Currently Browsing: Neighborhoods
Branding the border crossing: when one side of the boundary builds a landmark…and absorbs all the monumentality.
Posted by Eric McAfee in Neighborhoods on Jan 6th, 2021 | 0 comments
The City of Indianapolis deploys the word “monument” far more than most American cities, and not without good reason. Most metrics indicate that it has the second highest concentration of memorials, landmarks, and civic plazas (behind only our nation’s capitol), and the landmark that gives the city its well-defined absolute center—the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument—comprises a geometrically precise plaza called “Monument Circle”–hence the nickname “Circle City”. Indy’s popular marathon takes the name “Monumental”, not only as a hat-tip to the city’s numerous...
Pandemic Parking: Reclaiming the Streets for Embattled Restaurants, Through the Parklets of Al Fresco Dining
Posted by Eric McAfee in Neighborhoods, Pedestrian on Jun 30th, 2020 | 10 comments
I’m revisiting this site after a long, long hiatus, not because I’m back in Indy or because I have an update on development and planning. These days, I barely make it back more than a few days each year. And this article will not feature Indy-based photos. But, after all those disclaimers, let me make my case: I still diligently follow the goings-on in the Circle City, and I think a subtle discoveries like the one featured here can show precisely how cities like Indianapolis can further leverage the novel approaches that they’re currently pioneering. Specifically, let’s explore the...
My Final Post on UrbanIndy.com: Let’s Go Out with a Walk
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development on Feb 5th, 2020 | 14 comments
Due to current life obligations, I’m unable to continue posting on UrbanIndy.com. It has been a good run, but my time has come to an end. I hope that during the past 12+ years, I’ve been able to contribute to a new conversation in Indianapolis.
I don’t want to go out with a whimper, though. On Saturday, April 11th at 2 pm, 13 years to the day from the founding of Urbanindy.com, I will host a final downtown walking tour. Usually the tour culminates in a restaurant or bar.
Details on this event will be forthcoming, although not on this blog. If you are interested in joining on the tour,...
A Look at Mass Ave Infill via Surface Parking Lots:
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development on Dec 30th, 2019 | 0 comments
Now that we’ve reached the end of 2019, I thought it would be a good time to revisit an older post on Mass Ave Parking Lots. The post has a parking lot visualization on it based on 2011 data. Recently I was able to find the file that I used for this blog post, and clipped out the parking lots as of 2019:
Here are some big changes, starting from NE to SW:
Bottleworks is still under construction, and has eaten away at a good chunk of surface parking.
747 North has been constructed at Mass and College.
Not a new development, but the parking lot at Barton Towers East was reconfigured to open room...
One Less Car Downtown
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development, Pedestrian, Transit on Sep 23rd, 2019 | 29 comments
Last week, I gave my prepaid parking pass back to my workplace. This is something I’ve been looking forward to doing for a long time, and fortunately, my place of work has agreed to provide for my bus passes.
Weekday Red Line service has been pretty-good-to-very-good so far. I’ve basically turned the station closest to my house into my own personal park-and-ride. Yes, I’m still using a car. After work, I need to pick my kids up from their schools. I don’t have a cargo bike. I’m bad at this urbanism thing. Still, I won’t miss driving and parking downtown one bit. Few...
