tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849813.post115552173856617315..comments2023-10-06T12:09:06.468-04:00Comments on onetenchelsea: "The Finest Large Scale Housing in America"?onetenchelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18233097411571147027noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849813.post-1155693680384354472006-08-15T22:01:00.000-04:002006-08-15T22:01:00.000-04:00Great post. I guess to an architect (especially an...Great post. <BR/><BR/>I guess to an architect (especially an American architect) I wouldn't be surprised if it's in the top 500 ...<BR/><BR/>... to the other 98% of the population, I dunno. That's a tough call. <BR/><BR/>The think I like about Riverside is that it reallys date a different period in community development work. There are numerous lessons to be taken from the project. <BR/><BR/>One one level, I believe it entirely succeeds at its main purpose - to house a large number of poeple. <BR/><BR/>A common misconception is that it's public housing (which it's not) - but it does house a large number of lower income folks. I believe it has around 700 or so units (I can probably find the exact number, if anyone's interested). That's a great asset in any community - particularly in an area with high housing prices. Good architecture or not, you don't want to overlook the fact that people need to live somewhere, and many live here. <BR/><BR/>On the other hand, I think you pointed to a lot of shortcomings of the project, in terms of community development. <BR/><BR/>Brutal could easily describe the impact of the project on the individual at the human / plaza level. Concepts like defensible space and safety through design were clearly not in vogue at the time. There are numerous "danger" spots, dead ends, etc.<BR/><BR/>And quite frankly, much of the art / sculpture / lighting is sort of scary. Not in a bad way, just in the way that might give little kids nightmares. <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://flickr.com/photos/zkorb/29590552/in/set-670118/" REL="nofollow">example here</A><BR/><BR/>I think you're entirely right, the project is mostly unappreciated by local folk. <BR/><BR/>I think it's a cool example of unique design. I dig the all the concrete and akward angles, but it is hardly in scale with the rest of the neighborhood (I remember reading the plan was to build 7 or so type of complexes around Minneapolis). <BR/><BR/>One thing that I've never quite understood is the University's relationship to the project (if there is any). You've got the state's premier land grant university next to one of the state's largest housing highrises (with a large immigrant population). <BR/><BR/>Should there be a stronger connection between the two?Zach K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00462603395938104405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849813.post-1155693493582462492006-08-15T21:58:00.000-04:002006-08-15T21:58:00.000-04:00but what is the density of any given strip of fran...but what is the density of any given strip of franklin and what is the density at cedars-riverside? On franklin, there obviously aren't 4000 people on any given 4 blocks. People are drawn to franklin from surrounding streets. No one is drawn to cedars-riverside, and even the people who are there aren't spending time outside in the development in any real way. 4000 people is enough to support their own elementary school, or the rough equivalient of about 30 square minneapolis blocks. When you start thinking about that many people, you start to wonder where they are.<BR/><BR/>Also, from your discriptions it sounds like you are actually skirting around the outside of the development on the streets that have retained the grid, rather than in the superblock. Go through the middle sometime and take a look. There's a central courtyard with some funky statues.onetenchelseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18233097411571147027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849813.post-1155678861120775432006-08-15T17:54:00.000-04:002006-08-15T17:54:00.000-04:00my point is that there is certainly less streetlif...my point is that there is certainly less streetlife within cedars-riverside than in the surrounding community. <BR/><BR/>btw. you said you read a book on louis riel awhile ago. Good? not good? title?onetenchelseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18233097411571147027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849813.post-1155587689658646812006-08-14T16:34:00.000-04:002006-08-14T16:34:00.000-04:00still 3 people out of the 4000 who live in those b...still 3 people out of the 4000 who live in those buildings is hardly great. Look at it this way: there are 8000 people living in that neighborhood total, half in cedars-riverside and half mostly concentrated around seven corners. Do you think it's possible at any time of day or night to spend 3 hours at Seven corners and only see one person?onetenchelseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18233097411571147027noreply@blogger.com