A $16 million redesign of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village includes some badly needed repairs, such as fixing the leaky fountain and repairing the badly cracked pavement. But many community members feel the plan will take away the character of the park and sanitize it.

Among the points of contention is the plan to put a 4-foot high iron fence around the perimeter of the park with gates that will be locked at night, removing a stage that is used by many different organizations, and moving the fountain so that it is in alignment with the arch.

Two recent articles from the New York Times are now archived: Washington Square Park, Haven for Eccentricity, Is Set to Fall Into Line and Don’t Fence Me In (Too Much).

What are your feelings on the redesign of Washington Square Park? Do you have a favorite place in the park that you’d hate to see go?

A complete street is defined as a street that works for motorists, for bus riders, for bicyclists, and for pedestrians, including people with disabilities. A complete streets policy is aimed at producing roads that are safe and convenient for all users.

“Is America ready for a metropolitan agriculture policy? Is the time ripe to take some of the billions in subsidies now flowing to big commodity-crop operators and focus instead on sustainable farm production in and around the citistate regions where 80 percent of us live?

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and the man who founded Congress’ Livability Caucus, argues that with half of federal farm subsidies currently “flowing to six states to produce 13 commodities that in the main we don’t need, like corn, wheat, cotton, and rice,” there’s a dramatically superior alternative.

…Historically, he argues, our metropolitan regions weren’t just centers of commerce but areas of fertile fields, often in lush river valleys. Even today, they have some of America’s best land for sustainable agriculture. “With small diversions from the agriculture bill,” argues Blumenauer, “we could provide grants for communities to develop year-round farmers’ markets” and help local producers provide fresh vegetables and fruits, high-quality cheeses, honeys, nuts and more.”

Will somebody please restore order and broad public participation to the process of designing a major civic addition to downtown San Diego? The proposed expansion of the federal courthouse complex on Broadway holds enormous promise, but also great risk for the public realm it is meant to serve and enhance.

In an effort to cut down on the “indecent” behavior of youngsters in public spaces, visitors to city parks in Calcutta, India, are banned from bringing certain items into the parks, including umbrellas and newspapers.

“”We have banned umbrellas as we often spot boys and girls kissing behind one. For similar reasons, people will not be allowed to sit behind bushes or walls,” said Somenath Mukherjee, deputy conservator of forests.”

Jane Jacobs voices her concerns about the rezoning of the Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront in Brooklyn in a letter to Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council dated April 15th.

Share with us your thoughts on the waterfront redevelopment - do you agree with Jane Jacobs’ predicted outcome?

A Cleveland developer envisions a mix of residential and retail uses to create a new waterfront neighborhood on the banks of the Cuyahoga River.

“It’s called the Flats East Bank Neighborhood, and developer Scott Wolstein hopes it becomes Cleveland’s next Little Italy. Today’s east bank, a ragtag collection of bars and empty buildings, would be leveled and replaced by a pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined quarter of townhouses and apartments, small shops, a riverfront boardwalk, parks and plazas.

…New five- and six-story brick buildings - with retail on the ground floor and residential units on top - would cluster around several small parks and a public boardwalk.”

“Federal officials scrapped a two-year-old plan to convert the old U.S. courthouse at 811 Grand Blvd. into a “metropolitan enterprise center” and are searching for new proposals.

…The GSA wants to dispose of the building as surplus property. Officials are receptive to any good idea - within limits - for a building that was the regional hub of the federal judiciary from its opening in 1939 until 1998, when judges moved to the new Charles Evans Whittaker Federal Courthouse.”

“It is incumbent on us to find an appropriate use for that building. We need to foist this upon the community to generate ideas. It has been done quietly and privately behind the scenes, and that hasn’t worked.”
-Bradley M. Scott, General Services Administration regional administrator

“Farmers’ markets not only are a great place to get fresh produce, flowers and baked goods, they also may generate an estimated $20.8 million in sales and more than 325 jobs for the Iowa economy.”

…”There’s more hidden economic value in Iowa’s farmers’ markets than meets the eye,” said Rich Pirog, who directs the Leopold Center’s Marketing and Food Systems Initiative and the regional foods group. “Farmers’ markets and other efforts that support locally grown and processed foods have a positive impact on the regional economy.”

What impact has your local farmers’ market had on your community?

Fred Kent visited Orlando in the late 1980’s and recommended that the city create places where people can gather and enjoy themselves. Two decades later, he says the town center still does not have these community gathering places.

“He spoke Tuesday to about 150 downtown leaders about the need to make the urban core more attractive.

The city center has “dead buildings” that repel people rather than invite them with something to do, he said.”