Shared Air

Nice article/editorial from Gazette/MCNO on the Prince Georges’ County effort to rationalize a new Stadium/Mixed-use project anchored by DC United soccer team. It goes to show that “build it and they will come” is naive whether developers are wishing for a pony, or it’s Mass Transit “enthusiasts” doing the hoping…

The slow pace of investment surrounding Prince George’s County’s 15 Metro stations has been frustrating and somewhat puzzling to those of us who see the obvious and attractive benefits that these sites offer. Chief among these benefits are comprehensive transit-oriented development policies and zoning; reasonable land prices; competitive tax incentives, and the opportunity to fulfill overwhelming, pent-up consumer demand. The county has adopted transit-oriented development as one of the principal growth strategies in its General Plan, touting the economic, social and environmental pluses, as well as the positive impact of an increased tax base for its residents. Yet, the hoped-for uses and activities in areas surrounding the already-built stations have been slow to materialize.

You don’t need to be a Twitterholic to know that “Networked” is the new existence. (Sidebar: I met with a physiologist recently who said, “All this jabbering about crowd wisdom and networks makes me laugh–nature, and virtually all organic systems, are networks and constantly updating and overlapping feedback loops.”) But, still, there’s a weirdly manic reluctance to admit that when we graft on a new bit without better understanding the old bits, and their unique foibles and flukes, well… it just don’t work like we hoped it would.

Cut and paste is an awful way for regional leaders to decide and run things. And it says they care and understand little about what makes their particular patch of geography unique and worthwhile. But don’t listen to me, read Forbes. They point out there’s a boom in silver-bullet Stadia, but also that unless there’s a real 24/7/365 emphasis–everyday uses, as well as the release the doves and balloons seasonal kind–then you’re wasting money and spending dwindling credibility:

“That’s when it can become a worthwhile use of public money,” says Mark Rosentraub, a sports economist and professor at Cleveland State University. “Governments are looking at HOK (Populous) to be part of the process of what goes up around the arena.” The concept worked with San Diego’s Petco Park and Washington, D.C.’s Verizon Center. The New York Islanders are hoping to score a new arena the same way, proposing it as part of a $3.7 billion “Lighthouse Project” that would include park, residential and retail space. Don’t hold your breath on that one: Suburban locales void of public transportation don’t easily translate to mini-cities.

The Forbes piece also has a nice slideshow of renderings and rationales for various projects in the pipe around the country.