Fixing Autocentric Development

This first episode in a new Street Films series called "Fixing the Great Mistake", examines what was lost when our cities began catering exclusively to the automobile.

Teabagged at the Library

I noticed today Teabaggers are now jockeying for protest space with the anti-war crowd outside the Ferguson Library on Saturday mornings.

Dudes, The library? That's like the public option of books! Socialists.

Wouldn't the mall plaza outside Barnes & Noble be decidedly more free market.

Move the protest there next time and see how cool that is with Paul Blart.

YMCA Post sans Village People Pun

Here’s a look at the revamped Bell Street facade of the downtown YMCA. Both the Advocate and the Stamford Times have articles today on the first phase of construction which includes the new entrance, lobby and cardio room. Some additional renderings from future phases are below. The glass looks to be an improvement to the dingy, rather depressing wall that’s there now.

The Y has been closed since selling their lobby and upper floors to a developer for conversion into a boutique hotel. Stamford Notes recently did a run down on what to expect out of the new Y opening in March. Before the hotel deal, the Y considered deserting it’s downtown location in order to stay afloat. Looks like aside from allowing the institution remain downtown, the changes are breathing some new life in terms of both form and function into the building.

Bike Racks & Parking Meters

New York City is offering a bike parking/ street meter upgrade worth emulating.

200+ meters will have their heads removed and refitted with a circular bike rack that slides over the pole. The solution is cheaper than ripping up the sidewalk in order to remove the poles or place new dedicated bike racks. A rack to lock two bikes would correspond with each on-street parking space for a car.

Motorists would pay for their parking at pay stations at the end of the block. I’m assuming this is similar to the pay stations in our city garages where you bring your number to the station, select your time and pay. Pay stations usually accept credit & debit cards, so the time allotted for you to park would no longer be contingent on the change stuck to the bottom of your cup holder. While it would force the driver into a short walk to the pay station in place of paying right at their space, there could also be an overall convenience. If all the downtown pay stations were integrated wirelessly, a person could add additional time to their meter from any pay station in the area. Imagine you could park your car in the Summer St garage to see a movie, walk to Bedford St for diner afterwards, and simply add time at a pay station on the street if you decide to stay longer for a drink at a pub. This system would increase the convenience of leaving one’s car in one location for a multiple stops on a trip downtown and not punish someone for wanting to stay longer by forcing a truncated visit, a walk back to the meter, or an orange love letter from the city waiting under the wiper.

Multi-Low-Culturalism

No need to wait for the census, here is confirmation we are the most diverse community in Fairfield County. Overheard this weekend in Stamford from some stock white guy:

“Me and this Korean guy almost got in a fight the other night outside Beamers with some long haired European and four Indian dudes.”

The location of the near scuffle would fall squarely between Eastern Bloc topless entertainment and the famed El Charrito taco truck in a predominantly African American neighborhood, turning the street outside the strip club in that brief moment into the most diverse cross section of the community in town.

Mr. Met Steps Up to the Plate

Shortly after news that famed manager and Stamford native Bobby Valentine would be tapped to help mediate the city’s long standing fire department conflict, Mayor Mike Pavia announced he would dip yet again into the hall of Mets legends and appoint Mr. Met to a commission to offer independent analysis on the $46 million in capital projects under consideration in the 2010-11 budget.

Mr. Met, pictured here with Wally the Green Monster at last summer’s “Meeting New Economic Realities in the Mega-Region” summit, is the beloved baseball headed mascot of the New York Mets. “Mr. Met is no stranger to responsible capital investment,” Pavia said. “Under his leadership, Citi Field was brought in under time and under budget. This is exactly the comically exaggerated eye we need looking down the list to help prioritize our needs in these tough economic times."

Still, other officials are skeptical. “It’s not entirely clear whether Mr. Met even has the ability to speak,” noted Land Use Bureau Chief Robert Stein. “Can we really rely on mime to help drive policy? Does his exaggerated swing and amusing fall to the ground convey the danger or overextending our capital expenditures in a recession or endorse the need to continue to invest in additional playing fields amidst a citywide shortage?”

Mr. Met answered the criticism by patting Stein on the head and giving a thumbs up with his oversized hands.

The anthropomorphic analyst will chair a public hearing tonight at 7:30PM in the Government Center to discuss which capital projects should move forward and which should remain on hold.

The Philly Fanatic could not be reached for comment.