Quote:
Originally Posted by Milksteak
Yeah, I live in lower Bucks and they have a redevelopment authority, I attended one of their meetings to 'refurbish' one of the aesthetically unappealing towns in the area...but there is only so much they could do. They had a lot of ideas, some relatively easy to implement (new benches, trees) and some that sound great but they really can't implement without private development (new mixed used projects, restaurants, bars). Outside of assisting in changing zoning, I don't know how much 'power' they really have - that being said, opening up the conversation to the residents and government is a great start.
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Another thing that Philly (and by extension, most big cities) now get is the importance of aesthetics. Design matters, even in the most mundane of decisions, particularly when it comes to public spaces.
A bench isn't just a bench. A street light isn't just a street light. Not all landscaping is the same.
Using the same amount of money, a town could implement truly stellar improvements with relatively little money, which would snowball into private investment. Or they could buy the plastic bench from Home Depot that everyone else has that was spec'd by their cousin Don who got "a contract" with the city because he's well, Uncle Don.
(Most) suburbs most definitively do not have individuals in charge of such decisions that give a rats ass about such things, or even have the ability to appreciate how the subtle differences can add up to create hugely disparate outcomes or experiences. The reason why King of Prussia will succeed in reinventing itself is because it does (and will be the exception).
When I see middling towns (which are solidly middle to upper middle class and by no means poor) like Middletown and Aston and Springfield and Haverford or Plymouth Meeting putting city planners on staff and contracting with firms like Field Operations or Andropogon to create cohesive experiences and or improve the public spaces they already have, then I will know they've finally "gotten" it. Until then, you can meet me for a drink in the urban center.