Online Survey: Help the Framingham Public Library Set Future Goals

I was on the library's Web site this morning, and see that today is the last day of an online survey to give input to the longrange planning committee as it works to set the library's goals and priorities.

I had a chance to share my opinions in one of the recent community focus groups. But whether you were involved in those goups or not, you also get to share your thoughts.

It only takes a few minutes. If you live or work in Framingham, please do take a couple of minutes and give your opinions.

Copley Place vs. the Natick "Collection"

I was in Boston's Back Bay last weekend, and it struck me again how fortunate we are that the Copley Place mall was built to integrate into the neighboring community, not moat itself off. While "skywalks" often kill off the streetscape below, the walkways of Copley Place help pedestrians bridge rivers of traffic, and get to neighborhood shopping areas nearby. And if you live or work over Copley Place, you can go by foot to many different destinations in surrounding neighborhoods, including Newbury and Boylston Streets. The mall didn't kill off the nearby neighborhood retail center, one of the best urban pedestrian streetscapes in America. The Huntington Avenue streetscape could be better, but it still attracts pedestrians as well.

The revamped Natick Mall isn't finished yet, and I'm still waiting to see whether there will be any effort to integrate it into the surrounding neighborhoods. The most promising area is where the new Nordstrom's store comes close to Speen Street. Will there be an attractive pedestrian entrance from the Speen Street sidewalk into the store, and thus the mall? Or will it be like the rest of the mall, surrounding by asphalt parking with no attempt to create an appealing way to enter the area on foot? Will there be an effort to make an attractive, safe walking environment from the nearby hotels to the mall, or will it remain a hideous example of suburban sprawl, requiring a car to drive distances that you could walk in 5 minutes given a properly designed environment?

And what of the promises to connect the planned Cochituate Rail Trail to the mall, so people elsewhere in the area have a safe and attractive way to walk there -- not to mention giving people who move into the new mall condos a way to walk someplace besides the indoor stores?

Building large homes without sacrificing communal space

We visited relatives this week outside of Philadelphia, in a new development of luxury homes that was interesting in its attempt to balance outstanding private space with quality common neighborhood space.

The homes were large on relatively small private lots, but clustered around a larger green open space that belonged to (and was maintained by) a neighborhood association. The homes and small common areas were adjacent to a large amount of open space, also jointly owned. Interestingly, this s an unusual case of "cluster zoning" where the overall density is less than a typical suburban development, not more. However, the seven-figure pricetag for homes in the development makes it clear that this kind of development pattern isn't going to be available to everyone

The development was built in one of the wealthiest communities in America, part of the "Main Line" outside of Philadelphia. The developers said they tried to keep a traditional feel for a Main Line community, where the physical environment encourages neighbors to know each other (instead of the more traditional exurban development patterns where everyone has their own multiple acres and nobody sees anyone else). I was surprised at the relative lack of privacy in the yards, considering the pricetag on the homes. Personally, I like a communal front-facing home with privacy in the back. On the other hand, I could see that the kids in the neighborhood knew each other, and were able to run back and forth to each other's houses themselves, without having to be driven by Mom or Dad.

As is typical these days, the couple of streets in the new development had only one outlet to a single street, instead of being integrated into a grid. This gives a somewhat isolated feel instead of being part of a larger community -- something a lot of people apparently like, but definitely counter to a smart-growth principle that I prefer in a neighborhood. And, being a more countrified suburb, there were no sidewalks on that street, making it tough to walk to the commercial area of town even though it wasn't that far away (there is a separate walking trail in the woods, I didn't find out if that lets out anywhere that would qualify as a destination -- school, store, restaurant, etc.) Overall, though, there are definitely far worse ways to develop luxury homes in traditional communities than this.

Driving Simulator: Could You Stop in Time (and Not Hit the Pedestrian)?

A new online simulator aims "to prove to drivers the dangers of being behind the wheel when travelling too fast, after drinking or when using a mobile phone," according to Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. " It shows how speed, weather and impairments dramatically affect stopping distances and result in crashes and pedestrian deaths. . . . But they can also see how using a mobile phone, alcohol or wet weather makes things more dangerous."

You can set your driving speed and various conditions and then see your results. To try it, head to:

http://www.stoppingdistances.org.uk

Framingham Downtown Renaissance Plans Next Revitalization Phase

Framingham Downtown Renaissance has issued a 30-page "visualization project" looking at the existing downtown area, its existing  strengths and "areas of sensitivity." I haven't seen a copy of the report on the Web anywhere yet, but the Framingham Planning Department was kind enough to send me a copy. I've posted it, in PDF form (5.6 Mbytes), here, if you want to download it.

If you're interested in seeing improvements in downtown Framingham, this is definitely worth a read -- and a look, since there are a lot of photos in there.

The report sees the "cultural triangle" as a new anchor to bring residents and visitors downtown, including the Danforth Museum, Civic League, Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, main library, and 2,200-seat auditorium in the Memorial building. (The Amazing Things Arts Center would likely add to that).

The report envisions a "3-part process" to: create more mixed-use residential development that would"bring more nighttime and weekend activity," boost cultural triangle activity "to expand the customer base," and encourage more commercial activity.

The group is seeking grants for capital improvements, such as the "rehabilitation of the Pearl Street Parking Garage."

Happily, "improving the pedestrian experience in Downtown Framingham was a key focus of the Downtown Visualization Project." Yippee! Until something is done about the hideously unappealing pedestrian streetscape, it' s going to be tough to bring more visitors to downtown. I'd like to see a "park once, walk to many destinations" environment, not "park and leave."

The report takes a detailed look at various streets and other corridors, the existing streetscapes and improvements needed in each section. IT also calls for improving the waterfront resource that is Farm Pond, where rail yards currently dominate downtown and access to the waterfront is limited. One idea is a waterfront bicycle and pedestrian path with connections to downtown.

It's encouraging that there are people putting together a coherent vision for downtown Framingham. While that alone is no guarantee of success, without it success would be impossible.