Currently Browsing: Neighborhoods
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...
This is for us
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Bicycling, Neighborhoods, New Development, Pedestrian, Transit on Aug 7th, 2019 | 51 comments
Mass transit will never be the same again in Indianapolis. Finally, after years of planning, public meetings, and construction, Indianapolis is going to kick off the Red Line in less than a month.
Lately, I’ve been seeing some online hand-wringing from residents that seem to be rooting for the system to fail. And I suppose that’s only natural here in Indy. It’s big, it’s obvious, and it’s…not for cars? It took away auto lanes? What a not-in-Indy thing. Sure, we’ve nibbled around the edges with reclaiming the public space for all things non-auto (thank you...
