomes. The steps can take on a civic life as a place of enjoyment integrated with New York City street life, or they can become a space that is <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7332861/Rome-bans-tourists-sitting-famous-Spanish-Steps-fines-370.html" target="_blank">constantly policed to ward off the people it attracts.</a>.</p>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-47032843966077769352021-01-23T23:25:00.000-05:002021-01-23T23:25:07.055-05:00The Narrow Channel<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the sort of project that makes people resentful of cyclists.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFvbO1DuJIxX8y56m3LHUQ23-bf7FSHIwQRYjtwaNeO6QTitdIxV8k0ITVJc6S0bJmEAkW_OlhmoPqyaGt3j-FXurEUShZccB3CyOq3R6R3d7e0Lewd9uyKT6tysY7F_wZCLnvrVNDTmt/s2048/20201225_152223.jpg"><img alt="A bike channel along the side of a newly reconstructed step street" border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFvbO1DuJIxX8y56m3LHUQ23-bf7FSHIwQRYjtwaNeO6QTitdIxV8k0ITVJc6S0bJmEAkW_OlhmoPqyaGt3j-FXurEUShZccB3CyOq3R6R3d7e0Lewd9uyKT6tysY7F_wZCLnvrVNDTmt/w640-h360/20201225_152223.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bike channels installed on newly reconstructed step streets like this look like a useful upgrade to help cyclists who may have difficulty going around to power up the steep hills. A different design, however, could have been useful for more people, namely pedestrians with carts. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People struggling to return home with their shopping can easily look at the money the City spent to rebuild their step street, consider the attention given to the needs of other people (the people with bicycles), and easily conclude that nobody cared about their ability to lug their basic necessities home. And they wouldn't really be wrong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-58658428653007839432020-12-05T18:08:00.001-05:002020-12-05T18:10:12.745-05:00The Path of Restoration
Abandoned places in New York City are becoming increasingly rare. On a recent excursion with my son, I intended to go explore an abandoned place I hadn't visited for a few years. When we got there, I discovered that it had been reactivated.<div><br /></div><div>The staircase down from the street had previously been walled off, but now the wall and the fence on top of it had been altered to reopen the stairs onto the sidewalk. The path that wraps around under the railroad tracks to the train station has been cleared and repaved. The vines that had covered the carved stone on the wall have been cleared off. A new fence closes off the train tracks, replacing the ruins of the old iron fence that had been broken and partially consumed by decades of tree growth. Construction debris that had previously been dumped in this area was gone and the place looks remarkably clean. We saw a couple people stroll or jog through enjoying the path and stairs while we were there.</div><div>
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzJonHjc_F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzJonHjc_F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzJonHjc_F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Urban Residue (@urban_residue)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<span><a name='more'></a></span>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzIMz2DOpJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzIMz2DOpJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzIMz2DOpJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Urban Residue (@urban_residue)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzeB7LjSX1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzeB7LjSX1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKzeB7LjSX1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Urban Residue (@urban_residue)</a></p></div></blockquote><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh8XHsVplXOwNUH2NWK0wW7e4bXL3fgzxU6Rg1kMAepO5JEiwNobL6Su8XIs7YZieFu9Eje0CWmrPVAWtKSIk5kV-5MU7DdDqL0IGm1I47yu2JYP_lsrEtwrlGEvCmgUIwatSaCAq-wrE/s2048/20201111_130344.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh8XHsVplXOwNUH2NWK0wW7e4bXL3fgzxU6Rg1kMAepO5JEiwNobL6Su8XIs7YZieFu9Eje0CWmrPVAWtKSIk5kV-5MU7DdDqL0IGm1I47yu2JYP_lsrEtwrlGEvCmgUIwatSaCAq-wrE/w360-h640/20201111_130344.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reopened stairs and newly paved path</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<div><br /></div><div>It looks great! This was a good use of resources to restore existing park amenities for the public to enjoy. Yet it still feels like something was lost in the course of making this place available to more people.</div><div><br /></div><div>It may seem tempting to dismiss the thrill of happening on an overgrown grand staircase as "Columbusing." There is no "discovery" in wandering through parkland that generations of neighborhood residents have watched linger in neglect. The ability to even wander through a place isolated from public view is an exercise of male privilege.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the same time, the experience of an abandoned place excites the imagination and invites the observer to think much more deeply about the nature of the place. Why was this built here? When did people stop using it, and for what reason? Why were the stairs closed off while the path from the train station remained open? Unlike a finished place that presents itself as settled fact, an abandoned place is a mystery. Everything about it becomes an interesting clue to understanding where you are and why it is the way you see it. It is an invitation to wonder. </div><div><br /></div><div>As New York continues rebuilding its public spaces, gradually reinvesting after decades of neglect, it does leave me wondering: are we losing something? What paths will our children find to the mysteries of the world around them?</div>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-55489515508446552942020-11-06T00:39:00.002-05:002020-11-06T00:39:57.553-05:00Bad Markings<p>This shared-use path becomes precariously narrow on the bridge over the Bronx River. It is barely wide enough to comfortably ride; forget trying to pass anybody else. The thing is, there is some residual roadway space that could be repurposed to fix this problem.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-T2DDZeRMCn-AvssPs-niO_A1UkoQifEGWwOmSBNgeLS0TTeP88qAoXnU4WDbYiurSP-nAHtE71RnzkkHTWyPjcDUB6YyM56mMou5R3pGTVNJxKC7Eb0ocFRONP5tiA9ig2gR7p1-S9Z/s2048/20201105_073425.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-T2DDZeRMCn-AvssPs-niO_A1UkoQifEGWwOmSBNgeLS0TTeP88qAoXnU4WDbYiurSP-nAHtE71RnzkkHTWyPjcDUB6YyM56mMou5R3pGTVNJxKC7Eb0ocFRONP5tiA9ig2gR7p1-S9Z/w400-h225/20201105_073425.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path drops from a full 14-feet-wide shared-use path <br />right at the bridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImgzf8hIb-ZOtlLBks_wHl0KUTo1UaAm-1uCD8j0ggRGfUs0icDcHUPt7a4qZGyo1bLu2Poj1zCI3KCy4nCOf407wBuMDU64GvhHmyZzcN4KeYg3FtQdNKFg9BMBXsHN_pI2Hbv43Iz0K/w400-h225/20201105_073418.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over the bridge, the path is only about three-feet wide</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY8H4OOmQmFkBQhdKeWnzDdE7ghmu8cdQ14EHfdJl4wnSd2hbA9VIXtQetmkWh-7Gt70CMhWDybByf_rU9t_8TVqe6eLM-NbB7FiwuuudTHut6iYHf3ejg-lGMbcJ79H_r6jZl9Jmm_tY/s2048/20201105_073438.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY8H4OOmQmFkBQhdKeWnzDdE7ghmu8cdQ14EHfdJl4wnSd2hbA9VIXtQetmkWh-7Gt70CMhWDybByf_rU9t_8TVqe6eLM-NbB7FiwuuudTHut6iYHf3ejg-lGMbcJ79H_r6jZl9Jmm_tY/w400-h225/20201105_073438.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign that is barely visible warns about the obvious: <br />"BIKEWAY NARROWS"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The New York City Department of Transportation prepared <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/southern-blvd-feb2019.pdf" target="_blank">plans to upgrade the corridor</a> last year, but it didn't extend quite far enough to address this problem spot.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwwGQnrT8p4yMEZbMjIju8t3aHXEuT-yeckPXnQ9fua4kK9yLooBKDdf_xa6cCK4_ajTrY2DchfrcwJ5WjmhOCyNaywaAdsDl1KVdskFH2M-jiXwIJIQIkkDkTfSm5FLpyM0fvZc5_-6P/s961/Bronx+River+bike+connection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="961" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwwGQnrT8p4yMEZbMjIju8t3aHXEuT-yeckPXnQ9fua4kK9yLooBKDdf_xa6cCK4_ajTrY2DchfrcwJ5WjmhOCyNaywaAdsDl1KVdskFH2M-jiXwIJIQIkkDkTfSm5FLpyM0fvZc5_-6P/w640-h416/Bronx+River+bike+connection.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This is unfortunate, and it looks like it turned out to be a real missed opportunity. A solution is sitting right there in the unused space that is hatched off as a shoulder lane over the bridge. Repurposing that leftover roadway space to split cyclists off onto a two-way cycle track would make a relatively quick and low-cost improvement. <div><div><div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_Qaj2kNuQC8koxQwnGAQ-Xiqw-f_dWG1tOIFK1zVAIogpe3fCuq4jusn2A0QDgv_Beg_W6a2muOUceg2a05-Uzy_ngBlX_W82lf9KrUw8pDT0nJDmmfgWuhE4WogmDEIqLM-BQ3kPFwb/s2048/20201105_073445.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_Qaj2kNuQC8koxQwnGAQ-Xiqw-f_dWG1tOIFK1zVAIogpe3fCuq4jusn2A0QDgv_Beg_W6a2muOUceg2a05-Uzy_ngBlX_W82lf9KrUw8pDT0nJDmmfgWuhE4WogmDEIqLM-BQ3kPFwb/w400-h225/20201105_073445.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hatched area is just sitting there waiting to provide <br />much-needed space for cyclists<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>This would require a pair of curb ramps, a few markings, and a <a href="http://www.qwickkurb.com/bike-lanes/" target="_blank">section of Qwick Kurb</a> to provide adequate separation from traffic while allowing emergency vehicles to use the lane to bypass traffic if necessary. Some attention to the design of the end segments may be necessary to allow for snow-clearing without leaving the lane exposed for drivers to cut through.<br /><p>It is unfortunate that this location was not include in the plan that was released last year, because DOT sent its marking crew out this year and refreshed all the existing markings. The money that was spent to maintain the bad status quo could have gone a long way toward solving the problem.</p></div></div></div></div><span><!--more--></span>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-9188696475090140872020-08-27T22:17:00.007-04:002021-04-11T01:28:41.528-04:00Policing Graffiti<div>When the police remove graffiti, it is not about beautifying the neighborhood. It is not even really about crime, either. It is about control.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is remarkable how often the NYPD publicizes its graffiti cleanups, and troubling how disappointingly ugly the results often turn out. My first reaction is to feel like that is a petty complaint. They are volunteering their time, after all, to do something for the community, right? The thing is, what they are doing is trying to maintain their control over the neighborhood.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Graffiti is a crime and removing the traces of crime makes the neighborhood feel more safe, so the story goes. Often they will throw in the fear of gangs, too. Yet when they remove the graffiti, they often do not actually remove the traces of "crime."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Consider these photos recently <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPD113Pct/status/1296931037520580609?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted by the NYPD</a>:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RCN5TibNjrtx454W6xKM6AWkF705Q_Gdd8j7pD-mKYdg9fEi1E4WJtPAW5pzGoZ-lqQeZeHKtsrSIkiWlR23qXCd6gXlSZggeeo-ds6REkmd4VbW3QEUKuELX8HqjmkkhdPsajQuP2IO/s862/NYPD+graffiti+removal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="862" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RCN5TibNjrtx454W6xKM6AWkF705Q_Gdd8j7pD-mKYdg9fEi1E4WJtPAW5pzGoZ-lqQeZeHKtsrSIkiWlR23qXCd6gXlSZggeeo-ds6REkmd4VbW3QEUKuELX8HqjmkkhdPsajQuP2IO/s640/NYPD+graffiti+removal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Crudely covering over the tags leaves the walls with a mangy appearance. It is still "unsightly," and anybody who glances at it can plainly see that somebody's tags have been covered over. There is a two-part dynamic in these unsightly displays: it symbolically demonstrates the power of the police to remove competing claims to public space, and it preserves a sense of disorder that justifies the need for strong policing. Ugliness is a tool to produce fear, and the police use it to foster a sense of dependence on them for protection.</div><div><br /></div><div>If there is any doubt that the effect is to exercise control, rather than to create an environment that communicates respect for the law, consider this tweet:</div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cleaning up the neighborhood bit by bit. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/graffitiremoval?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#graffitiremoval</a> <a href="https://t.co/s9vEpCwoot">pic.twitter.com/s9vEpCwoot</a></p>— NYPD 5th Precinct (@NYPD5Pct) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPD5Pct/status/1294712039332622342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2020</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div>In both sets of photos, there were illegally parked NYPD vehicles blocking the fire hydrant and the crosswalk. What these images show is that they have little concern about the actual safety or appearance of the law. Instead, they just show that they removed a challenge to their power.</div><div><br /></div><div>The NYPD has even gone as far as <a href="https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120725/inwood/cops-paint-over-inwood-mural-that-depicts-nypd-as-murderers/" target="_blank">removing a legal mural</a> when they did not like the way they were being portrayed. They called that censorship "broken windows policing," too.</div><div><br /></div><div>So it really is not surprising that the "Blue Lives Matter" teenager who traveled across state lines to confront protesters, and murdered two of them, was out removing anti-police graffiti before he went on his killing spree.</div></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="361" src="https://players.brightcove.net/4137224153001/6aIMRO3kiI_default/index.html?videoId=6185007881001&nypostPlaylistType=iris&playsinline=true" width="640"></iframe>
Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-39853687131147143032020-08-16T23:57:00.002-04:002020-08-17T00:14:54.549-04:00Going Back to Work<div class="separator"><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="2048" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZYcIheZ2hEDf_mHs0D9dj2_sC-KBjdrRg55XK-N01iCPykSA9bSoPY62dHk-weuGXdAZifgsWrvFq17qScCBn3nPKh6qdQNrC_5KbrNwHm9aeU40tSyneB9VsuDO7jBmSHCqduijr7CG/w513-h318/Midtown+Manhattan.jpg" width="513" /></div><p style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">Sure, there was the ridiculous "<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nyc-dead-forever-heres-why-james-altucher/" target="_blank">New York Is Dead Forever</a>" article that came out this week everybody is hating on twitter, but Richard Florida is supposed to be an urban planning expert that people take seriously. So it was odd to see him announcing the demise of Midtown Manhattan:</p></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">1. Rebuilding the Central Business District (CBD):<br />My view is that the central business district like you see in Manhattan—the financial district, the Mid-Town Headquarters District—is a relic of the past. It’s kind of the last echo of the industrial age.</p>— Richard Florida (@Richard_Florida) <a href="https://twitter.com/Richard_Florida/status/1294989787120709634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2020</a></blockquote><p>It's hard to see what Florida could think was "industrial age" about Midtown Manhattan. Midtown was the epitome of the age of FIRE (Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate). Its development was New York's coming of age as a post-industrial city. </p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">2. There is no reason that hundreds of thousands and millions of people need to get in cars and trains and busses and subways and commute a half hour, 45 minutes, an hour, 90 minutes each way to go to work</p>— Richard Florida (@Richard_Florida) <a href="https://twitter.com/Richard_Florida/status/1294989863117369345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2020</a></blockquote><p>There has long been a reason that so many people have continued to commute into Manhattan to work: it is a center of specialized work that draws on the entire metropolis to assemble teams with the necessary skill sets. Additional workers are drawn in by relatively higher wages to provide support services. As long as teamwork for specialized work relies on collaborative work spaces, and the workers have living preferences and family circumstances that disperse them across the metropolis, central locations with strong transportation access will continue to draw commuters.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The big "<i>if</i>" is whether collaborative work spaces are necessary. The current pandemic has forced a long-lingering question about how much of the teamwork can be effectively completed through online collaborative tools. For months, offices have been forced to work remotely. Workers are logging in from their homes, joining meetings through Webex, or Teams, or Zoom, and trying to connect on the phone when they have an idea. The effectiveness of this work environment is not clear, and there are some clear disadvantages in the immediate set-up, but supposedly some companies are finding high levels of productivity.</p><p>The current trial does not even show the full potential of remote working, since many home work spaces are full of distracting children. Productivity should be higher when schools return to normal and regular childcare service resume.</p><p>On the other hand, we are only observing the short-term aspects of remote working. The effectiveness of onboarding new employees and integrating them into company culture seems dubious, and will require more time to play out. My own experience has been that true collaboration is significantly diminished. We lack the informal discussions, with coworkers joining in when they hear something interesting. I can't get a few words with somebody on the side as we leave a meeting, or gauge the right time to approach my boss with an issue that requires focus when she is in the right state of mind. And you're definitely not getting any of the benefits from stronger relationships or the creative sparks that often come from going out together for lunch or getting a drink together after work. The fact of the matter is that after a few years in our new office, we were in the process of converting mail rooms into new collaborative work areas because there was a recognized need that warranted an investment. The necessity of surviving a global pandemic didn't eliminate that need.</p><p>Businesses that believe they can make remote work function as well or better than their offices have every incentive to drop their lease and save on their rent as soon as they can. Even if they anticipate somewhat lower productivity, there may be a point where the tradeoff against the overhead savings may entice them to liquidate their offices. Some companies are choosing to move that direction already. It will take time to see how many of them do, and longer to see if they remain viable longer term. Even if the savings appear attractive to the company, it is not clear that workers will prefer spending their whole day in their own space separated from their coworkers. If it proves unattractive, companies may have difficulty retaining talent that would prefer to work for their competitors. The reactions to the New York Daily News eliminating its newsroom may be telling:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is a terrible turn. I learned so much from being in newsrooms and learning from others and taking chances</p>— Michael Powell (@powellnyt) <a href="https://twitter.com/powellnyt/status/1293638084735774721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Another factor to consider is the nature of office work. Pre-pandemic, there was somewhat of a trend toward working remotely part-time and sharing the space. This might be viewed as a reduction in the space necessary per worker, but I suspect that reduced overhead allowed companies to hire a few more workers, while commuting fewer days per week could draw more commuters in from locations where they would be reluctant to endure the commute every day. There have also been trends to shrink the space per worker that may not continue based on distancing concerns raised by the pandemic. In other words, these more flexible working arrangements likely have opposing forces that mitigate the potential reductions in office space people have been focusing on.</p><p>At this moment, it is all unclear. If there are many more companies that choose to let go of their office space, though, how much does that really threaten Midtown's future as an office district? It may be destructive to the investments of many real estate interests, of course, and the failure of some landlords could throw entire buildings into years of vacancy while they go through bankruptcy and then require renovation before they can be re-let. Nonetheless, at lower prices, it seems hard to imagine there won't be businesses that see an advantage from the central location. At the same time, the continuing housing crisis in New York City is likely to continue some housing conversions that would nibble away at any surplus and help stabilize the market.</p><p>Of course, housing conversions assume continuing demand to live in Midtown. If offices are retrenchant, would people still want to live there? Why wouldn't they? Assuming there are many people who would like to live within walking distance of their job and simply cannot afford it, the office market could not conceivably shrink enough that it would not draw residential growth into vacated office space. And at the right price, there are plenty of retirees who may be interested in elevator apartments in the heart of everything the city has to offer.</p><p>Perhaps workers need a restaurant scene to help entice them to work in Manhattan? What about the contention that the restaurant scene in Manhattan is gone forever? Unimaginable! There are some many chefs in and around New York City, and others who would seize the opportunity to move here, who have been hoping for a chance to start their own restaurant. Restaurants in the boroughs that weathered the downturn through delivery orders and curbside dining may see opportunities to start an exciting new location in the city. With financing, they can move into existing spaces of businesses that faltered and start serving up new menu options to meet the demand from people throughout the metropolis and tourists from far and wide who want to go out for a night on the town.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ut1pAWuUQZxsQedlKPkZ6Wib64x53HY_LditUBikDKZDkmJf1gQTa_G1Dl4ETA1qZh0vgkwddMVU6S2c_0aIc_OVd2IWUoISMyuHWhtAr6vMnYvqImdwILE7Htzq1ApMwTcMmw0yqH_i/s318/scrooge+mcduck.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ut1pAWuUQZxsQedlKPkZ6Wib64x53HY_LditUBikDKZDkmJf1gQTa_G1Dl4ETA1qZh0vgkwddMVU6S2c_0aIc_OVd2IWUoISMyuHWhtAr6vMnYvqImdwILE7Htzq1ApMwTcMmw0yqH_i/s0/scrooge+mcduck.gif" /></a>Will businesses interested in opening restaurants or moving into Manhattan offices get financing? The financial capital has to go somewhere. Billionaires don't keep their money locked in a vault like Scrooge McDuck; they will need to reinvest it into the new companies that will leverage the existing physical capital of the city to turn a profit by providing services to the huge population that isn't suddenly disappearing in toto from the metropolitan area. </p><p>In all likelihood, we are poised for a period of creativity. With space available and a break on affordability, there may be new opportunities for new, creative ventures to take off.</p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-9677683535902397482020-05-31T00:58:00.000-04:002020-05-31T01:00:54.202-04:00Claim to the SidewalkLast night, the @placardabuse Twitter account <a href="https://twitter.com/placardabuse/status/1266595902543847425?s=19" target="_blank">posted an observation</a> that a burning police van was parked on the sidewalk. It got me thinking. Streets are famously the contested spaces of protest and revolution, so it may be worth looking more closely at how those struggles are being fought within our public right-of-way. In the conflict over who controls our public space, there is a hierarchy within the streetscape driven by tactical considerations as well as the issue of who occupies the image of the street.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiFfUvLX9zk9prcUqH5PdfDWN-41BWc5tqvu-hXOYJ8amby8Mq_7a5PDSWBu37BHGw45M7CG3xo20ufdiNGRCIePCMOy9u2sFtGzG9T6TlpRaPTXN8-S4OiIHJ7YjqB1NO7UxVy6k_uan/s1600/IMG_20200530_010031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiFfUvLX9zk9prcUqH5PdfDWN-41BWc5tqvu-hXOYJ8amby8Mq_7a5PDSWBu37BHGw45M7CG3xo20ufdiNGRCIePCMOy9u2sFtGzG9T6TlpRaPTXN8-S4OiIHJ7YjqB1NO7UxVy6k_uan/s640/IMG_20200530_010031.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The first thing the NYPD seems to do when trying to "control" a protest is to keep the protesters out of the roadbeds. This has strategic aspects, as well as the potential for abuse.<br />
<br />
Often this appeals to a traffic management justification. The transportation rationale implicitly prioritizes the movement of people cutting through the area in cars over anybody using the sidewalk, who becomes trapped on the overcrowded sidewalks. It sets the privileged minority who own cars in New York City above the majority who live car-free. It does also keep the roadways open for emergency vehicles to get through quickly.<br />
<br />
Rapid responses may be critical to provide medical assistance for anybody who may be injured by a confrontation or stampeding from the crowd. It also allows the police to mobilize their own resources, enabling them to respond with overwhelming force, both in terms of bodies and weaponry.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
NYPD are keeping people on the sidewalk <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GeorgeFloydProtest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GeorgeFloydProtest</a> <a href="https://t.co/uDSuCYhe9M">pic.twitter.com/uDSuCYhe9M</a></div>
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/status/1266507938488877059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
Former Mayor <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-rudy-giuliani-rep-keith-ellison/story?id=43493434" target="_blank">Giuliani once expressed this</a> rather concisely:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a zero tolerance for riots. I, you know, took over a city that had two riots in four years and I had none. And they knew they couldn’t riot on me. And when I saw the people on the street in New York City, I said to myself, you’re breaking Giuliani’s rules. You don’t take my streets. You can have my sidewalks, but you don’t take my streets, because ambulances have to get through there, fire trucks have to get through there. People die when you crowd the streets of New York City with protesters. You can do plenty of protesting on the sidewalk.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></blockquote>
As the statement by Giuliani shows, there is a hierarchy here between the "streets" and the "sidewalks." There is also a power of ownership ("my streets") at work here, and the protesters are merely allowed use of the lower status portion of the public space by those in power.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The citizens exercising their right to free speech are confined on the sidewalks, which are often far too narrow. If they dare to step "into the street," the NYPD often uses it as justification for an arrest or violence. There is no traffic rule against stepping into the street in New York City as long as the person is not obstructing traffic, but the NYPD can issue orders to maintain public safety. Failure to comply with their orders is grounds for arrest.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
NYPD keeps pushing the barricades, moving people into the street, and then threatening to arrest people who are in the street <a href="https://t.co/dQJFoW7yfY">pic.twitter.com/dQJFoW7yfY</a></div>
— this is my second redeo (@edwardgorelik) <a href="https://twitter.com/edwardgorelik/status/1266521818246057984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
NYPD just forcibly cleared the plaza at Barclays, pushing people into the street, where they’re now threatening arrests for “being in the roadway.” <a href="https://t.co/4lg8wiAVUW">pic.twitter.com/4lg8wiAVUW</a></div>
— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) <a href="https://twitter.com/jangelooff/status/1266518849979121664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
This broad discretion allows for abuse, and the NYPD is often accused of weaponizing the streetscape by using their orders to pin protesters into uncomfortable or unsafe crowded areas. Yesterday's policing of the protest in Brooklyn followed this same pattern. When protesters did not comply quickly enough, the officers started using force.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
This was me, and I want to make one thing clear to all the people that are commenting lies below this video. I did NOT spit in this officers face. I was wearing a face mask. He told me to get out of the street and then immediately threw me out of the way. <a href="https://t.co/349TZijtD8">https://t.co/349TZijtD8</a></div>
— Dounya Zayer (@zayer_dounya) <a href="https://twitter.com/zayer_dounya/status/1266553959973445639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
Sometimes they jumped immediately to the use of violence against people in the roadway, while in other instances they issued orders to keep moving people back, which can easily instigate a response when people feel threatened and trapped. If overly aggressive police officers can get somebody to respond, they have an excuse to surge forward with an escalation of violence.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
A lot just popped off at the protest for George Floyd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Pepper spray, batons, and several arrests. <a href="https://t.co/ZuciQA82fe">pic.twitter.com/ZuciQA82fe</a></div>
— Jon Campbell (@j0ncampbell) <a href="https://twitter.com/j0ncampbell/status/1266514356071735296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<br />
But as Giuliani's comments indicated, forcing protesters onto the sidewalks is also symbolic. The police maintain the image of owning the middle of the street, forcing all others aside. This excludes them from the primary space and leaves them as onlookers. This may start to sound familiar: it is essentially the same model as a parade, where the privileged take ownership of the middle of the street while the undistinguished spectators crowd on both sides to provide the necessary contrast.<br />
<br />
The fact that police violence occupies the center of the street, while the powerless look on from the sides, is at the heart of the current protests. The event that brought us all here was a public execution that took place in the street while the community was forced to watch from the sidewalk.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzzpcxqv8KpC1yQGPeYLeAdmm7EGXGRR9i8aFNbiK10MgfqMU3v6LvYjDf_5pLyCtk5I8SXiXSxx6RBLklX1g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Showcasing the violent abuse of power in the public street is, in fact, a cornerstone of Donald Trump's reign of terror. As he bragged, he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iTACH1eVIaA" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Perhaps then, on some level, protesters fighting the police may feel drawn to target the police vehicles that violate the sidewalk. Parking on the sidewalk is illegal, making these vehicles symbols of the illegitimate use of power by the police. They also intrude on the small space that has been left to the protesters; if they cannot hold the sidewalks, they have no space at all.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
You'll notice all of these cars are half parked on public sidewalks, a common practice of the NYPD and another way that those who are not part of our own communities are allowed to exploit power at the expense of the use of our city. <a href="https://t.co/xoEx37Bsse">https://t.co/xoEx37Bsse</a></div>
— Alycia (@alyciaicyla) <a href="https://twitter.com/alyciaicyla/status/1266775863800070148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-66412978123404368002020-05-16T17:03:00.001-04:002020-05-16T17:03:54.755-04:00The Forbidden ForestI assume all kids who grow up in neighborhoods on the edge of wooded areas live in a land with made-up names for places defined by childhood imagination and fears. We certainly did. There was the Pretty Forest, the Forbidden Forest, and the Beaver Pond. Ironically, the engineered drainage stream that formed the spine of our childhood wanderings, and continued into town as a major landscape feature, had a real name. That name was unknown to us and unneeded. It was "The Creek," with a sense of primacy that needed no description to distinguish it from others.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0gcHRgGCVfuTEDaHfy0Fj-AxgTVT3ArB8SwWwYT_cloYTwucrACmgcF7YpgCdywUG0stfJLrZv34Q23t1JGxUnBSvBgwnhXNRPHbdVPYMbCz60uakckZ9DXkiqbUuXyZYDbZjFOVKgKu/s1600/Creek_forests_fields.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="501" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0gcHRgGCVfuTEDaHfy0Fj-AxgTVT3ArB8SwWwYT_cloYTwucrACmgcF7YpgCdywUG0stfJLrZv34Q23t1JGxUnBSvBgwnhXNRPHbdVPYMbCz60uakckZ9DXkiqbUuXyZYDbZjFOVKgKu/s400/Creek_forests_fields.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The names were passed along among the kids. We learned them from older siblings and friends, and younger kids picked up the usage from us. I don't know the origin of the name "Pretty Forest," which was the closest and most widely used of the wooded areas. I guess it did look kind of pretty when you looked up at the sky through the trees, or when the leaves kind of, sort of changed color a bit in the fall. The name "Forbidden Forest," on the other hand, seems to have arisen from parental prohibitions against going too far, and was almost certainly reinforced by the fear kids had about following the creek out of the woods into the open to get to the next thick stand of trees.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The Beaver Pond was not a place where anyone normally went. It was a distant location that intrepid kids would go to explore and earn some bragging rights. Rumor had it that after crossing a fence, you had to get past an angry bull with a ring in its nose. When I ventured down with a friend, we did step over a low fence covered by wild roses, but we did not see the legendary bull. There was certainly no sign of a beaver dam. We did see some nutria, so we joked that whoever named the place didn't know the difference. We kept the name anyway; "Nutria Hole" just didn't have the right ring.<br />
<br />
As kids, our "forests" existed in our minds as natural places that dominated our landscape. The rye grass fields were just "the fields," nameless, featureless, somewhat hostile expanses that separated the places where we played. <br />
<br />
When I think about it now, I imagine the farmer who owned the land likely conceptualized it a bit differently. The fields were fertile ground that he cultivated to provide a livelihood for his family. The stands of trees were residual spaces along the flood-control ditch. They were unproductive portions of his property that caused him headaches. <br />
<br />
I have little doubt his preference would have been to keep kids off his property, but blocking access and chasing nimble kids away from the cover of the wooded areas would have proved impractical. He generally let the neighborhood kids play in these leftover areas, with an understanding that we wouldn't trample his grass or bother the sheep brought in to graze during the winter and spring. There was not much reason to go wandering out across the fields anyway, but if we ever did, we were totally exposed. The farmer was likely to catch up to us on his 4-wheeler with giant pontoon tires to keep it from sinking into the mud. He would ask what we were up to, scold us, and threaten to ban us from his property. <br />
<br />
Of all the places we explored, the scariest was never named. My friend and I once followed the tiny stream that came into the Forbidden Forest from the side. After passing a couple big trees, it was a long walk out in the open, where we risked running afoul of the farmer. When we finally reached the next cluster of trees, the smell of death hung over a fenced-in area. Inside were several rotting sheep corpses, bloated and crawling with maggots. It appeared to be the place where the farmer dumped the remains of the sheep we periodically saw collapsed on their sides in the mud. We were already nervous about venturing to an isolated place so far beyond the Forbidden Forest, and we certainly had no business here. We quickly made our way back to cover and never went back there again. I suppose if the name "Forbidden Forest" hadn't already been taken, it would have been appropriate for that place. Instead, in an undiscussed way, it became a sort of "place that shall not be named."Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-52159135168857406992020-05-04T00:48:00.002-04:002021-04-29T18:33:44.566-04:00Not-So-Safe StreetsDuring the current global pandemic, there has been a precipitous drop in driving. Traffic has all but evaporated on New York City's streets. Meanwhile, sidewalks and parks are not providing enough space for people to walk for essential trips, including some basic exercise. Repurposing the residual street space for walking is an obvious solution, and one that is increasingly pursued in cities around the world. New York has been slow to follow, with the Mayor resisting the very idea until continuing to refuse to open streets became politically untenable. Under order of the Governor to do <i>something</i>, he initially opened a few random streets and posted lots of police officers on every block. Shortly thereafter, he pulled it, claiming the police costs were too high.<br />
<br />
Public and political pressure continued to mount, expecially as examples continued to come in from other cities. Photo after photo of from other cities closing streets with simple barriers without a heavy police presence made it untenable to continue insisting that New York City was so unique that we could not open our streets too. Finally, another small number of short street segments were announced for an initial opening this past weekend.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
The charitable way to greet this is that ... it's only a start. They risk making destinations of these streets with slow ramp-ups, though. You can have my street! <a href="https://t.co/HQ03v3p4sJ">pic.twitter.com/HQ03v3p4sJ</a></div>
— Nicole Alone of Silent West Midtown 🌸🐿💐🌺🌹☔️🐥 (@nicolegelinas) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicolegelinas/status/1256250884608188419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
The first day at the Oval only had a small hiccup. The barriers were placed at Reservoir Oval itself, stopping traffic after it had turned onto the inlet streets, with no good way to turn back around. When the street openings were announced with their mileages, I wondered why DOT had not taken credit for the additional mileage from those side streets. The day before the street opened, my 8-year-old son was even thinking out loud on his own about where the barriers would need to be placed for these streets. Just a couple hours after the Safe Street opening, the NYPD recognized and corrected the situation by bringing out additional barriers to intercept the drivers before turning onto those streets. Still, it was an inexplicable mistake for professionals to make.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
The Oval seems to be working well as an open street today. <a href="https://t.co/PjPjd1vc54">pic.twitter.com/PjPjd1vc54</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/1256655079085690888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<a name='more'></a>Aside from that initial problem, the Safe Street worked as designed. People were able to walk to the park or outside around the perimeter while maintaining adequate distance from others. Cyclists passed through. Car traffic was barely a trickle and respectful of people in the street. I watched as a police officer in an unmarked car stopped briefly to reposition one of the barriers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1uWQpSzMcb3iFyLtPQryRPtA38ghJ1hzGHHbIJ3-nYEdpUTW9eLc1QiXlmckSat_Gg82-K1G36EU9iTD3mLX6e27gcY59MLRF2NF6z6sfz0CBX0BeGiuzevzL00Yr_BH6bB_uMRWuuwE/s1600/IMG_-3c3em4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1uWQpSzMcb3iFyLtPQryRPtA38ghJ1hzGHHbIJ3-nYEdpUTW9eLc1QiXlmckSat_Gg82-K1G36EU9iTD3mLX6e27gcY59MLRF2NF6z6sfz0CBX0BeGiuzevzL00Yr_BH6bB_uMRWuuwE/s640/IMG_-3c3em4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The second day was an entirely different situation. It all got off to a bad start when the barriers were erected with the rules posted on the back side, where drivers could not see them. The barriers were quickly moved aside and the police were making no effort to reposition them. Drivers were downright disrespectful, honking at people to get out of their way, and when I didn't move on my bike for a driver to race by, he punish passed me.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
One of the drivers punishment passed me when I didn't pull over to let them race through. <a href="https://t.co/wqgQ5gbM9q">pic.twitter.com/wqgQ5gbM9q</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/1257013310567972882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
It is hard to explain why it changed so much overnight. On the first day, despite an initial mistake, the NYPD was clearly monitoring the situation and took it seriously enough to fix the problem. Yet on the second day, they didn't get the set up right and neglected it throughout the day. The total lack of attention is even harder to explain, given the significantly larger than usual number of officers patrolling the park to enforce social distancing. Given all the public discourse about whether the "Safe Streets" need police coverage, I hope there wasn't a decision to withhold <i>all</i> police resources to prove that it doesn't work without policing.<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-20197782907291093012020-04-10T23:43:00.000-04:002020-05-16T21:26:52.346-04:00Minimum WidthDuring this time of social distancing due to COVID-19, many essential workers are traveling by bike, and others use them for their limited excursions outside for exercise. A bike ride on the nearly empty streets easily enables social distancing, and generally feels safe as long as you avoid the wider streets that seem to attract reckless speeding. Where the social distancing gets difficult is on the bridges.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Can't wait for <a href="https://twitter.com/nycdot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nycdot</a> upgrades to the Harlem River Bridges. The Washington Bridge is inhumanely narrow! <a href="https://t.co/DCXo7WPUiJ">pic.twitter.com/DCXo7WPUiJ</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/704496986024759297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Most of the bridge walkways are far too narrow, as though they've been treated as the space left over on the structures, which people who have been left out are permitted to use. These walkways have long been poor connections for cyclists, since it is technically illegal to actually ride over them. The regulations ostensibly address the concerns about cyclists sharing inadequate space with pedestrians, where a wobbly rider might accidentally jam their handlebar into somebody's ribs. The narrow width takes on a new dimension when social distancing becomes a safety imperative. Any essential workers who rely on the bridges to get to their jobs are forced into unavoidable contact with others.<br />
<br />
But what if they met the minimum recommended width for a shared-use path? As it turns out, a width of 10 feet, plus a two-foot shoulder on each side, provides just enough space for people to maintain six feet of social-distancing, as long as they both stay to the sides. Obviously, this would be a bare minimum for social-distancing purposes. It does not account for people walking side-by-side, which may happen if people in the same household go out for some exercise. At any real level of activity, it seriously curtails opportunities for cyclists to overtake pedestrians. Additionally, it doesn't account for the <a href="https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/105427/outdoor-activities-require-stricter-social-distancing-belgian-study-suggests-slipstream-respiratory-droplets-ku-leuven-eindhoven-university-technology/" target="_blank">larger distancing that is advisable for people working out</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWzQVEy6wy_QfqKxIEioMJGCGcKNzvgL6_5_P4YqSaA2Bon1Mg799p6zmfEQ8t7U445TMBGb3HyrQXlIs-yYjAt5FdLNMATacYtX1eDksOJ5CaGFuxwbhVXCyfWrLbDm4e5pB1ime99uz/s1600/SUP.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="541" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWzQVEy6wy_QfqKxIEioMJGCGcKNzvgL6_5_P4YqSaA2Bon1Mg799p6zmfEQ8t7U445TMBGb3HyrQXlIs-yYjAt5FdLNMATacYtX1eDksOJ5CaGFuxwbhVXCyfWrLbDm4e5pB1ime99uz/s320/SUP.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
In practice, the minimum recommended width is often treated more like an aspirational goal, and the shoulder space is often sacrificed on bridges. If the precautions of social distancing become a more regular concern that will be taken into account in design, it would reinforce and perhaps expand an actual minimum width for shared-use paths.Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-43476230919117686462019-11-02T18:07:00.000-04:002019-11-02T20:06:23.941-04:00An Alleyway and the Joker Stairs<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In a dank alleyway, far beneath the metropolitan skyscrapers, there exists a temporal loop. A rich couple, having taken an ill-advised shortcut from the theatre to reality, are shot dead over and over, each time in slightly different variations but always with the same outcome.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Darran Anderson, <a href="https://www.influxpress.com/imaginary-cities" target="_blank"><i>Imaginary Cities</i></a></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On Halloween, I watched the new </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Joker</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> movie at a cinema in The Bronx. There has been a lot of discussion locally about the influx of tourists to "the Joker stairs," but as an urban planner, I would have been scrutinizing the details of the newest version of Gotham City anyway. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I noted in a<a href="https://urbanresidue.blogspot.com/2015/08/imaginary-cities.html" target="_blank"> review of <i>Imaginary Cities</i></a><i>, </i></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the variations of Gotham over time show changes in the fears lurking in the dark places of our collective consciousness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Joker almost entirely abandons </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">any effort at developing a fictional Gotham City. With almost no alterations, it is unmistakably New York City. More precisely, it is the mythos of the "bad old days" of New York in the 1970s and 80s, complete with the 1981 garbage strike. Stylistically, it draws visual and acting cues from Scorsese's <i>Taxi Driver </i>(1976), a reference that is directly reinforced by Robert De Niro's character in the film. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">he details in the streetscape that were altered to recreate the appearance of New York in 1981, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and even those that were missed, can be informative. The tagging on the subway and the porn titles on the theater marquees (channeling the Times Square's era of infamy) keep the sense of disorder palpable. Choosing this period was an effective way to capture the grit that has always defined Gotham in the comics and movies, something that has become more difficult as cities have been largely rebuilt into glossier places that are much safer. More importantly, it captures current anxieties about going back to the "bad old days."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The only significant real fictional change to New York's built form in this movie was the insertion of an alley into the old Deuce. Although it appears much of this may actually have been filmed at locations in Jersey City and Newark (places where commercial strips have not been as extensively redeveloped), there is no doubt this was a recreation of 42nd Street in the Time Square area. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">New York is not a city of alleyways, but the filmmakers revised the infamous streetscape of porn theaters to include one. As usual in dark urban fiction, an alley is a residual space where garbage collects and the retreating effects of society no longer reach.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> The opening sequence of the movie concludes in this lawless </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gotham locale; we see the violent nature of this city as we get to know Arthur Fleck as a helpless victim before he transforms into the Joker. It is this attack that sets in motion the series of events that send Arthur spiraling out of control.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr-omaf9Ujtkq9eMjlQcVl2UlK7fABobb1isE9G8X3s5c9aF2LDJ7igOSu9Fe_b1iC4-tvpnFJca3mv7y7vi7chwBBZvyTLs2ETuI1uOnkhgbq0gDaJPRULQ_FD_WP3uHBc3cV64hkmzL/s1600/Arthur-attacked-Joker-Batman-alley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="809" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr-omaf9Ujtkq9eMjlQcVl2UlK7fABobb1isE9G8X3s5c9aF2LDJ7igOSu9Fe_b1iC4-tvpnFJca3mv7y7vi7chwBBZvyTLs2ETuI1uOnkhgbq0gDaJPRULQ_FD_WP3uHBc3cV64hkmzL/s640/Arthur-attacked-Joker-Batman-alley.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Arthur Fleck lying in the alley after he was attacked</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://youtu.be/zAGVQLHvwOY?t=39" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/zAGVQLHvwOY?t=39" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">Copyright Warner Bros.</a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From a purely technical perspective, some of the details were a touch sloppy. Although they attempted to recreate a purely 1981 appearance, there were thoroughly modern signs on the streets and inside the subway stations that were not consistent with the period. Ironically, one of these errors early in the movie, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a large retroreflective yellow caution sign for a pedestrian crossing that was impossible to ignore, subtly albeit accidentally </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">reinforces a key aspect of Arthur Fleck's character development as he becomes the Joker. In a city characterized by violence, where nobody looks out for anybody else, there is still a consistent concern for the safety of children throughout the movie. With this sign, that concern transcends time and connects directly with the lived experience of an audience increasingly concerned about protecting their own children from traffic violence.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> The suffering character of Arthur is the one exception; as we learn during the movie, he was </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the victim of child abuse. The brutal beating we saw in the alley was not his first. U</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nlike everyone else, nobody even protected him when he was a child. </span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1572661572619!6m8!1m7!1s9maSHeCKJtC25E6qwGS4-A!2m2!1d40.83570357049121!2d-73.92359204085926!3f244.00195477749602!4f-9.569589045569188!5f2.299968626952992" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This retroreflective warning sign for the pedestrian crossing appeared in <i>Joker</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGT9E63omFVMgFYvirt2eVLRNjIHfYpdRVVlArKUB-WebStlQz0S1IrI9WjfZG7vHi0yZwi1H-qO2veSCwxNsHR-5KQDahGt4svyvL_Gy57KeSha-zMoKLjqZiDRn-6EE9OykpkMRvpPK/s1600/Joker_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGT9E63omFVMgFYvirt2eVLRNjIHfYpdRVVlArKUB-WebStlQz0S1IrI9WjfZG7vHi0yZwi1H-qO2veSCwxNsHR-5KQDahGt4svyvL_Gy57KeSha-zMoKLjqZiDRn-6EE9OykpkMRvpPK/s320/Joker_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px;">The "Joker stairs" were featured on </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px;">the </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px;">movie poster</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My initial reaction to the "Joker stairs" was that this was another poor detail, if not quite a mistake. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are scores of step streets that could have been used. As a Bronx resident, my gut feeling was that this specific step street was too nice for the setting the movie seeks to create. What</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> caught my eye was not so much the garbage they made sure was visible on the stairs, but rather how level and undamaged the stone steps were. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">M</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">y experience of step streets has been the challenge climbing over broken and uneven steps, with damaged and missing handrails for help. This experience with neglected infrastructure would fit perfectly into the urban disorder they worked so hard to recreate in <i>Joker</i>. Yet when I give it more careful consideration, I realize that this experience has been changing quickly as the Department of Design and Construction has progressively rebuilt one step street after another in just the past few years. There are only a small and quickly shrinking number of remaining step streets that are still in that sort of dilapidated condition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once I accepted that the physical neglect that residents associate with step streets is no longer a physical reality that the location scouts could have utilized, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my attention turned to the main design distinction between the stairs at 176th and those elsewhere. Not only are these stairs relatively long, they are particularly narrow. Unlike most other step streets, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">which include a landscaped or decorative stonework buffer between the steps and the buildings, this one is more like an alleyway. Notice how this built form helps to create a measure of repetition and transformation as the story advances. His emergence of his empowered criminal Joker alter ego who eludes the police mirrors </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the beat down of helpless, sad-clown Arthur, unable to escape the group of violent youth in the alley at the beginning of the movie. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Of course, the cyclical imagery becomes much stronger when we return to that same alley at the end of the movie. This is the </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">critical locale </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">at the heart of Batman mythology: the place where young Bruce Wayne watches as his parents are shot dead. And the temporal loop has become stronger than ever, reshaping the physical reality of the heart of New York City and extending further back in time to bring Batman's arch nemesis into being.</span>Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-37756693624793110722019-09-28T22:01:00.001-04:002019-09-29T19:13:12.750-04:00Priority Sign RepairOn September 17th, the <i>New York Post</i> ran <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/17/tourists-on-double-decker-buses-are-sticking-gum-all-over-street-signs/" target="_blank">a story</a> about an overhead bus lane sign that was covered in chewing gum. The sign had <a href="https://urbanresidue.blogspot.com/2017/12/chewing-gum-on-sign-15-feet-over-street.html" target="_blank">gradually been accumulating gum for years</a>, but the media attention soon brought this to an end (at least for the moment).<br />
<br />
Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked about the sign two days later. Then, sometime before the morning of September 23rd, a new sign was already installed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y314TsnGXP38cZUVU_us7w6OCQgvsyrdoZWw2PqK7Oal8DnytEnRlhvumCB0RRLB4_OMjOhAFwJ8gnxBeuf2PDZ4ZaeWu6f4zhPqF7r0Ui4KsdbgIGs8OwmJ1sDp1SIjCSspk-kGvYi1/s1600/20190923_082609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y314TsnGXP38cZUVU_us7w6OCQgvsyrdoZWw2PqK7Oal8DnytEnRlhvumCB0RRLB4_OMjOhAFwJ8gnxBeuf2PDZ4ZaeWu6f4zhPqF7r0Ui4KsdbgIGs8OwmJ1sDp1SIjCSspk-kGvYi1/s640/20190923_082609.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Depending on whether DOT started processing a work order for the sign on the day of the initial news story, or the day the when the Mayor was asked about it, the replacement took a total of only 3-5 calendar days. With the weekend, that was a 1-3 business day response.<br />
<br />
That is faster than stop signs are replaced in my neighborhood when somebody reports that a car knocked them down.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Please replace stop sign <a href="https://twitter.com/NYC_DOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYC_DOT</a>. Already > than 3 business days allowed by law. Thanks.<br />
C1-1-1312649621<br />
Cc <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewCohenNYC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AndrewCohenNYC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MMViverito?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MMViverito</a> <a href="https://t.co/1nTCHLEkSg">pic.twitter.com/1nTCHLEkSg</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/784015664625422336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-90465200267862446052019-09-22T14:49:00.000-04:002019-09-22T16:19:57.509-04:00Barriers Against What?There have been dire warnings recently that car manufacturers might try to exert their influence to take over city streets at the expense of pedestrians (again). A recent flare up followed the suggestion that some executives were considering the installation of gates at intersections to keep pedestrians from crossing against the light and interfering with autonomous vehicles. The backlash from urbanists was immediate: We should not repeat the mistakes of the past when cars were first introduced into cities. People should not be penned in on the sidewalks like cattle. Etc.<br />
<br />
A couple of examples:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Pedestrians enclosed behind gates that only open so often.<br />
<br />
Cities reordered to a potentially "antiseptic" level to accommodate self-driving cars. <br />
<br />
This is what AV industry reps are telling the New York Times they envision.<br />
<br />
Pretty alarming stuff 😱<a href="https://t.co/27brdgWAUa">https://t.co/27brdgWAUa</a></div>
— Streetsblog USA (@StreetsblogUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/StreetsblogUSA/status/1157349021595439104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
An autonomous car is still a car, and they're still out to ruin our cities.<br />
<br />
"One solution, suggested by an automotive industry official, is gates at each corner, which would periodically open to allow pedestrians to cross." <a href="https://t.co/dXeYwJjyxX">https://t.co/dXeYwJjyxX</a></div>
— Mark Bennett (@md_bennett) <a href="https://twitter.com/md_bennett/status/1157276787287764993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
Caution is warranted, of course. The ability of autonomous cars to successfully navigate dense pedestrian areas is dubious, and some of the materials released by the auto industry have been outright frightening (see below). I agree with the need to be vigilant about the policies that may redesign our cities very quickly, setting new patterns that may hold for generations to come. In this case, though, it seems like a knee jerk response of the "if it's good for cars, it must be bad for pedestrians" variety. The idea surfaced, after all, as a solution to the potential problem of pedestrians interfering with the automated vehicles, which might become paralyzed if people deliberately walk in front of them, knowing that safety procedures designed to avoid injuring people will make them stop.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Ford Hub at the World Trade Center is not inspiring much confidence in <a href="https://twitter.com/Ford?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ford</a>'s attention to pedestrian-vehicle interactions... <a href="https://t.co/a5NexUexXd">pic.twitter.com/a5NexUexXd</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/831989516110065669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
Nonetheless, I am fairly optimistic that automated vehicles can be leveraged to transform the places we live for the better, and I see crossing gates as an acceptable tradeoff. Likely enough, they could become a welcome addition to our streetscape.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Let's start by asking ourselves how much more autonomous vehicles could possibly take over. Motor vehicles already occupy the vast majority of our public right of way. At intersections, the motor vehicles take the majority of the signal time, with only a meager share of the time allowed for pedestrians. Worse, the pedestrian crossing time is often shared with conflicting vehicle movements, so people trying to get across the street must be constantly vigilant for their own protection. Moreover, there is a small handful of drivers who have an outsized impact by intruding on the residual space and time left over for pedestrians in all manners of ways (parking on the sidewalk, failing to yield, losing control and running over people at the bus stop, etc.). Pedestrians are already pushed into pens on the side of the road, and they're not even necessarily safe even when they stay where they're told.<br />
<br />
Yet the circulation and parking of today's driver-operated vehicles is highly inefficient in its use of the allocated space. Autonomous vehicles may offer a great deal of potential for reducing the physical footprint as well as the threat of death from cars. Paking lanes can disappear (a process in itself that <a href="https://urbanresidue.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-dystopia-of-parking-automated-cars.html" target="_blank">requires vigilance for equitable outcomes</a>), moving lanes could be narrowed, and greater efficiencies from reduced following distances and better lane-change coordination may allow for a significant reduction in the number of moving lanes as well. That space can all be reallocated for pedestrian and streetscape improvements.<br />
<br />
The urge to defend jaywalking is particularly strong in New York. It reflects the realities of a city where masses of pedestrians on crowded sidewalks are able to negotiate large gaps in traffic on relatively narrow streets with predictable signal lights. These conditions are not particularly common outside New York, and these informal coping mechanisms will not be as relevant to a future of autonomous vehicles in New York City, either.<br />
<br />
Pedestrians starting to cross the intersection after traffic has cleared, before the light has changed, is mostly what people refer to when they talk about "jaywalking" as something that is appropriate and useful. Nobody is talking about walking out into an the intersection in the middle of a platoon of vehicles that have the green light. This jaywalking works in regular practice because the pedestrians are able to read the traffic and manage the available time between platoons of vehicles better than relying on the fixed signal timing. This is the product of dumb traffic signals.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4DJUrmrAFIXmST7Vlsd5Tw2rnt5lzYQozqh-UwMmjTWbJTXRHlA5mRoHoN38qLo5ygkmrO9nwvwbY-p4GNWR1Pn8Os0XlmoeH0LkAtTNbC-2rLqh8jjkq8YM1l7KjypmXyS-wMTEQ-Oz/s1600/Crossing-the-street-by-Dax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="454" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4DJUrmrAFIXmST7Vlsd5Tw2rnt5lzYQozqh-UwMmjTWbJTXRHlA5mRoHoN38qLo5ygkmrO9nwvwbY-p4GNWR1Pn8Os0XlmoeH0LkAtTNbC-2rLqh8jjkq8YM1l7KjypmXyS-wMTEQ-Oz/s320/Crossing-the-street-by-Dax.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;">Photo by Dax</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Smart signals communicating with smart cars in the future should not continue to display a Don't Walk hand after the vehicle platoon has cleared the intersection. A gate controlled by a smart signal would not inhibit pedestrians from making full use of the intersection. It could, however, add an additional measure of safety.<br />
<br />
As a parent, I generally feel positive toward the idea of a physical barrier. It would help prevent children from accidentally running in front of a car. Intersections are places of constant fear and hyper vigilance for anybody responsible for the safety of a child. My wife's initial reaction was similar:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Me: There has been some discussion about putting gates at intersections that only open for pedestrians when they have the light... </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
My wife: Might be good for safety.</blockquote>
Over the years, I have observed my increased comfort with any streetscape that provided more of a barrier between cars and my young son.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
This temp. construction sidewalk isn't most attractive & comfortable, but feels like it protects kids more from cars <a href="http://t.co/AjMPRl9WhI">pic.twitter.com/AjMPRl9WhI</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/531208820690014208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
Beyond the anxiety of supervising children, I think this is relevant for "distracted walking" as well. I am skeptical of the efforts to demonize pedestrian cell phone use as the cause of more pedestrians getting run over, but I have observed over the past few years that more pedestrians in Manhattan seem to be waiting for the signal light at the corner while using their phones instead of actively looking for opportunities to cross before the light changes. This gradual change in pedestrian behavior would be compatible with gates that enable safe passage for pedestrians who do not want to dedicate their full attention to avoid getting killed by a car.<br />
<br />
When I consider the overall transformation that could be possible by leveraging autonomous vehicles, I am hopeful. Such a vision is not guaranteed, or even necessarily likely. It will require buy-in from enough of the public and the industry to congeal in the political chambers as workable policies. It will require a collective effort to redesign our cities into more enjoyable places. And, admittedly, that just won't happen without some periodic dire alarm bells about the threats that could be posed by unfettered access for cars.<br />
<br />
The vision I see entails a combination of physical design, operational protocols, and pricing models that prioritize transit, bikes, and scooters for the majority of trips in cities, and flexible shared-ride service for much of the closer hinterlands. The remaining autonomous vehicles will need only a fraction of the space on streets, which can then provide wider sidewalks, substantial space for rain gardens and social activities, shorter crossing distances, and much more time for pedestrians to use the intersections uninterrupted. Having gates that periodically close to allow platoons of autonomous vehicles to pass, like occasionally waiting for a train to go through, seems like a fine way to protect children and people using their mobile devices.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, it is a question of what we are erecting barriers against. If they become barricades that inhibit people walking around the city, as many have feared, it would indeed be a tragic mistake. Safety barriers that take more of the risk and stress out of the experience of walking around town could be a wonderful opportunity. If that prevents malicious interference with automated vehicles, that could be helpful too.<br />
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-19079867238892675992019-08-04T21:01:00.002-04:002021-05-08T15:49:01.789-04:00Programmed Out<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5snoLpp41AWvI5H40UORyym36NaSv24TOwELD0dBVaUyoUzl3mLZ-JWAnEk_884ytZn6I3vo6ZnkxnVtiXj_lcMu6km8L7tM4sPnzID6HUElqIBAsPMEgOCEOC5NaytM-qPAA52ChIn4K/s1600/20190604_201855.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5snoLpp41AWvI5H40UORyym36NaSv24TOwELD0dBVaUyoUzl3mLZ-JWAnEk_884ytZn6I3vo6ZnkxnVtiXj_lcMu6km8L7tM4sPnzID6HUElqIBAsPMEgOCEOC5NaytM-qPAA52ChIn4K/s640/20190604_201855.jpg" width="310" /></a>Not long ago, I was at an event where a wealthy developer spoke for a few minutes to a group responsible for making public improvements in a local community. He proudly described how he had worked to "program every linear foot to make sure there was no space available for street vendors." This was expressed as though it was a self-evident truth that vendors along the curb would be a blight on the neighborhood.<br />
<br />
I was horrified. The prospect of such complete design that it admitted no emergent activities sounded rigid and dull. Worse, it expressed a disdain toward the lower-income entrepreneurs whose daily labor anchors a vibrant street life in busy neighborhoods. While it is true that poorly regulated street vendors do sometimes contribute to sidewalk congestion in the densest areas, they also meet needs for cost and convenience that will surely be lacking in this man's new development.<br />
<br />
I had little doubt that the intent of the design is to keep out both the working class businesses and the customers who would be attracted by their cost and convenience. This developer also mentioned racing his sail boat, and he was clearly building a neighborhood for the sort of people who can afford a yacht to go out sailing like him.<br />
<br />
It is a vision of luxury that relies on exclusion for its sense of validation. It is a vision we should reject for New York City.<br />
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-22480029822486982982019-05-25T19:19:00.000-04:002019-05-25T21:12:08.141-04:00Who Do You Live With?We were trying to explain the Census to our 7-year-old son. They want to make sure they count everybody, we said, so they send a questionnaire to every home. We have to fill it out and send it back.<br />
<br />
"So they want to know everyone in our family?" he asked. We said yes. "Cheddar too?" Cheddar is our dog. No, the Census does not ask about pets... but shouldn't it?<br />
<br />
Just the day before, I had gone to see a new doctor. They sent me an online form to complete in advance, and they wanted to know if I lived with any pets. On an individual level, there was a clear medical interest in pets. The data would also be invaluable on the larger scale of the Census.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDqomR5gtn-kttntVhTo3HKn4rFKXLdq6T6XzS1HbbtdtSnqvQCKFvm00smnPB-Gc_O0yfwveL31-pCpmomUykNt4p2Q7VRgXXpaVyoS-L1efLx_sCQByyqvnGoQlriEa9CfuQiNJgIst/s1600/20190517_093201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDqomR5gtn-kttntVhTo3HKn4rFKXLdq6T6XzS1HbbtdtSnqvQCKFvm00smnPB-Gc_O0yfwveL31-pCpmomUykNt4p2Q7VRgXXpaVyoS-L1efLx_sCQByyqvnGoQlriEa9CfuQiNJgIst/s640/20190517_093201.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a name='more'></a>Statistics about pets would be useful for a range of public health and planning professionals. <a href="https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Statistics/Pages/Market-research-statistics-US-pet-ownership.aspx" target="_blank">The currently available data</a> pales in comparison to what could be compiled with minimal effort by adding a simple question to the Census. The new data would be invaluable for planning and operating shelter systems more efficiently, and private veterinarians could use the data to help identify locations to open a practice. Epidemiologists would be able to model potential disease vectors much more accurately. Sociologists and market researchers would surely find new relationships by parsing the data. Ideally, urban planners would utilize the data to help plan dog runs within an overall park system and consider zoning issues with pet-related land uses.<br />
<br />
Obviously, this late in 2019, the Census Bureau is not going to add a question to the decennial census. It is worth real consideration for inclusion in the ongoing American Community Survey, since regular quality data about the animal members of our community would be so useful.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJi36LlN12E9eqI842XLQQqhDjNoXfas4LklJBoGicBFtb1rurhOjPEaMciL8B20CkhklxCVk9k3AJF9BQmfQYK8ZZuCEr2u1n4G8KVQNLlN1nbcNh4aWsOeKLAmOgFpjDdwWVWuJkeEW/s1600/Family-dog-nap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJi36LlN12E9eqI842XLQQqhDjNoXfas4LklJBoGicBFtb1rurhOjPEaMciL8B20CkhklxCVk9k3AJF9BQmfQYK8ZZuCEr2u1n4G8KVQNLlN1nbcNh4aWsOeKLAmOgFpjDdwWVWuJkeEW/s400/Family-dog-nap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-48928123897920014222019-03-17T21:40:00.000-04:002019-06-13T14:34:22.623-04:00Chronicles of Stolen Space - Pedestrianized Pine Street<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq8va9jtG4wgyTuOMRar4J_cIZYlM6wNqf_47Orl29drDg8k9Jc2HKNfiZ_lLT3rHGaTzHAuEeCFjBg6dU4XIFWoTRUNyJt271-wZNcXOSVyIDUmRTkk4T-pnhn576lIcszJN7sWsQtl8/s1600/20190315_220137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq8va9jtG4wgyTuOMRar4J_cIZYlM6wNqf_47Orl29drDg8k9Jc2HKNfiZ_lLT3rHGaTzHAuEeCFjBg6dU4XIFWoTRUNyJt271-wZNcXOSVyIDUmRTkk4T-pnhn576lIcszJN7sWsQtl8/s640/20190315_220137.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">This is a designated pedestrian street in Lower Manhattan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The quality of our public spaces in New York City is so much worse than they should be. By all appearances, this is due to a negligent municipal government that has failed to shoulder its responsibilities to safeguard these spaces for public use.<br />
<br />
Take for example the case of a pedestrianized block of Pine Street between South and Front Streets. This street was <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/about/cpc/780405.pdf" target="_blank">pedestrianized in 1978</a>, yet in recent memory, it has increasingly been used for car parking. It seems that the permission for "service vehicles," clearly intended originally to allow for garbage pickup, provided a foothold for parcel services to use the street for their parking needs. Gradually, others followed suit until the whole space has now become filled with cars.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Given the parking pattern, it appears somebody in the adjoining building is in some way managing the use of these "free" parking spaces stolen from New York's pedestrians. It is unclear how exactly the word has gotten around and how this scheme is keeping unwanted other cars out of "their" space, but one thing is clear: the only way a public street dedicated to the use of pedestrians ends up as a free parking lot for personal cars is if the authorities choose to look the other way and stop providing any official enforcement.<br />
<br />
Public space is not just the area that is left over from development. It is created through collective action, and when our collective institutions stop working to protect the space, it will cease to be public.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEWFMFcNedPlEz8jsjtja06FT6e1ONhO6u3MLlTmZ7qFU2W5q7EhdwjqSMtwWVzPTaxNq8jYR6iuFou13FbRD2pmbn9bqnSKnf0bhY16y2KeBk6hIgtJOA1WLlarGIKTsm2Bpo7rqQSrN/s1600/Pine+Street+pedestrianized+1978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="790" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEWFMFcNedPlEz8jsjtja06FT6e1ONhO6u3MLlTmZ7qFU2W5q7EhdwjqSMtwWVzPTaxNq8jYR6iuFou13FbRD2pmbn9bqnSKnf0bhY16y2KeBk6hIgtJOA1WLlarGIKTsm2Bpo7rqQSrN/s640/Pine+Street+pedestrianized+1978.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">In 1978, Pine Street was limited to emergency and service vehicles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGbygKMvgzD2J9_YXeOyra8W72td0sQGzlxqoIZqOlaTQhaDzeRFsIU5KRn7_4jPyGnu66j_Dv_X4QmtLomMA8KddXgK4FiBTJU-uoFlv09tGzuhSbrfplu3ktXwKd2PvNA6G2H0o5RSg/s1600/Pine+Street+Pedestrian+Street.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="350" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGbygKMvgzD2J9_YXeOyra8W72td0sQGzlxqoIZqOlaTQhaDzeRFsIU5KRn7_4jPyGnu66j_Dv_X4QmtLomMA8KddXgK4FiBTJU-uoFlv09tGzuhSbrfplu3ktXwKd2PvNA6G2H0o5RSg/s400/Pine+Street+Pedestrian+Street.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Pine Street is identified as a "Pedestrian Street" on the City Map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo2qbk3ogggM9x0yD6kd50DZSaqp1PgWxDI2bjN13WzUPS5DvyKsqGghsirZFp_bX5eWQHnwPSZDX4wxp3gnbS458fDd3VGsHQ96Gkx6jZi3xYrc1eWob-DJnXBH4uVtmGJBFIrHzIfjf/s1600/20190315_122813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo2qbk3ogggM9x0yD6kd50DZSaqp1PgWxDI2bjN13WzUPS5DvyKsqGghsirZFp_bX5eWQHnwPSZDX4wxp3gnbS458fDd3VGsHQ96Gkx6jZi3xYrc1eWob-DJnXBH4uVtmGJBFIrHzIfjf/s640/20190315_122813.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">With a neglectful city, Pine Street is an unsightly parking lot for the personal cars of people with obscure connections</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-31222708016484436692019-01-15T08:30:00.000-05:002019-01-15T16:51:49.505-05:00Changing ColorsThe subway can lull you to sleep if you're fortunate enough to get a seat after a long day at work. The movement of the train, that rhythmic clack-clack clack-clack..... clack-clack clack-clack of the wheels on the tracks, and the warmth from so many bodies packed together can draw the shades over your eyes for a while. Then when you wake up... where are you?! Did you miss your stop?!<br />
<br />
Looking out of the train, to the extent you can even get a glimpse past the bodies crowded between you and the windows, often does not provide any clear view of a station name. What you can almost always see in the old IND subway stations are the columns and possibly the band of colored tiles. Fortunately, they are... no... until recently they <i>were</i> <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/this-map-shows-the-subtle-tile-color-system-used-in-nyc-subway-stations/" target="_blank">color coded</a> to help identify the station. If I wake up and see green columns, I know I've reached 125th Street. If the columns are yellow, that means I'm at 145th Street. At Tremont, the columns are red.<br />
<br />
This easy identification by classifying sets of stations by color was a key design element by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/arts/design/03subw.html" target="_blank">Squire Vickers</a>. It was both functional and esthetic. The color banding provides a clean, modern artistic statement that maintains a sense of movement through the station. The transition along the color wheel as the stations change from green to blue to yellow provides a sense of progress as passengers traverse the system. Maintaining a feeling of movement when you are closed inside a crowded metal box can break up the banality of longer subway trips.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW10u7TjU3cdiEHSa_Py61UIq4HDOmtEC4lVoDtYE9epuaFzOpQSG4Y7M4HObGKiMLYimIZYsdt-hLgPlbQDAar6Nb3PUXuAeTie1es3LB_r5DGjKyVTAgirR0wyxxKIYUWi9bBkDojeWv/s1600/20181212_151236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFQXEefZzutdu_FGQFtqMIovWglPs6bj-0xKa5H5zDpTjlpD8eHQ4uCnnk4QpvX5gqlPkm9hm4TQIUJmwGdqBKzSmyLFLKvzT2lYyhrfnVOfCn_T9yVYXuj5EFf6RU09lU2Apx4e7GUWq/s1600/20181212_151255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFQXEefZzutdu_FGQFtqMIovWglPs6bj-0xKa5H5zDpTjlpD8eHQ4uCnnk4QpvX5gqlPkm9hm4TQIUJmwGdqBKzSmyLFLKvzT2lYyhrfnVOfCn_T9yVYXuj5EFf6RU09lU2Apx4e7GUWq/s640/20181212_151255.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj-Jy2NeAzS3qxNjRmyKgk9Jt3pQssPbka70SzdHUj5H3VrJxpG6LVu_B16n1F3noxZpyXTDQXpmc3I50OYEszRAnZ0J5S0cqA9Fa4_Z6dqwjuYWhFQBLIv1Aw4q40yhNfUWv_LsBgLRy/s1600/20181212_151316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj-Jy2NeAzS3qxNjRmyKgk9Jt3pQssPbka70SzdHUj5H3VrJxpG6LVu_B16n1F3noxZpyXTDQXpmc3I50OYEszRAnZ0J5S0cqA9Fa4_Z6dqwjuYWhFQBLIv1Aw4q40yhNfUWv_LsBgLRy/s640/20181212_151316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Unfortunately, Cuomo's MTA is destroying this historic design in its rush to look like they're doing <i>something</i> to address the subway crisis. Some of the new information display systems appear helpful, but elevators for people with disabilities or strollers are being left out while they inconvenience passengers with months-long full closures for gut rehabs. These station upgrades are essentially cosmetic, and yet the generic contemporary design is reopening indistinguishable, monochromatic gray stations.<br />
<br />
If this program is allowed to continue, the stations will become a dreary subterranean Groundhog Day. Every time you open your eyes, it will look like the same station again.<br />
<br />
When spending extensive sums of money and disrupting passengers' regular commutes for lengthy periods of time, it is important to understand the original design and how people use the system now, how they experience it. Instead, a simplistic esthetic is being rolled on in a misguided attempt to make the stations look more fresh.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, the color of the columns is just paint. Hopefully the original, superior design will be restored the next time the columns need a new coat. Until then, maybe try not to doze off on the train.<br />
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-47284473104224559852018-11-12T10:40:00.001-05:002019-01-15T00:17:21.875-05:00Two Sides of the Same Woods<span style="font-family: inherit;">On one side of the road, you have tourists reading plaques about trees. On the other, gay men circle the woods looking for potential hookups. The Bronx River Forest is one of the few remaining sections of the great woodland that once covered the New York region. While we tend to consider the plants and animals that populate wooded areas like this as "wild," this landscape is highly shaped by the physical interventions and social activities of humans. It is easy to overlook how much human action can shape the "natural" environment, but the differences created by separate jurisdictional control over trails winding through the woods along the Bronx River on each side of Allerton Avenue create a stark contrast.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEj1Gvoa4-cpnTuCV_wdfMseScWSfDgcSptfogtd3LuyEzG-cG1h9j8dYkNbY7hgNPN98O6jFt1diAhUmZazpEBJk7Hr-Oy4Va8NYSoPe9tQF-tFXFZWhD2VbXBxBdp0rymzRhu7la7AiQ/s1600/20180902_163148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEj1Gvoa4-cpnTuCV_wdfMseScWSfDgcSptfogtd3LuyEzG-cG1h9j8dYkNbY7hgNPN98O6jFt1diAhUmZazpEBJk7Hr-Oy4Va8NYSoPe9tQF-tFXFZWhD2VbXBxBdp0rymzRhu7la7AiQ/s640/20180902_163148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
People duck under a fallen tree (covered in poison ivy) on the <a href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/park-features/hiking/bronx-river-forest" target="_blank">Blue Trail</a> north of 204th Street in the Bronx Forest managed by the Department of Parks and Recreation</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRs_Mq4mb5Rmp17_9gbbfc_5JU6hXRykakjGwkO_YD0Q7aWLl1NWXT8NyNyaQXOFXM6kL8mf0TbvfEuMNvsZ9Iaso1jyYFwCXfRO3sODlY74-dgsDWlCx-B2swzPpGziMQ10OnGvVHJoU/s1600/20180826_133637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRs_Mq4mb5Rmp17_9gbbfc_5JU6hXRykakjGwkO_YD0Q7aWLl1NWXT8NyNyaQXOFXM6kL8mf0TbvfEuMNvsZ9Iaso1jyYFwCXfRO3sODlY74-dgsDWlCx-B2swzPpGziMQ10OnGvVHJoU/s640/20180826_133637.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Tourists stop along the trail in the <a href="https://www.nybg.org/garden/forest/" target="_blank">Thain Family Forest</a> in the New York Botanical Garden to read facts about the trees </div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">South of Allerton Avenue, the Bronx River flows through the New York Botanical Garden. Since the 1890s, this land has been City parkland, part of Bronx Park, which is administered by a private institution specifically charged with the development and maintenance of a great living museum. To the north, the parkland is under conventional control of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span>There are some physical differences in terrain between the two sections. To the north, the river passes through a floodplain. After flowing into the garden, it quickly drops into a ravine with some moderately steep slopes down to the river. Nonetheless, the main distinctions between these two sections is how the land is managed and access is controlled.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Access into the Garden is limited to paying patrons (and a few local residents who may be allowed free admission to the grounds after presenting identification), while north of Allerton Avenue, access is entirely uncontrolled. Visitors to the Garden are greeted and walk inside with a ticket and a map. At 204th Street, parkgoers cross a bridge and pass a circular seating area where there are usually a few shabbily dressed men, who may or may not be drunk, sitting on the benches. From Southern Boulevard, the entrance is nothing more than a split in the multi-use path.</span><br />
<div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTIFx5JXMx1oKDEyM8ekme_H6fpxhQmYySLY1_mOWwIA4-d63VVEVki8XpKp6Xk0mQrPLkRmU588Fd1ZZdk9H-5CseMDlVj_GYG1fjr2SuvK1Z5btEw4PBk9Wzv7Lo47rHJBtXKjMY4Mz/s1600/20181111_153148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTIFx5JXMx1oKDEyM8ekme_H6fpxhQmYySLY1_mOWwIA4-d63VVEVki8XpKp6Xk0mQrPLkRmU588Fd1ZZdk9H-5CseMDlVj_GYG1fjr2SuvK1Z5btEw4PBk9Wzv7Lo47rHJBtXKjMY4Mz/s640/20181111_153148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The main entrance to the Garden, set back behind a parking lot, makes a visual statement and controls access</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn3obu-XsdUQq668KrOosM69jukHccs1oRLpdMV1xVdPAUEVOBxSa3tyIYM0k7L3E7wX7OaR6kvZbKL6t9VsWDsFrCmkh8OujZkA-8Cmrj2ToLDEd8ECgLNWefULZJDPinuCtROnMN5TI/s1600/20180826_133803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn3obu-XsdUQq668KrOosM69jukHccs1oRLpdMV1xVdPAUEVOBxSa3tyIYM0k7L3E7wX7OaR6kvZbKL6t9VsWDsFrCmkh8OujZkA-8Cmrj2ToLDEd8ECgLNWefULZJDPinuCtROnMN5TI/s640/20180826_133803.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Wayfinding signs in the Garden point the way to other points of interest inside the grounds</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9W8kaYnWcq0UytLSv8fYkyUT6fPldZ85AshR53JP233GfYLKzIW6Wo0DYAPM1-2KXpwi59rWaEyuUCy6DJR5ohqIjH07SZmH54A22dlOUW2t9XQ2K2DzGOI0-y10UDthZ65jx-F5MQOaU/s1600/20180826_133752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9W8kaYnWcq0UytLSv8fYkyUT6fPldZ85AshR53JP233GfYLKzIW6Wo0DYAPM1-2KXpwi59rWaEyuUCy6DJR5ohqIjH07SZmH54A22dlOUW2t9XQ2K2DzGOI0-y10UDthZ65jx-F5MQOaU/s640/20180826_133752.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The rustic wooden fences in the Thain Family Forest act to keep people on the formal path</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcIBeov04hzorbVkjaH7miEYe6MZ1KaeZfVMOLGh_SVcQvIq72VGzXFNYTEr9TlqnQ_wB9pvcTb0RD5JasYI-9rFVvuORsrRVIGYxNLM-95FlQBcn2dPnhcPat7FG0vCRGRujEOvSwqcw/s1600/20181111_154457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcIBeov04hzorbVkjaH7miEYe6MZ1KaeZfVMOLGh_SVcQvIq72VGzXFNYTEr9TlqnQ_wB9pvcTb0RD5JasYI-9rFVvuORsrRVIGYxNLM-95FlQBcn2dPnhcPat7FG0vCRGRujEOvSwqcw/s640/20181111_154457.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The borderless multi-use path allows people to enter the woods, giving rise to new user-defined side paths</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeVmiSOg091qXxPeB4_Mvk_lkZns-0yHfTSjEbOP9ETl__TpiJG8jIRGnYBMbWK3Rqv2fL2nuvAUkUSYT9k4CPN-ePCB_z2CCOoyRRfiNSa719eEHCmb4qf0A_4xj-xBLAzg3s7ciRKGZ/s1600/20181111_154404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeVmiSOg091qXxPeB4_Mvk_lkZns-0yHfTSjEbOP9ETl__TpiJG8jIRGnYBMbWK3Rqv2fL2nuvAUkUSYT9k4CPN-ePCB_z2CCOoyRRfiNSa719eEHCmb4qf0A_4xj-xBLAzg3s7ciRKGZ/s640/20181111_154404.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Greenway signs in the park provide directions for people using the multi-use path to travel through the park</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNEx9XTZzcO99OUnB7HXXu9ECwp57a8Oyv6bEB06PcXR28dJAuvrjsSsX0oVKT5V3N_iQkgCRFBw1kqOdxkDbE4GNZqMDbByljGITeLFgWe6VvXnO-hKJ_5TxTUL9OLiRW8A1GkZQv9BD/s1600/20181111_153437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNEx9XTZzcO99OUnB7HXXu9ECwp57a8Oyv6bEB06PcXR28dJAuvrjsSsX0oVKT5V3N_iQkgCRFBw1kqOdxkDbE4GNZqMDbByljGITeLFgWe6VvXnO-hKJ_5TxTUL9OLiRW8A1GkZQv9BD/s640/20181111_153437.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Inadequate and missing sidewalks along the Garden's edge create hostile conditions for people trying to circumnavigate the grounds</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh896IvEmNlV-pGm9ObASna4Hd1o75Mkp362oLScCY4eBW8WwoOzeplBZhtjMrcQQcIoBKGL8le2WoMtr01_u5RVhAY2OIyJSh84Ihjl35tQvJTi1DgY7JW0ei9dPH-tmY5Mkke1D3INhAW/s1600/20181111_153509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh896IvEmNlV-pGm9ObASna4Hd1o75Mkp362oLScCY4eBW8WwoOzeplBZhtjMrcQQcIoBKGL8le2WoMtr01_u5RVhAY2OIyJSh84Ihjl35tQvJTi1DgY7JW0ei9dPH-tmY5Mkke1D3INhAW/s640/20181111_153509.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The new Garden gate at Bedford Park Avenue also marks the entrance and limits access</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX1CbhCWziAgIZ8-z0UWWZWlhf7E-DrtkUNbKPpfVS85wqAplwcSNR5wUBu7su8Od7STkSSV5jty6p_w9WazkVn87YO4XkmEIrJxM6oRtCH4w1QK5l2Ou6hM7AQNBh67aWVZ7FJV32ISA/s1600/20181111_155139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX1CbhCWziAgIZ8-z0UWWZWlhf7E-DrtkUNbKPpfVS85wqAplwcSNR5wUBu7su8Od7STkSSV5jty6p_w9WazkVn87YO4XkmEIrJxM6oRtCH4w1QK5l2Ou6hM7AQNBh67aWVZ7FJV32ISA/s640/20181111_155139.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The entrance into Bronx Park at 204th street crosses the railroad tracks and allows completely free entry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRntcdNSgURzoSztFVfptv9SPPdsCr2K_6NImlE6cUNPWKYgXdqqDeKYpObplpJCs9ITczI2rWnN1KyxISLi_vfbRnO5oyPAjRl13hCh5xCn8olsFG8ZMPXbcFHwqQx2c6DY4zXAPsZHw/s1600/20181111_154257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRntcdNSgURzoSztFVfptv9SPPdsCr2K_6NImlE6cUNPWKYgXdqqDeKYpObplpJCs9ITczI2rWnN1KyxISLi_vfbRnO5oyPAjRl13hCh5xCn8olsFG8ZMPXbcFHwqQx2c6DY4zXAPsZHw/s640/20181111_154257.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The park entrance from Southern Boulevard is a split in the multi-use path</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a multi-use path that passes through Bronx Park. It is a primary bicycle and pedestrian connection between the communities on either side of the Bronx River Parkway, since it is a safer, more comfortable option than Gun Hill Road. Routing people who are going elsewhere through the park is quite different from the Garden, which blocks through movement (and is even hostile toward people trying to pass around the outside). Instead, the Garden draws people from elsewhere who are there specifically to see its displays. The signage in these two areas reflects this difference; while the Garden is dominated by interpretive signs that turn the plants and landscape features into displays, the multi-use path features wayfinding signs to guide people on bicycles to the other sign and traffic signs to manage conflicts between people walking and people on bicycles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1hlr7fSbKPrNTKfwwI0GApQNwCiK_fei9JAfveUkoRa9dxy_H3qzcaKonnc5v1O10Krb67jfEE8UKKFJQUZozc3XPXuIhZJwQxMro6k_-VhuHEhYtPHoWpOERiYhzdEMu-04xgzUVLnI/s1600/20181111_153122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1hlr7fSbKPrNTKfwwI0GApQNwCiK_fei9JAfveUkoRa9dxy_H3qzcaKonnc5v1O10Krb67jfEE8UKKFJQUZozc3XPXuIhZJwQxMro6k_-VhuHEhYtPHoWpOERiYhzdEMu-04xgzUVLnI/s640/20181111_153122.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">An interpretive sign in the Garden's parking lot provides a teaser display, before visitors have even entered the gate </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Encampments are routine sights in the open parkland, but any attempt to bed down in the Garden would be immediately removed. Grounds staff would notice it quickly and the dedicated patrol from the 52nd Precinct inside the Garden could provide direct assistance for any trespassers.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Garden's business model could never tolerate people having sex out in the Thain Family Forest. Paying visitors would not accept it and <a href="https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/whose-woods-these-are-i-think-youll-know/" target="_blank">rich families</a> would never allow their names to be associated with it. Nobody bothers to patrol the woods where the gay men meet up in the areas north of Allerton Avenue. There is also little police presence to remove encampments. The combination of sexual activities and mental illness is certainly enough to discourage many from the surrounding communities from venturing out into the woods alone, or even at all.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Additionally, there is a difference in the level of maintenance. As a living museum, the Garden is well maintained. Paths are constantly repaired to ensure a good walking surface and the poison ivy is routinely cleared away. Under Parks jurisdiction, the side paths are treated more like wilderness areas and remain mostly untouched by maintenance routines, including cleaning. Unlike the Garden, where paths are deliberately designed, the park's paths were largely the creation of regular use by users. A few years ago Parks tried to <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/tracing-and-erasing-new-yorks-lines-of-desire" target="_blank">formalize some of the paths</a> and close others to better concentrate usage in a way that might limit the ecological damage and discourage the sketchy wanderings with isolated encounters, but with only limited improvement. Even some of the main paths that serve as maintenance roads suffer from poor maintenance, leaving them rutted mud wallows in some locations.</span></div>
<div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZgowYB1Ng4Zuz-ag3b1ZaoNgab04ukbQy0z_X_lTEC1MSCPG0biSfG11AyFwiaqfL2Wmgc4DgiSHVffYx7g9UrQdiCqw6PfvXHTX4XN4rWu_DUX4RzrogtgLlbHkd5CjKCKDGazei1a9/s1600/20180826_134043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZgowYB1Ng4Zuz-ag3b1ZaoNgab04ukbQy0z_X_lTEC1MSCPG0biSfG11AyFwiaqfL2Wmgc4DgiSHVffYx7g9UrQdiCqw6PfvXHTX4XN4rWu_DUX4RzrogtgLlbHkd5CjKCKDGazei1a9/s640/20180826_134043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The Garden has informational signs about poison ivy (that is English ivy behind the sign in this picture)</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhLNejDmip_gnnTmXiZStCOO8IrOslufvArWRWGAmSc26dXEQACRS1vSEYtdDKcKZJAUPWzRI7U4-v03gg-Kx5DW8EcmTWjptDyi3Ku0d_cumlMWpF8ZecX6O_-A0JWlG3CeejUAXCZyb/s1600/20180826_134631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhLNejDmip_gnnTmXiZStCOO8IrOslufvArWRWGAmSc26dXEQACRS1vSEYtdDKcKZJAUPWzRI7U4-v03gg-Kx5DW8EcmTWjptDyi3Ku0d_cumlMWpF8ZecX6O_-A0JWlG3CeejUAXCZyb/s640/20180826_134631.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
It can be difficult to spot any poison ivy in the woods near the edge of the path in the Garden</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPhVeCkLMF_Tz9F7wWqXlNXbaS3O2QRYsrOoKoM8659sUfrctRRwHxdXGXK5mNsgwHETluxGr1KFtotFbyaZSz2pyvszP7oCJOvJxlD2zw75KwkuN1BwD5fs20qStVqt1e76xnB9msw89/s1600/20180902_163049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPhVeCkLMF_Tz9F7wWqXlNXbaS3O2QRYsrOoKoM8659sUfrctRRwHxdXGXK5mNsgwHETluxGr1KFtotFbyaZSz2pyvszP7oCJOvJxlD2zw75KwkuN1BwD5fs20qStVqt1e76xnB9msw89/s640/20180902_163049.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Poison ivy grows in large patches encroaching on the sides, and even in the middle, of the trails to the north</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3QEvCmAwXDLmV9NaV-vQdxCxH8ynYcbp1jj6-R7KZE6vESmrsboTIvr-rgsg4UGAmmRO1nmQvv_K2LPG-HOViv5ZZN2wDsn8RHR2HwWIawquMkbeUPxvyYBu5WaoNrDgIzKAkJ7UsOyH/s1600/20180902_163025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3QEvCmAwXDLmV9NaV-vQdxCxH8ynYcbp1jj6-R7KZE6vESmrsboTIvr-rgsg4UGAmmRO1nmQvv_K2LPG-HOViv5ZZN2wDsn8RHR2HwWIawquMkbeUPxvyYBu5WaoNrDgIzKAkJ7UsOyH/s640/20180902_163025.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Parkgoers need to be attentive to avoid brushing against</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
the poison ivy growing off the trees</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSd5RGzBsZqIHALJla85cHYaW6sGZ3sJdQ-W3ZywJKV01k8YEePUmPccwacdFoDnYMA0fYzqiFgxZDKtGHQF9edXa-9NkkhA2MHsUGXZPtTOF859hvd-yqxsl4_R-JM53kbL0P1oHdC3gk/s1600/20180902_161801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSd5RGzBsZqIHALJla85cHYaW6sGZ3sJdQ-W3ZywJKV01k8YEePUmPccwacdFoDnYMA0fYzqiFgxZDKtGHQF9edXa-9NkkhA2MHsUGXZPtTOF859hvd-yqxsl4_R-JM53kbL0P1oHdC3gk/s640/20180902_161801.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A muddy section of path in the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEz9vY7VRhhPw0G_Gd2Eqzhz2GETKaUtkzJp3wmjQO9IrMgVf0UjtguLvd-GqQqZkmP2JngasJIw6_z_D2vS0-6hz7shNv4-dghmFgjIZ0dr56X8nt1cdvVsjINywGDYA4dSDBpzaVTQb/s1600/20180902_162647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEz9vY7VRhhPw0G_Gd2Eqzhz2GETKaUtkzJp3wmjQO9IrMgVf0UjtguLvd-GqQqZkmP2JngasJIw6_z_D2vS0-6hz7shNv4-dghmFgjIZ0dr56X8nt1cdvVsjINywGDYA4dSDBpzaVTQb/s640/20180902_162647.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Broken glass is often worn into the dirt paths in the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37sD0JHmue35PopFZ-hx7ELdeNQOIvDovo3TXGoOkMaEzZHL71cdaXOhKW1RFFBDljAnnFm4BtXrG2GWE2Nego0lrsCgqggipmHYg6a_-e2Oqy-Iclr8wa2vrjpz7B9v6fM0gdd26DMG4/s1600/20180902_162715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37sD0JHmue35PopFZ-hx7ELdeNQOIvDovo3TXGoOkMaEzZHL71cdaXOhKW1RFFBDljAnnFm4BtXrG2GWE2Nego0lrsCgqggipmHYg6a_-e2Oqy-Iclr8wa2vrjpz7B9v6fM0gdd26DMG4/s640/20180902_162715.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Piles of trash are not uncommon near areas where the homeless have encamped in the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksI2gjJRhe9C_wUC4roJFvV3VYEEg3OIC69J29nPPWqyYeLBUxFMB6lo2475ArTvaMjmvd3UPKiXNG6FAU33aQTrTm2NEdsbneYPHMPcr3WPGGbrWKRPuzBcjC2zD7djTXmHcpj-aBwAJ/s1600/20181111_154640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksI2gjJRhe9C_wUC4roJFvV3VYEEg3OIC69J29nPPWqyYeLBUxFMB6lo2475ArTvaMjmvd3UPKiXNG6FAU33aQTrTm2NEdsbneYPHMPcr3WPGGbrWKRPuzBcjC2zD7djTXmHcpj-aBwAJ/s640/20181111_154640.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Accompanying the interpretive sign is a box that holds fliers about events in the park. These are always free and open to the public. They generally have an ecological focus and are often volunteer efforts. To the extent the publicly-controlled woodland is cleaned, it is largely done by private volunteers as an environmental effort</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDpvMv4tB7ewgfEo1s_ORmtVnBxyHXuR1jCtSNAUS3UH2Tu6OQuYtyzeBtgDiAGMzoarb1oUDWeB0xbuSzmk-nyIXRIj7EcZrM_jYf30Fo7alugFL5-NA7qW9GyJfex3jbYrzWoxSSYDI/s1600/20181111_154603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDpvMv4tB7ewgfEo1s_ORmtVnBxyHXuR1jCtSNAUS3UH2Tu6OQuYtyzeBtgDiAGMzoarb1oUDWeB0xbuSzmk-nyIXRIj7EcZrM_jYf30Fo7alugFL5-NA7qW9GyJfex3jbYrzWoxSSYDI/s640/20181111_154603.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">There is a single interpretive sign in the parks section, which speaks to restoration of the Bronx River, reflecting the general approach of treating the area like a wilderness area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYn0uAyDzt8LfLUZnZO86TPqUDazLjucnAk8cpAXir6w8_Q0NH5fSQrcGCIPeEFTDlQWFcGnGGhpvi4Yg0rnhFWHEaKBfy6HpwRhCH-qMpPsxXf8q4kI0PfjtanODoouC_VKP0iLKA4clg/s1600/20180826_134722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYn0uAyDzt8LfLUZnZO86TPqUDazLjucnAk8cpAXir6w8_Q0NH5fSQrcGCIPeEFTDlQWFcGnGGhpvi4Yg0rnhFWHEaKBfy6HpwRhCH-qMpPsxXf8q4kI0PfjtanODoouC_VKP0iLKA4clg/s640/20180826_134722.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">When a tree falls in the woods in the Garden, it becomes a new display with a sign as it decomposes off to the side of the path, whereas in the park it may be ignored for years while blocking the path before a section is cut out with a chainsaw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-36451003683224862622018-10-22T00:50:00.000-04:002018-10-22T13:41:11.054-04:00The Rain Garden That Wouldn't Grow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Recently, my wife and I were out on a date and taking a stroll through Harlem before dinner when we stumbled on a dog relief area at the corner of Manhattan Avenue and East 122nd Street. I was excited and my wife was, well, glad to see me enjoying myself.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2EEGjsKdl6hDmjvfYP_QRZAph8swE_EgxoyHq_uVIcLLoGyIqzBPvabp6AmIuZhtlVLiJzCePCQR5UH9zDEP5GYoAUpGgSGeE3MAoOT_VEuGi5Z83yE6vmSej8TERwryeukqJZ-flG6b/s1600/20181008_125925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2EEGjsKdl6hDmjvfYP_QRZAph8swE_EgxoyHq_uVIcLLoGyIqzBPvabp6AmIuZhtlVLiJzCePCQR5UH9zDEP5GYoAUpGgSGeE3MAoOT_VEuGi5Z83yE6vmSej8TERwryeukqJZ-flG6b/s640/20181008_125925.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few years ago while musing about planning for pets, I came across the French <i><a href="https://urbanresidue.blogspot.com/2013/11/should-urban-planners-care-about-dogs.html" target="_blank">canisites</a></i>. Now I had stumbled on one in my own town, and I hadn't even heard about it!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It is a wonderful little example of the transformation of a residual space. Initially it was a hatched area in the roadway where northbound traffic is diverted as Manhattan Avenue becomes a southbound one-way street. It was just the sort of dead space that was long common on our paved streets. In 2012, it was converted into a rain garden to improve storm water management and probably contribute a few count toward the <a href="https://www.milliontreesnyc.org/" target="_blank">Million Trees program</a>, but the plants just wouldn't grow on the street side of the triangle. After a few years of the vegetation struggling and consistently dying off, it appears somebody had the genius to stop fighting the inevitable and repurpose the space to address the dog poop problem that is chronic on sidewalks throughout New York City.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here is the image captured by Google Street View in July 2011:</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1539571291994!6m8!1m7!1sqz8K9ZTCddfuumhfyC3Lag!2m2!1d40.80899209537331!2d-73.95397346028076!3f124.1549175622438!4f-7.511514619213656!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="640"></iframe><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Then in 2012 the City included it among their early rain gardens. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kpaulus/" target="_blank">Kristine Paulus</a> shared a <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kpaulus/6912690439/in/photostream/" target="_blank">photo of it under construction on flickr</a>:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kpaulus/6912690439/in/photostream/" title="Bioswale Under Construction"><img alt="Bioswale Under Construction" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6912690439_a13cfaefc5_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Here is the way the space appeared during its first summer when the Google Street View car passed in August 2012:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1539571449873!6m8!1m7!1s6Psnjf9LwOrEHWtj8NF59w!2m2!1d40.80900696070248!2d-73.95395924544155!3f133.46486252073348!4f-14.81380915440431!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="640"></iframe><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
The continued struggle of the space to sustain vegetation on the street side is evident through each of the subsequent passes made by Google's car.<br />
<br />
August 2013<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1540181814397!6m8!1m7!1stVfVGMx_ecbQcNbdkbcHWw!2m2!1d40.80900611600273!2d-73.95395436930616!3f138.53832478467064!4f-24.616911850988288!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
May 2014<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1540180145949!6m8!1m7!1skk_ahBUVksDXzzFa0uso_w!2m2!1d40.8090113349657!2d-73.95395157312647!3f137.90168571755208!4f-11.452897162021912!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
July 2014<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1540179970747!6m8!1m7!1sIweoXK27ovy9vFoNFc2pyw!2m2!1d40.80898121879127!2d-73.95397797537294!3f117.91917027730564!4f-16.858263354383396!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
August 2014<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1540179819633!6m8!1m7!1sscDcNOgMcK3UE0nd8kCBhw!2m2!1d40.80900983812693!2d-73.95394604844252!3f159.35303718426422!4f-10.168030555364737!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="400"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Then, finally, in 2015 a new design becomes apparent. The heartier side toward the sidewalk is enclosed with a fence to define the landscaped area, and it appears new effort has been invested in its maintenance. A sign there now says the garden is sponsored by the 530 Manhattan Ave HDFC, which probably installed the fence and contributed toward the landscaping. At this point, the other side has been covered in wood chips and the sign designating the dog relief area has been installed. Here was the view in September 2015:</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1539571509923!6m8!1m7!1skRrdgp434Jnq6YJCQpWX3A!2m2!1d40.80899884198184!2d-73.95397179833077!3f133.46486252073348!4f-14.81380915440431!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="600"></iframe><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sometime afterward, the dog poop bag dispenser was added along the crosswalk side of the space, completing the transformation into a <i>canisite</i>. When we were there, the space appeared to be well respected and in good condition. It will be interested to see if it could serve as a model for other underutilized spaces elsewhere in New York City.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Photos from my recent visit:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYXlEx7296J9UEl7cJUD_0MJqc9gsoCSe5Z3pbS76d9Vgr73k1pScMTjuG0uy1CO40Ws2fHGvU95r-hnPP7m4yRnRpwwDvwg9baWVpXZvY7w6DQyzQ0WrtLe4rRv3gk80W3l3csbEHUoN/s1600/20181008_130040%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYXlEx7296J9UEl7cJUD_0MJqc9gsoCSe5Z3pbS76d9Vgr73k1pScMTjuG0uy1CO40Ws2fHGvU95r-hnPP7m4yRnRpwwDvwg9baWVpXZvY7w6DQyzQ0WrtLe4rRv3gk80W3l3csbEHUoN/s400/20181008_130040%25280%2529.jpg" width="194" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEf1BXlSr0igBTuaJRsUHc7elwNBxs0vBgZ-HPJ_yGsMxg3q7BPOdB5iuHXqcWEhVJ8j7ALoSvILRgw6xUB0TA6pUp3p_fmvnVGferqDEcE9OcM1we6dvG1oCQMQFMWx5uTqEAUwx6cn4/s1600/20181008_125858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEf1BXlSr0igBTuaJRsUHc7elwNBxs0vBgZ-HPJ_yGsMxg3q7BPOdB5iuHXqcWEhVJ8j7ALoSvILRgw6xUB0TA6pUp3p_fmvnVGferqDEcE9OcM1we6dvG1oCQMQFMWx5uTqEAUwx6cn4/s400/20181008_125858.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXLCpPzRBkWX4jo1IkHYqpJgaBWH9itzN94tYrUUCFTZ2pQ2W3MmacKcrkZCsqLkSVebVX5i7VDTAKGPBaiaLmrCPsSjJNgsuJb68gphLsuEAp5cUx7A51JXLoS5le4hCZd9hFm3jH2tR/s1600/20181008_125824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXLCpPzRBkWX4jo1IkHYqpJgaBWH9itzN94tYrUUCFTZ2pQ2W3MmacKcrkZCsqLkSVebVX5i7VDTAKGPBaiaLmrCPsSjJNgsuJb68gphLsuEAp5cUx7A51JXLoS5le4hCZd9hFm3jH2tR/s640/20181008_125824.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA87q2kE4h6TEWWI1fuCcyS4P7zfGQmV-l8FFIsrszuazP3PwhULSUGlzPNax5QMWkMe1ckmihwzCIU2mPpCdt4MpDbMyr_mjQyCwwHJ1gdhViiA7iJ-x6ul4aw0McTNWgT3rUo_fdVC4t/s1600/20181008_125909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA87q2kE4h6TEWWI1fuCcyS4P7zfGQmV-l8FFIsrszuazP3PwhULSUGlzPNax5QMWkMe1ckmihwzCIU2mPpCdt4MpDbMyr_mjQyCwwHJ1gdhViiA7iJ-x6ul4aw0McTNWgT3rUo_fdVC4t/s640/20181008_125909.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEOlyV8hNtILmqSNhUEtEdndhs6LQ9X0gRhUOlbEWp5es-ID325CBhEEzx5q5zuUBi9o6Rrf2nj10Zjm2osKDEY4q4f4oACkU2AEFZHXAEFcedCMK-3dfKCi0tsWLqqPlT3LF6qJpl4lK/s1600/20181008_125932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEOlyV8hNtILmqSNhUEtEdndhs6LQ9X0gRhUOlbEWp5es-ID325CBhEEzx5q5zuUBi9o6Rrf2nj10Zjm2osKDEY4q4f4oACkU2AEFZHXAEFcedCMK-3dfKCi0tsWLqqPlT3LF6qJpl4lK/s640/20181008_125932.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqLwO-e3INCYiH0kWsATt2BJxsDou73f0GI2bvxKitKc0L8PZv7M1nKF01nUEbviSWAvDHmLBgWR1DIkALy_mW48pyVSvV4E7i0jhS6suUCoNrj3BJORgPYJHhFb8dTfU45FooqpmjZyw/s1600/20181008_125945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqLwO-e3INCYiH0kWsATt2BJxsDou73f0GI2bvxKitKc0L8PZv7M1nKF01nUEbviSWAvDHmLBgWR1DIkALy_mW48pyVSvV4E7i0jhS6suUCoNrj3BJORgPYJHhFb8dTfU45FooqpmjZyw/s640/20181008_125945.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRhYJW5EoVzXsyos4VcLkSttpLEe46IUbkVWvBgaloMd7A3yzEPpXIEOg0cRI01ygPQNWKf4QvDWWvd3LWbKuctaI7NK935Wk_WcAuLQiE2aaLji0DFXPLMOIkuj39QPG6RBn62wfTSzL/s1600/20181008_130005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRhYJW5EoVzXsyos4VcLkSttpLEe46IUbkVWvBgaloMd7A3yzEPpXIEOg0cRI01ygPQNWKf4QvDWWvd3LWbKuctaI7NK935Wk_WcAuLQiE2aaLji0DFXPLMOIkuj39QPG6RBn62wfTSzL/s640/20181008_130005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-36309266445728506692018-09-09T11:07:00.002-04:002018-09-10T23:10:05.821-04:00The Performance on a Dirty Corner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oR_lG9IAWD3Ue2ES2GFkEC25-t-nqH4yR7_9Wsiv8pSXO7HwO2sPoc8FPlxkNyPrvUnGxE2Wm6o-VbLKfzdHxqxCnb1PnsSbaPt2y39emxVbhY8edkd0M0YSiaGfWCmK0g-T1vj_yCr1/s1600/20180902_132348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oR_lG9IAWD3Ue2ES2GFkEC25-t-nqH4yR7_9Wsiv8pSXO7HwO2sPoc8FPlxkNyPrvUnGxE2Wm6o-VbLKfzdHxqxCnb1PnsSbaPt2y39emxVbhY8edkd0M0YSiaGfWCmK0g-T1vj_yCr1/s400/20180902_132348.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
There was no lack of spectators for the performance down on the corner. Many even returned to watch the show on its second and third days. "I've lived here for 30 years," or "I've lived here for 40 years," several of them stopped to say, "and I'm so glad you're doing this."<br />
<br />
Creating a mural is a public performance. Of course, the finished artwork is a permanent installation, but the process of transforming a space in the middle of daily street life becomes performance art in its own right.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Watching <a href="https://twitter.com/BigeyesWorld?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BigeyesWorld</a> work on the Norwood mural, you realize this type of project is largely performance art. The community is spectators enjoying the show as the piece progresses. <a href="https://t.co/MNa82Ao7li">pic.twitter.com/MNa82Ao7li</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/1036314192876367877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
East 207th Street and Bainbridge Avenue has always been an unremarkable and rather dirty corner. The side of the bodega is a blank wall that consistently attracted juvenile tagging, which local anti-graffiti group Norwood Against Graffiti (NAG) routinely rolled over with fresh paint, seemingly refreshing the canvas for the next set of tags. Meanwhile, the sidewalk and tree pits had long accumulated trash. A couple local characters spend their afternoons sitting on the corner with a drink in hand. It was the leftover backside of a small commercial building, a little place that had mostly been abandoned for decades. It was a place that people shuffled through, dulled by the mundane ugliness.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1536459144133!6m8!1m7!1sEHnX1xnr23er3HLoarhU-w!2m2!1d40.87571964753516!2d-73.87923163261208!3f184.91863858769307!4f-2.53943074692873!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border: 0;" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
While most people were resigned to walking by the griminess on this corner as an immutable fact of life, something they had effectively tuned out, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lisvu/" target="_blank">Elisabeth von Uhl</a> saw the possibility of creating a place that had more to contribute to the community. It took a few years of effort and a couple false starts, but with some perseverance and persuasion, she eventually partnered with <a href="http://art-bridge.org/public/" target="_blank">ArtBridge</a> and secured funding from <a href="https://council.nyc.gov/district-11/" target="_blank">Councilmember Andrew Cohen</a>. ArtBridge brought in artist <a href="https://www.lauralvarez.com/" target="_blank">Laura Alvarez</a> who designed and painted the mural.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4VN0jg12e98baIIhVkgzTH4Qr75A73uj32siOsduMFvKqf0bPG9IOoV5ItWU6pQn8nEV6jP7LPjdylxcUoNpA_Sz4nTUy2HQVxxtzJiwlO2RnKOssi5V_gUG96nbnHnnp1HoQ044YunS/s1600/20180903_153105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4VN0jg12e98baIIhVkgzTH4Qr75A73uj32siOsduMFvKqf0bPG9IOoV5ItWU6pQn8nEV6jP7LPjdylxcUoNpA_Sz4nTUy2HQVxxtzJiwlO2RnKOssi5V_gUG96nbnHnnp1HoQ044YunS/s640/20180903_153105.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="310" /></a></div>
<br />
Through all phases of the project, neighbors stopped by to watch the work and offer their thanks. Some stayed a while to watch Laura, Lis and their supporting cast (including volunteers who also gave the tree pits a deep cleaning). Others checked back periodically, eagerly looking at the progress throughout the three days it took to complete the mural. The sketch of the design that was taped up at the site was invaluable not only to describe the project, it acted almost as a program for the performance.<br />
<br />
Then, after three broiling hot days of hard work, the mural was completed. Now it is the stage set for the drama of neighborhood residents' daily lives, all brightened a bit every time they pass this corner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKuoPjxsqc4FqPHN2WnWv5BHvtSLnTC49mnZDjW43Zv2fLQUlWgBGsyXR1zxpIsKH_t8P2ASIyjL2_Ro8G7LUi47Y6EOZAd7oxZpvezE1hfZ9f76ZPCF6RVYFf8ynsxP4yIoJM6S_LAtV/s1600/20180903_153218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKuoPjxsqc4FqPHN2WnWv5BHvtSLnTC49mnZDjW43Zv2fLQUlWgBGsyXR1zxpIsKH_t8P2ASIyjL2_Ro8G7LUi47Y6EOZAd7oxZpvezE1hfZ9f76ZPCF6RVYFf8ynsxP4yIoJM6S_LAtV/s640/20180903_153218.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NyJscRSLvBzv0h-DZE5Fq6nyN_8HELBXggdYnDdSktHGzIP0urnslXlnfRbkz4XpnlJ85unqs7uT8ex1kvcxo_pxXksb6Ec69n70vCpJZI1wA3ppPdCdX8wh_QyKfv7trZjmQrSSO36B/s1600/20180902_154140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NyJscRSLvBzv0h-DZE5Fq6nyN_8HELBXggdYnDdSktHGzIP0urnslXlnfRbkz4XpnlJ85unqs7uT8ex1kvcxo_pxXksb6Ec69n70vCpJZI1wA3ppPdCdX8wh_QyKfv7trZjmQrSSO36B/s640/20180902_154140.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnPQ8QlAJw1/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnPQ8QlAJw1/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">#norwood #mural . The #paint #knowshow to #boogiedown when @bigeyesworld propels it #onthewall. . #everydaybronx</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/urban_residue/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Urban Residue</a> (@urban_residue) on <time datetime="2018-09-02T21:17:16+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 2, 2018 at 2:17pm PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" defer="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr align="center">
<td><img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2vvYllHlguL_4xSlPMjhMF63aqmRRDVWi7lnuH_li-j4HPfKdbOXAYbCovg8zAiIjqr0Bnia8Z43UBgxeEBPnE6bRLUllvUKMRGemNCZreFIVqD24yeKFsJ3Mah3M-D693tG8nfurTpb/s400/20180901_145225.jpg" /></td>
<td><img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCEI6gVtKmhouXAkn7smXhEniegem55Z-9oRlBYtNA2Gjaq88Hk0SXh-I7MsdDs4FLqi8E5ib_XQyamhwa073xiylWkNn0P2OR6bvhP95c2FEJEJd6Cfu0MLwEMEYSNNN2h850Z36HQaU/s400/20180901_145050.jpg" width="194" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIaZcWv5QjoFKLiFbBXmnwqxfdUXpMehAlQbk6r0h_A9uStXC3dbhDBpbldJxrShyphenhyphenHSfoJ13Bd4guhjhFcuDLls7yhJkgTlD6Z9TfiRAY0JAMBWJv1a4JFVib12KZfj49u1EEnc4xi21ZQ/s1600/20180902_132042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIaZcWv5QjoFKLiFbBXmnwqxfdUXpMehAlQbk6r0h_A9uStXC3dbhDBpbldJxrShyphenhyphenHSfoJ13Bd4guhjhFcuDLls7yhJkgTlD6Z9TfiRAY0JAMBWJv1a4JFVib12KZfj49u1EEnc4xi21ZQ/s640/20180902_132042.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASgEhcRsv5Xp-kMicmZDZh7NZOhAo7MtE6HeMBEZwTEdKQQDZdcit0p8BCLMeAqpSVAUDNwV5l3nOVDmHoixrHBrKAKfwaP7pnU7VdNvrXtZfd34d5sAhCAcoWmhcnd2AblqGsn2Ez-_P/s1600/20180902_132052%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASgEhcRsv5Xp-kMicmZDZh7NZOhAo7MtE6HeMBEZwTEdKQQDZdcit0p8BCLMeAqpSVAUDNwV5l3nOVDmHoixrHBrKAKfwaP7pnU7VdNvrXtZfd34d5sAhCAcoWmhcnd2AblqGsn2Ez-_P/s640/20180902_132052%25280%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRZzg6gWWQ/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRZzg6gWWQ/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">#laborday . A #blankwall on a #dirtycorner can stand for years as a fact of life, the unnoticed way things are, until those with #vision organize and work. When others walk by, they #stopandnotice, give thanks for the #labor that makes this place #bloom with potential nobody had recognized. . #everydaybronx @bigeyesworld @artbridge</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/urban_residue/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Urban Residue</a> (@urban_residue) on <time datetime="2018-09-03T17:13:12+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 3, 2018 at 10:13am PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<script async="" defer="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0dE7Prk1ARGlVNISrgtIgOXzVJ8_kSuyp1YBoy8QSlYpPeHhwX1UtHWzChsPAjkXweuzXI90RExGuS5sXVIvBIJOpgamp0XJqSVqQZreEhHQXPb-BYu4jAMJGkFjpiyQDoKgoE7ddyBO/s1600/20180902_132157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0dE7Prk1ARGlVNISrgtIgOXzVJ8_kSuyp1YBoy8QSlYpPeHhwX1UtHWzChsPAjkXweuzXI90RExGuS5sXVIvBIJOpgamp0XJqSVqQZreEhHQXPb-BYu4jAMJGkFjpiyQDoKgoE7ddyBO/s640/20180902_132157.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGeG2fOsY0oj9zXlC_VnvAKr0wZD1RuIMabNTYW9l3m7co6UtWj_JGBrN3enzUJ5VRxwU7t-fBnR1DqSaMnbghl8kqBM8-FMWkjCBM6fBpYJkozt7GaND-CXoZkKVdwuYjObzbdaKofkX/s1600/20180903_153158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGeG2fOsY0oj9zXlC_VnvAKr0wZD1RuIMabNTYW9l3m7co6UtWj_JGBrN3enzUJ5VRxwU7t-fBnR1DqSaMnbghl8kqBM8-FMWkjCBM6fBpYJkozt7GaND-CXoZkKVdwuYjObzbdaKofkX/s640/20180903_153158.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTc_YRBs4U/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTc_YRBs4U/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;">
</div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTc_YRBs4U/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTc_YRBs4U/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTc_YRBs4U/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(0px) translatey(7px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translatex(3px) translatey(1px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(9px) translatey(-18px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0; transform: translatex(16px) translatey(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; transform: translatey(16px); width: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12px; transform: translatey(-4px); width: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; height: 0; transform: translatey(-4px) translatex(8px); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTc_YRBs4U/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
</a> <br />
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnTc_YRBs4U/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Big projects, big ideas, happy endings! #artbridge #mural #spraypaint #laborday #labordayweekend #laboroflove #thebronxisbeautiful #bronxartist #bronxart #TheBronx #norwood #community #lauralvarez #buildingcommunity #bigeyesworld #bronxartist #flowers #crochetflowers #tradition #inspiredbytradition #blue</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigeyesworld/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> LaurAlvarez</a> (@bigeyesworld) on <time datetime="2018-09-04T12:19:30+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 4, 2018 at 5:19am PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" defer="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSVNIfhSRB/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSVNIfhSRB/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;">
</div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSVNIfhSRB/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSVNIfhSRB/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSVNIfhSRB/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(0px) translatey(7px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translatex(3px) translatey(1px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(9px) translatey(-18px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0; transform: translatex(16px) translatey(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; transform: translatey(16px); width: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12px; transform: translatey(-4px); width: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; height: 0; transform: translatey(-4px) translatex(8px); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSVNIfhSRB/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
</a> <br />
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSVNIfhSRB/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Happiness when you finish a big project like this. Thank you @artbridge @lisvu @liquitexofficial @sally7hong @urban_residue and every person that stopped by, helped out and is going to keep an eye on the mural. #artbridge #mural #spraypaint #laborday #labordayweekend #laboroflove #thebronxisbeautiful #TheBronx #norwood #community #lauralvarez #buildingcommunity #bigeyesworld #bronxartist #flowers #crochetflowers #tradition #inspiredbytradition #blue</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigeyesworld/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> LaurAlvarez</a> (@bigeyesworld) on <time datetime="2018-09-04T01:52:14+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 3, 2018 at 6:52pm PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" defer="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnY_KKthm56/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnY_KKthm56/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;">
</div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnY_KKthm56/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnY_KKthm56/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnY_KKthm56/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(0px) translatey(7px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translatex(3px) translatey(1px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(9px) translatey(-18px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0; transform: translatex(16px) translatey(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; transform: translatey(16px); width: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12px; transform: translatey(-4px); width: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; height: 0; transform: translatey(-4px) translatex(8px); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnY_KKthm56/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
</a> <br />
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnY_KKthm56/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Latest mural in the Bronx at 207th & Bainbridge by @bigeyesworld! Special thanks to @andrewcohennyc + @lisvu for recognizing the need for a little splash of color on this previously bare wall. Murals like this one discourage graffiti and promote community wellness💪 Paint generously donated by @liquitexofficial</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artbridge/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> ArtBridge</a> (@artbridge) on <time datetime="2018-09-06T15:54:17+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 6, 2018 at 8:54am PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" defer="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-40545361218761917342018-08-11T18:39:00.001-04:002018-08-22T11:21:56.346-04:00The Mountaindale General StoreMountaindale isn't really a place. At least, it's not anymore, and it hasn't been for a long time.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d22322.86400598066!2d-123.04884507084313!3d45.6235440309915!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x549502e32dd6097b%3A0x4d4e60dfb3037ab8!2sMountaindale%2C+OR+97133!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1533690038072" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="650"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/Riir8i3JM1A" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1187" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KHEpE-m8Utx6PBZ9nmRPV-Rs5qvK6YOYiog7SjS8UxRzggNoddiKi-p80iWasn-wNReobhXj6x0O3X6WrZWqM6bBuhbgz7muuFj4pfZBs5SGEBOlMY8KLuQ-TRmTq0KdOoN45DO72Xao/s400/Nowhere_Man_Ep3_Mountaindale.jpg" width="400" /></a>When I was a child, there was a little store with a gas pump at the intersection of a couple quiet country roads. For me, it was a sort of landmark; we turned at the store, went past the old, red, one-room schoolhouse, and then we were at Grandma's house. A few times my grandmother took me on a quick errand to get milk or butter at the Mountaindale General Store, although we usually went into the small nearby town of North Plains or further to Cornelius or Hillsboro for any more significant shopping. My memory of the Mountaindale General Store is not very clear, but in my imagination it was a creaky old wooden affair with a few creaky old locals hanging out inside.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosxd1iL498TaQ12vAhTNvzanR1n1RXfyuL3zQwNNb-3KdAuog0JkHVSnMd8Qu3RRSGtJ3G_7JIFZWc1RyGjjIF-pii-rgqiK6MVue7gby5_RGqvqoHBXiVFoyZ9awyx3Pfk66lw5YXgjZ/s1600/Nowhere_Man_Ep3_Tipton.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1183" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosxd1iL498TaQ12vAhTNvzanR1n1RXfyuL3zQwNNb-3KdAuog0JkHVSnMd8Qu3RRSGtJ3G_7JIFZWc1RyGjjIF-pii-rgqiK6MVue7gby5_RGqvqoHBXiVFoyZ9awyx3Pfk66lw5YXgjZ/s200/Nowhere_Man_Ep3_Tipton.jpg.png" width="200" /></a><br />
Appropriately, during the store's waning years, it served as a shooting location for an episode of some forgotten TV show titled <a href="https://youtu.be/Riir8i3JM1A" target="_blank">Nowhere Man</a>. I never watched it, but the reviews on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112104/reviews?ref_=tt_urv" target="_blank">IMDb</a> are quite positive. Mountaindale played the role of a Southern town with a population of 37. "Is this the whole town?" the protagonist asks after getting off the bus. The store was the last remnant of Mountaindale to close.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Recently, I turned down the road past the vacant store when I was in Portland on a business trip. After flying across the country, I took a brief moment with my father to drive by my grandparents' old farm. I had trouble spotting the old red school house, which had been relocated on the same property and repainted a tan color. At my grandparents old place, the barn had fallen down, which did not surprise me. Its cracked frame was barely still standing that last time I came to pick up my grandmother. The house was still there, which did surprise me. Its moldering remains should have been knocked down and cleared out years ago.<br />
<br />
The store up the road, meanwhile, was falling apart somewhat more slowly. Interesting, I thought, since it was so much older than the barn my mother and uncle helped my grandfather build when they were children. I did not take the time to stop to take any photos, but Google Streetview did capture images once, in 2012. My grandmother's farm is beyond the reach of Google Streetview, which leaves off right at the Mountaindale General Store. Even in its afterlife on the internet, Mountaindale is the last outpost of commerce.<br />
<br />
Since the Streetsview images were taken in 2012, the store's porch has slumped significantly more. All that is left of Mountaindale today is this slowly collapsing old wooden building; a relocated, unmarked old school house down the road that could be mistaken for a shed; the name on a winding country road; and, somehow, a marker on Google Maps and an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaindale,_Oregon" target="_blank">entry on Wikipedia</a> recounting the history of this former place.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1534026004267!6m8!1m7!1sLlrpmjb4B_ukXsCMS67_iA!2m2!1d45.6249380392553!2d-123.0401150529846!3f54.131029788126966!4f2.931140809387344!5f1.9587109090973311" style="border: 0;" width="650"></iframe> As we drove through the surrounding countryside, my father lamented that when Oregon passed its major land use laws in the 1970s, he thought this landscape would stay the same. To a shocking extent it actually has. Growth in Hillsboro and Beaverton has been explosive, and Intel's headquarters is a mere 15 minute drive away. It takes 20 minutes to drive to Nike's headquarters, yet the biggest change within a couple miles of my grandmother's old farm is the realignment of 90-degree turns on the road to make more gentle curves so drivers don't keep rolling their cars in the ditch (like my mother did as a teenager learning to drive). Rather than fading away into the open fields, Mountaindale would have become a sprawling subdivision decades ago without the urban growth boundary.</div>
<br />
My father was reacting to the growth in the nearest town, which we drove through, as well as a thin smattering of exurban houses that have popped up over the years. The little town nearby, North Plains, is within the urban growth boundary, and the new residential areas and additional commercial activity is a marked difference from the tiny, sleepy main street where I would go on errands with my grandfather decades ago. Additionally, some of the houses built in recent decades are conspicuous; in many cases McMansions have replaced older, more modest homes.<br />
<br />
The fate of my grandmother's old property will be somewhat different. The new owners plan to replace the derelict old house down by the road with their new home up in the woods on the back end of the property. Like the McMansions we drove by, this new house will certainly be more expensive than the house it replaces, but it will be less visible in the countryside.<br />
<br />
No landscape ever remains unchanged, and the change here has been quite slow. In fact, for the most part the change has been invisible as the vernacular landscape has slowly and quietly faded away. The old communities have been replaced without leaving much trace. Properties that provided supplemental income for families with working class jobs like pipefitters and truck drivers are now hobby farms for senior managers at tech firms. New homes that are more impressive or removed from view have gradually replaced many of the the old working class houses alongside the road. Local stores that created some point of neighborly encounter and a sense of identity no longer exist.<br />
<br />
Perhaps, in a subtle and intuitive way, my father could feel this in a landscape he has known his entire adult life. To a planner, the few McMansions are barely a noteworthy change in the built environment. They have no impact to the ecological system, county infrastructure, or the open countryside as a scenic resource. In terms of social geography, however, they may be poignant signs that the old communities have been emptied of their independent country lives and reduced to the hinterland of the growing metropolis just out of view. These new residents do not earn or spend their money in places like the Mountaindale General Store. Mountaindale isn't a place anymore.<br />
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-51170396617353112472018-05-31T21:28:00.000-04:002018-05-31T21:36:25.255-04:00Early Morning HauntsThe early hours are haunted times. Sometimes it seems still, but in that eerie silence something is always quietly moving about. At other times, activities go on regularly in the dark without us, as we slumber in our beds unaware of the activities occupying our regular places. Familiar places become foreign to us during these irregular hours, with a heightened sense of awareness. At these times, I am often haunted by Jean Anouilh's Antigone returning home and describing the early morning:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>De me promener, nourrice. C'était beau. Tout était gris. Maintenant, tu ne peux pas savoir, tout est déjà rose, jaune, vert. C'est devenu une carte postale. Il faut te lever plus tôt, nourrice, si tu veux voir un monde sans couleurs... </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Le jardin dormait encore. Je l'ai surpris, nourrice. Je l'ai vu sans qu'il s'en doute. C'est beau un jardin qui ne pense pas encore aux hommes... </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Dans les champs c'était tout mouillé et cela attendait. Tout attendait. Je faisais un bruit énorme toute seule sur la route et j'étais gênée parce que je savais bien que ce n'était pas moi qu'on attendais. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">From walking about, nurse. It was beautiful. Everything was gray. Now, you can't tell, everything is already pink, yellow, green. It's turned into a post card. You must get up earlier, nurse, if you want to see a world without colors... </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The garden was still sleeping. I crept up on it, nurse. I saw it without it suspecting. A garden that isn't thinking about men yet is beautiful... </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In the fields it was all wet and it was waiting. Everything was waiting. I made a huge noise all alone on the road and I was bothered because I knew that it wasn't me it was waiting for.</span> </blockquote>
Truth be told, my memory probably embellishes on Anouilh a bit. My imagination makes it more mythic, perhaps, than the actual text itself. Perhaps that is part of how haunting works.<br />
<br />
Recently I found myself in Weehawken at the corner of 19th Street and Boulevard East at four in the morning, where I was again visited by this familiar memory. I experienced the sense of being bothered by the world's indifference to us, and this time it wasn't waiting for anything, although I rather expected it to be.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I was on my way to observe the set-up of the Exclusive Bus Lane, one of the most intensive commuting operations anywhere in the world. Tens of thousands of passengers roll into the Lincoln Tunnel on a continuous line of buses for a hours every workday. Very early each morning, a small team of workers sets up a dedicated lane that allows the buses to bypass other traffic to move the most people possible into New York City (and it still isn't enough).<br />
<br />
The lane has to be set up early to avoid impacts to traffic as people start their daily activities and volumes continue rising toward the morning peak. I did not expect anything of interest when I walked by this corner. As far as I was concerned, there wasn't much there: an empty basketball court, a quiet little fire house, and a couple strips of landscaping to provide a bit of buffer of visual relief from the intense traffic that congests the approaches to the tunnel. Yet this bit of landscaping was quite the busy scene.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V_RJ5ouo-Ps" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
The tunnel is an intense focus of human activity throughout our waking hours, but at four in the morning the birds have made this place their own. Up in the branches along the roadway and further up the slopes above the toll plaza, they were out and active. Calling to each other, they had a lot to say, but it wasn't me they were talking to. They had no interest in my comings and goings, or the small stream of vehicles, or any of the rest of humanity. Streams of people would pour in later, with the ferocious noise of our motor vehicles, but during these early hours, the place belonged to them. Later, in the light of day and surrounded by the regular trappings of my daily routine, their voices followed me.<br />
<br />Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760269284779707208.post-30126457216731513212018-04-27T01:04:00.002-04:002018-04-28T00:02:12.050-04:00Popping up on Parkside Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Major changes have been announced for Norwood with new construction planned for a rocky slope that residents had always believed was parkland. This has raised concerns.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwgLGm-Yrzy1YXyjSbwupVPcQaMydFzbEDuRP0j5u2X5L4V_nve2MII08fdAFp_ZtlIlbzIq7mTqZa1SCGsFPhBnjljoeQ_p1QlXX_gvmT0wMGQlxt5DGdId-kYiXnTRDCduogcKBsrqO/s1600/Transforming_Parkside_Place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="1280" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwgLGm-Yrzy1YXyjSbwupVPcQaMydFzbEDuRP0j5u2X5L4V_nve2MII08fdAFp_ZtlIlbzIq7mTqZa1SCGsFPhBnjljoeQ_p1QlXX_gvmT0wMGQlxt5DGdId-kYiXnTRDCduogcKBsrqO/s640/Transforming_Parkside_Place.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The site is a long, narrow rock outcropping that separates Parkside Place from Webster Avenue in The Bronx. It is near my home and I know it well. Almost nobody ever climbs up on the rocks above Webster Avenue. There's no reason they would. I am one of the few who has. I was curious about a stair that extended from 207th Street down to Webster Avenue on old maps. It was unclear if it was merely planned or if had actually been built and then removed at some point long forgotten. I went looking for any remnants under the vegetation. There is some concrete that might have been part of a stair, although I can't be sure, as well as some mortar used to stabilize the rock outcropping to avoid a collapse onto the street below.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhET4YxI1ZIB24rXorUOvoyDJMtpWVR6SoFLDM9-tnPGv-hY3K109A8rVA_fLWKo1JEphoWa13rpDgVMH32CSyj-GmDMpYY8pLjsiM6iE-gFNE4agSenu6Pb4aM6NAdPAqRtoXCI4eS1U5e/s1600/InkedBronx_Borough_Engineer_Parkside_Place_stairs_LI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1229" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhET4YxI1ZIB24rXorUOvoyDJMtpWVR6SoFLDM9-tnPGv-hY3K109A8rVA_fLWKo1JEphoWa13rpDgVMH32CSyj-GmDMpYY8pLjsiM6iE-gFNE4agSenu6Pb4aM6NAdPAqRtoXCI4eS1U5e/s640/InkedBronx_Borough_Engineer_Parkside_Place_stairs_LI.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">A stair location is indicated on the Borough President's street title map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Parkside Place is a short, three-block-long street that climbs over and back down those rocks. It splits off from Webster Avenue, climbs the hill to 209th Street, continues to 207th Street, and then drops back down to merge back with Webster. It takes its name from the tree-covered rock outcrop that it climbs over, which has never been a real park, but is park-like as a visual resource.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpYuUkBACah1O1iKGWDEwtdodSi69nMHqzf73WpNQR5nTX9Uvfe8-LsVGTDhJmvijhlLv2p-ptHY_J8Ft0T4h69ddQv1Y5OLVxsU050wTaGyMgy_rPMk6skOTw9ie-t25QgqR-J_pPpfJ/s1600/Mortar+on+rocks+Parkside+Place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpYuUkBACah1O1iKGWDEwtdodSi69nMHqzf73WpNQR5nTX9Uvfe8-LsVGTDhJmvijhlLv2p-ptHY_J8Ft0T4h69ddQv1Y5OLVxsU050wTaGyMgy_rPMk6skOTw9ie-t25QgqR-J_pPpfJ/s640/Mortar+on+rocks+Parkside+Place.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-uo2N2oQp0KAyPDwI9ytljBzhGgouZJ3i6Pkm2wvEOsAxTbr7GsrlBym_FqoD0Gy-JjI8LtdhhX1sDH2ypyeaXQq0HE0Hava3gcq1QLLTWESWPBvm03T4vzd1o2Wm-ia7RWQCVdcpY9Z/s1600/rocks+Parkside+Place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-uo2N2oQp0KAyPDwI9ytljBzhGgouZJ3i6Pkm2wvEOsAxTbr7GsrlBym_FqoD0Gy-JjI8LtdhhX1sDH2ypyeaXQq0HE0Hava3gcq1QLLTWESWPBvm03T4vzd1o2Wm-ia7RWQCVdcpY9Z/s640/rocks+Parkside+Place.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Recently, somebody started clearing the trees off the rocks. Local residents became alarmed. It was commonly believed this was City parkland (in no small part because the Department of Parks and Recreation showed it as parkland on their interactive parks map), and now it was being clearcut without warning. </div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/maps?z=8&p=1019840,258494&a=PARKS_LC&c=PARKS_LC&f=DPR_PARK,DPR_FACILITY,DPR_BEACH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="964" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAseoaQyIkiAsiXY7r6K52_Ax2gG2sBOFwOf1GqC04_WJTZVjP4xTxuzSs8_dpHL3T3M5Qh3ZJk7Q3Hb5HBmrd24e4AY-EXB2u7GvKRWT5ejrbk3d5wCGysRAZpW3yZSnxZXr1cfzHT1fj/s640/Parkside+Place+on+NYC+Parks+map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
It turns out the Parks map was wrong. The City-owned section is south of 207th Street. The entire section to the north is a long, narrow, privately owned property. A developer now plan to build on it. This has, of course, sparked the <a href="http://www.welcome2thebronx.com/2018/04/19/another-large-development-coming-norwood/" target="_blank">typical knee-jerk NIMBY/anti-gentrification reactions</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The renderings prepared by <a href="http://marinarchitects.com/" target="_blank">Marin Architects</a> for UA Builders do nothing to help matters. When people in an ethnically diverse, working-class community are apprehensive about being displaced from their homes, there is no comfort from images showing a bunch of white people with expensive cars occupying their neighborhood. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC33pxOHVJzCYLYBZoGHc8Bwzfcgze-Vp73RXLHjZhaMUB_Q3d2KTEu7OvoRBC_HXxk7HlRJMwA3CbxszZNJsxeuI0lyKsHbRTyLQtP0QGeYSEGFvecDgm5ROiaKBE4cqol7dz5n92DpPB/s1600/3254-Parkside-Place-front-rendering-courtesy-UA-Builders-Group-with-design-by-Marin-Architects.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC33pxOHVJzCYLYBZoGHc8Bwzfcgze-Vp73RXLHjZhaMUB_Q3d2KTEu7OvoRBC_HXxk7HlRJMwA3CbxszZNJsxeuI0lyKsHbRTyLQtP0QGeYSEGFvecDgm5ROiaKBE4cqol7dz5n92DpPB/s640/3254-Parkside-Place-front-rendering-courtesy-UA-Builders-Group-with-design-by-Marin-Architects.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Yes, that is a Maserati in a <a href="https://popfactfinder.planning.nyc.gov/profile/3161/economic" target="_blank">census tract</a> with a median houshold income of $41,000 dollars:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIvii5SpED7V9zKjCX8EjuaJDtfppivi7SZOPkv89Q7gf8HULjPqN03NUJw6llqaY828N9IlJR_xPIhi_o_8pW4EKGgHysTxck0dI6YEFJUaeBDVty15EDzkhwIdA-588nVS-u3fML7KO/s1600/Maserati-Parkside-Place-by-Marin-Architects.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="1182" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIvii5SpED7V9zKjCX8EjuaJDtfppivi7SZOPkv89Q7gf8HULjPqN03NUJw6llqaY828N9IlJR_xPIhi_o_8pW4EKGgHysTxck0dI6YEFJUaeBDVty15EDzkhwIdA-588nVS-u3fML7KO/s640/Maserati-Parkside-Place-by-Marin-Architects.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
This problem with renderings is a frequent occurrence, and it's <a href="http://urbanresidue.blogspot.com/2017/04/work-in-progress.html" target="_blank">not even the first time recently within a block of this site</a>. I am skeptical the developers actually have any intention of displacing any residents by building on a vacant lot, nor do I suspect them of trying to fundamentally change the character of the neighborhood. They may misrepresent it for marketing purposes and they almost certainly will look to attract the residents they can charge the most, but the market rate for housing in this area is unlikely to drive a significant change. A new, large residential building on Decatur Avenue a few years ago caused concerns and provided much of the impetus for the Webster rezoning, but it has had no noticeable impact in any way.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Rather than displacement, I expect this infill development to provide some much-needed economic support for the local business strips, which remain tenuous. Instead of putting pressure on retail spaces to upscale, more housing and residents with somewhat more disposable income will help provide a healthier customer base to anchor stores that would be beneficial for everyone in the neighborhood. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The argument about schools and transit also seems misplaced. These are citywide issues, but they are less acute in Norwood than many other parts of New York. The D train gets crowded (especially during Yankees games), but it is hardly the worst of the subway lines. Moreover, the neighborhood schools have all recently been expanded, relieving the overcrowding that still afflicts many parts of the school system. It should also be noted that the overcrowding we did experience previously resulted from crowding in the existing housing stock while there had been no new construction for decades.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Yet in terms of neighborhood change, this does represent a transformation on Parkside Place itself. The trees clinging to the side of the rocks did provide some greenery to passing motorists on Webster, but this section of The Bronx is hardly lacking in parkland. For those who actually walk this area, the slope and the whole side of the streets above and below have always been covered in trash and frequently used for dumping. The sidewalk on Parkside Place is substandard, and only a portion of this section of Webster ever had any sidewalk at all. The section that did was both substandard and lost under the dirt ages ago.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-73llUJyItO46eAoxV7jI1B1kmo1ikpeeBpSZHr2GoKJKFHfEAvKpuhGiKLzOr7QaMdidOpmKVhcnhDOqtqMC3EfWk4hDzUA98oAfPbek4PAqAdDBwGIlwIH5iao8SYBjuSjS7414ehkF/s1600/Webster+sidewalk+under+leaves+by+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-73llUJyItO46eAoxV7jI1B1kmo1ikpeeBpSZHr2GoKJKFHfEAvKpuhGiKLzOr7QaMdidOpmKVhcnhDOqtqMC3EfWk4hDzUA98oAfPbek4PAqAdDBwGIlwIH5iao8SYBjuSjS7414ehkF/s640/Webster+sidewalk+under+leaves+by+rock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Walking along Webster has become somewhat safer with the introduction of the bus lanes. Because of the missing sidewalk and lack of space to walk between the parked cars and rock outcropping, people are forced to walk in traffic. Now pedestrians only have to watch for the periodic bus with a professional driver familiar with the route.</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Don't park here.<br />
Overgrown poison ivy swallowing on-street parking. <a href="https://t.co/S5JzzzCU4Z">pic.twitter.com/S5JzzzCU4Z</a></div>
— Urban Residue (@urbanresidue) <a href="https://twitter.com/urbanresidue/status/866710820109115392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGYeSFwmTb4CHwqorJhh3virT4ODYqNKwbzu07x2YI_k0zDxD9RLxswaFT17g0UvXNWln0nvD3l3IVzzPXIl0odusFTj4qwmXbRyOIh9qzcXW7pF-bo_gMhcjaHkcDvVohcDIjBvtkKFa/s1600/Webster+no+sidewalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGYeSFwmTb4CHwqorJhh3virT4ODYqNKwbzu07x2YI_k0zDxD9RLxswaFT17g0UvXNWln0nvD3l3IVzzPXIl0odusFTj4qwmXbRyOIh9qzcXW7pF-bo_gMhcjaHkcDvVohcDIjBvtkKFa/s320/Webster+no+sidewalk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It is unclear if the developer intends to provide a parking garage. The renderings show parking down by Webster, but the plans that were initially filed did not list an automobile parking. Although I expect a fight over parking, it would be misplaced. There are many unused and underutilized spaces on Webster Avenue now. Abandoned cars are only occasionally reported and eventually removed. If new residents along this stretch create more need for parking, they will also provide a presence to deter dumping cars and the motivation to have them removed to free up the spaces. The recent building on Decatur was required to provide parking, which was largely provided with a surface lot on Parkside Place, which has remained empty since the building was completed. If there is a need for some additional parking, it should be possible to make use of that empty lot across the street.<br />
<br />
While new construction should bring huge improvements in sidewalks and cleanliness, it will also block views. Parkside Place provides a wonderful overlook out over the Bronx River Preservation, although the trees do largely block the view at street level. There will be residents who will lose the views from their windows, and that change will most certainly not be welcome. Replacing a long vista out over acres of trees with the side of a building is a real loss for a small handful of households. Even though they have no legal claim to the view, it has been an amenity they have always enjoyed and surely never thought they could lose. The residents in the new building will have an even better view from the other side of the street.<br />
<br />
For the neighborhood overall, the outlook is positive. Building on this site would create homes for people who want to move into the neighborhood, as well as those already living here looking for a nicer place and likely to consider moving out. It would help to increase the supply of housing in a city where affordability continues to worsen because there simply aren't enough homes to keep pace with demand. More residents with disposable incomes would also help provide a healthy retail environment to serve the needs of the entire community.<br />
<br />
The architecture of the planned building seems sensitive to the site, although I think they may still be able to leverage its unique rocky qualities even better as they refine the design. What I would really like to see is the (re?)introduction of the public stair from 207th Street down to Webster, with a small, well designed overlook. This would engage the new, sleek building in a more dynamic dialog with the natural features of this rock outcropping, and would provide the whole community with a unique space to experience the views and natural formations, rather than just enclosing it all for private use.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Urban Residuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16650845463518168416noreply@blogger.com0