Ideas for Creating Culture, Temporary and Permanent, in Charlotte

[cityboi]

Charlotte planning iconic pedestrian art bridge over I-77. I prefer design 1. Its more dramatic

 

Charlotte Planning Massive "Iconic" Pedestrian Bridge Over Independence Blvd and I-77 - Charlotte Stories

Design 1 

Design 2

Design 3

Edited October 8, 2018 by cityboi

[CriticalT]

12 hours ago, atlrvr said:

Minor scale, but the traffic light control box at South Blvd and Lexington has been painted.  I think a flower scene....was cool to see because a) those things are hideous, b) it's public property, c) it was just super whimsical

I've noticed a few wrapped recently.   Near Tremont on South Blvd next to Tyber Creek and by the Vet at Ideal and South.  Those are colorful.  
East blvd and South was the first i know of a couple years ago:
https://historicsouthend.com/amplify-the-signal/

I didn't see the finished project but the crosswalk at Camden & Park Ave was getting a rainbow of colors added to during OpenStreets last weekend.    Little things like this arent going unnoticed.  

 

[Trickbot]

11 hours ago, cityboi said:

Charlotte planning iconic pedestrian art bridge over I-77. I prefer design 1. Its more dramatic

 

Charlotte Planning Massive "Iconic" Pedestrian Bridge Over Independence Blvd and I-77 - Charlotte Stories

Design 1 

Imagine they did #1 and put colored lights on it, it would be all over Instagram

[Nick2]

18 hours ago, cityboi said:

Charlotte planning iconic pedestrian art bridge over I-77. I prefer design 1. Its more dramatic

 

Charlotte Planning Massive "Iconic" Pedestrian Bridge Over Independence Blvd and I-77 - Charlotte Stories

Design 1 

Design 2

Design 3

I really wish this would come to fruition. But I doubt it will be anything close to being as grandiose as these proposals. CLT was passed over for the tiger grant funding it needed to fund this but it did score highly so maybe some form of this plan can come into place.

On another note, Charlotte stories isn't a very reputable source for information. That article was simply ripped from an observer article from the day before and that's probably when they give the best information.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article177471331.html

[cityboi]

On 10/8/2018 at 11:35 AM, Trickbot said:

Imagine they did #1 and put colored lights on it, it would be all over Instagram

Yes. It would look so cool 

[j-man]

I think Charlotte has to stick with being a beautiful urban & green city. Parks and landscape architecture should be Charlotte's thing. You know? I don't think a city can just create culture, but Charlotte is always talked about as not being very connected neither walkable. But I think with so much undeveloped land around the already urban parts of the city (Uptown, South End, South Park, and North End) the placement of more plants, shrubs, and trees and outdoor spaces can be something people will remember about this city. 

Edited January 3, 2019 by j-man

[DeleteMe]

Charlotte's rail trail is unique.  It should be a special design district lined with innovative architecture, public spaces, art, and outdoor venues.   The Sugar Creek Greenway, through Elizabeth should do the same. The trails could be to Charlotte what the "river" is to San Antonio.  

[j-man]

41 minutes ago, MACyr said:

Charlotte's rail trail is unique.  It should be a special design district lined with innovative architecture, public spaces, art, and outdoor venues.   The Sugar Creek Greenway, through Elizabeth should do the same. The trails could be to Charlotte what the "river" is to San Antonio.  

Your're so right about that. I hope more cool art pieces are added along the trail. And maybe there could be like small parks beside some of the LYNX stops that compliment the retail spaces even more. 

[Guest]

31 minutes ago, j-man said:

Your're so right about that. I hope more cool art pieces are added along the trail. And maybe there could be like small parks beside some of the LYNX stops that compliment the retail spaces even more. 

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article223565865.html

some was added recently.

[kermit]

3 hours ago, j-man said:

but Charlotte is always talked about as not being very connected neither walkable.

While this is totally true from our perspective it is important to keep in mind that Charlotte (Uptown, Southend, Wesley Heights, Midtown, Dilworth) is an oasis of walakble urbanism for people who live in the burbs or just about any small town in the South. These folks (our most frequent visitors) view Charlotte as a the paragon of urbanism (you can see this phenomena very clearly in Greenville SC on festival nights). Not saying that we are 'good enough' (we certainly are not), but relative to our surroundings (and in the eyes of the NCGA) we are 'the Portland of the (South) East.'  (<-- that sentence made me sad)

2 hours ago, MACyr said:

Charlotte's rail trail is unique.  It should be a special design district lined with innovative architecture, public spaces, art, and outdoor venues.   The Sugar Creek Greenway, through Elizabeth should do the same. The trails could be to Charlotte what the "river" is to San Antonio.  

I agree that well-executed walkability in the inner neighborhoods combined with decent off-street trails (like the rail trail)  in multiple directions could be our thing. Developers have been slow to get on board with walkability but if they bothered to look at what is happening along the Beltline in Atlanta they would quickly change their tune.

Edited January 3, 2019 by kermit

[SgtCampsalot]

43 minutes ago, kermit said:

While this is totally true from our perspective it is important to keep in mind that Charlotte (Uptown, Southend, Wesley Heights, Midtown, Dilworth) is an oasis of walakble urbanism for people who live in the burbs or just about any small town in the South. These folks (our most frequent visitors) view Charlotte as a the paragon of urbanism (you can see this phenomena very clearly in Greenville SC on festival nights). Not saying that we are 'good enough' (we certainly are not), but relative to our surroundings (and in the eyes of the NCGA) we are 'the Portland of the East.'  (<-- that sentence made me sad)

The only reason I am on these boards is because, after living in the Charlotte suburbs for most of my life, I randomly discovered the Dilworth/South End area and immediately noticed how I could walk or bike from one end to the other without threat of being killed by a car. That was a huge moment of revelation for me. The areas around Uptown have only improved their connections since then (ie: remember just a few years ago when N Davidson St was pock-marked with pot holes and no bike lanes?) 

[DeleteMe]

10 hours ago, kermit said:

I agree that well-executed walkability in the inner neighborhoods combined with decent off-street trails (like the rail trail)  in multiple directions could be our thing. Developers have been slow to get on board with walkability but if they bothered to look at what is happening along the Beltline in Atlanta they would quickly change their tune.

 

I believe that what Charlotte has started with the light rail corridor trail that makes it superior to what they've done in Georgia, and what makes it superior to a generic greenway, is that rail makes the trails, public spaces, artwork, etc. accessible to those who are not otherwise mobile, and like the San Antonio river walk, parallels a mode of transportation.  I think developers are on-board with walkability in Charlotte, and the City supports it. but we need more -- including more public awareness, more public investment in art, public venues, design, and IMHO, more boosterism.  We also need a much more multifaceted vision that makes greenways more than corridors for walking, biking, etc., but are, like roads and waterways and rail lines, mobility corridors that have nodes for focusing development and public activities.  There's nothing unique about the Georgia project greenway that utilizes an abandoned rail corridor -- but, one thing I think they have done well is convincing people that they invented the wheel and have secured public-sector and private support of their vision.    I think Charlotte has to make the light rail trail and Sugar Creek Greenway and the development and public spaces investments taking place along them, BETTER than anywhere else.   You all have talked about the features we need to be fighting for -- an architecturally-significant (symbolic) bridge to connect the light rail trail to Uptown and your thoughts about the design of projects in the South End, Optimist Park, NODA, and Metropolitan - Elizabeth neighborhoods.   Imagine, vehicular corridors become the back doors to development -- the front doors open onto non-vehicular corridors (an element of the Greenbelt communities was to have houses face open space while vehicular movement and storage was "in the back".)   In essence, the opposite of how places are typically built, but which is happening in Charlotte right now with projects like the light rail trail and the Metropolitan.  I'm rambling....  Sorry everyone...

[SgtCampsalot]

35 minutes ago, MACyr said:

I believe that what Charlotte has started with the light rail corridor trail that makes it superior to what they've done in Georgia, and what makes it superior to a generic greenway, is that rail makes the trails, public spaces, artwork, etc. accessible to those who are not otherwise mobile, and like the San Antonio river walk, parallels a mode of transportation.  I think developers are on-board with walkability in Charlotte, and the City supports it. but we need more -- including more public awareness, more public investment in art, public venues, design, and IMHO, more boosterism.  We also need a much more multifaceted vision that makes greenways more than corridors for walking, biking, etc., but are, like roads and waterways and rail lines, mobility corridors that have nodes for focusing development and public activities.  There's nothing unique about the Georgia project greenway that utilizes an abandoned rail corridor -- but, one thing I think they have done well is convincing people that they invented the wheel and have secured public-sector and private support of their vision.    I think Charlotte has to make the light rail trail and Sugar Creek Greenway and the development and public spaces investments taking place along them, BETTER than anywhere else.   You all have talked about the features we need to be fighting for -- an architecturally-significant (symbolic) bridge to connect the light rail trail to Uptown and your thoughts about the design of projects in the South End, Optimist Park, NODA, and Metropolitan - Elizabeth neighborhoods.   Imagine, vehicular corridors become the back doors to development -- the front doors open onto non-vehicular corridors (an element of the Greenbelt communities was to have houses face open space while vehicular movement and storage was "in the back".)   In essence, the opposite of how places are typically built, but which is happening in Charlotte right now with projects like the light rail trail and the Metropolitan.  I'm rambling....  Sorry everyone...

I got you. Every Greenway-adjacent development should treat it as if it is a transit line - face it and market it. The only hard part would be making the sell to the neighborhood groups.

[kermit]

2 minutes ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Ihe only hard part would be making the sell to the neighborhood groups.

Their is plenty of research showing that greenways increase property values (but most NIMBYs don't want to listen)

[southslider]

5 hours ago, kermit said:

There is plenty of research showing that greenways increase property values (but most NIMBYs don't want to listen)

The key to overcoming NIMBYs is the lay of the land. Single-family residential is inherently individualistic, while multi-family and non-residential is more organically communitarian.  Just compare Midtown and Myers Park for how development is oriented to Little Sugar Creek Greenway (XCLT).

If an area doesn't have a lot of pre-existing single-family homes or they're far enough removed from an area, then there won't be as much selfish protectionism to fight densification. Put another way, the N in NIMBY changes from No to Yes when an area has less Y or Yards. But that's when ironically, an urban trail can be an even more vibrant yard or active, public space.

Edited January 4, 2019 by southslider

[elrodvt]

Partly true but don't forget the dog whistle of how this will give "criminals" easy access to your area. When I lived in Vermont even progressive Vermont's trotted that crap out. They were whipped but it took a while.

[CLT2014]

 

7 minutes ago, elrodvt said:

Partly true but don't forget the dog whistle of how this will give "criminals" easy access to your area. When I lived in Vermont even progressive Vermont's trotted that crap out. They were whipped but it took a while.

Greenways give the NextDoor App some good activity with post titles like:

"Coyote spotted on greenway behind my house."
"Teenagers down by creek"
"Man was walking on greenway"
"Who is this man on greenway"
"Somebody behind my house on greenway"
"Pitbull on greenway"
"Coyote again on greenway"
"Keep your dogs on leash on greenway"
"Teenagers holding hands on greenway"
"Ladies, please wear modest workout clothing on greenway, kids out there"

Edited January 4, 2019 by CLT2014

[tozmervo]

9 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

Greenways give the NextDoor App some good activity with post titles like:

"Coyote spotted on greenway behind my house."
"Teenagers down by creek"
"Man was walking on greenway"
"Who is this man on greenway"
"Somebody behind my house on greenway"
"Pitbull on greenway"
"Coyote again on greenway"
"Keep your dogs on leash on greenway"
"Teenagers holding hands on greenway"
"Ladies, please wear modest workout clothing on greenway, kids out there"

"Best of Nextdoor" is one of my favorite internet things. 

[Desert Power]

On 10/8/2018 at 11:35 AM, Trickbot said:

Imagine they did #1 and put colored lights on it, it would be all over Instagram

This would be iconic 

[JorgiPorgi]

#1 has to happen. Such expenditures are necessary.  

Edited January 4, 2019 by JorgiPorgi

[elrodvt]

40 minutes ago, JorgiPorgi said:

#1 has to happen. Such expenditures are necessary.  

Totally agree. Totally don't expect it.

[j-man]

So....I was thinking. SInce Charlotte is such a clean, and green city. A cool idea to go next level would be to do what Mexico city is doing with their vertical gardens underneath overpasses, busy bridges and highways. It would be so beautiful here, and it would be helping the air quality!! So its a win win. lol 

[elrodvt]

6 hours ago, j-man said:

So....I was thinking. SInce Charlotte is such a clean, and green city. A cool idea to go next level would be to do what Mexico city is doing with their vertical gardens underneath overpasses, busy bridges and highways. It would be so beautiful here, and it would be helping the air quality!! So its a win win. lol 

How's the fake living wall doing on the garage for the condos next to Romare?

I love this idea. I imagine the same plants wouldn't work here?

[tozmervo]

5 minutes ago, elrodvt said:

How's the fake living wall doing on the garage for the condos next to Romare?

I love this idea. I imagine the same plants wouldn't work here?

They wouldn't. Mexico City (perhaps surprisingly) has a more mild climate than we do. We can see near-zero and triple digits in the same year, they stay fairly consistently between 40 and 80. Muuuuuch easier to get great plants year-round in those conditions. 

[11 HouseBZ]

26 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

They wouldn't. Mexico City (perhaps surprisingly) has a more mild climate than we do. We can see near-zero and triple digits in the same year, they stay fairly consistently between 40 and 80. Muuuuuch easier to get great plants year-round in those conditions. 

Unless, it's kudzu.