Tuesday, April 29, 2008

What Makes a Good Downtown

Chronicle Guest Speaker:
John King, Writer on Architecture & Urban Design

  • What makes a good downtown for a city of Berkeley's size?
    • A true civic purpose, a reason for being
    • A mix of different things to do when you are there
      • retail—essentials and frills
      • quick places to grab coffee and fine dining
    • An enticing landscape
      • Open spaces
      • Buildings of different eras, scales
    • Different functions for spaces
      • Shops
      • Housing
      • Social activity
    • Genuine crossroads
      • Tightly knit with the community
    • Sense that something is going on, unexpected & fresh
      • 'Un-quantified' measurement of downtown

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