Hall of Urban Planning Shame

[dcluley98]

I want to start a topic of what NOT to do that we have seen either locally, around the state, or abroad. 

 

I recently had the displeasure of driving to Jacksonville to pick up a new bicycle and happened upon the god-awful St. Johns Town Center. Please do not do this anywhere else.  That was "Master-Planned" consumerism hell-on-earth, limited access road, parking lot, chain restaurant, strip-mall wasteland in the middle of a former swamp next to an interchange on the way to "the beach" but not quite out of the suburbs. 

Vile place. Couldn't get out fast enough.

Do not emulate or replicate!!! 

 

Edited to rename the Hall of Shame!

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Im with you. Place reminds me of The Loop or Winter Garden Village.

[dcluley98]

Place all the hate here in the black hole of Urban Planning, Mwuahahahha! 

[spenser1058]

It's Simon, so they have the resources to do better. OTOH, as one of the country's biggest and oldest mall builders, we probably shouldn't be surprised.

Two things of note: it did finally get Jacksonville some decent retail (Jax is still the biggest market in the country without a Macy's -  there hasn't been an Allied/Federated store there since Furchgott's died in the late '80's;) also, Southside Jax (other than San Marco) has been a suburban wasteland pretty much forever. 

[RedStar25]

The "Winter Garden Village" is a nightmare.  Poorly laid out and worse parking design. 

[HankStrong]

49 minutes ago, RedStar25 said:

The "Winter Garden Village" is a nightmare.  Poorly laid out and worse parking design. 

Same with Waterford  Lakes.

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

Same with Waterford  Lakes.

I'm curious if anyone can cite an example of a well laid out power center/lifestyle center.

[Ivanhoe]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I'm curious if anyone can cite an example of a well laid out power center/lifestyle center.

The Grove at Farmers Market in Fairfax neighborhood of LA comes to mind. Designed by Elkus Manfredi — who also orchestrated the redesign of Fanuel Hall / Quincy Market in Boston.

[spenser1058]

Country Club Plaza in KC Mo came immediately to mind for me, albeit that's probably unfair since it dates back to 1923. It's had its ups and downs over the years but just snagged a Nordstrom from a mall across the river in the deep Kansas 'burbs.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_Club_Plaza

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