The Connective Corridor is this lie. Sure, it sounds like a great idea: create a culturally enriched corridor from Syracuse University to the center of downtown Syracuse. It would, in theory, open up the historically distant campus, and help the city by revitalizing a downtown which could currently serve as the poster child for urban decay. The reality of the CC is much different, because it is missing one vital element: something to connect to.
Lets go across the country to my hometown - Spokane, WA. In many ways, Spokane and Syracuse are very similar cities. When I visit downtown Syracuse today, I remember downtown Spokane 14 years ago. Block after block of boarded up storefronts, and the busiest part of it all was the central bus terminal. Commercial activity was, to put it lightly, sparse. But in 1999, Spokane completed it's first major project to revitalize downtown - River Park Square. River Park Square is, for lack of a better term, a mall, but it is in the center of downtown, with connections via sky walk to many buildings, creating a massive network of buildings that includes everything from condos, offices, local stores and businesses, and national chains. By connecting all of these elements of downtown and by providing ample open, indoor public spaces, the mall is also a great meeting place through which access to all of downtown was possible.
While the initial reception to River Park Square was not the best, it was built at the ideal time. It was constructed very soon before the recession caused by the Sept. 11 attacks, and as such, it was poised to ride the wave that came afterwards. Because of the public's attraction to the mall and its public spaces, developers came back to downtown and renovated many buildings and hotels. Today, even a Tuesday night downtown is busy and vibrant, with many stylish restaurants and bars, and many local stores and shops, and lets not the multi-million dollar condos that sprung up in once abandoned buildings.
Granted, another thing Spokane has going for it is it's extremely popular annual community events, such as HoopFest (3v3 basketball) and Bloomsday (1/2 marathon). These events transform downtown for a few days every year, each drawing hundreds of thousands of participants and tens of millions of dollars to local businesses. These events show off Spokane at its best and create a real sense of community within the city. It really is no wonder that the the population of Spokane keeps rising, and that it is rated as one of the best cities in the nation to start a new business.
When I see Syracuse downtown, I see a lot of potential. Old buildings with lots of space ready to be occupied by a new generation that embraces the arts and urban environments But what downtown lacks is the elements that are actually going to attract people, like indoor public spaces that are highly accessible and visible. The biggest detriment to a potential Syracuse downtown renewal, economy aside, is the development at Carousel Mall. With the mall so close to downtown, business is easily drawn away from the urban center to a massive assembly of national chains that only serve to draw Syracuse resident's hard earned money away from the city. So, back to the Connective Corridor.
I rode on the connective corridor last week, and that was to get to the Warehouse for a class. The bus was completely empty, and along the way, I saw nothing that would compel me to get off and explore the city and what few businesses it has.
There needs to be something downtown that would actually attract students and the public. In that lies many interesting - and much more meaningful - design challenges.
No comments:
Post a Comment