Discuss Detroit » Archives - July 2007 » Interesting op-ed on inner-ring burbs and urban planning « Previous Next »
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Focusonthed
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Username: Focusonthed

Post Number: 1095
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 11:19 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

But this time everyone should pay attention -- especially everyone who lives in a mature, not to say old, inner-ring community being sapped quietly of population and economic energy by the sprawl machine that growls 24/7 out along the suburban frontier.

Evanston, you see, has stumbled onto a formula for reinvigorating itself. So have Oak Park, Arlington Heights, St. Charles, Elmhurst and a handful of others. They are redeveloping old downtowns, often around a Metra station. They are saving bits and pieces of the familiar -- an old movie palace here, a beloved family restaurant or ice cream shop there -- while recruiting developers to build in their midst -- gasp! -- multiunit townhouses and condo towers



http://www.chicagotribune.com/ news/opinion/chi-oped0702mccar ronjul02,1,2271065.story?coll= chi-opinionfront-hed

No, this is not directly Detroit-related, but it is related indirectly, as Detroit also faces declining inner-ring suburbs, some of which are searching for their new identities, densifying, and building up.
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Johnlodge
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Username: Johnlodge

Post Number: 852
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 11:22 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I love inner ring burbs with good downtowns. I think they speak for themselves! I like to walk to the fresh meats and produce market and pick something awesome out to barbeque and then walk home and cook it. Or walk up for a drink once in awhile. Or walk up to the guitar store because I broke my last string. It's great! I think some people are starting to rediscover how great it can be to live near a good old downtown.
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Dannaroo
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Username: Dannaroo

Post Number: 84
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 11:50 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There was a story about these issues in the Columbus Dispatch yesterday: Feeling the Crush - Suburbs Build Up

And another story in the Philadelphia Inquirer on June 24th: Suburban sprawl reaching new heights

I personally don't have a problem with this type of development in an older community. If they want to be able to attract new residents and you can no longer grow OUT, you need to adapt and look at growing UP. I also like the idea of more density just because ideally it will allow more people to leave a smaller footprint.

I believe Ferndale passed an ordinance last year (or maybe it was in 2005) to allow higher developments than were previously allowed.
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Danindc
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Username: Danindc

Post Number: 2809
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 11:54 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You guys don't get it. This won't work in Detroit. Detroit is not New York or Chicago. Detroit was founded on cars and single family homes.
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Johnlodge
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Username: Johnlodge

Post Number: 853
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 11:57 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Correct, in 2005 the Ferndale council approved a zoning ammendment that raised the height restrictions from 35 to 45 feet.
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Hans57
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Username: Hans57

Post Number: 183
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 12:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sadly, newer metropolises like Portland have shown stellar examples of urban planning. They have an ordinance that created a green belt around the city, I'm not sure how large the radius is, but it has worked well for them.

http://www.metro-region.org/ar ticle.cfm?articleID=277
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Dannaroo
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Username: Dannaroo

Post Number: 85
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 12:05 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ferndale height restrictions in their CBD:

quote:

1. Withington between Woodard and Livernois: 45 feet

2. Vester between Woodward and Bermuda: 45 feet

3. West Troy between Woodward and Allen: 70 feet

4. Nine Mile Road between Livernois and Planavon: 50 feet

5. Nine Mile Road between Planavon and Woodward: 70 feet

6. Nine Mile Road between Woodward and Paxton: 55 feet

7. Woodward between Withington, Vester and Troy: 70 feet

8. C-2 fronting Woodward: 70 feet, C-2 fronting 8 Mile and 9 Mile: 50 feet



Ferndale Community Development Services

I know these aren't anywhere near the heights being developed in Evanston, but 70' does allow for considerably more multi-family condominium developments than 25' or 35' would and still works to maintain the scale of a smaller town.

(Message edited by Dannaroo on July 02, 2007)
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Johnlodge
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Username: Johnlodge

Post Number: 855
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 12:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks Dannaroo. Guess the information I was looking at only applied to certain areas.
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Fishtoes2000
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Username: Fishtoes2000

Post Number: 241
Registered: 06-2005
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 12:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Former Ferndale City Manger Tom Barwin now manages Oak Park, Illinois.
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Johnlodge
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Username: Johnlodge

Post Number: 860
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 12:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

True. Looks like he's brought some of his ideas and experience from Ferndale to Oak Park, based on this article.
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Professorscott
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Username: Professorscott

Post Number: 503
Registered: 12-2006
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 12:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I knew Tom. He left because he was frustrated with this region's chronic inability to do anything about transit and sprawl. He now lives on one rail line and just a short hop from another. I haven't heard from him in a while but it seems he's doing well.
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Focusonthed
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Username: Focusonthed

Post Number: 1096
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 1:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Downtown Oak Park is virtually indistinguishable, built-environment-wise, from some lakefront neighborhoods in Chicago. Most of the entire city of Evanston is the same way. It's really quite odd coming from Detroit.

Imagine that, what you can have in Chicago and New York. You can live in the burbs, in a quaint city that has a functioning downtown like you or your parents grew up with. Yet, you're still less than 20 minutes by train from the Loop or Midtown.
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Johnlodge
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Username: Johnlodge

Post Number: 862
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 1:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"He left because he was frustrated with this region's chronic inability to do anything about transit and sprawl."

Hey, I feel his pain. ;)
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 1284
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 1:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"You guys don't get it. This won't work in Detroit. Detroit is not New York or Chicago. Detroit was founded on cars and single family homes."

There were cars and single family homes back in 1701??? My sister lives at the end of the line of a METRA train and worked downtown. Many of the times I have gone to see her was by AMTRAK to Chicago then out the METRA line. The changes in the smaller suburban station towns along the way are very impressive. At one time these areas were a lot like what you would see in metro Detroit (parking lots). Now you see housing, stores, all sorts of redevelopment with newer development filling in the holes. To say that suburban Chicago is different than suburban Detroit may be partially true, I'd take driving through suburban Detroit over driving through suburban Chicago any day in terms of ugliness, traffic snarls, rude drivers, poor planning, suburban Chicago has suburban Detroit beat by a county mile.
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Jb3
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Username: Jb3

Post Number: 133
Registered: 06-2007
Posted on Sunday, July 08, 2007 - 11:55 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Great article focusonthed. thanks!

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