Ken Greenberg is a waste of space

[beerbeer]

This consultant from Toronto is constantly hailed in the Courant as some sort of guru. But most of his observations about Hartford could have come from a 8th grader on a field trip.

Here's some of his keen insights.

To make Hartford more lively there should be housing downtown. DUH.

Street signs should be big and readable. AMAZING!

A circulator bus would enhance movement around the city. EVERY OTHER CITY MADE THAT DISCOVERY TEN YEARS AGO.

In short, his plan is retreaded sophomoric ideas from other towns. There isn't an innovative thought of any sort in any of his reports. Yet, the Courant thinks he's the Einstein of city planning. I don't get it.

[blackstone]

This consultant from Toronto is constantly hailed in the Courant as some sort of guru. But most of his observations about Hartford could have come from a 8th grader on a field trip.

Here's some of his keen insights.

To make Hartford more lively there should be housing downtown. DUH.

Street signs should be big and readable. AMAZING!

A circulator bus would enhance movement around the city. EVERY OTHER CITY MADE THAT DISCOVERY TEN YEARS AGO.

In short, his plan is retreaded sophomoric ideas from other towns. There isn't an innovative thought of any sort in any of his reports. Yet, the Courant thinks he's the Einstein of city planning. I don't get it.

your last four words says it all, but no one with a say about development in hartford seemed to know what greenburg told them. and after he told them, most of them didn't believe him.

[GHartford]

This consultant from Toronto is constantly hailed in the Courant as some sort of guru. But most of his observations about Hartford could have come from a 8th grader on a field trip.

Here's some of his keen insights.

To make Hartford more lively there should be housing downtown. DUH.

Street signs should be big and readable. AMAZING!

A circulator bus would enhance movement around the city. EVERY OTHER CITY MADE THAT DISCOVERY TEN YEARS AGO.

In short, his plan is retreaded sophomoric ideas from other towns. There isn't an innovative thought of any sort in any of his reports. Yet, the Courant thinks he's the Einstein of city planning. I don't get it.

I think you are way off. Just because you say these things were "obvious" doesn't mean anyone was paying attention before. If downtown housing, good signage and a circulator bus were so obvious, then why weren't they implemented before? At least with the Greenberg Plan there is some sort of plan guiding city development. The Courant in particular has made certain that the city abide, at least loosely by some of the plan's recommendations. Of course, as a planner myself I can recognize that Greenberg wasn't the only one capable of doing this job and that the plan is not binding. But, at least Hartford now has some sort of plan. Without it, or something similar to it, the City would still be sitting on its heels. That's the most important thing here.

[beerbeer]

The developments in the city have nothing to do with Greenberg. The housing would have happened without him. In fact, it's impossible to name one single concrete contribution made by Greenberg.

He just regurgitated things that had already been said and put them in a report.

The report lacks a single innovative idea of any kind.

I'd rather have MadVlad run the show. I don't agree with Vlad's vision but he actually has one (space needle and all).

Mocarsky's idea of turning Grove Street in a small walkable mall is far superior to anything in the Greenburg Plan.

The last thing this city needs is to pay a third rate planner $100,000 for nothing.

[jcrc]

But most of his observations about Hartford could have come from a 8th grader on a field trip.

If downtown housing, good signage and a circulator bus were so obvious, then why weren't they implemented before?

Cuz 7th graders were in charge?

[MadVlad]

crap, I've already put my plan out there for free, maybe they could cut me a check for 50grr and call it even.....

Space Needle, here we come!!

[Bill Mocarsky]

This consultant from Toronto is constantly hailed in the Courant as some sort of guru. But most of his observations about Hartford could have come from a 8th grader on a field trip.

Here's some of his keen insights.

To make Hartford more lively there should be housing downtown. DUH.

Street signs should be big and readable. AMAZING!

A circulator bus would enhance movement around the city. EVERY OTHER CITY MADE THAT DISCOVERY TEN YEARS AGO.

In short, his plan is retreaded sophomoric ideas from other towns. There isn't an innovative thought of any sort in any of his reports. Yet, the Courant thinks he's the Einstein of city planning. I don't get it.

beerbeer, I never got it either. Nothing against Ken Greenberg. I saw some of the plans that Urban Strategies (the firm he is or was from) is involved in for Providence and some other cities that are much more ambitious. I wish he would come up with something that would stir the blood.

[Cotuit]

We've had a few consultants come into to Providence (actually we've had a lot, but a few recently). Andres Duany ran a charrette on Downcity in 2003 that got a lot of people involved in the ideas of reinvigorating Downcity. I don't know if Greenberg involved the public or not in Hartford, but the public involvement in Providence alone was worth the price. Duany also investigated what could be done vs. what should be done. His group looked into property ownership and kept in mind the city and state's budget problems. So the ideas were not entirely ground-breaking, but they were educated.

Last summer we had Sasaki Associates of Watertown, MA do a more comprehesive city plan for the central core (link). This one only included the public in the review portion and most of us UP felt it was rather lacking in innovation, and missed addressing a few key issues. Although this plan included a lot of useful and interesting economic data.

I think it helps to bring someone in to focus the vision, and give the public a launching pad from which to further discussion.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

We've had a few consultants come into to Providence (actually we've had a lot, but a few recently). Andres Duany ran a charrette on Downcity in 2003 that got a lot of people involved in the ideas of reinvigorating Downcity. I don't know if Greenberg involved the public or not in Hartford, but the public involvement in Providence alone was worth the price. Duany also investigated what could be done vs. what should be done. His group looked into property ownership and kept in mind the city and state's budget problems. So the ideas were not entirely ground-breaking, but they were educated.

Last summer we had Sasaki Associates of Watertown, MA do a more comprehesive city plan for the central core (link). This one only included the public in the review portion and most of us UP felt it was rather lacking in innovation, and missed addressing a few key issues. Although this plan included a lot of useful and interesting economic data.

I think it helps to bring someone in to focus the vision, and give the public a launching pad from which to further discussion.

Funny you mention Sasaki..... they designed Constitution Plaza!!!! Make sure they add in some residential this time (and don't have the whole project 25 feet above street level)! I know, I know, the funding was cut off early, it was supposed to link to Main St., etc., etc., etc.

[Cotuit]

Sasaki was charged with doing an overall plan for an area of the city running from the Bay up the Woonasquatucket valley. They were looking at issues like building height and street connections and open space placement. They weren't doing anything with specific designs for specific buildings, only very general stuff.

[MadVlad]

Heh, then you haven't seen Constitution Plaza, it is nothing if it isn't general. Someday, my friends, Constitution College will be a reality...