photo credit: Google Earth
50 years ago
photo credit: postcard, eBay item number 320220724102
roughly 100 years ago
photo credit: Allen County Public Library
Given the spatial devolution of one of Downtown New Albany's central commercial corridors, how should we best reverse course: a return to the type of actual market space that continues to work well in European contexts with lower entry barriers encouraging entrepreneurship and increased foot traffic or by reclaiming lost parking, providing more convenient auto access to downtown businesses and calming traffic through the reduction and narrowing of lanes?
4 comments:
When I was a kid, I remember the old Farmer's Market downtown in the center of Market Street. I was just a little kid then, but I seem to remember there being a "plaza"...a grassy area, in the center of the street, like the Veteran's Memorial is further up on Market St. This is where the Farmer's/Hay Market was. They took that out and the center parking came in with meters. Does anyone else remember the downtown "plaza" ?
I can't remember the plaza John, but it sounds like a good idea. Not many cities are perfectly adaptable to the new farmers market ethos like NA. Like so many things smart people are hankering for in other places, NA already has it - market space in the center of town ala European cities of similar size. I would vote to see that parking strip returned to a covered open air market space like they did near the old dairy in Bloomington. My feeling is over the next 20 years we will be returning more and more to local (farmers markets et al) food supply, even though it's hard to imagine at the moment with 85% of the calories being consumed here derived from processed corn products. It'll happen even faster if Ethanol takes off and corn becomes too expensive to eat. So let's get ready and open the old market. And support any and all Local sustainable agricultural ventures at this market which could be more year round. (and let's not forget to connect it to the Greenway with that green corridor down Pearl St.)
And this point to ponder, those vehicles shown in the 50's photo probably got better "gas" mileage than 80-90% of the vehicles on the road today.
Jeff has it ever been discussed to just make Market St foot traffic only from State to Pearl?
Good article, really enjoyed it.
Thanks, Ed.
A friend of mine is always quick to remind me that he had a Volkswagen in 1954 that got over 40 miles to the gallon and he's not the least bit impressed with having seen his country go backwards for the rest of his life.
A hybrid getting good press for 27 mpg? Double that and we'll have caught up to ourselves.
When you add that to the fact that Mrs. Bluegill's grandfather used to travel from the East End of New Albany to high school in Louisville everyday in the 20s with no car, it makes it worse.
Our transportation system has grown gradually less sophisticated, less environmentally friendly, and less convenient in many ways.
If there were ever any pedestrian only plans for Market Street, they were before my time. It's an intriguing idea, though, as it's arguably the most logical place for it.
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