Director's Take

More Public Spaces

10-15-2024

Dear Friend,

It’s that time of year when the leaves start falling and our team starts a 6-week cycle of picking up leaves in Downtown. It really does make such a difference in how the streetscape looks when the leaves are picked up.
 
But guess what isn’t cool… when people use their blowers to send leaves off their property out into the street or into their neighbor’s property. I’m sure you’ve seen it, and it seems to be getting worse in the last few years… people doing whatever it is they need to do for themselves without much regard for others or sense of community.
 
Throwing garbage out your car window, leaving dishes in the sink thinking they will magically disappear, running a red light because you don’t want to wait.
 
Maybe it’s because of my job or maybe all of these things are becoming more commonplace. And I’ve noticed the individualism in American city design… community-centered cities planned ahead and built plazas and promenades and pedestrian-friendly spaces, but how many shared spaces do we have that allow us to comingle and enjoy the sights and sounds?
 
We must challenge this dichotomy of individualism v. community and lean to the side of community. We need each other, but we must take responsibility for ourselves too.
 
Let’s work on creating more public spaces… and I’ll see you there!