8.29.2013

ThirdPlace WorkSpace Thursdays: Ultimo Coffee Bar

Ultimo was ranked best coffee shop in America (take that, Seattle and New York) - though I think that's the 15th and Mifflin original, not the Graduate Hospital edition I'm reviewing here, but who's really keeping score? - so it's no wonder that I'm a fan.  But now that I've been here a few times, I'm realizing the subtle things that also make Ultimo a great place to get some work done, in addition to having a great cup of coffee.

8.26.2013

Naked Bike Ride... Effective Tactical Urbanism or a Robespierre for a Bicycle Revolution?

As I've posted about before, Philadelphia cycling culture, especially in Center City, is strong.  As the chicken-egg dance goes, public infrastructure to support that culture is incrementally improving.  I sold my car almost five years ago and my bicycle is my primary non-foot means of getting around, so suffice it to say I'm an advocate.  But over the weekend, I came to the quick conclusion that a Naked Bike Ride doesn't really advance my cause at this point.

8.22.2013

ThirdPlace WorkSpace Thursdays: Wi-fi and Learning from Starbucks

Diverging from cafe reviews this week, I'd like to touch on what independent retail can learn from corporate retail and how design plays a role in how people behave.

8.21.2013

Thinking about Snow in August: A Fiscal Case for Walkable Development

Walkability is about more than the existence of sidewalks, configuration of streets, and the presence of parks and trees; it has to do with density, mixed-use neighborhoods, and a fine-grained scale of development.  More on that in another post, but keep that in mind for now.

Today, StreetsBlog featured an article about how fire departments both perpetuate and are victimized by sprawl.  The premise basically being that the requirements for streets to accomodate the department's largest fire engine begets wider streets and perpetuates the vicious cycles of sprawl sprawl inducement.  In turn, they speculate that volunteering to be fire fighter becomes harder, since so much time in a car-dependent place, is dedicated to driving.  Mark Abraham over @urbandata posed it a different way, asking, "if we did away with #sprawl, what could the typical firefighter salary be increased to?" This reminded me of some very tangible fiscal benefits to compact, walkable development I noticed during last year's big snow storm. 

8.20.2013

Beyond Springfield: Reconnecting Central New England with the "Inland Route"

Deval Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, seems to be making a name for himself as a big believer in passenger rail, most prominently with a plan to expand Boston's South Station to allow for plenty of development potential, but most importantly, expanded service and better connectivity.  To the south, Gov. Dannel Malloy, who took advantage of the benefits of passenger service as mayor of Stamford, is pushing Connecticut forward with bus rapid transit between New Britain (and points beyond) and Hartford, along with commuter service between New Haven and Springfield, MA.  Taken alone, these are great things, but working together, governors of two small states can make for a real powerhouse... and there's plenty of potential on that front.

8.19.2013

Reclaiming Streets for People - Gray's Ferry Avenue

New York City's Janette Sadik-Khan has become famous by way of bike lanes and the City's plaza program... the both of which involve converting overbuilt vehicular roadways into spaces for people, but the latter is probably most innovative due to the seemingly guerilla start to many of these projects, where paint, cheap bollards, and simple seating come long before concrete, granite and tree planters. But such opportunities abound far beyond the Big Apple.

8.16.2013

Schuylkill Riverfront Development Anxiety: Focus Down, Not Up

With the huge to-date success of Schuylkill Banks and the Schulkill River Trail, along with lots of extensions and expansion underway, planned, or in theory, it's no wonder that Dranoff wants to build a new residential building at 25th and Locust Streets to double down on their early investments in loft conversions on the 2400 block of Locust.  Re-use is one thing, but as the urban revitalization story often goes... new construction has many in a tizzy.

8.10.2013

On the (rail)Road; Jack Kerouac Redux for Millennials?

Last night, we took a midnight Amtrak train from Philadelphia and woke up in Boston.  Today we're spending the day in America's arguably (right Philly?) most historic city, and this evening we're taking a train down the Cape on the Cape Flyer, something that hasn't been able to happen in about twenty-five years.  Needless to say, trains have been around for a long time in this country, but there's some real change afoot these days, after decades of stagnation and decline, America seems to be rediscovering its railways.

8.08.2013

ThirdPlace WorkSpace Thursdays - Nook Bakery & Coffee Bar, 20th and Chestnut

You may remember when Nook used to be on the Walnut Street Bridge, which was great for students, staff, and faculty heading to Penn or Drexel.  Three years ago, Edna and Mike moved their shop to 20th Street, just north of Chestnut Street, where they say they're getting much more foot traffic.  It's a nice spot to get some work done or have meeting, and even better for a cup of coffee and some freshly baked goods.

8.07.2013

Shifting the Balance on Park Drives

Made most famous by the post-earthquake non-reconstruction of the Embarcadero Freeway, and Boston's removal of its elevated Central Artery (which I still can't believe actually existed) with the "Big Dig," many cities have rightfully gotten into the act removing urban highways.  But another interesting thing seems to be happening with parkways that morphed into highways, and are now trying be turned back.

8.05.2013

Media Mondays - Parking and the original Portland

Right of the bat, this is not an article about Portland, Oregon... like many an urbanist, I've simply grown tired for hearing, over and over again, about the magical things happening in the great northwest.  I'm talking about that city's namesake, Portland, Maine and the smart decisions being pursued there in the realm of parking, revitalization, and affordability.

8.02.2013

Russia, Vodka, Gays, and Urbanism

It's no secret the the LGBT community has long been a part of revitalizing cities by pioneering into neighborhoods the "rest" of the population isn't comfortable with and bringing some style and culture along the way.

8.01.2013

ThirdPlace WorkSpace Thursdays - Cafe L'Aube, Rittenhouse Square

CafĂ© L’Aube on the 1900 block of Locust Street at Rittenhouse Square gets an awful lot right.

First, and possibly foremost, is the location.  It’s on the ground floor of a blonde brick pre-war apartment tower, just around the corner from my apartment and stone’s throw from the Square, itself.