Comments for Urban City Architecture http://www.urbancityarch.com The City as a Sustainable Urban Environment with a focus on Miami. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:21:17 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 Comment on Walk Miami – The Crosswalk Zigzag on Biscayne by Marina Novaes http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/11/walk-miami-crosswalk-zigzag-biscayne/comment-page-1/#comment-4295 Marina Novaes Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:21:17 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=6052#comment-4295 I couldn’t agree more. As a former Wolfson campus student, I‘ve known better how difficult is to cross Biscayne Blvd. During class windows it wasn’t an option going for a walk on Bayside or Bayfront Park; the thought of having to cross US1 would make me and my friends not even consider the option. I tried a couple of times and gave up, which sucked because there wasn’t anything around the college campus that was worth to spend some quality time in and you couldn’t really walk around downtown at that time (2003). I gave some thought to the problem back then. As an architect student, I thought about a solution that from my point of view would solve the problem without having to change much of downtown’s configuration and flow. I imagined a suspended sidewalk that would connect all the major downtown’s attractions and Metrorail stations over Biscayne Blvd through ramps. My plan was to have a walkable downtown Miami where people could just wonder around, jog, ride their bikes, walk their dogs or simply cross through without stress. Miami Waves (as I called it) would have the Metrorail height, would start on Bayfront Station and go all the way to the Bicentennial Station and Omni Station above the east part of Biscayne Blvd and sidewalk connecting Bayfront Park, Bayside, AAA, Bicentennial Park, Miami Herald and Omni Station (Mall) through ramps; it would also go over 4th Street connecting MDC on the west side. Today it could also connect The Adrianne Arsht Center. It is distressing realizing that the problem still endures after the 6 years I have been out of Miami. I think it is about time that authorities give the problem some effort otherwise the whole downtown revitalization expenses will go down the drain as happened to many cities throughout US. It would be a shame to see our much loved and unique city on the loser’s side and given as a bad revitalization example to the world, don’t you think? I couldn’t agree more.
As a former Wolfson campus student, I‘ve known better how difficult is to cross Biscayne Blvd. During class windows it wasn’t an option going for a walk on Bayside or Bayfront Park; the thought of having to cross US1 would make me and my friends not even consider the option. I tried a couple of times and gave up, which sucked because there wasn’t anything around the college campus that was worth to spend some quality time in and you couldn’t really walk around downtown at that time (2003).
I gave some thought to the problem back then. As an architect student, I thought about a solution that from my point of view would solve the problem without having to change much of downtown’s configuration and flow. I imagined a suspended sidewalk that would connect all the major downtown’s attractions and Metrorail stations over Biscayne Blvd through ramps. My plan was to have a walkable downtown Miami where people could just wonder around, jog, ride their bikes, walk their dogs or simply cross through without stress. Miami Waves (as I called it) would have the Metrorail height, would start on Bayfront Station and go all the way to the Bicentennial Station and Omni Station above the east part of Biscayne Blvd and sidewalk connecting Bayfront Park, Bayside, AAA, Bicentennial Park, Miami Herald and Omni Station (Mall) through ramps; it would also go over 4th Street connecting MDC on the west side. Today it could also connect The Adrianne Arsht Center.
It is distressing realizing that the problem still endures after the 6 years I have been out of Miami. I think it is about time that authorities give the problem some effort otherwise the whole downtown revitalization expenses will go down the drain as happened to many cities throughout US. It would be a shame to see our much loved and unique city on the loser’s side and given as a bad revitalization example to the world, don’t you think?

]]> Comment on Church Comes Down by Jim Landers http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/05/church-comes-down/comment-page-1/#comment-3804 Jim Landers Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:30:08 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=2222#comment-3804 http://saintstephens1912chapelcoconutgrove.yolasite.com/ http://saintstephens1912chapelcoconutgrove.yolasite.com/

]]> Comment on Miami Dade College to Expand Downtown Campus by David A. http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/11/mdc-expand-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-3676 David A. Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:28:44 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=6433#comment-3676 The new building will (in part) house the new Miami Dade College School of the Culinary Arts program. There are rumors that a cafeteria or restaurant will also be constructed on the top floor. The new building will (in part) house the new Miami Dade College School of the Culinary Arts program. There are rumors that a cafeteria or restaurant will also be constructed on the top floor.

]]> Comment on Crosswalk Pattern For Brickell Avenue by Felipe Azenha http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/11/crosswalk-pattern-for-brickell-avenue/comment-page-1/#comment-3373 Felipe Azenha Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:02:32 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=6383#comment-3373 These crosswalks look great! Are they cobblestone-like? I know the city has received a lot of complaints from women in high heels because the cobblestone-like crosswalks are not friendly to the high heels. We need to consider all pedestrians when desiging the new crosswalks. Sadly, FDOTs reaction to the proposed crosswalks is not suprising. These crosswalks look great! Are they cobblestone-like? I know the city has received a lot of complaints from women in high heels because the cobblestone-like crosswalks are not friendly to the high heels. We need to consider all pedestrians when desiging the new crosswalks.
Sadly, FDOTs reaction to the proposed crosswalks is not suprising.

]]> Comment on Walk Miami – The Crosswalk Zigzag on Biscayne by Felipe Azenha http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/11/walk-miami-crosswalk-zigzag-biscayne/comment-page-1/#comment-3372 Felipe Azenha Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:52:08 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=6052#comment-3372 Great post Adam. You’re right, simply painting a couple of parallel white lines and calling it a “crosswalk” is not enough. Crosswalks need to be more clearly defined to encourage traffic calming. It is very encouraging to know that the DDA is aware of the problem. It’s a shame that at the state level we cannot do better. Great post Adam. You’re right, simply painting a couple of parallel white lines and calling it a “crosswalk” is not enough. Crosswalks need to be more clearly defined to encourage traffic calming. It is very encouraging to know that the DDA is aware of the problem. It’s a shame that at the state level we cannot do better.

]]> Comment on 1 Year in Downtown Miami (Brickell) by Bella http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/05/1-year-in-downtown-brickell/comment-page-1/#comment-3331 Bella Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:34:20 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=2419#comment-3331 Would love to see a follow up to this article. I've noticed even greater changes as residents continue to move into downtown and numbers of pedestrians and bike riders continue to noticeably increase. Cultural events, live music, people enjoying the waterfront urban areas and parks...simply being out on the streets, out of our cars, and interacting with PEOPLE (who would've thought!?)! I am also a Western European (I understand the increased quality of life that an urban center can offer) and I love this area of Miami and the potential it has. Would love to see a follow up to this article. I’ve noticed even greater changes as residents continue to move into downtown and numbers of pedestrians and bike riders continue to noticeably increase. Cultural events, live music, people enjoying the waterfront urban areas and parks…simply being out on the streets, out of our cars, and interacting with PEOPLE (who would’ve thought!?)! I am also a Western European (I understand the increased quality of life that an urban center can offer) and I love this area of Miami and the potential it has.

]]> Comment on Miami Dade College to Expand Downtown Campus by Kyle http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/11/mdc-expand-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-3195 Kyle Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:30:16 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=6433#comment-3195 This is really great news! Any renderings? This is really great news! Any renderings?

]]> Comment on Ultra PRT Sustainable Transit by Driverless electric taxis: from Heathrow airport to the mountains? | SWOMM http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/08/ultra-prt-sustainable-transit/comment-page-1/#comment-3121 Driverless electric taxis: from Heathrow airport to the mountains? | SWOMM Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:33:39 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=4569#comment-3121 [...] to discover the possibilites of introducing advanced solutions such as ULTra in contexts such as towns in mountain [...] [...] to discover the possibilites of introducing advanced solutions such as ULTra in contexts such as towns in mountain [...]

]]> Comment on Crosswalk Pattern For Brickell Avenue by Kyle http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/11/crosswalk-pattern-for-brickell-avenue/comment-page-1/#comment-3105 Kyle Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:48:19 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=6383#comment-3105 This is great news, but this needs to be implemented ASAP because everytime I cross a street in Brickell, I feel like my life is at stake. Over 60,000 people LIVE in Downtown and Brickell, and over 190,000 work in Downtown and Brickell. That's a lot of pedestrians walking our streets, and without proper and safe crosswalks, it's also a lot of potential deaths. Please DDA build these crosswalks asap, and thank you! This is great news, but this needs to be implemented ASAP because everytime I cross a street in Brickell, I feel like my life is at stake. Over 60,000 people LIVE in Downtown and Brickell, and over 190,000 work in Downtown and Brickell. That’s a lot of pedestrians walking our streets, and without proper and safe crosswalks, it’s also a lot of potential deaths. Please DDA build these crosswalks asap, and thank you!

]]> Comment on Crosswalk Pattern For Brickell Avenue by David A. http://www.urbancityarch.com/2009/11/crosswalk-pattern-for-brickell-avenue/comment-page-1/#comment-3101 David A. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:22:08 +0000 http://www.urbancityarch.com/?p=6383#comment-3101 The city needs to work on this asap. My short 5 minute commute down Brickell has me tempting death each morning when I cross through THREE specific vehicle/pedestrian paths. I've come within inches of being hit at least 4 times in the past few months - most were due to SUVs making right turns onto Brickell. The drivers just don't acknowledge that their vehicle is stationary in the middle of a pedestrian path, not a driveway, effectively defeating the purpose of this path and making it hazardous to both pedestrians and bicyclists. The city needs to work on this asap. My short 5 minute commute down Brickell has me tempting death each morning when I cross through THREE specific vehicle/pedestrian paths. I’ve come within inches of being hit at least 4 times in the past few months – most were due to SUVs making right turns onto Brickell.

The drivers just don’t acknowledge that their vehicle is stationary in the middle of a pedestrian path, not a driveway, effectively defeating the purpose of this path and making it hazardous to both pedestrians and bicyclists.

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