George Segal Sculpture
The Center City Commission recently had its all-boards retreat and took inventory of its priorities and objectives.
Paul Morris, new Commission president, suggested that it might be time for the city-county agency to change its name, and it’s an idea that deserves to be seriously pursued. Many downtown redevelopment agencies include terms like “authority,” “partnership,” and “alliance.” A few agencies include aspirational terms like “renaissance,” “visions,” and “renewal.” We like something like Downtown Memphis Partnership, but regardless, Mr. Morris is right about bringing the name brought current.
More to the point, marketing is a major priority for Center City Commission, but in addition to telling how cool and interesting downtown Memphis is, we have to support a Center City Commission that is creating the reality of a cool, interesting downtown, and that means that we’ve got to get serious about place-making, the physical condition, and the vibe. As we all know, the most damaging kind of marketing is selling a product that doesn’t live up to its promises.
Meanwhile, as the Center City Commission boards consider their list of priorities, here are 10 that came quickly to mind for us, but we invite you to send in yours as well:
Design Ethos
We badly need an urban design ethos for downtown Memphis. Come to think of it, we need one for the entire city, but there’s no more appropriate place to begin than downtown. There is now little sense of design but rather a hodgepodge of ideas from an assortment of city agencies doing their own thing. There are the trolley signs that are eyesores, there are various signs that have no rhyme or reason in their graphic design, there are benches in downtown parks that face away from the river, there is landscaping dwarfed by oversized containers, there are ugly garbage receptacles, there are broken bricks bordering the trolley tracks up and down Main Street, there are large utility boxes scattered all over downtown (blocking sidewalks and serving as an ugly reminder of city government’s disregard for aesthetics), and just a general lack of design concern that could heighten downtown’s special sense of place.
Quit Fixing the Infrastructure
It’s time for City of Memphis to treat downtown Memphis like every other neighborhood in our city and accept responsibility for its infrastructure. About 10 years ago, with downtown infrastructure crumbling, City Hall notified the Center City Commission that city government would no longer be responsible for it. Put another way, the $1 billion city government dumped responsibilities for downtown infrastructure on an agency whose annual budget is about 0.6% – six-tenths of one percent – of its parent government. Faced with such a daunting challenge, Center City Commission has been able to fund about $6 million in capital improvements in an 80-block area by leveraging the extension of its tax freezes. That only leaves $113.4 million in improvements that have now been needed for years – to address deteriorated sidewalks and alleys; construction of new curbs, gutters, sidewalks and ADA compliant access ramps at street corners; and new lighting, street trees, trees grates, trash cans and benches.
Incentives for Filling Store Fronts
It’s time to think differently about the blocks and blocks of buildings with vacant first floors reminding everyone visiting downtown that it’s still a pretty tenuous place. We need to encourage short-term agreements with artists who could be seen working or kiosks of retailers selling products made in Memphis. We need to consider incentives like those for entrepreneurs and creative industries given by Create Denver. We need to pursue state legislation that exempts artwork created in a Downtown Arts District (contiguous with CBID) and modeled after Rhode Island’s Tax-Free Arts Districts. There, artists who live and work in the district don’t pay state sales tax and other taxes on work created and sold in the district, and galleries in the district don’t pay state taxes of any kind for one-of-a-kind artwork.
ROI for PILOTs
As part of our work with a city in Florida, a policy was implemented that required commitment to artists as part of every payment-in-lieu-of-taxes or bond issue to support private development. For example, every condominium that receives city support is now required to set aside a specific number of units on ground floor (depending on the size of the project) for subsidized artist live/work space. Or space could be set aside for public agencies that need easier access or non-City Hall space.
Get Rid of Garish Garages
We need to develop a plan to rid downtown of the ugly garages that are remnants from the days when the riverfront was considered dispensable and irrelevant. Today, they send the message that we are not yet serious about riverfront improvements and making our front door as spectacular as the river views that it offers. There are innovative ways to blow up the present garages and innovatively finance new garages that could be constructed underground, opening up views to the river and giving us more greenspace on the riverfront.
Get on with Memphis Art Park
Memphis Arts Park sums up well the reason that its potential excites us: it will create a community arts center and public art park in downtown Memphis; incubate, empower, and showcase our city’s emerging filmmakers, musicians, dancers, performing artists & visual artists; serve as a collaborative forum for local artists, arts groups & entrepreneurs; congregate and connect on its “campus” a variety of arts-focused entities whose common mission is artist support and development; offer arts education and community outreach programs for children; and provide an engaging public destination to enjoy our city’s emerging art. It’s time to get it done.
Turn the Trolley into Transportation
It’s time to turn the trolley from a postcard to real transportation. It’s revealing how many people who live and work downtown and don’t ever board the trolley. We have friends who live in South Main that still drive their cars to the other end of Main Street because they can’t depend on the trolley being there when they need to leave for work or that it will show up on any kind of reliable schedule for the trip back home. Reliability and convenience are two qualities of good transportation. Both are generally lacking with the trolley, which remains largely a photo op for visitors to downtown, which serious transportation needs remain unaddressed.
Urban Art for an Urban Scene
Downtown should be a showplace of public art, and it’s time for the Center City Commission to develop a plan with the UrbanArt Commission that is ambitious and bold. We’ve had a longtime dream of George Segal-type sculptures around downtown that capture the heroes of Memphis history. For example, in Court Square, there could be Furry Lewis or Justin Timberlake’s likeness sitting on a park bench or the founders of Memphis standing on the bluffs as they did when they named our city for the mystical Egyptian city. We need to use public art to create surprising treats for the downtown experience.
Swat Teams
Another favorite idea of ours has been for the Center City Commission to assemble teams of 4-6 people who would walk through downtown and forward a list of recommendations and observations to Center City Commission about what’s right and what’s not. For example, they could submit ways to improve the experience, the environment, the signage, or anything else that strikes their fancy. It’s a way to bring fresh eyes to downtown and to enlist people who are passionate about it to be more involved and invested in their neighborhood.
Depoliticizing Downtown Development
The swelling number of politicians on the Center City Commission has done nothing so much as undermine the culture of entrepreneurship and the private sector-driven agenda that are crucial to the success of the agency. The politicizing of the Center City Commission created a high hurdle that it had to clear every time that it wants to adopt a priority, make a business incentive and close a deal. In other words, as more and more city, county, and state officials were added to the Center City Commission, it became the antithesis of the kind of agency that downtown needed, one that is decisive, bold and innovative. More and more, the 10 brave souls who represented the private sector were shouted down or forced to play uncomfortably in a political world as foreign to them as the Alba Patera Quadrangle of Mars.
Interesting suggestions.
The parking garage on the Promenade needs to be reduced and covered or eliminated. To add parking, put garages on the north end of the Trolley near the mx facility and somewhere on the south end … and let the patrons of the garages ride the Trolley free … for that matter … Why bother charging for the Trolley at all at that point? Let the revenue stream from the garages go to the Trolley.
The alternative could be to run an electric bus to the Forum parking and, again, put garages on the north and south ends. The electric bus would be paid for by the revenues from the garages and would be free to ride (ala Chattanooga).
And you’re correct about the Trolley. I got off the Amtrak train one morning a few years back and waited with futility for the Trolley to come to take me to the connecting bus. Even tho the signs said that the Trolley should have already been running … it didn’t show. After 30 minutes I called a friend of mine to come pick me up.
Whatever happened to the Promenade/boardwalk idea that was going to overlook the river? That looked like a cool project.
To answer the question of the poster who asked where his comments went, we deleted them. You are doing much better at keeping obscenities out of your comments, but you need to now do the same with your various screen names.
Sorry, the guy with the foul mouth, we spoke too soon. We just found in our spam file the comment with all your normal obscenities.
And we thought you might be trying to do better. Silly us.
To this day I do not understand how MATA could have screwed up the scheduling of the trolleys so bad. They could easily maintain a 5 minute headway (car comes by each trolley stop every 5 minutes all the time). This would create a dependable people mover system for downtown residents, workers, and visitors. Also some creative subsidy program like suggested by Midtowner should be top priority (then maybe charge something easy like a quarter per ride). If trolleys are working right people will go farther from homes, offices, parking, and hotels and get exposure to more retail businesses and attractions.
Midtowner/ all re comments regarding trolley operation-
I completely agree concerning the idea behind locating parking garages at the north and south end. The concept would be simple enough. One would keep their parking ticket which would serve as a “free” pass for unlimited trips on the trolley for the dates shown.
To really invigorate the idea of the garages at the opposite ends of Main Street, the CCC would do well to broadcast the idea that any development within 3 blocks of the trolley would be free of any parking requirements.
Perhaps some type of validation system in businesses within a block of the trolley could serve as a single free pass on the trolley as well. A purchase of $5 or more at a local shop would be might be worth a free trip on the trolley.
The CCC also needs to take a fresh look at its marketing efforts. Selling downtown to the metro area based on the notion of convenience will not be successful, at least not as long as parking remains free and directly in front of a JCPenny in Southaven. There really should be two marketing fronts. One that promotes downtown as a regional destination because it offers opportunities that are unique to the region. There should be a second front that sells downtown as a neighborhood that is a desirable place to live and work based on the concentration of amenities- assortment of retail and business activities, concentration of cultural assets, open spaces and the views. The CCC seems to get its message muddled sometimes or at least it seems to muddle the two very different groups it is attempting to reach.
Good points. It is remarkable, though, that after 2-3 years or more discussing the subject on this blog alone, among many other places, that MATA still hasn’t gotten the word to improve the trolley schedule, much less the bus routes.
The trolleys are picturesque, but they are also rehabbed surplus from other cities. As long as we’re spending a bundle, let’s go ahead and get modern, low-step, trolley cars and at least begin a public transportation system that people will actually use.
… or we could either purchase or borrow a light rail train set or two and have them operate on an actual timetable so that the city can see what the very real potential actually is for the system.
Fitting that you would feature the West Village George Segal Sculpture that celebrates gay and lesbian couples – because our city council seems unwilling to protect gay and lesbians in Memphis through non-discrimination legislation.
Try Hobbies of Memphis. they still sell working Lionel train sets. YOu might could borrow the diorama of downtown ca. 1964 that sat (sits?) in city hall and run your trains through it. maybe order some scale panhandlers and attorneys to queue up at the stops.
I mean, that’s sounds like a boffo wintertime project-beats another charette redrawing Broad street.
Talk, Plan, talk somemore, throw away plan, take surveys,
talk even more, years roll by, order up another plan! For Goodness sake, no matter how small, just do something!
I work Downtown and think the sculptures would be a great interactive art project. There are tons of tourists Downtown who would love to take their pictures with those statues. Imagine having Jerry Lee Lewis rockin’ on a piano in Court Square. Great photo op. Also, if you had a B.B. King statue (with Lucille) in Tom Lee Park it would make a great silhouette against the sunsets. These statues would be relatively inexpensive (compared to some public art) and very accessible for the public.
Statues are great, but what would be better still would be a downtown pedestrian environment where real people actually sat on the benches while walking home, eating lunch or socializing with others.
Compromise- Perhaps seeing to it that Elvis impersonators spent some time lounging on a bench between gigs?
Re Midtowner’s comments, Memphis Art Park proposes to replace the current garage at Front and Monroe with an underground Promenade garage. Check out the plans: http://www.memphisartpark.org/. You can download the presentation to get a full view of the architecture designs.
Memphis Art Park solves so many issues for downtown. I agree to make it happen already!
We think that the Art Park is the most important project on the drawing board for downtown.
We think that the leadership of the Center City Commission has the potential to do so much, but because it always has to walk the tightrope because of the politicians on its board, its advocacy has to be tempered. It’s up to us to show the elected officials that downtown has a constituency that wants the CCC to succeed to its potential.
Art Park may be essential to some, but in a city where most people (the majority of population) don’t really understand or really take-in ‘art’ in the first place to any high degree, it might be not the best use of scarce resources. It might be nice to spend money in schools first to teach the significance of art to mankind from the beginning. Otherwise we have the cart before the horse in my opinion.
Speaking of art, anybody else here notice that the MEMPHIS featured pictures on this site by Amie Vanderford, are overwhelmingly those of white people of Memphis ?
I just find that odd, a sort of glaring omission of who is in the majority in Memphis. Memphis’ true image, at least as portrayed here through the images posted by this site is distorted to say the least. I’m sure it was not necessarily intentional, but it certainly is misleading to any national visitor to this site.
If you’re concerned with branding, maybe the images should reflect some truth ?
Great (and successful) cities to many things at the same time. Here, we suffer from an either-or, if you’re winning I must be losing attitude.
Artists and art venues have been the pioneers for urban revitalization in city after city, and we’re hard-pressed to see why it can’t be here. More than that, we think it’s what is needed to create the vibrancy that is so sorely lacking in downtown and a place for the visitors wandering aimlessly toward the river and its paucity of options to enjoy.
We agree with art in schools (as we have previously posted), but the schools have $1 billion to spend already. This is a project for a public agency to spearhead as a partnership with the private sector.
I find the “either-or” particularly evident in the recent statement: “Memphis’ true image, at least as portrayed here through the images posted by this site is distorted to say the least”. Stating that the city’s “true image” is a particular view is being somewhat narrow minded. Few if any cities have a single “true image”. Cities, including Memphis, are many things to many people. These images show a variety of citizens engaged in activities, events and reflections and communicate the message that defining Memphis by a “true image” is perhaps the most misleading suggestion of all.
This site is about expanding upon the ideas and principles that seek to change this city, not presenting a marketing add for a national audience.
All that to say that ArtPark could be a wonderful resource in teaching the significance of art to children throughout the city. Please reference their website and proposed programs.
If this site is about “expanding upon the ideas and principles that seek to change this city” it seems just the opposite by reading many of the comments here on this site. It seems like you really do want everyone to believe what you suggest, without disagreement at all, and when another contriubutor disagrees with you, you seem rather too quick to assert your own brand of truth. At least that’s the undercurrent of what I’ve read in just about each one of your posts. It sounds like you are trying to advocate and set forth your own vision, and not expanding on anything really. Do you have a more than casual interest in this site
If you both would write your 10 Ideas for Downtown, we’ll post them.
No more or less than anyone else I suppose. Actually, if you read through the archives you will find some pretty lively debate regarding many of the issues posted, some of which I have participated. I do have my own opinions and ideas regarding the city and I love having those ideas challenged here by those of honest and forthright intentions. To have these ideas challenged by others causes me to revisit and revise my notions at some points and allows a central idea to flourish at other times. Posting here means one should be prepared to defend an idea should it be challenged, if one chooses to do so. I posted an opinion that differed from your own and I do not hesitate to offer the reasoning behind my opinion. In discussions such as this there is no “truth” as you suggested. Simply opinions, and just as you are free to post your opinion, I am free to disagree with said opinion and provide my foundation for my viewpoint. If you believe that the ideas are not expanding on the ways, means and efforts of improving the quality of life in Memphis, then you should take time and review the archives including their comment sections. If you simply believe that no one should challenge your opinion if they disagree with it, then you are a victim or your own accusations.
In other matters, I will not hesitate to challenge any assertion that is based on information that is either incorrect or incomplete. When I have done so (and when I do so in the future) I provide the basis for my reasoning including sources and precedents.
You can see an example of this above where I pointed out to Anon (you or otherwise) that the ArtPark will include a significant public outreach and education component as can be found in the documentation on their website. This base information is specific to the notion that the resources would be better spent directly through the public school system. The idea that school children would not directly benefit from the creation of the ArtPark is flawed and I provided a response in kind.
SCM,
Actually I agree with the ideas posted here. They are both more practical and easier to implement than the ideas listed below.
Redesign, upgrade and supplement street lighting downtown. A friend visiting from D.C. remarked at how dark our streets were downtown and upon reflection I realized they were correct- our downtown streets are remarkably under lit at night which only serves to decrease the level of comfort experienced on the sidewalk. We need not necessarily worry about drowning a polar bear in doing so- check out the new high efficiency (and hip) street lights being installed in NYC: http://www.fobsun.com/blog/2010/04/new-york-city-to-get-led-street-lighting/
If we are referencing the area west of Danny Thomas, I would say there is a need to create an additional north-south street to break up the superblock between 3rd Street and 4th Street north of Madison and to divide the super block between 4th street and Danny Thomas south of Union. This is not to alleviate any traffic congestion seeing as there is none, but to provide additional street frontage and a needed north-south pedestrian connection along these lengthy blocks. This street could be based on Indiana Avenue in Chicago which includes a landscaped median designed to increase the value of businesses and residences that would otherwise be lacking much of a view.
In the long term- and here is where there may be a few snickers or eyes rolled- I would like to de-freeway Danny Thomas through downtown. Currently this road operates as a difficult to navigate and nearly impossible to walk across divide between downtown and neighborhoods to the east. Simply removing the overpass structures at Madison and Jefferson and redesigning the length of the boulevard to be just that- a treed boulevard would go a long way towards designing a valued asset in downtown’s public realm.
I think that self-absorbed, pedantic pontification on urban architectural design, and open spaces is akin to old urban renewal rubbish that served only architectural firms and developers, just as it did years and years earlier.
Memphis has been and never will be a true ‘urban’ dwelling. It has no strong historical framework for being so, like a Chicago or NYC.
Give up trying to transform Memphis “Elvis” Tennessee into one for heaven’s sake. It is was to be, it would have already transformed itself into just that, decades earlier.
The opposite has occurred. Memphis is quite the land mass..i.e. spread out all over, including into other states even.
That trend is a solid one, and it’s not going to cease or reverse. Populations have made permanent shifts to the east and beyond. Instead of pretending it has not shifted, the trend and flow should be embraced and aided.
Smart developers should look at developing a satellite network of ex-urban communities, and link them with intelligent roads or perhaps a perimeter rail.
I’m for developing an enclave called “New Memphis”, perhaps located way past Collierville, perhaps north…perhaps somewhere between Memphis and Jackson. Start with intelligent planning of a large, expansive village, not simply another bedroom development. Maybe build and develop two or three ‘villages’ from a clean slate.
Screw density. Density left Memphis decades ago, and most of its residents don’t live in the city anyway.. and they damn sure don’t live in the city centre . That’s crazy.
People are coming back. Face it. Collierville is growing, not shrinking for example. Germantown is essentially land locked. People who like Germantown will be looking in the future for another “Germantown”, not another Midtown or City Dwelling.
Embrace the inevitable, don’t pretend it’s not going to happen. Stop demonizing ex-urban/suburban growth…manage it, develop it intelligently. Offer intelligent suburban planning and choices.
Never ‘fight the tape’. The ‘trend is your friend’. The trend has been set in motion in Memphis, TN for decades upon decades.
Memphis will never become some urban mecca. Forget it. It’s the easiest city to plan for, really. Just look at a map for chrissake. Cities don’t typically grow to spill over into another State (south), and WEST (Arkansas)…so it’s pretty easy to understand there are only TWO other directions that are truly avaialble for intelligent new growth..NORTH, and EAST…(no kidding)
Now guess which direction growth has already been evidenced and has been in motion since the 1970s ??
Plan for continued growth in THAT direction, and stop wasting time, money and effort into attempting to transform City Central (all of which is landlocked anyway).
It’s gone like a freight train, it’s gone like a 59 Cadillac, and ELVIS has left the building, but I did spot him out east of Collierville talking to a Walmart real estate exec about a huge track of undeveloped land they just purchased.
You want to have a grip on what’s going to happen to Memphis’ population, go talk to Walmart’s huge real estate divison. I did. They have a better clue of what’s happening for Memphis MSA than what is spewed and touted here by ‘pie in the sky urban planners and architects’.
Anon-
Are you advocating continued annexation to the north and east? If so you are apparently totally unaware of current annexation reserves and have no concept of the costs associated with providing services to such an expanse. In that scenario will the tax payers be subsidizing the relocation of major employers and their infrastructure or will we be expecting the corporations to make their own financial commitments to accomplish the task?
I hope you are referring to the concept above otherwise you must be referring to general development without regards for municipal boundaries. If that is the case, it is easy enough to dismiss your comment by simply refuting your claim regarding suburban development across state lines as if they are some sort of magical barrier. The fact that you would dismiss DeSoto County’s explosive development makes me question whether you even live in the region, let alone locally. As for national examples of suburban growth crossing state lines you should refer not only to Memphis but Portland, Kansas City, New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Washington D.C. Philadelphia and NYC.
….Huh ?
no one wants to argue. It’s counterproductive really, but however let me point out a few things for your own head.
1) Most of the cities that you referenced (e.g. Philly, NYC, St. Louis) ALREADY HAD a history of being far more ‘urban; than Memphis, TN. Are you serious ?? Chicago is bound by a great lake even, so of course it spllled over into Indiana….duh. New Orleans was very DT oriented for DECADES unlike Memphis, TN and is also bound by WATER all around…duh.
3) Forget annexation by The City of Memphis proper. Ex-urban village development can occur from the unicorporated sections of surrounding counties,, not just Shelby either.
4) Private capital, supported by key bond financings could support the various satellite ‘villages’. Public/private corporations could be become Development Authorities in developed new, fresh, well-planned villages, such as my proposal of “New Memphis” and beyond…then work towards ‘township’ status recognized by the State itself.
Yes, major corporations like FEDEX, AUTOZONE, NWA could certainly benefit if they had skin in the game…so could home grown financial institutions who have tremendous visibility in the capital markets (e.g. Morgan Keegan, Stephens, First Tennessee Capital Markets, Vining Sparks, several large insurance carriers, Carty (who was a lead in providing Charter School financings years earlier when nobody cared really, and a few pension funds). I can think of many more, including large commercial builders
5) The growth or so-called growth of Desoto County MISSISSIPPI is hardly what I would call an intelligent, well-planned ex-urban village model. Their growth planning is quite awful and should not be a model for anything ‘progressive’ viz ex-urban design….duh
6) I initially stated that cities don’t TYPICALLY grow across State lines. Despite your bristling retort, this is valid statement. Cities DO NOT typically grow across state lines, pal. That is factual. Your statement does not reflect the truth across this nation..just look at a map, pal– has Atlanta ? Birmingham? Nashville? Dallas, Houston? Las Vegas? Austin? LA ? Seattle ? Tampa ? Miami? ?? lol . You can’t be serious, right ? How about Des Moines? Jackson MS ? Boise ? Portland ME ? Get real my friend.
7) Friend, it doesn’t matter if you believe anything about my various places I live, or have lived, right ?? Surely you’re not that parochial to actually believe that people must live in a singular location ? I don’t know where you’re going with such ‘questioning’ rolling around in your own head. You know nothing about me, and I’m certainly not the subject of this topic, right ?
8) Abanndon the urban revival of the City of Memphis, and focus development (public/private, non annexation) in ex-urban counties (e.g. Fayette and beyond) along new north-south Perimeter transportation routes.
9) People aren’t coming back in hoardes to The City of Memphis…duh…they are, and have been,m and shall continue to RUN away from The City of Memphis in total. That shift is permanent not some temporary ‘glitch’ in population movemnts. Understand that, and intelligently manage and grow that reality.
10) Look, simply accept the fact that the City of Memphis, TN has never been part of the urban city-dwelling pattern. It has no solid history of being a vibrant, high density, inclusive, urban model. It ‘ain’t going anywhere far’ except in narrow corridors and pockets.
Stick a fork in sophisticated, workable, sustained, ‘urbanism’ for The City of Memphis..it’s DEAD on arrival, and has been a very very long time ago.
The ROI is just not evident compared to intelligent regional ex-urban planning and models which already have a strong history and foothold well outside The City of Memphis.
Screw that. It’s flawed, wishful thinking poisoned by psuedo-academics with grandiose dreams of an urban transformation.
The region’s future growth clearly should not be held hostage to such absurdity.
As for my examples, I was responding specifically to your comment :
“It’s the easiest city to plan for, really. Just look at a map for chrissake. Cities don’t typically grow to spill over into another State (south), and WEST (Arkansas)…so it’s pretty easy to understand there are only TWO other directions that are truly available for intelligent new growth..NORTH, and EAST…(no kidding)”.
I highly recommend you spend some time with a map. You could easily utilize the map function at Google, Bing or Yahoo and please, please review come of these cities, their geographic locations and their adjacent states and physical barriers. Chicago is situated on the western edge of Lake Michigan and is surrounded by rural land to the south, west and north in the state of Illinois. Development into the state of Indiana has managed to wrap to the south and east around the lake. As for New Orleans, the surrounding bodies of water in no way have left that area with Mississippi as the only alternative for suburban development. In fact, many areas in Louisiana that are closer in proximity to New Orleans of equal development potential (and have elevations above sea level) have simply been bypassed for a suburban existence along the Mississippi coast. You managed to evade explaining the mechanics regarding how other cities have managed to eliminate this potent barrier- Louisville into Ohio, Minneapolis into Wisconsin, Omaha into Iowa, Portland into Washington, Charlotte into South Carolina or any of the examples previously mentioned.
Your comments regarding “cities crossing state lines” is so absurd it makes it hard to seriously consider the remainder of the statement. All the examples provided involve central cities removed from the nearest state line by 40 miles or more, Nashville being the nearest at roughly 40 miles from the Kentucky state line to the north. Even expansive Las Vegas is situated such that it is removed from Arizona by some 30 miles. Some of the cities mentioned find the nearest state lines over 200 miles distant. Simply put, the only time cities do not sprawl across state line is when they are so removed from the neighboring state that is becomes a moot point. Normally I would not be so harsh, but I expect people to be honest and knowledgeable on a topic if they are going to speak in absolutes.
As I pointed out, in both Memphis and elsewhere, suburban expansion has disregarded state lines. In every situation where a city has been adjacent or in close proximity to a state line, development has spilled into the neighboring state. To imagine a state line acting as some sort of magical barrier is ridiculous.
Current development in Mississippi and the abundant rural areas beyond undercut any claim to the contrary. Examples of both older, more “urban” cities as well as more contemporary cities that lack that history have been provided which removes support for the claim.
Geography lesson aside, I am interested in how exactly you propose to convince major employers to take on the cost of relocating facilities locally- Fayette County for example only to have their employees spend ever increasing amounts of time commuting. The FedEx headquarters cost $250 million to build in 2000- adjusted for inflation (but leaving out the incredible inflation in construction costs we have seen over the last decade) the cost for the same facility would come to $320 million. If all these employers will be relocating to these new ex-urbs, FedEx will be hard pressed to find an investor ready to purchase the existing facility which would result in the company taking a very large hit on such an investment (again). Not very likely. I can only hope you are not suggesting that an entirely new airport be built in this suburban hinterland that you suggest creating. If you were in any way familiar with the current economic crises and its roots, you would realize that few financial institutions are going to be willing to dive back into financing speculative development. Most of these financial institutions have sought to shed these aspects of their portfolios seeing as it was the direct cause of the recession in the first place. By the way, Northwest Airlines merged with Delta in 2008 with the Northwest name and logo being retired thereafter.
I know of no one that would suggest an individual should live in one location only for the entirety of their lives. My comment, as a fairly new arrival to Memphis, was simply that your notions regarding the nature of suburban growth in this area (as well as nationally) appear to be grossly outdated at best and purely ignorant at worst. You are correct in one aspect, one need not live in Memphis in order to realize that the nature of suburban development is not restricted to the east or north and you would not need to live in Charlotte to realize that a city with even less of an “urban tradition” is managing to create a healthy urban center even as it sprawls into a neighboring state. Your knowledge of the area and or geography in general is very pertinent when you are formulating ideas that lack any foundation in existing reality.
My opinion about Memphis downtown:
I think the people in charlotte are a heckuva lot smarter
Urbanut, you’re wasting your time on Memphis, aren’t you smart enough to see that even if you’re a farily new arrival. Do you expect that your own vision is warranted and even practical for Memphis ?
Keep living a while in Memphis. I hate to tell you, you are not as correct about Memphis as you seem to believe that you are. In fact, you seem overly defensive with no good rreason to be so, other than you believe you must be the vessel of what works and what is important for Memphis, TN. You also seem to want to argue a bit too zealously for unknown reasons. Remember, everyone’s opinion in Memphis is not contingent upon your stamp of approval.
You must have an angle, an agenda. Developer ? Contracted planner or architect ??
Something smells
FGiannini:
First, downtown Charlotte is no model of downtown development.
Second, it’s getting impossible to keep up with all the names you’re using, but please quit questioning the motives and stick to the issues.
FG-
My argumentative nature is only really incensed when “opinions” are stated that state false information as their basis. There are a diverse set of opinions here that are expressed by many people, that I may not agree with, but they employ the facts at hand in formulating them. As an example: I may not agree with Ken Hoover, SCM, packrat or several others here, but they employ the information at hand which makes me think, revise my opinions which in turn informs the decisions I make every day and the ways in which I work within this city.
As for an agenda- you are absolutely correct that I have an agenda and have never hesitated to sing it in the streets, paper the block or amplify it over the rooftops: I am wholeheartedly invested in improving the quality of life in Memphis for myself, my fellow citizens and for my children. My interest is in the “urb” and the United States- the most prosperous nation on earth- should be composed of a huge variety of vibrant cities for our urban population. Memphis is indeed a city in need, and thus I was drawn here to employee my talents in moving this community in a positive trajectory as a benefit to myself and the city as a whole. There are individuals like myself and others here in every other city in this nation pushing towards the same goals.
Will I and others succeed. I believe we will otherwise I would not be here. However, only time will tell.
Interestingly enough I was more than willing to carry on a thoughtful conversation concerning satellite exurbs. It is a national trend that is being somewhat embraced on the regional scale in certain sections of the country. The catch is in order to rationally discuss any topic we must start with a solid basis built on facts.
what’s really your angle ? money ? building contracts ? architectural business ? You say you were ‘drawn here’ to ’employ my talents’….so I gather then, you are BEING PAID to advocate ‘something’ or you would not have been ‘inspired’ to be ‘drawn’ to Memphis TN. You should post a disclaimer then, that you do have a paid or professional agenda for Memphis for which you will receive a reward..a financial one (I doubt you moved here to only enlighten the poor, underinformed citizenry of Memphis and the region).
It is disingenuous not for you to state clearly that you have become a cyber-Memphis-urban-development cheerleader who stands to direclty financially benefit from the SPENDING of pubic (and private on occasion)tax dollars and resources.
Everything that is good for you, may not be good for the citizens of the Memphis area. Everything that makes ‘sense’ floating around in your own head, doesn’t mean that it’s automatically a good idea, project, or topic for the longtime residents of the Memphis area. That is a feature that seems to escape you.
At times you could easily be confused with just another carpetbagger, charlatan descending upon the ‘local color’, bearing the gifts and promises of ‘change’ and prosperity through the ’employment of your alleged talents’.
I assure you, Memphians have seen this play before you allegedly ‘just arrived’
Your so-called investment smacks not of altrusim, and it comes through quite viscerally when there is no real need for your ‘instructive, biased reccoil’ .
Let’s get a couple of things clear. Contrary to what you may think, pure opinion need not be based in what YOU consider ‘facts’. Your own opinions are your own, and need not be factual at all.
You state :
“The catch is inorder to rationally discuss any topic we must start with a solid basis built on facts”
Here’s a fact you can chew on : Memphis’ core problems won’t and can’t be solved by the physical environment. They can’t be addressed and solved by architecture, and the development of ‘open spaces’, bike lanes, and concepts such as ‘green’ or sustainability. You want to really positively grow Memphis as an intelligent community ? Get the heck out of ‘architecture’, and sell your CAD software. That’s the last tangible thing Memphis needs in order to become a leading city.
Memphis doesn’t need ‘discussion’ and diatribes on ‘national trends’ on suburban, ‘ex’. Its needs are far more basic and fundamental than that, if you can get your head out of an architectural book or DESIGN program for a short short while.
The root of a vibrant intelligent, progressive community is not found in your prowess of preoccupation with ‘physical Memphis’.
Forget it. Save that for architectural/design chatrooms. That’s the last thing the citizens of Memphis needs.
That ‘positive trajectory’ that you say you wish to support is not reliant on your balliwick, authority, or crafty ‘leadership’.
Go build minds.
I smell a setup….again.
Seeing as time after time you have blathered on about how the personal details of the people here ( meaning mainly yourself) should be of no impotence on this blog I am quite surprised. Similarly you have gone to great lengths to remind us that the opinions stated here are just that and do not require or necessitate any sort of secondary support. Then again, as in all other comments you have made, those guidelines apparently only apply to you.
Here it is for you: actually I do not stand to benefit financially from any opinions or ideas shared here (unless you can comprehend that a safer, smarter, higher quality city benefits my everyday existence, the health of my employer through their ability to attract higher quality employees and improves the prospects of my children). I work for a private company where I design and manage their facilities as a manufacturing concern. My previous experience is as a professional and practicing urban planner and architect. I now seek to employ the knowledge and skills developed as a professional towards improving this city on a voluntary basis. I already illustrated how my agenda benefits myself, my family and those who reside in this city. Please try to comprehend such a simple notion. As for a “carpetbagger”- hardly and it simply goes toward exposing your very insecure and provential mindset. I am sorry that apparently at some point you have come to distrust anyone that would offer services, expertise and aid and feel for you and the isolation that accompanies it. However, it is the 21st century, care to join us? This is far more information than you have ever offered so I will turn the question to you- please explain yourself less we continue to believe you to be nothing more than a bitter troll with an ego so fragile that they all too personally associate there own self worth as a relative condition to that of some communal reflection of the city.
I had hoped for a more enlightened reply to the issues of fact. I suppose you finally did take it upon yourself to actually view a map of the United States and it’s many urban centers. Your overly dramatic reference yo some sort of “recoil” shows that instead of accepting the correction, you prefer to slander the messenger. Are we to assume you prefer to burn the books that present information that does not support your world view as well? If you are basing you opinion not on fact but on assumptions and preconceived notions, than you should hardly be surprised when your opinions are written off. As stated earlier all sorts of opinions are offered here, many divergent from each other. The key difference is that these other posters offer reasoning, precedent, studies and facts to support their positions, all you bring is your instinct without the background to support the notion.
Finally, your opinion regarding the unimportance of the quality of the built environment is just that- an opinion. I believe it is one of several key factors in creating a healthy and vibrant Memphis. I am supported by national studies and programs that support such a view. You have gone to great lengths to dictate here what Memphis does not need, perhaps you should remind us of what it does need- in your hardly humble opinion. As for the tic at hand I believe all the ideas offered here regarding improving the quality of the downtown neighborhood are immensely impotent. Then again, I am simply relying on very real studies and programs that show where the quality of the built environment has an enormous impact on a neighborhood’s residents quality of life and the degree to which it is a healthy and vibrant place in which to live. I am also relying on data that shows the nations emerging graduates and trained professionals prefer vibrant urban neighborhoods to the suburban, ex-rub or rural settings of yesterday. There are organizations in this city that are taking an active role to act upon this data. St. Andrews in South Memphis is just such an organization as it plans to rebuild its neighborhood on a variety of fronts and initiatives including the physical aspect. Their plans include assisting the recently established farmers market, working with the city to rebuild South Parkway, working with financial institutions including their own financial support to help residents renovate and rebuild homes as well as establishing new retail and residential options to further enhance the neighborhood. I believe they have the very real potential to have a dramatic impact on their neighborhood and i am looking forward to volunteering time to aid their efforts when and where it is needed again in the future.
My main issue FG is the more you post, the less your opinion seems to reflect true knowledge gained either through education or experience. It has become increasingly clear that you are simply espousing some notion, for which you have no foundation in fact or precedent. I’ll let you and you baseless opinion be- there are far too many here that realize the complexities of creating a healthy city ( which includes the built environment) to continue to waste time with such posts.
SCM, I apologize for straying so far off topic. Back to chores!
Not a problem. A response was clearly in order.
We also regret that there is the accusation that you are financially benefiting, which we know to be untrue.
Since you requested facts and none are forthcoming, it does seem that it’s a dead end discussion.
who is dumb enough to believe that a person so obviously entralled in helping Memphis, TN and who is clearly convinced about the merits of his grace, opinion, and long-winded offerings, just moved to Memphis not to get paid ?
Of course he’s benefiting financially for godsake
Can’t you see through the effusive self-praise, and self-aggrandizing solutions for little ole Memphis ? it’s fairly tranparent to any reader who reads all of this garbage from an architect no doubt.
Well, here’s the thing:
1) You’re wrong. He’s not benefiting financially.
2) If he was, we really don’t care. We only care about the conversation and some of the best people engaged in the discussions here are working for or own firms. Their work often informs their opinions, so we don’t know why that would disqualify them.
urbanut
I think your screen name is very appropriate. You are consumed with projecting your version of opinion. Everybody need not fall in line with your limited thinking. People do have opinions you know, that don’t have to coincide with your personal visions.
You are in too deep….way too deep. Your vision about Memphis is mythic, and really have no basis in reality on the ground either. You can ramble on incessantly about the need for open spaces, urban renewal, farmer’s markets, new buildings and the like.
I think what is being aired is that Memphis is in dire need of improvements that have abosolutely nothing to do with what you alone seem to focus upon. Your priorities are completely out of line. That’s my opinion too, and I need not have to provide you or anyone else footnotes and/or a bibliography to support any opinion.
Yes, as your name suggests, you are a bit ‘nutty’.
Michael, Anonymous, et al:
Since you are the same person, you’ve made your opinion known. Can we move on?
Over the months, Urbanut has shown a balanced interest in what makes cities succeed, and as we have said, great cities do a lot of things at the same time, so farmers’ markets, urban design, etc., are important. The fact that we haven’t paid attention to them is pretty graphic.
I bet urbanut is just another white guy moving here to attempt to tell the majority population what they should do with their tax dollars, who never bothered having a real dialogue with those who really make up the population of Memphis’ urban population- er, that would be Black residents.
How arrogant, but he wants the ‘people’ to benefit from his ‘talents’.
Push yourself back from your computer, and go talk to the real citizens of Memphis who make up the significant population with real needs. I assure you, you won’t hear abundant agreement about the pressing priorities of this so-called professional transplant to Memphis, TN.
Just remember another carpetbagger, Sidney Schlenker and the Pyramid. We can’t afford your type of wisdom, bud.
We need more carpetbaggers, not less, and the more opinions and talents, the better.
But that said, we don’t understand why you have such a burr under your saddle about this. You’ve made your opinion clear.
And Shlenker was brought here and endorsed by a Memphis business leader. It’s not like he picked Memphis and came in with a big idea about The Pyramid. It was the Memphis businessman’s idea and Shlenker was recruited to pursue the vision.
But we’re not sure what that has to do with anything in the first place.
Can I quote you on this ??
“WE NEED MORE CARPETBAGGERS, NOT LESS…”
Now the veil is off with you and others. Keep in mind, lots of people have “talents”, including thieves and criminals.
You are part of the problem if you act upon what you have clearly articulated.
You and your cyberbuds must be just that…carpetbaggers descending on Memphis TN once again.
Since you have lost all ability, as shown before, to discern irony, sarcasm or humor, you can quote us on anything you like.
But since you are largely having a conversation with yourself at this point – under various and sundry names – we simply don’t have the patience for anymore of this immaturity.
We’re on to other things.
and I’m on to toher things too…er, like the beach
ENJOY