When Pratt Street opened for people during lunchtime last year, the tables set up in the street got used. In previous years, those tables appeared in Bushnell Park and in an under-utlized space on Main Street near what is now a major bus stop. A few permanent, heavier tables were added to Bushnell Park. These are steps in the right direction, but I wonder if we are not fully embracing the opportunities to get more people out of their office buildings and interacting with public spaces.
More tables!
On a recent trip to New York, I was able to sit at one of many public tables, eating a snack while staring across the East River.
There are picnic tables at Charter Oak Landing and Riverside Park, but nothing at Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, which is a much quicker walk for people working downtown who have to keep their lunch breaks to one hour or less. Temporary or permanent tables within view of the Connecticut River seem like a natural fit in a park that has been upping its weekday programming in recent years. That’s something to think about as the days get warmer.
The Flatiron Green Cafe and ilili BOX are examples of where shipping containers are both being used well and have been made to look a little less hideous. They are placed in a public plaza near Madison Square Park. The Flatiron Public Plazas and Worth Square expansion began in 2008 as a temporary way to deal with dangerous road conditions; this area has since transitioned to a more permanent fix. The data shows that crashes in this area decreased by 29% within two years of the expansion. There is a Citi Bike station there, along with tables and chairs. The space is more “come hang out” than “move it along.”
There are a few things happening here. Most importantly, there’s the willingness to prioritize safety over beliefs about efficiency. Then, there’s the activation of what could have merely sat as a practical-yet-dead space. This requires cooperation and progressive thinking from the Department of Transportation, Business Improvement District, and no doubt other partners.
Could Hartford have that?
There are some obvious locations that could be made more pleasant by fixing the streets, adding tables, and popping in a few container restaurants. Pulaski Circle, Columbus Boulevard at State Street, and the area around Barnard Park are the first ones that come to mind. All have the advantage of surplus space along with proximity to major employers. All are roadways that need a little something, and that something is not more lanes or higher speed limits.
Suggestion Box: A Better Lunchtime
When Pratt Street opened for people during lunchtime last year, the tables set up in the street got used. In previous years, those tables appeared in Bushnell Park and in an under-utlized space on Main Street near what is now a major bus stop. A few permanent, heavier tables were added to Bushnell Park. These are steps in the right direction, but I wonder if we are not fully embracing the opportunities to get more people out of their office buildings and interacting with public spaces.
More tables!
On a recent trip to New York, I was able to sit at one of many public tables, eating a snack while staring across the East River.
There are picnic tables at Charter Oak Landing and Riverside Park, but nothing at Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, which is a much quicker walk for people working downtown who have to keep their lunch breaks to one hour or less. Temporary or permanent tables within view of the Connecticut River seem like a natural fit in a park that has been upping its weekday programming in recent years. That’s something to think about as the days get warmer.
Thinking inside the box
I’ll admit to finding many of the shipping container homes and offices ugly as sin, even if they are smart solutions in some situations, namely those where it’s not suitable to build or where a temporary structure is only what’s needed.
The Flatiron Green Cafe and ilili BOX are examples of where shipping containers are both being used well and have been made to look a little less hideous. They are placed in a public plaza near Madison Square Park. The Flatiron Public Plazas and Worth Square expansion began in 2008 as a temporary way to deal with dangerous road conditions; this area has since transitioned to a more permanent fix. The data shows that crashes in this area decreased by 29% within two years of the expansion. There is a Citi Bike station there, along with tables and chairs. The space is more “come hang out” than “move it along.”
There are a few things happening here. Most importantly, there’s the willingness to prioritize safety over beliefs about efficiency. Then, there’s the activation of what could have merely sat as a practical-yet-dead space. This requires cooperation and progressive thinking from the Department of Transportation, Business Improvement District, and no doubt other partners.
Could Hartford have that?
There are some obvious locations that could be made more pleasant by fixing the streets, adding tables, and popping in a few container restaurants. Pulaski Circle, Columbus Boulevard at State Street, and the area around Barnard Park are the first ones that come to mind. All have the advantage of surplus space along with proximity to major employers. All are roadways that need a little something, and that something is not more lanes or higher speed limits.
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