Planning Commissioners Journal

Exchanging Local News: from Colonial Taverns to Email Networks

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Neighborhoods have long been a cornerstone to community life in America. But there have been some striking changes in how we keep abreast of local news and participate in neighborhood life.

Historians have documented the central role that taverns and coffee houses have long played as places for people to exchange news and information.

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg has also highlighted the valuable service that these and other "third places," as he calls them, have performed in knitting together communities and integrating newcomers and immigrants into their new place of residence. Here's some of what Oldenburg had to say in an article we published in 1997:

"Americans long enjoyed third places in the form of the inns and ordinaries of colonial society, then as the saloons and general stores springing up with westward expansion. Later came the candy stores, soda fountains, coffee shops, diners, etc. which, along with the local post office, were conveniently located and provided the social anchors of community life.

... Third places also serve as "ports of entry" for visitors and newcomers to the neighborhood where directions and other information can easily be obtained. For new residents, they provide a means of getting acquainted quickly and learning where things are and how the neighborhood works."

In many neighborhoods, you'll still find these kind of gathering stops, sometimes taverns, sometimes grocery or convenience stores, sometimes a donut shop, and sometimes even the laundromat.

The Willard St. Market in Burlington, Vermont.

For years, a common sight outside many of these places was the message board, where neighbors left word about a missing dog, a yard sale, an apartment to rent, a community meeting ... and where candidates for city council, alderman, school board, or mayor placed their campaign posters.

But fast forward to 2008. Email is how we often "talk." Many bemoan this, feeling it has weakened civic life and resulted in a loss of connection within our neighborhoods. And, yes, count me among those who've made such claims.

Yet something quite remarkable has emerged over the past two years here in Burlington and Chittenden County, Vermont. A locally-developed email-based message service, called Front Porch Forum, has established itself as

Message on a Pole

I did a double-take when I passed this utility pole a block from my home last week (hit your browser's refresh button to re-run the photo sequence).

Photo taken on North Prospect Street, in Burlington, Vermont. I have no idea who put this worn and faded poster on the pole, or why. Is this graffiti, public art, or something else?

But seeing this poster did get me thinking about how we "communicate" with each other in our neighborhoods -- and how that's changing. More on this in my next post.

Bowling Together

  Just read that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, a long-time bowler, has challenged bowling-impaired Barack Obama to a match. So why I am writing about this on a planning blog? We'll here's what The New York Times reported on its Politics Blog today about Clinton's thoughts about bowling:

"She was most amused about the whole bowling thing, parodying the idea of 'bowling alone,' as proposed in a 1995 essay by Robert Putnam about how people were doing more isolated activities and fewer communal ones. 'This is a big sociological phenomenon,' she said. 'Bowling alone is a sign of our times. We could bring it back. We could like, transform the entire society. We could have bowling alleys on every corner. We could have a sense of community together. People setting pins again. End the automation! Get the pin boys back. No telling what could happen.' "

OK, she's (probably) joking about this. But is it really such a bad idea? In fact, take a look at this photo from an article by Lila Shapero (published in our Summer 2005 issue) titled Bowling Together: The Role of Neighborhood Associations.

By the way, Shapero put together a quite interesting article, highlighting ways in which neighborhood associations can help build community, while supporting local planning efforts.

Hospital Boom(ers)

"There are $4 billion worth of projects underway in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. In western Pennsylvania, an additional 1 million square feet of hospital space will be added by 2009," from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Feb. 25, 2007).

"Hospital boom felt in rural areas: 3 projects totaling $158 million finished in last 6 months; more on way," reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Feb. 19, 2006).

"56 out of 148 Minnesota hospitals since 2002 have planned or are conducting new building or expansion projects. The projects' total is estimated (conservatively) at $1.57 billion," notes a discussion paper posted by Minnesota Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Wherever you turn, there are signs of a remarkable surge in hospital construction.

Hospitals Pitch Their Economic Impact

I was waiting to get my flu shot a few weeks ago. I happened to pick up a copy of a glossy brochure prepared by our local medical center, Fletcher Allen. While scanning through it and learning about all the great health care services they provide, I was a bit surprised to also see a "pitch" for the economic benefits Fletcher Allen brings to the area (see sidebar on the right).

In browsing online the other day, I quickly understood that Fletcher Allen was far from alone in highlighting these kinds of economic benefits. In fact, hospital after hospital, in all parts of the country, are touting the considerable impacts they have on the local economy.

Just two quick examples I ran across. The first, Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, New York. Take a look at the Economic Impact Statement they've prepared -- which I'll quote briefly from:

"In 2004, the facility had an estimated total annual economic impact of $396,116,000. The hospital supported 2,970 jobs, which paid $16,138,000 in state and local personal income and sales taxes. Brookhaven Memorial Hospital employs 1,546 FTE’s, with a total payroll of $111,859,000

... Hospital payroll expenditures serve as an important economic stimulus, creating and supporting jobs throughout local and state economies ... Dollars earned by the Medical Center employees and spent on groceries, clothing, mortgage payments, rent, etc., generate approximately $238,540,000 in economic activity for the local economy ... The Medical Center spends about $66,990,000 per year on the goods and services it needs to provide health care -- for example, medical supplies, electricity for its buildings, and food for patients ... Brookhaven generate approximately $142,855,000 for the local economy."

And notice the concluding line of their report: "We urge our legislators, members of Congress, and community leaders to recognize that our hospital is instrumental to supporting our state and local economy and that vital steps need to be taken to continue to invest in New York States’ health care system."

Want to buy a bridge? And I'm not talking about the Brooklyn Bridge!

I was thumbing through my local paper's classfied ads a few days ago, and came across something that caught my eye: Historic Bridge Available.

That's right. Our Agency of Transportation here in Vermont (known as "VTrans") has a bridge it wants to sell you. Actually, they're not even selling it -- they'll give it to you free!

It's a "historically significant" 122 foot-long metal truss bridge across the White River in Stockbridge, Vermont (see photos below). Unfortunately, it needs to be replaced.

About ten years ago, VTrans completed a comprehensive study of which of Vermont's many historic bridges were worth preserving. It looked at factors such as the bridge's structural condition, hydraulics, traffic loads, historic significance, and cost.

Some bridges have been put to new use, often as bike and pedestrian facilties. Others remain in place for vehicular use. But still others -- such as Bridge No. 130 -- fall into the "documentation and demolition" category.

According to Catherine Quinn, a historic preservation specialist with VTrans, "we are required to make historic bridges that are slated for demolition available for reuse to a responsible entity, hence the advertisement in the newspaper for Bridge No. 130 in Stockbridge."

Taking Liberties

I'm taking the liberty of sharing a couple of photos -- and an interesting story -- with you.

Above, Lady Liberty in Dubuque, Iowa's Washington Park.To the right, another replica Lady Liberty that I photographed -- in this case, in front of the Finney County Courthouse in Garden City, Kansas. (Incidentally, this Courthouse has another claim to fame, it was the location of the 1960 murder trial of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, recounted in Truman Capote's remarkable book, In Cold Blood).

But back to the Lady Liberties. What's the story about the origins of these 8 foot 4, copper-clad replicas?

Real Time, Real Value

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Residents of Richmond, Virginia, have immediate access -- via their personal computers -- to two remarkable sources of information:

• RichmondCrime: a crime information resource that allows anyone to see the location of crime reports and learn the nature of the crime.
• Vacant Richmond, which allows anyone to see the location of vacant properties and find out who owns them.

What's perhaps most amazing is that this resource was developed by concerned citizens, not by city government or a large organization.

Above map is posted on the Oregon Hill web site -- Oregon Hill is one of Richmond's neighborhoods; when you go to their site and click on one of the "flags," the nature of the crime is indicated; you can also choose whatever time frame you want for viewing crime reports. And, you can zoom in or out.

Ross Catrow, who helped put together RichmondCrime and Vacant Richmond, is co-owner of PharrOut, a Richmond-based web design and development company. Why put together this information, I asked? Catrow's reply: "We love Richmond, so projects like RichmondCrime are exciting for us." Catrow's interest grew out of his seeing what he believes was the first web site of this kind: ChicagoCrime.org.

How's it done? One key is that Richmond City has freely available crime incident reporting data. This

Too Much Traffic in Your City?

If that's the case, you might want to consider installing one of these traffic signals!

It's actually (if you haven't guessed) a sculptural work -- by Pierre Vivant, installed in 1998 on London's Canary Wharf. It apparently replaced a dying plane tree. This photo is posted on Flickr -- if you search Flickr using the keyword "canary wharf tree" you'll find a number of other images.

I saw one web site raise a concern (facetiously?) that this kind of art might be illegal in Massachusetts, as being a "hoax device." But surely this is not an "infernal machine" -- needed for a hoax device to be illegal under Massachusetts law!

CHAPTER 266. CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY

Chapter 266: Section 102A1/2. Possession, transportation, use or placement of hoax devices ...

The Fountain of Time

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Public art can enhance our lives -- and our cities. That's certainly the case in Chicago. 

I had some time while in Chicago a couple of weeks ago for the Greenbuild Conference to visit with my daughter. One thing we did was to go to Washington Park not far from the University of Chicago campus to see Fountain of Time, a magnificent sculptural work completed by Lorado Taft in 1922.

Made of reinforced concrete, Fountain of Time had deteriorated over time. But the city recently completed a major restoration of the sculpture.

It's a dramatic and moving work -- based on poet Henry Austin Dobson's line: "Time goes, you say? Ah no, Alas, time stays, we go."

Lorado Taft studied at the University of Illinois, and then at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. While best known for his book, The History of American Sculpture, Taft also sculpted a number of large-scale pieces.

[The photo of Taft on the right, from the University of Illinois web site, was taken in 1929.]

His last major design was the Pioneers and Patriots sculptural groups for the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, dedicated in 1932. Taft died four years later.

Note: public art, besides bringing us pleasure, knowledge, and emotional connections, can also bring other benefits. Take a look, for example, at the Project for Public Spaces' web page: How Art Economically Benefits Cities.

Local Boy Makes Good, part II

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Coincidentally, less than a week after touring the Reagan boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois, I had the chance to visit another home of a former President -- Harry S. Truman. (I squeezed this in right before giving a talk to Kansas City area planners and planning commissioners a few weeks ago).

The house at 219 North Delaware Avenue in Independence, Missouri, was where Bess Truman grew up. Her grandparents bought it in 1904.

After marrying Bess on June 28, 1919, the couple lived there (also using it as the Summer White House during Truman's presidential years) for the rest of their lives: until Harry's death in 1972, and Bess' death (in her home) in 1982, at the age of 97. [See photo below of Harry and Bess on their wedding day].

The house is now a National Historic Site, and maintained just as it was when Harry and Bess lived there.

The interior is both dignified and comfortable. Truman's study is a cozy room, and makes it easier to understand how he could have read almost a book a day there. The family room was also a special place for the Trumans, with its piano and large collection of music. As a small concession to modernity, there's also a TV tucked away in one corner -- but apparently it was seldom used.

The living room is more formal. That's where visiting dignitaries from around the world usually met with Truman after his Presidency. [See photo below from the NPS web site; the Park Service does not allow visitors to take photos inside].

Occupying a central spot on a wall in the foyer is a portrait of their daughter Margaret (Now 83, Margaret's the author of a best-selling series of murder mysteries, and several other books). And you'll also find one of Truman's coats and hat still hanging, tucked away under the stairwell.

After Truman's term ended and he returned with Bess to live year round at 219 North Delaware, visitors regularly roamed the streets to try to catch a glimpse of the Trumans.

The admiration that many Americans have for Truman continues, with over one million people having visited the house since it opened to the public after Bess' death.

About a mile down Delaware Avenue is the site of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. Truman also had an office there after he retired. And as an aside, there's also a time capsule out front -- for those of you who recall my post about time capsules.

Local Boy Makes Good

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Dixon, Illinois, is about a two hours' drive west of Chicago. It's the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. I stopped off in Dixon while driving to Dubuque, Iowa, to speak at the Upper Midwest APA conference earlier this month.

Dixon is understandably proud of its native son. The Reagans lived there from 1920 (when Ron was nine) until 1932.

While they lived in several homes in Dixon, the one they spent the most time in is at 816 South Hennepin. It's maintained by a local non-profit, Friends of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home. I was struck by how modest the house is.

The two brothers -- Ron and Neil -- lived upstairs, next to their parents' room. Downstairs is a small living room and family room, along with the dining area and kitchen. [The photo above right shows Ron, Neil, and their mother Nancy on a return visit to their old home; the furnishings are not original, but similar to what the Reagans owned at the time].

The house is located on South Hennepin Street, in a pleasant residential neighborhood just a few blocks from downtown Dixon, and a short way from one of the schools Ronald Reagan attended.

The school itself is now the home of the local historical society. They've preserved one of the classrooms where the future president spent some time -- though he didn't see that portrait of himself on the front wall!

There's also a series of wonderful pen and ink drawings by local artist Fran Swarbrick.

One shows Ronald Reagan as a lifeguard -- he had this job for several summers, starting as a high school sophomore. Another captures the feel of downtown Dixon in 1922, you can spot in one section of the drawing Reagan's father Jack in front of the boot shop he managed on Galena Avenue, Dixon's main street.

The historical society is also trying to develop a library collection of Reagan-related publications (though the Reagan Presidential Library is located in Simi Valley, California).

As Reagan wrote in looking back at Dixon, "I think growing up in a small town is a good foundation for anyone who decides to enter politics. You get to know people as individuals, not as blocs or members of special interest groups."

And it's pretty special for a community to have a local boy make good.

Accentuate the Positive

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Remember the Johnny Mercer tune ...
"You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative"

That might well have been one of the themes of the CommunityMatters07 Conference last week in Burlington, Vermont.

Ever hear about "appreciative inquiry"? Laverne Webb, one of its practitioners, described its value for planners as "an approach that helps people and communities change at the speed of imagination."

As Webb explained, appreciative inquiry asks communities to focus on what's working -- not what's wrong. "How can we do more of what's working?" is the key question.

Webb finds that focusing on factors of success instead of on problems is less threatening, and more productive. She put it to planners this way: "We're trained as problem solvers to fix things ... what we don't do as well in planning is understand what creates strengths and assets. But understanding this gives us greater resilience in dealing with problems." In other words, appreciative inquiry gets at problem solving "through the back door."

Webb outlined how this process was used a few years ago in Dubuque, Iowa, to deal with challenging customer service problems facing the city's Housing Services Department (coincidentally, I was soon to visit Dubuque).

Some 220 individuals were interviewed, including tenants, landlords, local officials, lenders, social service professionals, neighborhood leaders, and others.

[downtown Dubuque in photo to the left]

Instead of asking citizens to identify problems and focus on the negative, they were asked:
-- "what do you most value about living in Dubuque?"
-- "what was the best customer service experience you've had in dealing with housing services?"
-- "tell us what three wishes you have to best improve customer service in the housing department?"

These questions provided a wealth of information ("stories," as Webb puts it) on what's working and can be built on -- and (indirectly) on what's not working.

By accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative, Webb believes the resulting Dubuque Housing Summit was much more productive -- and greater consensus was reached on needed changes.

For more details on the Dubuque process (2 page pdf article).

Other sessions I attended also echoed the "accentuate the positive" theme. Two examples:

-- Randy Hester spoke of his experience in working with residents of a small North Carolina town on preserving the "sacred structure" of the community -- those places that residents "would most miss if they lost them." To Hester, identifying what is of most value yields energy and imagination in finding ways to preserve these places.

-- Planning consultant Jim Segedy, FAICP (photo on right) observed that one of the best ways of fighting sprawl is by strengthening our downtowns. "We can deal with sprawl if there's a better destination ... downtown."

"You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between"

Going to the dogs

The American Society of Landscape Architects web site has posted two stories about dog parks worth a look.

One, in ASLA's The Dirt blog, makes mention of the City of Santa Monica, California's conversion of a former airport runway into 8.5 acres of dog-friendly parkland.

The other is about two landscape architects, Jon Mueller and Keith Dixon, who engaged fourth- and fifth-graders to help design a dog park for the city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. As Mueller told ASLA, in response to the question, "Why a dog park?" ... “We felt that kids have a natural affinity for dogs and that a park project would be a great means by which we could introduce kids to landscape architecture ... The biggest challenge was not being able to give enough to the kids ... They were really focused and were like little sponges. They just absorbed everything we laid out for them and wanted more. They really liked the connection with nature.” (in LandOnline, May 22, 2007)

We can relate to the benefits of dog parks, but know -- from personal experience here in Burlington, Vermont -- that they can also stir up just a bit of controversy. Amy Souza covered both sides of the story for us in her Planning Commissioners Journal article, "Planning for Dogs: Exercise vs. Restraint."

Photo below from Souza's article: Seattle's Golden Gardens off-leash area is one of eleven such areas designated by the City Council. A dog owners group, Citizens for Off-Leash Areas (COLA), shares responsibility with the city's park department for maintaining and monitoring these sites. photo provided by Jerry Malmo.

It's About Time

... time capsules, that is.

During my Route 50 cross-country trip, I took a photo of the marker for the Wood County Bicentennial time capsule. It's located in front of the historic County Courthouse in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

In doing some quick online research on the Wood County web site, I learned that: "As the rallying point for the County's 1999 Bicentennial celebration, a time capsule was placed near the west entrance. It is to be opened in 2099."

Just how common are time capsules?

I was startled, based on checking out the "customer list" for one of the time capsule manufacturers -- the appropriately named Time Capsules, Inc. -- just how many municipalities and other groups already have time capsules, many with 100 year due dates. They range from the Clinton Presidential Library (topping the customer list) to places like Charleston County, South Carolina; the City of Temecula, California; Tempe, Arizona; and -- believe it or not, the Village of Sleepy Hollow, New York.

There's also an International Time Capsule Society. It's headquartered at Atlanta's Oglethorpe University. They offer some practical advice for time capsulers. Here are just a few excerpts from their Eight Tips on How to Organize a Time Capsule:

"Select a retrieval date. A 50-year or less time capsule may be witnessed by your own generation. The longer the duration, the more difficult the task. Centennial (100-year) time capsules are popular.

... It is not recommended that time capsules be "buried" -- thousands have been lost in this way. It is important that the location be marked with a plaque describing the "mission" of the time capsule.

... Have a solemn "sealing ceremony" where you formally christen the time capsule with a name. Invite the media and keep a good photographic record of your efforts, including the inside of your completed project.

... Don't forget your time capsule! You would be surprised how often this happens, usually within a short time."

Note from PCJ Editor Wayne Senville: if your town, city, or county has a time capsule, tell us about it. What's in it? Any planning-related documents? Where's it located? Just use the Comment link below.

Wicked good, Boston!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, "Boston had the highest percentage among large cities of employees who walk to work (13 percent). Nationally, 2.5 percent of us walked to work." That's based on data recently published from the 2005 American Community Survey.

Cheers to Boston! But before you quaff your brew, there's a bit of gloom in Beantown cause the trend line is down ... from 14 percent walking commuters in 1990. For those wanting a closer look at trends in the Hub, there's plenty of info. on the Boston Indicators Project web page.

And we won't say which U.S. city is at the bottom of the charts with a walk-to-work percentage of 0.9, except to give you three small hints: it's in Texas; it's home of a major league baseball team; and it's name does not begin with the letter "H."

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