All Aboard! Heading West

Taking the train through the Rockies has long been on my list of things to do. Recently, I added that to the accomplishments pile.

The trip started with a bus ride from Madison, Wisconsin to Union Station in Chicago. I had planned to stash my rolling suitcase and computer bag in a locker for a couple of hours, then head over to Millenium Park to experience this new urban space firsthand.

Locker technology has changed considerably since I last put a couple of quarters into one. At Union Station the lockers are governed by a central control panel that requires you to scan a fingerprint twice to activate a locker. The cost? A lot more than a couple of quarters. When I realized that I would spend $8.00 for two hours of freedom from my bags, I decided to sacrifice convenience. Let's see - 40 or so lockers at $4.00 per hour. Okay, I'm in the wrong business. Add to that to do list - find out what company is behind these lockers.

Of course, it was rainy, windy and relatively cold in Chicago that day - rather miserable conditions for walking to Millenium Park. However, I was committed and would not be deterred. I had seen the scuptures, video art, gardens and other amenities of the park in articles and from 30 floors up in a nearby building. It was contextual to experience them on the ground, particularly when I walked to the Cloud Gate, looking for a little relief from the drizzle. Under Cloud Gate I met one of the few other souls in the park. In what is an all-too-common reminder of the fact that the economic downturn has a lot of personal faces, he asked me for spare change.

Design - the fourth aspect

Executed within the framework of sustainable urbanism, design becomes the major determinant of the extent to which we achieve urbanscapes that are livable (including walkable) and memorable. Design, then, becomes the fourth aspect of the lens of sustainable urbanism, adding the aesthetic to the application of smart location factors and transit-oriented new urbanism principles and the construction of high performance buildings. It is through this multi-faceted lens that we should view, consider and evaluate projects large and small.

A case in point is seen in the civic dialogue regarding the replacement of the central library in Madison, Wisconsin. Two designs have been suggested by developers who would like to make the new library the principal tenant in a larger downtown development.

Both designs provide the space required for the facility. One is probably better than the other with regard to access and walkability, but both are downtown and consistent with the area's mass, scale and density. I haven't seen the energy budgets for the two designs but I would imagine that both could be constructed to meet high efficiency standards.

The issue for both proposals concerns the fourth aspect of the lens - aesthetics. When you gaze at the rendering of either of these structures, you are neither captivated nor inspired. There is nothing memorable about either design.

I lived in Salt Lake City when the new City Library was designed and constructed. Pictured here, the City Library was designed by Moshe Safdie, an architect from Boston with previous library design experience. It was such a pleasant surprise to see Safdie's creative design statement gain acceptance and then earn support from the community. Once constructed, the library received accolades and awards. The building is both functional and memorable. I've attended lectures and meetings, seen films, worked on projects, found books and enjoyed a cup of coffee while sitting in the entrance gallery just enjoying the space, light and views.

Salt Lake did not miss the opportunity to create a civic institution and edifice that would serve the needs of the community in multiple ways. When I look at the renderings of the two proposals for a similar facility in Madison, my impression is that they both represent opportunity lost. While the proposals are similar in the way that they respond to location, urbanism and performance factors, they both fall flat when it comes to creating a memorable central library. Please judge for yourself - you can view the renderings via links on the Madison Public Library Web site.

What is your transit orientation?

Transit means different things in different places on different days.

I lived in San Diego when the public debate over building light rail took place. Happily, the decision in San Diego was to build it . . . and they came to ride the red cars in numbers that exceeded expectations.

More recently, I lived in Salt Lake City when the same public discourse occurred. In Salt Lake, the conversation was followed by a non-binding referendum, which transit proponents actually lost to the folks who seem willing to bet that the status quo will suffice and cost less to taxpayers. Notwithstanding the vote, common sense prevailed and the initial north-south line was built. Once again, ridership exceeded expectations, quieting critics and assuring construction of the east-west lines needed to create a true system. In Salt Lake the buses coordinate with rail and it is easy for car users to park and hop the train. By the way, in both Salt Lake and San Diego, the initial rail lines were built on existing rail right-of-way, resulting in significant cost and time savings.

Now, living in Madison, I'm hoping to participate in the same discussion about transit solutions. I understand that a year or more ago the Mayor tried to carry the banner for an initial transit line, only to be shouted down. Yet, the area seems well-suited for an east-west light rail or trolley line, given the geography and traffic patterns.

Meanwhile, I've discovered that Madison Transit has fairly comprehensive bus coverage. However, two things quickly become obvious: a trip of any length will probably require a transfer at one of the compass quadrant stations and service on the weekend requires you to organize your activities around the bus schedule. Understanding these realities helps put this transit option into perspective.