Tell Us What you Think About Having a Vision for Downtown Rochester.

Tell Us What you Think About Having a Vision for Downtown Rochester.

Down Town Needs Visionary Thinking

http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/56

Downtown needs visionary thinking

Joni Monroe and Roger Brown • Guest essayists • March 14, 2010

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100314/OPINION02/3140332/1...

Congratulations to Brian Sharp, Jim Stinson and Mark Hare for their informative articles (Feb. 21) on revitalization in downtown Rochester. Their work illuminates the fact that a vibrant downtown can be realized when enough people take up residence there.

However, constructing new buildings or renovating existing buildings will not be enough by themselves to sustain the living downtown movement.

Cities that have realized success in revitalizing their downtowns have also sharply focused their planning efforts on the all-important "public realm," the urban design term for the public outdoor living room defined by the connected urban spaces of streets, sidewalks, parks, squares, riverways, public buildings and the quality architecture framing them.

The cities mentioned in the article — Pittsburgh, Nashville, San Antonio — have come to life with the guidance of another important tool mentioned in the article: a plan, whether it is a master plan, vision plan or strategic plan.

Other cities like Chattanooga, St. Paul, Santa Fe, Providence and Jamestown (Chautauqua County) are following physical development strategies and other recommendations as set forth in their downtown plans arrived at through community-based efforts and realized because of strong municipal leadership.

Rochester's downtown, sections of which are characterized by large expanses of surface parking lots and the Inner Loop, would be better served by a transformation of these underutilized spaces into dense, residential/mixed use neighborhoods.

The result should be urban villages set in the matrix of a well-designed public realm in locations such as the Cascade District, St. Joseph's Square, Inner Loop East and Washington Square.

Currently, Rochester has no effective public realm plan that provides the necessary design details, recommendations for levels of density or that includes parking strategies and 21st-century transit so critical for an exciting city.

The city is contemplating the updating of the 2004 Center City Plan. The Rochester Regional Community Design Center is completely behind that effort and encourages developing a downtown vision plan to ensure that our city comes alive and remains competitive with other cities in this country.

Brown is president of the Rochester Regional Community Design Center; Monroe is executive director.

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RonaldWReagan wrote:
Replying to RochesterROX:

Ttion.

I say the county needs to focus development around the airport: the Erie Canal, rail system, and 390, 490 and 590. It makes more sense to relocate the Greyhound, RTS, Trailways, and Amtrak by the airport, so there is a central transportation hub. The airport already has hotel shuttles, car rentals, taxi services and safer parking garages than Rochester.

The area around the airport is closer to unversities, more shopping (mall), hotels, more dining and more entertainment that downtown Rochester does not have. Rochester is taking tax dollars around the area and it is not making any returns for the county or state.

It is time to remove the life support from Rochester and let it die naturally - death by welfare.

There is no viable areas around the airport to build anything. All the land is already used up.

And complaining about welfare is funny coming from someone on unemployment!
3/14/2010 1:43:51 PM
Replying to RochesterROX:Ttion.I say the county needs to focus development around the airport: the Erie Canal, rail system, and 390, 490 and 590. It makes more sense to relocate the Greyhound, RTS, Trailways, and Amtrak by the airport, so there is a central transportation hub. The airport already has hotel shuttles, car rentals, taxi services and safer parking garages than Rochester. The area around the airport is closer to unversities, more shopping (mall), hotels, more dining and more entertainment that downtown Rochester does not have. Rochester is taking tax dollars around the area and it is not making any returns for the county or state. It is time to remove the life support from Rochester and let it die naturally - death by welfare.There is no viable areas around the airport to build anything. All the land is already used up. And complaining about welfare is funny coming from someone on unemployment! RonaldWReagan
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ManAboutTown wrote:
Are you kidding? The airport has more entertainment options than downtown? How out of touch are you, sweetheart?
3/14/2010 9:16:06 AM
Are you kidding? The airport has more entertainment options than downtown? How out of touch are you, sweetheart? ManAboutTown
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RochesterROX wrote:

The downtown Rochester infrastructure is very limited. The roads into the city only has so many lanes and it cannot accomodate much traffic. The city lacks appeal, shopping and enough protection.

I say the county needs to focus development around the airport: the Erie Canal, rail system, and 390, 490 and 590. It makes more sense to relocate the Greyhound, RTS, Trailways, and Amtrak by the airport, so there is a central transportation hub. The airport already has hotel shuttles, car rentals, taxi services and safer parking garages than Rochester.

The area around the airport is closer to unversities, more shopping (mall), hotels, more dining and more entertainment that downtown Rochester does not have. Rochester is taking tax dollars around the area and it is not making any returns for the county or state.

It is time to remove the life support from Rochester and let it die naturally - death by welfare.

3/14/2010 7:16:22 AM
The downtown Rochester infrastructure is very limited. The roads into the city only has so many lanes and it cannot accomodate much traffic. The city lacks appeal, shopping and enough protection.I say the county needs to focus development around the airport: the Erie Canal, rail system, and 390, 490 and 590. It makes more sense to relocate the Greyhound, RTS, Trailways, and Amtrak by the airport, so there is a central transportation hub. The airport already has hotel shuttles, car rentals, taxi services and safer parking garages than Rochester. The area around the airport is closer to unversities, more shopping (mall), hotels, more dining and more entertainment that downtown Rochester does not have. Rochester is taking tax dollars around the area and it is not making any returns for the county or state. It is time to remove the life support from Rochester and let it die naturally - death by welfare. RochesterROX
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