New prospects

I've become an urban commuter. Without having to drive any farther than the new Durham Amtrak station, I'm able to sit down, read a book, enjoy the view, and, an hour later, set foot on Washington Street in downtown Greensboro. I wheel my spiffy rolling brief case up Elm Street, past the old Woolworth's that's being made (finally) into a civil rights museum, past the elegant old Jefferson Pilot building, to the law school. I do this two days a week. It thrills me every time I walk in the door of Elon University School of Law, a mid-century modern treasure designed by Edward Loewenstein to house the Greensboro Public Library. The $6 million transformation, completed in 2006, was beautifully and lovingly carried out.

As a total newcomer, I'm intrigued by downtown Greensboro. There isn't much of it--of the compact high-density old/new Greensboro, that is--but what's there is pretty interesting. I hoped David Wharton would have had something to say about it, and so he has, in a great photo essay. The issue currently, it appears, is whether to enact design guidelines for the downtown. It'll be interesting to see how that discussion plays out. From my perspective as an elected official charged with overseeing the vitality of Chapel Hill's downtown, I hope some version of the proposed standards is implemented.

What a nice surprise to see that my favorite architecture critic, Chicago's Blair Kamin, has already weighed in on Greensboro. Speaking there two years ago, he brought stories from Chicago but emphasized that each city has its own DNA. Rightly, he praised Elm Street for its walkability and charm, while noting that "the downtown still has far too many streets that seem like miniature expressways—more corridors for cars than places for people."

The jewel of downtown Greensboro--luckily, one block from the law school--is the new Center City Park (completed in December 2006). What a happy place to spend a lunch hour! Its designers smartly engaged the Project for Public Spaces early on in the planning, and it shows. The park is beautiful, functional, walkable, sittable (in shade or sun), easily programmable (music at noon every Wednesday), and just plain inviting. David Wharton goes point by point through the Project for Public Spaces' 10 principles for good parks, finding happily that it measures up.

Which way will Greensboro go? Will the process of revitalizing the downtown into a lively, livable/walkable/workable place continue? or is there cause for concern that even Elm Street is in danger?

I'm only an urban commuter here, but I'm pulling for this downtown, voting with my feet every time I glide up Elm Street. Meanwhile, Center City Park reminds me that someday--before too much longer, I hope--we'll see our own beautiful and well-designed downtown park--the one designed by Mikyoung Kim for the 140 West project, also according to those tried and true principles set forth by the Project for Public Spaces.