Comments on: GIS And SYR

By: A Different Kind Of Acupuncture |

A Different Kind Of Acupuncture | — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:03:38 +0000

[...] I touched on the concept of urban acupuncture as part of a larger article on Geographic Information Systems. Urban acupuncture attacks decay in [...]

By: Maureen

Maureen — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:50:21 +0000

Sean I am honored to hear from you. I have told you in the past how much I admire your work with the Syracuse Newspapers. I read your column regularly and consider myself one of your biggest fans, though I think thousands upon thousands of readers would compete for that position. I did read your article on Theresa Rusho’s blog and agree that she writes most eloquently about the problems of our city. I spent way more time than I should have yesterday combing through all her entries and the scanned articles from the newspaper that I did not realize were available to readers. What a treasure. Honestly, the mentality back then…as you said, were there more money available we might have leveled the whole city in the name of improvement.
I saw your appearance on Bridge Street last week. Best of luck with your book. I will purchase a copy and proudly say the author read my blog! Always, always, best to you Sean. Keep up the good work. Syracuse needs you. Maureen

By: sean

sean — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:24:05 +0000

hello, maureen … hope you’re well, and love this post; the most terrifying thing about the lonesome and soulless concrete space we created in urban renewal days is that city planners wanted MORE … and thank God ran out of money. the idea at one time was for a whole corridor of that crap, basically from erie boulevard to adams street. i think you’ll appreciate this blog, created by onondaga native theresa rusho: http://syracuseb4.blogspot.com/ … it lays bare the lunacy of that particular era.

- sean

By: Maureen

Maureen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:11:05 +0000

Don, I think you are right about more people feeling as we do; that many of the old ways were the best ways, and I don’t mean from a fogey point of view. Young people are seeking cities of every size that remain authentic and pedestrian friendly. Let’s hope….

By: Don

Don — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:44:36 +0000

Maureen-
Boy, are you ever back! Great article…heavy stuff. I remember attending a presentation some years ago where an “urban planner” fessed up to a huge mistake they made in “redesigning” larger cities. The concept was to tear down all the dilapidated housing and replace it with modern, state of the art, high rise apartment complexes. He admitted that it failed miserably, and said that all they had accomplished was to stack poverty 15 – 20 stories high. So much for progress.
Would that the circle could complete itself and our city in particular return to a more relaxed, natural state. Absent that pipe dream (I would love to see James St. the way it used to be), we should, as you suggest, reclaim all that we can.
I’ve seen a little of the GIS system, and it offers a lot of potential. In my world, given the choice of asphalt, concrete, or a tree, I’ll take the tree any day…every day. I really do think more and more people are coming to that view. At least I hope so…cross our fingers.
Don

By: Maureen

Maureen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:21:23 +0000

Denny, yes your beavers prove there are architectural miscreants everywhere, aren’t there? Shame on them for bringing a man made lake where one is not wanted. By all means, do buy a boat.

By: Maureen

Maureen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:18:48 +0000

Hi Johnnie,
Thank goodness for packrats! I would love to scan the documents and write a blog. Unfortunately we probably didn’t dodge too much of a bullet as our downtown lost the old Courthouse and the Yates Hotel among so many others we should have kept. Ah… Moey

By: Denny

Denny — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:28:05 +0000

Good Mornin Maureen, Another great blog. I understand your thoughts and solutions very much. That is a city problem all through-out the country . I said our country; now here is my problem. I live in a swamp by chose,but, I have developmental problem here in my swamp because damn beavers want to make a dam of there own and turn my front yard into a lake. Chew down their dam logs from my surroundings, less shade, septic tank back up and a lake developing and I don’t even own a boat. You think there are problems in the city? You can tell the folks in your city that you would like a change,but here in The Swamp Hollow I guess my only opposition is buy a boat,learn to water ski or move to the city. Know anyone with a boat for sale ?

By: John E.

John E. — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:05:57 +0000

Moey,
Eternal packrat that I am, some years ago I acquired a most revealing document from the “Withdrawn” pile at the Hazard Branch of the library. It is called “The Community Plaza” and it is an engineering and architectural study of what, in 1959, was envisioned for the area surrounding the old courthouse, Columbus circle, and the old county office building. Fortunately, only two buildings were built; the PSB and the North Parking Garage. It is exactly the awful, brain frying, soulless misuse of public space that you describe. I would love to show it to you. Perhaps you could scan in a few pages to let your readers see what kind of a bullet we dodged.
Johnny

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:50:48 +0000

What is suggested is what the cities need, and in a smaller one such as Syracuse, GIS is not needed.. just drive thru the neighborhoods and take notes, right? Some cities are putting veggie gardens in those sliver spaces. We have too short a growing season to make those truly practical, but certainly nice plantings, plenty of grass, and some places to sit here and there would make all our blighted and unimagineative spaces much cheerier and inviting. There will be problems in the rough neighborhoods, but cities need to get busy and try. Nothing will improve if we do not try. Thans for writing about this.