Urban Indy

Welcome to the first installment of the Indianapolis Construction Roundup. My goal with this series is to provide regular updates — on a monthly or perhaps bi-monthly basis — on significant construction projects happening around downtown Indianapolis. If available, I will include photos and renderings for selected projects. For convenience, the names of each project link to Google Maps, showing the location of that project. For this initial posting, I’ve included a small amount of … Read entire article »

After 3 years of planning and delays, Indianapolis’ first food Co-op is up and running near the corner of 10th and Rural. The store’s major goal is to bring fresh and local produce to the neighborhood, but they also provide bulk and higher-end processed foods to appeal to a city-wide clientele. Pogues Run is collaborating with Made For Each Other, located in a store front across 10th Street. The art project uses recycled boxes … Read entire article »

Sometimes it’s nice to sit back and let someone else do the thinking.  TED videos are about “ideas worth spreading”, and you can see them all for free at this link.  If anyone has some downtime and wants some food for thought, I recommend the following TED talks that are all relevant to urbanism: Jaime Lerner:  A discussion of the promise of cities from the former Mayor of Curitibia, most famous for his BRT system. Emily Pilloton:  … Read entire article »

One of the goals of our website is to promote attractive urban design for new proposals.  In contrast, the older areas of the inner city already have charm, even in the back alleys and neglected infrastructure (frequently captured by former Indianapolis blogger Matt Heidelberger.)  Urban Indy wouldn’t exist as a site without a shared love for the new and the old. But what about the in-between, the inner-ring suburban grit?  Can it be beautiful?  I believe it really depends on your definition of beauty.  From an exterior design aspect, older suburban areas will always be fighting an uphill battle.  They’re likely going to be set back from the street, fronted by asphalt,  framed by utility poles and wires.  Fortunately, the setbacks aren’t as generous as provided by the Big Box stores, … Read entire article »