Finding Downtown Without Your Car A few years back my friend and I were walking around Pittsburgh’s Northside and I was describing everything that had been demolished. At that time the future of some late 19th Century buildings known as the Garden Theater block was even less certain than it is now. “It’s all that’s left of downtown (the earlier name for the Northside).” I said. It would seem a light went off in my friends mind. “That’s what’s wrong with the Northside,” he exclaimed, “It lost its downtown.”
A small theater once known as Carnegie Hall was the location for a lecture turned April revival about the future of the old center of Allegheny City. The theater, built by Andrew Carnegie, was almost filled—a large crowd for something as mundane as an urban planning lecture. Clearly there is a certain passion out there for the topic, and a yearning for the old days when Allegheny really had a center.
Throughout the presentation dramatic graphics showed original plan maps, the old days, urban renewal in the 1960s and present day Allegheny Center. Allegheny started with a grid centered by a public square and surrounded by a public commons. It would seem a plan that would produce a beautiful city, one with more form and grace than the neighboring city of Pittsburgh.
Not to be outdone, Pittsburgh would eliminate any competition when forcing not only annexation but eventually urban renewal on Allegheny. Today the result is a half-empty, uninspiring office mall, a quiet center, an unattractive and ignored public square and a wall that seems as much an attempt to keep Alleghenians in as to keep Pittsburghers out.
The presentation by architect Doug Suisman aimed to enliven Allegheny and remove the barriers that block the path that leads from Allegheny to Pittsburgh.
An idea that has been floating around for some time, Suisman reinforced the idea and modern popular notion of restoring the street grid and again creating the thirty-six original squares of Allegheny, bringing cars and foot traffic back into the center. Further, Suisman suggested cutting the wall—or in practical terms, removing a section of Allegheny Center Mall to allow Federal Street to connect from North to South. He also proposed adding infill buildings to bring back the density in Allegheny, rebuilding a market house and converting an abandoned library (Carnegie’s first) into “Allegheny Hall,” as well as restoring the name of Allegheny and street names.Many of these ideas seem to have merit, and undoing urban-renewal projects is certainly the established paradigm these days. It’s also a paradigm I’m much more at home in than one of creating urban suburban atmospheres with plenty of parking.
Still, the ideas seemed to stem from a desire to restore the lost downtown as a separate, proud city in a nineteenth century context than a realization of what Allegheny is today.
First, today the idea of a “downtown” Allegheny is not nearly as important as a “center.” Second, the original “center” was a public square in days before streets were filled with automobiles, trucks and traffic. Restoring the center then need not include bringing automobile traffic into the center. Moreover, the original concept of the streets Suisman noted as being “four streets named Diamond,” are not unlike the traffic circle that surrounds the present-day Allegheny Center. So, instead of bringing traffic into the public square Suisman wants to restore, reinforce the notion of a “public” square where people can interact rather than drive through.
The notion of removing a section from Allegheny Center Mall is a good one. When walking from downtown there is no apparent way into the center of Allegheny and no direct physical way when the mall is closed. Again, the need is to have pedestrian access unrestricted and inviting. I question the need to invite and encourage vehicular traffic into the park-like setting.
Susiman noted that a good city is built block by block, lot by lot and has a diversity of interests. That’s entirely true, but present day Allegheny Center has no more potential for that than it does of again being a separate city. There far fewer owners of Allegheny Center today than there were squares in the original plan. Unless you raze everything and start from scratch as they did in the 1960s, there isn’t a way to restore that effect of having a multitude of stakeholders.
Restoring public transit service to the center of Allegheny was also a proposal. The photos all showed streetcar lines. Bringing streetcars into Allegheny Center would be an ideal. A historic streetcar line running on Federal from downtown or east-west on Ohio Street would indeed enliven the center, and all of the neighborhoods it traverses for that matter, but we don’t need to restore vehicular traffic to accomplish that.
Allegheny is not what it was in 1906 and attempts to restore it to that might not be any more successful at restoring it than renewal projects were at renewing it. In some ways in its present park-like atmosphere is more like Allegheny in the 1830s. Restoring Diamond Park, pedestrian access, some retail including a market house, the name Allegheny and even public transit are all laudable goals. Yet modern adaptations to it should recognize Allegheny for what it is now as much as any other time period. Adaptations need not necessarily include the 20th Century adaptation known as the motor car.
8 comments:
Whatever is done with Allegheny Center--or elsewhere on the "North Side"--obviously needs to "accommodate" automobiles; to think otherwise is to wish away the fundamental reality and challenge of modern urban life. What it need not do is worship them, which is the original sin of suburban planning. Pedestrians and autos can co-exist comfortably, provided the former are at least equally privileged in the planning process as the latter.
There are, of course, two walls that divide the "North Side" from the "North Shore" and downtown. Allegheny Center is one, and it is at least imaginable that it could disappear. Perhaps a more duanting challenge is the highway--279 or whatever else it's called as it cuts through the heart of what should be a cohesive community. Did Suissman's talk address this vexing issue at all? It's not likely that PennDOT is just going to demolish miles of freeway, the way we can at least dream that Allegheny Center might someday disappear. Between the highway and the railroad line, it seems likely that there will always be a pretty stark dividing line bifurcating old Allegheny.
It "accomodates" automobiles now--that doesn't mean they have to go thru it.
Suisman briefly mentioned the underpasses. As I walked up ninth street the other day I thought instead of closing in the undrepasses perhaps we could extend East Commons Park under them with paths and streetlights down to the Lincoln at the North Shore place. It would mean removing that last remaining industrial building there, but certainly the stroll from Allegheny to the North Shore would be much nicer--at least via Cedar and Ninth Street.
The Children's Museum proposals of hanging Chandeliers and painting all the pretty colors, etc won't likely be maintained and look just as bad as they do now in a couple years.
Suisman noted the railroad isn't very wide and the highway is the real problem. That's not likely to go away.
I'd like to add that the part of Allegheny Center you can walk through now is perfectly healthy. The part where the path is blocked--where the mall part is--is the propblem.
The highway + railroad is narrower than the river, which is really a third barrier to Pittsburgh's downtown, but one we cherish. I like the idea of connecting the underpasses and making them parks, reducing the closed-in pressed feeling and creating more connectivity between the North Shore development and the historic center. Are there any examples of this in other cities?
I'm skeptical of institutionally-sanctioned art as a cure-all. Nature requires less maintainence, if planned correctly (native plants and landscaping).
I'm also skeptical of Suisman's dream of restoring the historic commons and renewing it's function as the center of the city. I imagine the North Side center as more of an Z, with the upper part at the Federal North intersection, the lower part extending from where the commons used to be to the vital commercial district on East Ohio.
What Suisman envisions is a massive project that would require significant investment, probably from big developers who would desire significant returns on their spending. Hello CVS, Gap, Starbucks, goodbye locally-owned businesses and low-rent community spaces.
Has the idea of making one of the three bridges (6th, 7th, and 9th) a pedestrian, bike, and trolley bridge ever been considered?
I would like to nominate Eric as Mayor of Alleghany City. :)
Extending the park using planters and public art under the bridge and possibly an Alleghany theme all the way to downtown Pittsburgh (and some) would resolve this issue for me. We need a more dignified entrance to our city when on foot and on bike -- starting in Pittsburgh at the bridge. Cutting buildings in half may not be in the cards but beautiful paths can wind around things.
Pathways between our neighborhoods and a unique Alleghany trolly or small bus between our villages would create solidarity and identity. I dont think we are missing a downtown as much as we are missing a sense of pride, identity and vitality in our business districts. Mixed use and new urbanism does not mean a far away city center or a strip but integrated living, shopping and possibly working within walking distance.
We will remain physically and culturally a suburb if we can not appreciate life without a car for daily living and develop a foundation for walkable living. Ten pure diamonds can be made from one large diamond.
Brad
I copied the following questions from the PPS web site and then tried to answer them as they relate to Allegheny Center. There are more questions to ponder at: http://www.pps.org/topics/gps/gr_place_feat
Questions to consider on Access & Linkages:
Can you see the space from a distance? Is its interior visible from the outside?
NO. This is one of the main problems. Walking along North Ave or in East or West Commons you are lead around Allegheny Center. Its hard to see a way in or a reason to go.
Is there a good connection between the space and the adjacent buildings, or is it surrounded by blank walls? Do occupants of adjacent buildings use the space?
No. Even within the center the area by the old Library is very seperate from the area outside the former retail areas.
Can people easily walk to the place? For example, do they have to dart between moving cars to get to the place?
No. The traffic circle creates a barrier and neads to be corrected.
Do sidewalks lead to and from the adjacent areas?
Yes.
Does the space function for people with special needs?
Would seem to except for the traffic circle.
Do the roads and paths through the space take people where they actually want to go?
Yes-unless they want to go to the former mall. Getting there is a bit confusing.
Can people use a variety of transportation options - bus train, car, bicycle, etc. - to reach the place?
Yes. It can be reached by all these.
Are transit stops conveniently located next to destinations such as libraries, post offices, park entrances, etc.?
Yes.
Comfort & Image
Whether a space is comfortable and presents itself well - has a good image - is key to its success. Comfort includes perceptions about safety, cleanliness, and the availability of places to sit - the importance of giving people the choice to sit where they want is generally underestimated. Women in particular are good judges on comfort and image, because they tend to be more discriminating about the public spaces they use.
(Photo: Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France)
Questions to consider on Comfort & Image:
Does the place make a good first impression?
Yes. It looks quite nice (except for the fountain)
Are there more women than men?
Probably given the proximity of the Children's Museum.
Are there enough places to sit? Are seats conveniently located? Do people have is a choice of places to sit, either in the sun or shade?
Could be improved, but adequate.
Are spaces are clean and free of litter? Who is responsible for maintenance? What do they do? When?
Yes, I'd venture its far more litter-free than most of Allegheny.
Does the area feel safe? Is there a security presence? If so, what do these people do? When are they on duty?
Yes. Much less threatening than some of the bordering areas, again except for the old mall part.
Are people taking pictures? Are there many photo opportunities available?
Yes. It is photogenic.
Do vehicles dominate pedestrian use of the space, or prevent them from easily getting to the space?
No, and yes. The traffic circle can keep people from getting to the space easily.
Anyway, there is good and bad to most everything and Allegheny Center is no exception. I think the problem areas are all South of Allegheny One, however and the area North of Allegheny One is really quite attractive and charming with the exception of the former Diamond Park. There is no way at this point to return AC to any form of what it used to be and the focus should be on redesigning the area SOUTH of Allegheny One (the former retail mall and its courtyard). Bringing auto traffic into the area North of Allegheny One is unessesary and threatens what is currently good and working at Allegheny Center.
I couldn't agree with Mr. Miller any more. The key to prosperity for any community is accessability, good public transportation, and pedestrian traffic. A lot of civil projects from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s choked the life out of a lot of neighborhoods because highways were built over them and sent people off into the crowded distance. Washington D.C is attempting to reverse the trend in the L’Enfant and Watergate neighborhoods. I think the best template for Pittsburgh is Portland, OR Portland is strikingly similar to Pittsburgh in size and topography, but they have a thriving bustling downtown because they have wide well developed sidewalks and a street level light rail system that is free to the public within city boundaries. Main streets are crucial to economic development.
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