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View Poll Results: Which is more urban?
Washington D.C. 21 14.48%
Philadelphia P.A. 124 85.52%
Voters: 145. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-28-2013, 02:28 PM
 
Location: Washington D.C.
13,727 posts, read 15,760,072 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly View Post
Dunno - that image looks like a string of Apartment/cndo buildings without much else. To me U City felt more urban to me based on my experience with Rosslyn

By the way, the street I posted earlier was Ballston.


What about U City makes you say that?


https://maps.google.com/maps?q=city+...12,286.96,,0,0
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Old 10-28-2013, 02:47 PM
 
Location: The City
22,378 posts, read 38,925,770 times
Reputation: 7976
The feel of the two. One felt organic and more vibrant to me but we may disagree

One is more a linear developed apartment/office building strip the ther a mixed use residential, commercial, college, nightlife etc area. Also it seems like Ballston/Rosslyn give way to streets of SFHs only like a block or so off the main path

U City flows into West Philly, Powelton Village, CC and its own vatious neighborhoods. I would personally be surprised if many people found Ballston more urban than U City - but again maybe that is me

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=balls...340.68,,0,0.52

Sorry on that, they both feel sort of similar to me (Ballston/Rosslyn)
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Old 10-28-2013, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
8,700 posts, read 14,698,612 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MDAllstar View Post
When did I say something 4-5 stories would not be considered urban? I said there are tiers to urbanity? Tiers of intensity etc. Obviously row houses are urban, but are they are urban as high-rise's in a CBD? That seems to be what you are forgetting here. This isn't a yes or no answer. Two things can be urban, however, one can also be more urban than the other.

Take U City versus the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. U City will never develop as intense or urban as the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. The University being there is actually a hindrance for development intensity. It will never look like this:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=arlin...300.41,,0,0.35
I disagree completely. Sure UPenn will never level their historic Ivy League campus core and redevelop it (and I say that's for the better. I love the historic core of Penn's campus, especially the Woodland and Locust Walks), but the surrounding area is booming and UCity is quickly becoming not only Philly's second downtown, but it's second skyline. Walnut, Chestnut and Market Streets are gaining density quickly, and so is the UPenn/Chop Medical campus. There are numerous large projects coming along in UCity.
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Old 10-28-2013, 03:56 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
8,700 posts, read 14,698,612 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MDAllstar View Post
By the way, the street I posted earlier was Ballston.


What about U City makes you say that?


https://maps.google.com/maps?q=city+...12,286.96,,0,0
Market Street is by far the least dense part right now. The strip between 34th and 40th was a rundown ghetto not long ago. It is coming along nicely now though. The more developed areas are definitely currently Walnut/Chestnut Streets:

http://goo.gl/maps/kIKQl
http://goo.gl/maps/13lwO
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Old 10-28-2013, 06:09 PM
 
Location: Washington D.C.
13,727 posts, read 15,760,072 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly View Post
The feel of the two. One felt organic and more vibrant to me but we may disagree

One is more a linear developed apartment/office building strip the ther a mixed use residential, commercial, college, nightlife etc area. Also it seems like Ballston/Rosslyn give way to streets of SFHs only like a block or so off the main path

U City flows into West Philly, Powelton Village, CC and its own vatious neighborhoods. I would personally be surprised if many people found Ballston more urban than U City - but again maybe that is me

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=balls...340.68,,0,0.52

Sorry on that, they both feel sort of similar to me (Ballston/Rosslyn)
Universities lack urbanity because they are universities. They aren't designed to be dense because it would take away from the university experience. Do you know how much open space is in U City?
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Old 10-28-2013, 06:15 PM
 
Location: Washington D.C.
13,727 posts, read 15,760,072 times
Reputation: 4081
The problem is, these will never be developed. They are all here for good. You can't really anchor an urban area with a university unless you plan on not having athletic fields. Have you ever been to George Washington University in D.C.? That is how U City would need to develop if they were going to mimic Center City.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=city+...=12,160.7,,0,0

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=city+...12,342.02,,0,0

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=city+...=12,71.32,,0,0

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=city+...12,128.46,,0,0

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=city+...bp=12,127,,0,0
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Old 10-28-2013, 06:18 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
8,700 posts, read 14,698,612 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MDAllstar View Post
Universities lack urbanity because they are universities. They aren't designed to be dense because it would take away from the university experience. Do you know how much open space is in U City?
UCity has a pretty dense built environment that is only getting more dense with each passing year. There have been two highrises recently completed, 6 more under construction, and another 8 story midrise that will break ground by the end of the year. This is not counting all of the proposed/planned projects.
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Old 10-28-2013, 06:19 PM
 
Location: Washington D.C.
13,727 posts, read 15,760,072 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Summersm343 View Post
UCity has a pretty dense built environment that is only getting more dense with each passing year. There have been two highrises recently completed, 6 more under construction, and another 8 story midrise that will break ground by the end of the year. This is not counting all of the proposed/planned projects.

U City is very dense for a university, however, it's a university so it has to have all the non-urban things like athletic fields, quads, spaced out dorms etc.
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Old 10-28-2013, 06:37 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
8,700 posts, read 14,698,612 times
Reputation: 3668
Quote:
Originally Posted by MDAllstar View Post
The problem is, these will never be developed. They are all here for good. You can't really anchor an urban area with a university unless you plan on not having athletic fields. Have you ever been to George Washington University in D.C.?
Wrong.

That is Penn Park... and it is just that... a park. While the fields may never be built on, there will eventually be a wall of highrises lining Walnut Street.

Looking west down Walnut
http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/im...me/photo-4.jpg

Looking north towards Walnut
http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/ex...home_image.jpg

Aerial view plan for Walnut Street
http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/ex..._walnut_3d.jpg

Aerial view of Penn's UCity owned land- Walnut stretch in the top right corner
http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/im...me/photo-1.jpg

This is the site of Penn's new 8 story dorm. The project is set to break ground by the end of this year and will be called the College House at Hill Square. The only portion of the field that the project won't cover is the section that faces 33rd street, but that will probably be developed on at a later date.
The Daily Pennsylvanian :: Hill Field college house construction to begin January 2014

That is the old University City high school which is actually being sold for development as we speak. Currently there are 9 interested parties on the property. Bidding will start soon.

Quote:
He said Council members have received letters from nine different parties asking about seven shuttered schools. Topping the list are University City High, a huge site near Drexel University's campus, and William Penn High on North Broad Street, near Temple.
$100M offered for shut Phila. schools

Again.... this is land owned by Upenn, and it will be developed in the future.

As you can see to the left, that land will be built on
http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/re...the-vision.jpg

This is green space for the massive dorms/apartment complexes that surround it. It acts as a central quad and will likely not ever be built on.
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Old 10-28-2013, 06:43 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
8,700 posts, read 14,698,612 times
Reputation: 3668
Quote:
Originally Posted by MDAllstar View Post
U City is very dense for a university, however, it's a university so it has to have all the non-urban things like athletic fields, quads, spaced out dorms etc.
No. It is two Universities that are connecting in the middle with dense development. It also has within it's boundaries one of the largest urban Science Research Centers in the country and a very large urban medical center and a smaller medical center in Penn Presby. It also has one of the most active rail stations in the country at it's western border which will be surrounded by highrises/skyscrapers in 5-10 years.

Penn's historic campus will never be leveled and rebuilt and that is for the best, but Drexel will add density as it is doing. Many old buildings are being demo'd and replaced by highrises. Buildings still useful are being retrofitted with retail and new urban street fronts.
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