Obama: “The days where we’re just building sprawl forever, those days are over”

For the President of the United States to utter this sentence is a big deal. It really is. Earlier last month in another post, I briefly mentioned Obama's appreciation for cities and his knowledge of the works of famous urban philosopher, the late Jane Jacobs. This consistency he has shown during the last couple of years during his campaign, and now presidency, is something that should not be underestimated as President Obama, who has high approval ratings and is seen as a generational leader the likes of which we haven't seen since Reagan or JFK, has a lot of clout and is in a position to alter the course of the American psyche and its attitude toward the unsustainable "American Dream" of urban sprawl that helped get us into the trying times we face today as a nation.

Obama's mention of urban sprawl and the need for investment in public transportation occured yesterday at the town hall meeting in Fort Meyers, Florida by the way. A transcript in fuller context is available here thanks to the Transportation for America interest site.

I expect sprawl to continue on; it ain't going away like that. But as we head into the 21st century with the urgent need to break away with the direction our country had previously gone on a variety of issues, the issues of sustainability both economically and environmentally will prove very challenging to the post-WWII/1950s era of city planning that took place during what was then a totally different country with a different outlook.

Beautiful Java Island in Amsterdam

I was just looking through this photo set taken by a photographer over in Amsterdam Nederlands, specifically in Java Island, the former industrial docklands that were transformed into a playground for modernist architects as the area went from brownfeild to residential in the 1990s. Even without the gorgeous gables and circular street layout that Amsterdam is best known for, this place really came out looking nice. In the two times I've had the privilege to visit, I've never actually made my way to Java as the American in me was too much of a lazy ass to walk the long distance it takes to cross the harbor from the city center, but even from a distance, it's quite a sight to see in person.

Link

Anyways I post this because it got me thinking about our own brownfield by the sea for which the city has been trying to make lively and vibrant. For years Ship Creek has been in the cross hairs of attempted redevelopment into a tourist destination, but it's just not working out. The problem is tourists are in town for only three months of the year. In addition, elderly tourists -- who make up the majority of visitors here -- probably find the area too distant and not worth it to walk from downtown. Shuttle services offer rides to Ship Creek, but that's just not practical as a sole dependent. I think the most symbolic example of the failure for Ship Creek to materialize is what happened when an upscale restaurant that only appeals to tourists and special get-togethers opens up in the pit. Had it been a coffee shop or any sort of everymans diner that appeals to locals, specifically employees in the area who work for the Alaska Railroad, Anchorage Port, and the numerous distribution centers nearby, then I would expect the diner or normal priced restaurant to be able to sustain itself year around as it can be a place for workers to grab a bite during lunch hour. Instead, the swank and much hyped restaurant known as The Bridge went out of business in I believe less than a year. It's next door neighbor, The Ulu Factory, is still open, but business is obviously slow if you hadn't been down there latley.

If I were in charge of the redevelopment, this is what I would do. Give incentives for basic-need businesses (groceries, banks, coffeeshops, etc) to open up and cater to the workforce in the area as well as rezone land to intice developers to build medium to high density residential buildings that would house the businesses at ground level. This way even without the areas workforce present during weekends, businesses and the neighborhood in general can depend on its new residents to keep the place alive rather than depend on the three-month-a-year tourist. You've probably noticed this with 4th Avenue in Downtown during the winter as well. The place has been taken hostage by tourists since its reincarnation in the 80s and as a result, a very active street in the summer becomes a ghost town during winter, except for say Fur Rondy and the Iditarod.

Ironically if you've already seen the photos I linked of Java Island, you probably are left wondering where all the people are. I wonder that too, but I don't know the time of day, or day of the week when those photos were taken nor other variables that may or may not make the place seem dead. Whatever the case, I do think what we're seeing in Amsterdam is a smart way to make efficient use of land that happens to be available. Apparently demand for marine related industry is not high enough as the demand for residential space (which I suppose is understandable as the whole medieval city center of Amsterdam is thankfully under strict preservation and protection from new construction). BTW, work is under way on restoring an old building owned by the Alaska Railroad in Ship Creek with the hopes of turning it into office space. Our fingers will be kept crossed.

Northpointe Bluff purchased by the city

Well it was only a matter of time before the city or the bank had to enter the picture on this embarrassment of an endeavor that it had worked out with developer Marc Marlow that involved putting up a "neighborhood of upscale single family homes and duplexes" on the site of the old raggedy Hollywood Vista Apartments in East Government Hill. Considering that this involved Marlow, shouldn't either party involved with his Northpointe project have seen some sort of financial hiatus coming? Don't forget the disastrous construction timeline it took to restore the McKinley Apartments downtown which was also under the watch of our good intentioned, but money troubled developer.

read story here (ADN)

In the meantime if you've been in the area, you can drive the twisty roads of the barren subdivision like it's one of those Formula-1 or LeMans Grand Prix road courses... it's pretty cool.

Completed Projects: A Year in Review

2008 was a good year. Looking towards 2009 and further, 2008 may end up looking like a really good year. With our city and state expected to take a whipping economically for the first time in nearly a generation, 2008 will probably mark the end of the Project 80's revival of this decade. Thankfully, Anchorage held out long enough for us to watch a new era of major public and private buildings go up around town. They're new buildings that alter the skyline and because of their permanent change to the cityscape, deserve critique from its citizens. Then again, I'm probably just stating the obvious as everybody becomes an architectural critic when spotting new buildings. I just happen to run a blog about it :D

Please note that these are completed projects of 2008 that I'm reviewing, so the new museum, Clark Middle School, and other projects still in the works are not listed. Also be aware that I'm only speaking for myself when judging the appearance of these new buildings. This is not some prestigious architectural journal (you should know better by now).

Dena'ina Convention & Civic Center - grade: 7.5

Probably the most high profile project in Anchorage during this decade, the new convention center is an amazing, but controversial building standing in Downtown across from City Hall. I personally would overall give the Dena'ina my tip of the hat for not looking like the Egan Center just for starters. Seriously though, what I like about this new building is the huge and dramatic facade of glass that overtakes 7th Avenue. At night when the lobby is lit for an event, the front of the building from City Hall looks almost like an ant farm as you can see people going up, down, and walking across on all levels of the building. It's almost like peeling a wall to see the activity inside. The problem a lot of people have of course is not with the front facade of the building, but rather the exterior on the other three sides which some say looks like a warehouse. I too would have to say it took some adjusting for me to get used to the exterior on the other three sides, but I do think such a blankness to the building will allow for a more smoother aging compared to the Performance Arts Center which tries so hard with its architecture and decorations that 20 years later, the building is a bit awkward (I'll always have a place in my heart for the rings with dancing lights though). Speaking of the PAC, I would have to say that in contrast, the Dena'ina is all about transparency. Besides the front facade dramatically exposing all the activites going on at all levels of the lobby, the front white exterior has kind of a glow to it. It's almost like some of Apple's latest products over the last few years with that white-below-the-glass sensation happening. Take this Apple mouse for example. The PAC on the other hand looks like a concrete castle with something to hide inside. At least the PAC was built with room for street level retail. The Dena'ina on the other hand does not.


Linny Pacillo Parking Garage - grade: 6.3

Shortly after the Dena'ina Center broke ground, the surface lot that sits diagonal from the convention center site became the footprint for the Pacillo Parking Garage to makeup for lost space that the Dena'ina Center took away from Atwood Building employees. The garage has eight levels of parking, room for retail at the ground floor, and if you haven't noticed, some progressive modernist architecture. To put it in another way, "it looks like something from Germany" as one friend put it. Indeed while other new garages at Providence Hospital, the Native hospital, and around Midtown look like your textbook concrete structure, the Pacillo Garage clearly took a departure, and I'm so glad they did. For its high profile location, if we're going to get yet another parking garage, it better be something that's worth looking at. The retail level however is somewhat of a disappointment as it's hard to notice that there's a Northrim Bank at one end while the rest of the ground level sits tucked away beneath a very unfriendly gray arcade. Overall, I think the garage deserves a 6.3. While the garage fills a critical need and displays fresh architecture, it's still a parking garage. Not the most flattering type of building especially when sitting across the street from another parking garage. Hopefully the garage will soon see more life as Channel 2 KTUU reported last year that the owner of Glacier Brewhouse plans to open up another restaurant in one of the vacant spaces on the ground level. Cross your fingers.

JL Tower - grade: 6.8

Rising at 14 stories above Midtown, the JL Tower is one of the two new high rise buildings to go up in the city for the first time since the beginning of this decade. The JL Tower, which was constructed by (surprise!) JL Properties is one of the few other office buildings that went up in the former trailer park neighborhood now dubbed 'Plaza 36'. Architecturally, the JL provides a nice break from previous high rises as the building features a smooth curve starting from the base that bows and reaches to the top making it look as if there's an organic curved box partly trapped in a L shape rigid box that breaks free at the top. If you hadn't noticed yet, the tower offers a pretty sight at night as the mechanical penthouse of the building displays an impressive 360 degree wrapped light show made up of hundreds of LED light diodes. Sadly, the unique looking JL Tower sits quietly far away from busy C Street and 36th Avenue. The building could have served as a can't-miss visual anchor that would help define either or both of the two streets, but instead the tower acts like a low profile suburban office park as it sits in the middle of landscaping and a series of surface parking lots that put together could rival the Sullivan Arena parking lot. Speaking of which, the amount of landscaping and surface parking surrounding the building makes it clear that efficient use of land was not a top priority for the developers. I'm kind of surprised they even bothered to strive for LEED certification. Still though, not a bad tower at all.

188 West Northern Lights - grade: 8.8

Not too far north of the JL Tower, also in Midtown, 2008 saw the completion of another high rise tower officially known as 188 West Northern Lights. While the JL Tower had more in common with office developments around Midtown during these last few decades, 188 WNL is a revolutionary building for the central part of town. Unlike its nearby neighbors, 188 WNL has no surface parking, is built right up to the street, uses already developed land, and is mixed-use as it offers space for retail at ground level. All music to the ears of the backers of Title 21, the city's new zoning codes currently under review by the Assembly to acheive the goals of the Anchorage 2020 plan. With this sustainable and flexible layout, I expect the building to better weather the eventual urban densification of Midtown and the rest of the Bowl as developable land continues to shrink and compact urban infill continues to become a more attractive option as it has in other cities around the nation. While this new building shows off the best in civic responsibility, I think the post-modernist architecture of 188 WNL is more 'fun' to look at as it is more fresh and unpredictable in shape and lines compared to the JL Tower which I feel tries a bit too hard to please a more broad audience. If there is to be one thing that I have to whine about with this building, it's the ridiculous rocks that were molded into the sidewalks fronting the building. It looks like a redneck version of the post 9/11 barricade filled sidewalk surrounding the FBI headquarters Downtown. My wag of the finger for that.

Glenn Square - grade: 4.4

Over to Mountain View, though still partly under construction, I thought I'd consider this a largely finished project since all of the anchor stores are now open. All that is really left are three "pads" in the middle of the parking lot that are left for future development along with vacant spaces for small businesses, and if correct, I believe Century Theaters is looking at opening a theater here -- not 100% sure though. What I like about this development is its attempt at integrating mixed-uses into one area. Besides retail, future expansion foresees office space in the area as well as residential properties. What I don't like is the not so exciting presence of big box retailers (and boring ones too) such as Michael's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Famous Footware. Seriously, to think that Mayor Begich even bothered to make a press release about the arrival of ...Bed Bath & Beyond. Sweet jesus that was embaressing for us. I know that we Alaskans go gaga for the arrival of the most mundane of chain stores, but now we're just scratching the bottom of the rusty tub. To get to the point though, the presence of these big box stores has me left scratching my head about this whole city backed plan to revive Mountain View. We're bringing back Mountain View by opening lower-48 chain stores whose profits return to their headquarters in the lower-48? Of course the Texas based developers behind Glenn Square claim to be helping in revitalizing the neighborhood with their new shopping mall, but it sounds more like an excuse to justify capitalizing on an incredibly rare large piece of empty land that was sold by the city. Anyways I'm starting to wander off -- back to the mall itself. Architecturally, there is nothing really to say. It's a Disneyland of lets-pretend/feel-good design. The clock tower specifically is a nauseating structure that appears to have the intent on insulting our intelligence. Are we suppose to fall over ourselves and be lured to shop there because it looks like one of those cozy minature christmas towns? I appreciate the effort in doing something unique, but I'll have to rate Glenn Square slightly less than a 5. Hopefully added residential and office space will one day redeem the Square.

Onto some smaller projects that were completed in 2008:

4211 Mountain View Drive - grade: 8.2

I like. Residential on top, room for retail on bottom. Looks a little too much like it was built overnight with prefab walls though. But overall, it's a fun looking little building that serves for the better in enhancing the aesthetics of the streetscape for Mountain View.

Grand Duchess - grade: 5.2

If this new store caters to our Duchess, where's the place for our Duke? Anyways, this new building located at Arctic and C Street makes for quite an interesting addition to the landscape in our grand dukedom. Just to be sure that you don't miss it, the building is painted entirley in hot pink and looks like a cross between a Ziggaraut and a Victorian era mansion. Victorian steel gates gaurd the parking lot from those unwanted filthy peasants. Though I think this building is a welcome addition in comparison to its neighbors, I think the Germanic tribe still overtake the Duchess down the street with their German immersion school which involved the remodeling of an industrial building and converting it into a sleek piece of property with soft shades of gray on its exterior as well as transparent orange paneling that lights at night. For that building (which re-opened in 2007), I would rate its exterior remodeling an 8.0 perhaps.

Embassy Suites Midtown - grade: 3.4

Why do local architects as of late feel the need to add exposed wooden trusses to their facades? First it was the new Carr's on Abbott, then KFC nearby, and now more recently, Target in Muldoon. With the exception of Carr's, the ornaments adorning the facade backfire, and the new Embassy Suites is unfortunately no exception. Besides this, the architects apparently felt that we needed more of the same shape and design that other Midtown hotels such as the Hilton Garden Inn and Motel 6 have. At least the main entrance is kinda interesting and new to the Anchorage hotel architecture scene (which must be a very exciting scene btw). This new hotel also results in the forced relocation of the beloved Benny's Food Wagon. There will be hell to pay for that.

The Sockeye Inn - grade: 5.8

Not much to say other than it looks okay. I suppose the fish scale facade of the building has something to do with why the business occupying the building was named "Sockeye". Glad to see the building taking up the street corner with the parking lot in the rear rather than tucking the building away from the street. Also glad to see the used car lot bulldozed to make way for this hotel.

Greatest bicycle accessory ever invented?

Well they sure beat those little reflective placards. Behold the "LightLane". Indeed I will probably be retired or dead by the time Anchorage has the same amount of bicycle lanes as Den Haag in the Netherlands, but as you can see, the LightLane is your own personal bicycle lane that will go wherever you go despite the city you live in being absent of such lanes. Unfortunently of course, riding during daylight in a city empty of bike lanes will remain another story. BTW the LightLane was thought up by Altitude Inc.. As of now, there is no actual prototype in existance so far. Somebody better develop this thing fast though!

Freeze Project

This weekend saw the opening to the Freeze art project over at the Delaney Park Strip, Elderberry Park, and the Museum. From what I've heard, the installations will be in place until sometime in early February. Obviously the city is experiencing the worst of winter in decades, but man up! ...I actually had to return home and pick up gloves before returning to the Park Strip on Saturday afternoon. Still, it's worth it as it exceeded my expectations and I'm sure you'll be glad you went as well. By the way, the project besides including many artists from around the world also includes numerous architects, many of those architects being from our own Anchor-town. Info on the specific works along with info on just who are these people behind 'Freeze' can be found at the official site - http://freezeproject.org/alaska/

BTW, I don't wanna give away why people are entering that snow fortress on the above photo, so I'll just say it's worth seeing what's in there for yourself *wink wink*.

*edit* Well with our high temps in the 40s and southern winds from the Pacific invading town, you better get down to see Freeze before it melts away!

PDF map of Freeze.

The Legacy of Mayor Mark Begich

For those living in a cave, earlier this week we saw Mayor Mark Begich become Senator Mark Begich at the swearing in ceremony at the Capitol in Washington as he took over the seat formally held for the last four decades by Ted Stevens. With this new position, Begich could potentially continue his career for decades to come leaving a legacy for Alaska like that of his predecessor if not greater by the time he retires. While Senator Begich is just starting the prime of his political career, it's his handling of Anchorage that deserves tremendous respect and should not be forgotten. Not since perhaps the Knowles Administration in the 80s has Anchorage seen such great investment into itself. More specifically, when relating to urban issues, Begich has been a champion of responsible development and sustainability. From getting sidewalks actually plowed, to bus shelters across the Bowl, to the renovated McKinley Tower, what Begich has done for the city will go into history as a stark contrast to the slow growth and lack of urban responsibility of the 1990s.

Personally speaking, there were of course moments when I was not proud of moves made by our former mayor relating to urban issues. Begich's lack of action over the Wal-Mart controversy in Muldoon, his support of Glenn Square in Mountain View, and his plan to heal the intersection of Tudor and Lake Otis by simply adding more turn lanes were off puting, but hey, Mark Begich isn't Jane Jacobs. Speaking of Ms. Jacobs, President-elect Barack Obama is actually familiar with who Jane Jacobs was and the books shes written in the past about our cities and their urban issues. This doesn't mean Obama will be in lockstep with the urbanist mindset as he can't afford to exclude those in the electoral rich rural and suburban areas, but Obama unlike several of our last presidents does have the street smarts and knowledge as a resident and community organizer from Southside Chicago about what a city faces. I think the same goes for Begich. While Anchorage is a far cry from Chicago in terms of density, walkability, and social issues, Mark was born and raised in Anchorage and can appreciate the city like it's his baby in which he wants only the best future for it. But Begich also has to be practical if he wants to save his career.

With the not-so-proud moments that came during Begich's term, it's the good that came to Anchorage that in the end still outweigh the negatives. Look to the left of this post and you'll see links to the Anchorage Parks Foundation and Destination Downtown. Both were started during Begich's term, and both are proactive groups that are there to help get the public involved. Speaking of parks, Mayor Begich was successful in getting Anchorage voters to vote in 2006 (or was it 07?) for a parks bond. Something that hasn't happened in ages. The People Mover also got support from voters thanks to a mayor who believed strongly in our bus system. Anchorage voters were also swayed by Begich's pitch for a new convention center which would be financed by an increase in bed tax rather than residential tax. Other major changes that altered downtown include the expansion to the Anchorage Museum, the renovated McKinley Tower (formally MacKay Building), and the E Street Corridor from 9th Avenue down to, if things work out, a possible pedestrian bridge to the Alaska Railroad train station. A couple of other projects that would have altered the look of downtown but were not successfully given the green light included renovating the Delaney Park Strip, and building a multi-story mixed-use building on the corner of 3rd and H (the tower was cancelled due to the parcel of land sitting on weak Bootleggers Clay). Mark was however successful in getting a private developer to build a mixed-use tower in Midtown and getting businesses such as Credit Union 1 to open up a branch (the first bank in Mountain View in years) as part of a project to help revive Mountain View -- a neighborhood wide project also receiving the blessings of the mayor. Another historic neighborhood, Government Hill, also had Begich behind their back as the group behind building the Knik Arm Crossing (headed by former mayor George Wuerch) never formally received the support of our mayor. Begich did however take action and met with Mayor Menard of the Valley to work a deal for the creation of a transit authority that would oversee the linkage of the Valley to Anchorage via commuter rail on the existing tracks of the Alaska Railroad. Plans for the commuter rail are still being worked out.

There's certainly more good things that I can list coming out of the Begich Administration, but if there was one issue that got me out of my seat and applauding, it was the effort Begich put into working out a deal to save the 4th Avenue Theater. In the end, the building was turned down by voters to be under Muni property, but Begich gets an E for Effort for saving a treasure that could have been converted into a fitness center had a pair of developers had it their way (the developers eventually pulled out amidst the outcry from locals once it made print). Tonight, I think I'll toast my drink to our successful mayor and wish him many more decades of continued success. +1 Begich.

Alaska Then And Now

If you've looked around Barnes & Noble or other book stores these last few years, you've probably seen this awesome collection of books known as "Then And Now". Seattle, Portland, St. Louis, New York, etc, etc have all had their own Then And Now books made, and now Alaska's number has apparently been called. If anything, I'm probably just showing my lack of awareness, because this new book from Thunder Bay Press was released way back in April of this year. My bad. I did however find it in time so as to make it a Christmas gift for the parents. For those not in the know, the Then And Now series puts a side by side comparison of urban streetscapes from past and present together for whichever city the book is on. While previous editions of the series focus on one city only, the Alaska edition looks at our big three (Juneau, ANC, Fairbanks). Images from the Anchorage portion of the book include a then and now look at the present sites of the PAC, Egan Center, Hotel Anchorage, 4th Avenue Theater, Kimball Building, and even the White Spot Cafe among others. While the book is definitely a keeper, there are a couple clumsy factual errors made by the authors when writing captions for the images that make you think twice before realizing that the error is on their part and not some sort of new revelation on Anchorage history. Nothing major though.

Anyways all this before and after talk reminds me of a couple years ago when I scanned an old postcard I had of Anchorage circa late 1970s and matched it with a shot I took in 2005 from the same location (that being Gov. Hill, of course):


(click to view larger)

Obvious difference: A/C Couplet added not too long after the first photo was taken linking Downtown with the port and Government Hill. Also note the expansion to the Hilton (then Westward Hotel) which blocks off the view we formally had of the Key Bank, Westmark Hotel (formally Sheffeild Inn) and First National Building as well as the top of the 4th Avenue Theater sign. The Marriott Anchorage however looms behind as a new architecturally welcomed addition in the 2005 photo.

Spenard transformation controversy continues

I know it may start to become repetitive to our local readers whenever I post an article from the ADN that many of you may have already read earlier in the day, but I like to keep this blog as sort of a record/archive on all things urban related that even I myself can refer to when needed. Besides that, most of our readers actually come from outside. Ex-Anchoragites? Probably. Regardless, the holidays have been keeping me busy, but no I did not miss the extensive Sunday article 2 weeks ago on the long continuing controversy surrounding the transformation of a stretch of Spenard Road. Nothing really new in the article other than some new specifics on what will happen to an arterial road as well as the T-intersection of Fireweed and Spenard. Read the article and graphs here.

As for the Joop editorial, well I'm optimistic that the city learned from the nightmare that was the Arctic project. As a resident of West Anchorage and growing up attending West High, I can tell you that the span of Spenard from Fireweed all the way to Minnesota is indeed a disaster. Many seem to have a hard time believing that a two or three lane Spenard will be good for business, but look at the stretch of Spenard from Northwood to Airport Road in which Spenard goes from four lanes to two. Harley Davidson, Puffin Inn, and Gwennies(sp) Restaurant appear to be doing fine these last 20 years or so since the improvement while numerous new businesses such as hotels, dine-in restaurants, and a couple of coffeeshop trailers have sprung up in that stretch of Spenard over the last 10 years. Unlike lower Spenard however, the area of Spenard currently in question has something going for it that no other part of town has. Call it "hipster paradise" or whatever you want, but there's no question that Spenard has become what the city has long wanted Mountain View to become -- a bohemian district. From the numerous cafes, to the bicycle shops, to the ultra popular (and crowded) Bears Tooth Theater, Upper Spenard is culturally blossoming. What's hindering this new identity however is the 1960s era planning philosophy that puts cars and concrete as priority #1. Bicycle lanes, less surface parking, and mix-use buildings are some of the many solutions that will not get in the way of this new community as demonstrated in cities like Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC, and other places that are taking smart growth seriously. Check out the visions had for Mountain View within the next 20 years as posted by Clark at his blog. Like 4th Avenue, Spenard and Mountain View can have their own hotdog vendors on the streets along with musical acts playing in a park. Lets not forget that west 4th Avenue itself was at one time a four lane road.

Bottom Line: Enough with the complacency. The Muni needs to reach out and be proactive in building its case for this great road improvement.