Neighborhood of the week: Strip District (Pittsburgh, Erie: homes, taxes, restaurant)

[Faer]

Originally Posted by xdv8

Lots of parking means it has been suburbanized? I don't follow that logic. It's rare to see large garages in the suburbs, since land is more available. Large surface lots are being removed in favor of utilizing urban building standards and complete streets.

Yes, car infrastructure brings more cars. Space for more cars spreads areas out (even if gradually over time) creating more car centric areas and decreasing walkability. Then people start pushing against any developments over "traffic." Whats the right amount of parking? Think it will be the same in 10 years? Right now we use rather arbitrary figures via minimums.

[Mtl-Cns]

In my initial comment the rapid changes I were referring to are to me all positive with density increasing so to me the strip has become less abandoned warehouses and far more urban.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Faer

Yes, car infrastructure brings more cars. Space for more cars spreads areas out (even if gradually over time) creating more car centric areas and decreasing walkability. Then people start pushing against any developments over "traffic." Whats the right amount of parking? Think it will be the same in 10 years? Right now we use rather arbitrary figures via minimums.

I understand your concern, but considering many of the new developments are actually replacing surface parking lots, they are undoubtedly establishing a more pedestrian-friendly Strip District. Albeit also one where there will be more people owning cars, by virtue of their being more residents (and workers) in general.

[xdv8]

Originally Posted by Faer

Yes, car infrastructure brings more cars. Space for more cars spreads areas out (even if gradually over time) creating more car centric areas and decreasing walkability. Then people start pushing against any developments over "traffic." Whats the right amount of parking? Think it will be the same in 10 years? Right now we use rather arbitrary figures via minimums.

That makes sense, but my comparison was to mimic eschaton's thinking. Nothing is more suburban than a surface lot.

[Faer]

Originally Posted by xdv8

That makes sense, but my comparison was to mimic eschaton's thinking. Nothing is more suburban than a surface lot.

Oh sure, surface lots are THE WORST! But they shouldn't be the the barometer either. I just get some concern, because of the rate of development combined with parking requirements in the city that I feel pretty strongly are out of wack. When every building is building+parking garage, its pretty tough to get more than semi-urban out of an area. Hopefully they at least try follow good offstreet parking practices (there's a couple decent implementations down there) and hopefully reform some of the building code in the future.

[Twenty Years in the Burgh]

The Otto Milk building is/was a gut rehab rather that ground up new construction. (My former spouse designed the kitchens and baths in most, if not all, of the units). That being said, it's good to see that at least a few of the older buildings have been salvageable.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by Copanut

The place is starting to look....suburban!!!

Cleaning it up could certainly attract more suburbanites. Hopefully it continues.

[UKyank]

The one area of the city everyone knew would gentrify but sadly the only property available always very deep pockets (apart from a very small handful of homes).

I wouldn’t say it’s going for a full on suburban feel but more that in between urban & suburban ‘lifestyle center’ that’s been all the rage

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Cleaning it up could certainly attract more suburbanites. Hopefully it continues.

Who knows? Maybe Mrs. Erieguy will want a snazzy new loft overlooking Primanti's someday!

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Twenty Years in the Burgh

The Otto Milk building is/was a gut rehab rather that ground up new construction. (My former spouse designed the kitchens and baths in most, if not all, of the units). That being said, it's good to see that at least a few of the older buildings have been salvageable.

They did use the shell of two buildings, but there's a section of the front of the building, and a large portion of the rear, which is new construction.

Regardless, the fact remains that section of Smallman is getting an "urban canyon" feeling to it. And it's going to increase soon. A new building is replacing the granite outlet, there's a giant office going in on the block opposite St. Stanislaus Church, someone has plans to redevelop the Acheiva block, etc.