Uptown Park to get $1 Billion redevelopment

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Where does it say an urban area has to have narrow streets, no cars, and lots of pedestrians? By that definition most third world villages could be described as urban!

So, if high rises and offices don't make it urban, what does?

Originally Posted by 14Bricks

Lol, because they don't have the type of sidewalks you want then that makes it suburban?

I can't believe I have to explain this.

Urban has always meant dense, narrow streets, a place were it's easier to walk to the store than to drive. That is not Uptown at all. Westheimer is a wide fast moving street with no storefronts up to the street. Post Oak is full of strip centers and suburban office park in Four Oaks Place and even Williams Tower. San Felipe is full of parking lots as well with condo dwellers driving around everywhere. Sage has a little going on but still no pedestrian activity an wide, fast moving streets. Downtown is urban, Midtown is urban, EaDo is urban, Uptown is about as urban as Upper Kirby.

[ToyYot]

You confusing 'walkable' with urban, not the same thing.

[14Bricks]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

I can't believe I have to explain this.

Urban has always meant dense, narrow streets, a place were it's easier to walk to the store than to drive. That is not Uptown at all. Westheimer is a wide fast moving street with no storefronts up to the street. Post Oak is full of strip centers and suburban office park in Four Oaks Place and even Williams Tower. San Felipe is full of parking lots as well with condo dwellers driving around everywhere. Sage has a little going on but still no pedestrian activity an wide, fast moving streets. Downtown is urban, Midtown is urban, EaDo is urban, Uptown is about as urban as Upper Kirby.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Because if that's the case then besides downtown then the whole city is suburban. People need to stop trying to compare Houston to NY or Chicago or Boston. This city was built for cars, even in Midtown people drive everywhere. I'm in Midtown a lot, and i see very few people actually walking to go shopping, clubbing, going to work.

[14Bricks]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

You confusing 'walkable' with urban, not the same thing.

^^^^^^this.

[sksainath]

Originally Posted by 14Bricks

^^^^^^this.

Very very True. Also people are ignoring that cities like NY, SF, Seattle are walkable because they have a good public transportation system. That way people can get from point A to point B and then explore point B by walking around and then taking a bus/train to point C. That negates the need of a car and thus you find more people walking around.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by 14Bricks

We'll have to agree to disagree. Because if that's the case then besides downtown then the whole city is suburban. People need to stop trying to compare Houston to NY or Chicago or Boston. This city was built for cars, even in Midtown people drive everywhere. I'm in Midtown a lot, and i see very few people actually walking to go shopping, clubbing, going to work.

Well the city is suburban. Houston is very much known as a suburban in nature city. It's why when there are discussions on the top urban cities, Houston is never brought up. That doesn't make Houston less of a city. Just different. Houston is a product of the era it grew in. Just like Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

You confusing 'walkable' with urban, not the same thing.

Most of Houston is unwalkable anyway. Narrow sidewalks to no sidewalks at all in some neighborhoods. Many just outright disappear. You have to walk in the street and compete with cars flying down streets at 35 mph in some areas. Personally, I don't think Houston will see an increase of urbanity outside the loop. Inside of it, it can become this nation's next new great urban area.

[stoneclaw]

This plan will be great for increasing density and urbanity in the Uptown area though. Uptown is densifying with developments like Blvd Place, High Street/River Oaks, and this plan. The main thing that is missing in Uptown and probably the majority of Houston is a cohesive mobility plan (people mover). BRT is a good start but i'm hoping much more for Houston than that. Perhaps either lightrail, streetcar or trolley system in the Uptown area.