Sunday, August 10, 2008

I-277, the low road or the high road?

Talking about whether to cap I-277 uptown and put something atop it, one commenter today (Anonymous 3:48 p.m.) said-

"Mary, you forgot to mention the supermarket and hotel in Newton that traverse the Mass Pike as you drive into Beantown. This stuff makes sense guys."

I appreciate the thought, but that hotel and grocery (Shaw's, I think) look like rather awful places to hang out, I have to say. I much prefered the grassy lawn between Harvard's Science Center and the gates of Harvard Yard and the Memorial Hall. That grassy lawn was a cap over a high-volume street in Cambridge.

In other words, design and location matter, too.

Note today's article on the issue by Clay Barbour. It shows which developer is buying property where along tht section of I-277. I'd link to it, but it doesn't seem to be appearing anywhere on CharlotteObserver.com that I can find. You'll have to dig up the on-paper newspaper. Note, there's a cool map with the printed story.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Shaw's isn't exactly the hangout spot. Heck you can't even buy beer in the supermarkets up there. But the concept in principle is still noteworthy. As for I-277, a park and some low level stores and restaurants would be the best bet. The best part about Copley Square, etc is that you don't even know there is a freeway under or around you. What this could do for uptown walkability would be phenominal.

Anonymous said...

Well, there ya go! Let's just all move to Boston. Problem solved.

Anonymous said...

Nah. We should make Charlotte more like Boston. If more cities had a little more Boston in them, the better they would be.

Anonymous said...

Build it, build it !!!!!

I love the idea.

Anonymous said...

I don't think I'll move to Boston; too many Red Sawx fans. Actually, it might be the same number as there are down here.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, we Sox fans have sure moved in down here in CLT. But we moved out of Boston for a reason. That city has 300 years of infrastructure problems that lead to overcrowding, overpricing, and overcomplication. Maybe some of you out there could listen to us (instead of calling us "Yankee" and telling us to go home). We've seen a lot of good and a lot of bad in urban planning, and we are all lucky enough to be on the ground floor of a building city in Charlotte. We could do this right, if we have an open mind.