Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I think of South End, I tend to see that as more closely related to the Vista, the klien development, and more expensive condos and housing. North Main has many beautiful homes right off the main drag (forgive the pun), and really has very little land/building available for redevelopment. I would really like to see some traffic calming measures and 2-4 story buildings with very little setback, to give it a better neighborhood feeling. Like Market Street in the Castro or South Hennepin in Uptown Minneapolis. I also think that would make it a much more natural extension to Main Street. I would kill to live in a walkup or brownstone!
To me the biggest stumbling block to a seamless integration of downtown Columbia is the width of and speed of vehicles on Assembly St. It acts as a wall between "sections". The same as Elmwood does but less so.
I am not in the urban planning business so I have no answers how to modify/fix the problem.
To me the biggest stumbling block to a seamless integration of downtown Columbia is the width of and speed of vehicles on Assembly St. It acts as a wall between "sections". The same as Elmwood does but less so.
I am not in the urban planning business so I have no answers how to modify/fix the problem.
The Assembly Street 'overhaul' south of Gervais resulted in a street that looks better, but functionally it's pretty much the same.
To me the biggest stumbling block to a seamless integration of downtown Columbia is the width of and speed of vehicles on Assembly St. It acts as a wall between "sections". The same as Elmwood does but less so.
I am not in the urban planning business so I have no answers how to modify/fix the problem.
Some of you may already know this, but I thought I would share anyway. I took a guided tour of Columbia at some point and they explained the reason for the wide streets. When Columbia was designed, people thought that mosquitos could not fly more than 60 feet before dying from starvation. Silly of course, but science was far less precise then. The planners created a two tier system: major streets that are 150 feet wide (Assembly, Gervais, Blossom, etc.) and minor streets that are 100 feet wide (Blanding, Washington, Pendleton, etc.). Unfortunately, the streets were not narrowed when city leaders rebuilt after the Civil War (thanks, Sherman).
Some of you may already know this, but I thought I would share anyway. I took a guided tour of Columbia at some point and they explained the reason for the wide streets. When Columbia was designed, people thought that mosquitos could not fly more than 60 feet before dying from starvation. Silly of course, but science was far less precise then. The planners created a two tier system: major streets that are 150 feet wide (Assembly, Gervais, Blossom, etc.) and minor streets that are 100 feet wide (Blanding, Washington, Pendleton, etc.). Unfortunately, the streets were not narrowed when city leaders rebuilt after the Civil War (thanks, Sherman).
I call BS, maybe, on that. The reason Assembly is so wide is to get to the statehouse, USC, and USC sports venues especially football games.
Until recently, and still somewhat, USC calls the shots in Columbia
Another one of my silly idea that i think would really work in Columbia.
More one way streets. (Where it's needed)
I think it should definitely be a study to find out where most cars go during certain times of the day. But i really think a lot of certain downtown streets would go from 4 lane 2 ways to 3 lane one ways.
Another one of my silly idea that i think would really work in Columbia.
More one way streets. (Where it's needed)
I think it should definitely be a study to find out where most cars go during certain times of the day. But i really think a lot of certain downtown streets would go from 4 lane 2 ways to 3 lane one ways.
A map is in order i need to make tonight.
This seems like a way to shuttle more cars quickly, which is the opposite of what we need. We need to calm traffic and our our roads on a diet to humanize the scale of the city to encourage pedestrian activity.
Traffic is Columbia moved efficiently enough as it is. Changing road to one way just for the sake of doing it would hurt, not help, the fabric of the city.
I call BS, maybe, on that. The reason Assembly is so wide is to get to the statehouse, USC, and USC sports venues especially football games.
Ummm, no; Columbia and its wide roads came before USC. SCxpBrussel is correct.
Quote:
The perimeter streets and two through streets were 150 feet wide. The remaining squares were divided by thoroughfares 100 feet wide. The width was determined by the belief that the dangerous and pesky mosquito could not fly more than 60 feet without dying of starvation along the way.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
