WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA; THE OASIS OF THE WILDS

Posted on March 11, 2023 by tgilbertson06

my journey to warren’s walkable sidewalks

Lying at the northern edge of the great Allegheny National Forest in an easily overlooked corner of Pennsylvania sits a community that I believe to be quite well planned. I first paid a casual visit to Warren, Pennsylvania in the fall of 2020. On that occasion, I was simply looking for a brief weekend getaway. It was a mildly cold and unassuming day in November but that was fine as my expectations weren’t high. To be honest, as I traveled the nearly two-hour journey along U.S. Highway 6 to reach Warren, I had thought about turning back a few times. I had such thoughts because I wasn’t sure what I’d find in a place like Warren; I’m glad I stayed the course.

After arriving in Warren, I stocked up on some gas at the local Kwik Fill and found a place to park. In my opinion, you can’t truly experience a place by driving through it even though a drive does lend one perspective. I decided to get out and walk around. The streets of downtown were mostly empty as it was getting toward Saturday evening and many businesses had already closed shop. Despite lacking an abundance of activity, the brisk chill of the autumn breeze and last remaining rays of sunlight were enough of an invitation for me to venture around. As I walked the streets of Warren’s downtown, I had the impression that this community has worked to develop differently from most contemporary cities.

On that crisp November day, I recall my observations of how nearly each block throughout the downtown had a seamless curtain wall of buildings all greeting the sidewalk in traditional form. Old and historic architecture interplayed with newer buildings in a manner more akin to large and well established cities rather than isolated, small towns. In some places, generous sidewalks were complemented by adjacent public spaces that offered more opportunities for engagement, acknowledgement, or just a simple respite from one’s working day. Even little details began to stand out as I continued my journey. Historic relics remained among new buildings and even when I encountered the seldom surface parking lot, its edges were lined with inviting landscaping.

Great Places Take Time –

This adventure feature examines Warren, Pennsylvania through the lens of the several visits I’ve paid to the town over the past couple of years. Every time I visit Warren, I can’t help to observe the community through the perceptive of a practicing planner. There always seems to be something unique or interesting about the community that stands out. Though the average person might easily pass through Warren without noticing much, most people would probably agree that it is a generally nice community. However, to the trained eye, what has happened in Warren represents generations of hard work, consistency, care, and gradual steps toward improvement. Although this feature will not ignore the small steps taken to make a nice community, we’ll begin by examining some of the larger factors that were likely made possible by such sequential efforts.

My Theories & Observations of the Major Strokes –

To curb urban sprawl by concentrating development

The City of Warren appears to be mostly intact. That is to suggest that it suffers less from the economic disinvestment that comes with suburban sprawl. Warren County is known for being an early adopter of county-wide zoning. Under such a zoning scheme, it is generally the case that land uses are controlled by county regulations rather than those of local municipal units including townships and boroughs. I’m not suggesting that the mere presence of county-wide zoning is a factor in limiting suburban sprawl but rather that the County’s mere ability to create and enforce such a regulatory scheme may speak to the views of its residents to preserve the integrity of both the urban and rural domains.

To curb urban sprawl by nature of site alone

As a city, Warren lies within the hilly countryside of northern Appalachia. The city is located at the northern boundary of the Allegheny National Forest which flanks its entire southern limits. To the north, the only noticeable community in Pennsylvania is that of North Warren before reaching the state line with New York. Much of the lands that surround the City of Warren may have had limited development over the years due to a lack of relatively flat and thus buildable lands. Many Appalachian towns, even those located in areas without strong land use regulations, are developed in a linear and winding manner to accommodate their surrounding hills and river passages (Warren lies at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Conewango Creek). In other words, the lack of sprawl around Warren could be the consequence of its challenging, albeit beautiful, site.

To curb urban sprawl by merely lacking access

Warren, Pennsylvania is a tough place to reach – at least by our spoiled modern standards. There is no major interstate highway leading to Warren. Although local boosters may resent their lack of a major highway or interstate, this very circumstance may have played a role in concentrating urban investment and curbing sprawl. The lack of mobility options getting into Warren turns distance into a real factor. If you do business in Warren, then you may as well live there or else face a long commute. Additionally, the lack of heavy duty roads may have lessened pressures from land owners and real estate investors to build strip malls, far flung subdivisions, and other developments stretched out along the roadside.

To curb urban sprawl from within

Many developments in Warren are well oriented to the urban environment. This pattern is somewhat unusual for small towns and even midsized cities. Most of the developments I saw were either primarily oriented to pedestrians or at least had nice facilities for those on foot. Seemingly careful attention to the configuration of properties and buildings within city blocks appears to have contributed to forming an urban sense of place. For the most part, parking lots were designed to serve multiple establishments and were located to the interior of city blocks. Such lots are typically accessed through alleyways or smaller access streets rather than large curb cuts in the sidewalk. Many buildings either didn’t supply their own parking or made due with parking spaces provided off site. These spatial arrangements create a nice urban environment; perhaps a place people want to be.

A balanced community

Beyond the factors or efforts that have successfully curbed urban disinvestment and sprawl, there are other aspects of Warren that give off the presence of a well planned community. Most of the city’s neighborhoods have a mixture of land uses. Varying types of housing lie within a short distance to commercial establishments and community facilities such as school, churches, and other institutions. Large centers of employment are relatively balanced throughout Warren’s neighborhoods with no particular area appearing to be either too dominant or left out. Parks, recreation facilities, and schools are generally distributed in a balanced manner across different neighborhoods. Tying these facilities together, Warren’s walkable street grid creates the template within which property owners create neighborhoods and districts that have a unique sense of place.

Tradeoffs between mobility & access

Although Warren may lack the heavy duty highway access of countless other cities, its relationship with U.S. Highway 6 is as beneficial as it is well configured. U.S. Highway 6 provides mobility to Warren for travelers coming from distant points. However, it is the lack of access that the highway provides within Warren itself that reinforces the community’s character and urban form. U.S. Highway 6 largely bypasses Warren without interrupting its urban fabric to enable the creation of soleless strip malls and empty parking lots. However, what is truly unique is that it bypasses Warren not only without interrupting the urban fabric but also not cutting the community off from its waterfront. Many highways were built to either follow the path of least resistance or to clear blighted “slums” if not for both reasons – a practice that often meant placing highways along the rivers running through cities.

The design and configuration of U.S. Highway 6 as it runs through Warren not only manages to preserve the city’s urban fabric, it does so while still providing convenient access to neighborhoods at four locations. Ultimately, U.S. Highway 6 does not create or encourage the common “stroad” style of development both while it approaches Warren and traverses through it. Put differently, the highway is adapted primarily for quick travel in and out of the city rather than for stop and go shopping centers before becoming a rural highway.

This multi-unit housing complex might be somewhat bleak on the exterior but its residents can benefit from nice surroundings.
The use of a large parking garage enables more real estate to be dedicated to urban developments and reduces the amount of surface parking lots that may create a more hostile environment for pedestrians.
A housing development fits nicely into the streetscape.
Another housing development fits nicely into the streetscape.
A private company advertises its housing units in Downtown Warren.
Benches provide seating in each of the six overlook bays on the bridge crossing the Allegheny River.
Three overlook bays extend out from the sidewalks on both sides of a bridge connecting Downtown Warren with its riverfront park.
A riverfront park provides a variety of features including fountains, benches, trees, open space, play features for young and old, monuments, and interpretive signs. The steps leading down to the river (center right) provide an opportunity for one to casually sit right by the waters edge.
The position of Warren’s Hospital adjacent to its riverfront park provides an opportunity for patients to recover while taking in natural river views. The parking between the hospital may serve both park goers and hospital visitors.

What a waterfront

Warren’s crescent shaped waterfront park is as peaceful as it is easy to access. One can stroll across the city’s ornate bridge to get there in under ten minutes from downtown. However, what is truly impressive is how well the park’s adjacent land uses tie into its amenity. Grandiose homes and hospital beds are blessed with unobstructed views of the park and Allegheny River. In some cases, the adjacent homes also have views of the bridge and the downtown skyline imposed before a backdrop of forested hills. More than simply a great site, the park offers opportunities for relaxation, learning, and physical activity throughout. Balancing formal spaces such as monuments and fountains with casual places like the steps running down into the river, this park offers many things for many people. The park perfectly complements a recreational riverfront comprising businesses such as breweries, outfitters, and rock climbing gyms.

This oramental fountain not only creates a relaxing environment it provides just enough background noise to have an intimate conversation in a public space.
A natural tree by the Allegheny River.
A formal monument and flag display in the riverfront park.
A monument at the point of a neighborhood park created by two radial streets.
This neighborhood park provides many opportunities to sit and relax – and read a book.
The public space created under the shadow of the bridge is a childhood dream.
The diversity of public spaces in Warren, Pennsylvania is truely impressive. I could see this small stretch of riverfront provide a “third place” or hidden realm for children to play. Nice to see a community provide access to such a unique place rather than cowering to fears of potential crime.
The Jazz Amphitheater in Downtown Warren provides a great place to listen to music while taking in the beauty of the Allegheny River.
This prominent dedication plague honors a local musician in the “Jazz Amphitheater.”
The beautiful old gazebo provides refuge while the combination of stairs on the staircase serve two functions. The shallower steps with the handrails are for walking and the higher pitch steps provide a great opportunity to sit.
One of Warren’s many civic monuments rises above a below grade public space.
The detailed brick work of the Northwest Plaza creates an artistic and formal pubic space.
A simple pocket park in a Warren Neighborhood.
A park dedicated to an individual who played a role in the growth and development of Warren, Pennsylvania.
A detailed view of a sidewalk curb bump out in Downtown Warren.

The Fine Touches –

Great sidewalks

Warren does a great job mastering the basics of urban form and design. I hardly noticed any sidewalks in disrepair during my visits. In some cases, extra precautions or features were added to the sidewalks to enhance the pedestrian experience. Two specific examples include a guardrail to protect pedestrians from a steep ledge and the ornamental patterns in the sidewalks downtown. However, there were many other fine touches added to the sidewalks such as interpretive signs, benches, trash cans, planters, and so forth. What was typically absent on Warren’s sidewalks further contributed to their pleasantness and use – a lack of vehicular curb cuts.

I consider the fine touches of a community to be those things that we may not consider as either necessities nor luxuries. To some a nice brick pattern in the sidewalks of downtown may not be considered necessary but it is a far cry from an Italian plaza. To me, details such as the decorative sidewalk patterns help to call attention to a particular area and perhaps symbolize the city’s commitment to its success or importance. In other words, these are small gestures that hint toward the cultural, social, and commercial significance of the downtown. However, such gestures need not be limited only to downtown, and such was not the case in Warren.

In one way, the effort behind “Walkable Warren,” an initiative to enhance the city’s pedestrian environment and encourage walking or “walkability,” represents a small gesture that the City has made toward its neighborhoods. Efforts to defend sidewalks by limiting curb cuts, making great use of angle parking on streets rather than parking lots, the use of screening and landscaping where sidewalks abut incompatible land uses, and the addition of basic amenities are signs that the City, and by extension, the community at large, wants to invest in its existing neighborhoods. As I walked through one of Warren’s older neighborhoods, I was treated to great architectural sites, a pleasant walk, and lush vegetation. I stopped at one of the city’s pocket parks and took many pictures throughout the duration of my visit.

An abundance of amenities

Warren is a treasure trove of urban amenities. The vast majority of these amenities are not overblown displays of wealth or civic confidence but rather testaments to enduring commitments, volunteerism, and philanthropy. Warren’s amenities made my pedestrian stroll interesting throughout. A basic list of the amenities I observed is provided below:

Gazebos;
Fountains;
Play equipment for kids;
Play equipment for older people;
Educational signage;
Interpretive signage;
Art installations;
Flowers planters;
Public gardens;
Sidewalk trees;
Benches;
Monuments;
Overlooks;
Sidewalk patterns;
Cigarette disposals;
Small public spaces;
Subtle safety features (sidewalk railings);
Trash receptacles;
Pedestrian poles;
Banners;
Ornamental street lighting;
Library nooks;
Outdoor tables;
Streetscaping;
Sports fields;
Nature trails;
Vegetated street medians;
Pavilions;
Signs to education the public on the ownership and maintenance of facilities;
Signs to encourage good behavior;
Diversity of large parks; and
Murals.

With only a few exceptions, none of the amenities listed above were particularly grand or expensive in their appearance. However, none looked cheap either. What was particularly noticeable was the City’s willingness to display its name and give proper credit to individuals on the more significant amenities. Warren will not apologize for providing you with great public spaces! In my opinion, when a City is proud to showcase its great services, its residents will likely be proud of the work done by their City – they are more likely to recognize that they are getting something for their tax dollars.

The care that went into this gazebo and the level of service it provides are truely amazing. Many similar projects might otherwise be planted securely on flat ground but the candlevering of this structure slightly over the ravine ensures an unobstructed view along with handicapped accessibility along the sidewalk.
Not being afraid to give gentle reminders is a sign of community stewardship.
These benches provide a nice place to relax from your stroll.
This unique public plaza appears to have filled in the space left over by a building that was lost. Its location provides a public space on a block that otherwise wouldn’t have one. Warren’s distribution of public spaces is prime for a downtown fair or art walk and music stroll styled event.
Here we see the gazebo of Art Kelsey Park as it greets the sidewalk. Its functional shape is great for a farmers market or small events – similar to Philadelphia’s Head House.
Small touches such as this image showing the history of a building site in Downtown Warren really help add to the visual journey pedestrians take along the sidewalks. My only suggestion would be to make this a little more eye level.
Some areas of Downtown Warren with newer sidewalks did not have decorative brickwork but an effort was made to maintain a consistent theme. This sidewalk is still very nice.
The details of Downtown Warren’s streetscaping are impressive. A modest amount of brick work can really add to the character of the sidewalk and let people know that this is a place to be celebrated. Such work was likely well coordinated with utilities as I did not see any interruption in the design pattern along my walk.
The design of Downtown Warren’s traffic lights contributes to the character of the commercial district. Such lights easily could have been designed like typical highway infrastructure. This design also limits opportunities for graffiti.
I was surprised to encounter this interpretive sign tucked into a corner of the Jazz Ampitheater in Downtown Warren. Once again, the delivery of detailed touches was impressive.
Downtown Warren’s consistent use of pedestrian poles creates an inviting pedestrian environment. These human-scaled lights add a touch of historic character as well. The two shown in the foreground guide visitors into the Jazz Ampitheater while the one in the distance (center) helps light up a small river walk.
Generous sidewalks, overlook bays with benches, and pedestrian light poles make walking across the Allegheny River both easy and pleasant on both sides of this bridge that connects Downtown Warren with its main riverfront park.
A small library in one of Warren’s many parks provides a nice feature for visitors.
A guardrail provides a useful safety feature while enabling those walking to have something to brace against while enjoying the view.
Even when a parking lot was needed adjacent to the sidewalk, historic features such as this clock help keep the pedestrian journey alive.

Downtown is for people

Downtown Warren is designed for people. Its abundance of street amenities, consistent storefronts, beautiful architecture, and careful consideration to the configuration of buildings all reinforce downtown as a pedestrian space. Within the district, about eight block faces form complete “curtain walls.” These are blocks in which either none of the sidewalk oriented buildings are missing, or if there are setbacks or missing buildings, such occurrences are intentional. Such an environment made the window shopping more enjoyable especially considering the pedestrian amenities and major strokes described previously. My compliments for Warren’s Downtown do not stem from a lack of exposure to pedestrian-oriented environments as I previously lived in Philadelphia without a car for five years, nor do they arise from a lack of experience with thriving commercial districts. Instead, I’m merely impressed with how well the community outperforms my expectations of small towns.

The deer fountain and plaza in front of the clock tower building create a formal and decorative public space.
This intersection in Downtown Warren uses radial streets and wide sidewalks to create a unique space.
This nice wall of retail and residential buildings is broken up by a few civic societies.
A “complete street” in Downtown Warren.
The architectural centerpiece of Downtown Warren. Complete with is corner plaza, this building produces an iconic skyline and streetscape.
A seemless wall of buildings keeps a pedestrian’s journey alive and safe.
A beautiful and grand window bay adds to the might of this architectural centerpiece.
A nice large storefront provides both window shopping and life on the sidewalk.
The imitation Tuscan columns on this storefront provide a nice addition to the streetscape.
An ornate, classical facade.
This historic office building has been complemented by its newer neighbors and skybridge addition.
Making use of a storefront to provide a second entrance for a larger retail establishment may be a great way to activate otherwise unused buildings in the downtown.
A great bicycle shop is not only important for keeping one’s bike in working order, it is a excellent contributor to a recreation niche in the local economy.
This store looks like it offers enough variety to keep shoppers engaged for some time.
A book store adds another volume or two to Downtown Warren’s collection on of businesses.
The martial arts have become more popular in recent years, as have tattoos.
This beautiful old post office greets the sidewalk in proper fashion while also providing wheelchair access in a manner that maintains the historic front.
More window shopping in downtown.
Businesses with unique facades in Downtown Warren.
This naturally wide sidewalk creates a space that is perfectly suited for outdoor dining and strolling. The seemless wall of buildings, historic architecture, and the addition of new residential living units make this picture to be one of a healthy downtown.
A seemingly simple feature, this archway adds to the texture of Downtown Warren’s pedestrian streetscape.
A nicely maintained facade is a sign of a healthy investment climate – even if it is just one color.

Introducing the New to Revive the Old –

One of the more subtle, albeit impressive, contributions to the urban environment in Warren, Pennsylvania is the careful attention paid to the design of upgrades and expansions on existing historic buildings. During my visit, I noticed that the expansion on the County Courthouse preserved the original grand front entrance and lawn. Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the addition of a staircase or elevator shaft on a theater matched its original architectural. These are the kinds of subtle efforts that are rarely adorned with praise – and perhaps even criticism – but add up over time. Similar efforts are echoed through downtown as newer office buildings complement the design of historic ones. Unbeknownst to me at the time of my visit, the main bridge connecting Downtown Warren to its riverfront park is not actually an old, historic structure. Instead, it is a new one designed to appear classical. Once again, I’m impressed.

The expansion on this historic theater (far right portion of building) was completed in a manner that matches with the structure’s historic character.
A close up of the newer expansion to a historic theater showing how it blends into the original building.
The courthouse building with its modern expansion in the background. The location of the expansion preserves the character of the original front.
The newer expansion on the Warren Public Library makes functional use of a building setback to provide a useful public space. Ornaments and landscaping blend the structure into its surrounding neighborhood.
A blend of older and newer office buildings creates a seamless curtail wall of real estate and activity in Downtown Warren. Many of the city’s newer office buildings match the community’s historic character without being too apologetic.

Signs of Greater Success –

The gradual and subtle combination of continual and sequential efforts made in Warren to reinforce a complete urban environment, healthy downtown, and walkable community appear to be showing some signs of success. During my latest visit, I noticed at least one business with a sign installation setup to engage only pedestrians on a neighborhood sidewalk rather than cars driving down the street. One building window encouraged the idea of “downtown living” and another showcased a decal of Warren’s skyline with great pride. Even though most businesses were closed, regular people and the occasional family with kids still enjoyed bumming around the streets of downtown even on a cold day. Just about everything from regular plaques to dedication bricks on the ground showcased the success of philanthropic efforts that have improved parts of the community. To me, all of these observations point to subtle hints at greater success.

A real estate advertisement that promotes the theme of “downtown living” may provide a sign of private sector participation in creating a healthy and functional downtown.
This fancy ashtray may be a sign of private sector investment into the pedestrian environment.
A sidewalk bump out creates an opportunity for additional trees and plants, a trash can, and a cigarette butts disposal. Such features also help empower pedestrians by defining and narrowing interestions.
The display on the window of this office building in Downtown Warren might demonstrate that the city’s planning and beautification efforts have succeeded in fostering local pride in their nice community. The inclusion of the local skyline hints toward having pride in how their city has developed.
This pedestrian-oriented display from a private business may be a sign of a healthy pedestrian environment.
A nice public park in a central Warren neighborhood provides a place for residents to hangout, read, walk their pets, or simply take a break.
This well kept sidewalk takes pedestrians on a journey that includes interpretive signs (Walkable Warren), benches, gazebos, public spaces, shops and businesses, and overlooks. Downtown looks interesting from this view.
These bricks likely show the names of donors who helped restore a small piece of their community. Philantropic contributions can be seen as a sign that the community cares enough to invest in itself.
Though it may seem mundane, the good old fashion walk-up mailbox is a small sign of a healthy pedestrian environment.
This second pedestrian mailbox in Downtown Warren may be a good sign of a successful walkable community.
When a city is proud of its public services, most of the time, its citizens are proud of their city.
Another trash can.

My Experience –

I enjoyed my time in Warren

One of the simplest measures of a place is whether you enjoyed your time there. I have always enjoyed my visits to Warren, Pennsylvania. A few years ago, I drove more than an hour to take my visiting parents there for a day trip. We simply spent our time enjoying the city’s public spaces. I believe that alone says something. Perhaps what I enjoy most about Warren is its peacefulness. I attribute this peacefulness to the lack of arterial roadways converging in the center of town. Interestingly, although the town is quiet, it is not devoid of life and activity.

I learned new things

It was hard not to learn new things while walking around Warren. The community is flush with interpretive signs, monuments, dedications, and other educational features. None of these items come across as preachy or overdone. Instead, they present the image of a community that takes pride in itself, its heritage, and its success. I would suspect that these features foster a sense of pride in the local community.

It took me back in time

The well preserved architecture and monuments of historical events and figures made me feel like I was walking through time. Well preserved buildings and historic structures provided the foundation for my journey back in time, but the pleasantness of the pedestrian environment completed the picture. Great buildings and landmarks were made to be seen on foot. From my experience in Warren, it is not merely enough to preserve old buildings, a community should also preserve the environment in which such buildings are placed. It appears to be the case that there is a relationship between a pleasant pedestrian environment and historic preservation, and I would suggest that Warren has struck this balance very well. On a final note, the lack of surface parking lots, or at least the wise placement of such lots, enabled the cultivation of a visually engaging experience around every corner.

I’d like to come again

I am cheering for communities that take a similar approach as Warren to their development. Hopefully, there are many others. To me, only public places can qualify as real spaces. In a world where many exclusively look to theme parks, shopping malls, lifestyle centers, resorts, and their cell phones as their supplement for public space, the future of urban environments at all scales remains uncertain. The former, I argue, are superficial landscapes of exclusion, and the latter, I suggest, form the canvas of our human medium. Hopefully our real urban environments will become the great places that unite us once again. Meanwhile, I may visit Warren once more.

A walk through Warren’s historic neighborhoods can feel like a trip back in time. Beautiful architecture, lush streets, and many unique attractions. It must be quite the sight after a pleasant snowfall.
The unique variety of historic homes makes walking around Warren, Pennsylvania visually engaging.
This particular home has a great porch.
This unique older building caught my eye as I was walking around.
You know its historic when even the expansion looks old.
This beautiful home provides an excellent backdrop for park goers during the winter months.
I wonder if this home once had a viewing tower?
A nice street view showing a generous sidewalk, maple trees, historic churches, and various other institutions.
A grand and unique old home.
I believe that this residence marks the childhood home of the architect who designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
A grand neighborhood church.
The shape of the windows on the viewing tower of this old home is probably just a hint at the grandeur that awaits inside.
A beautiful library in the classical style rest in a manner that is oriented toward neighborhood passersby.
I found the design of this old church to be interesting.
A nicely maintained institutional or civic property in a historic neighborhood.
A beautiful church orients its doors to the sidewalk in grand fashion.

HITTING THE ROAD – SUMMER 2022 GREAT LAKES ROAD TRIP

Posted on September 4, 2022 by tgilbertson06

Every year, millions of Americans vacation at resorts, theme parks, casinos, various tourist traps, or National Parks. There is nothing wrong with such choices, but personally, my adventures involve hitting the road to visit all the places in America that I’ve heard about yet haven’t seen. Therefore, I would be amiss to let my time in Appalachia slip past without venturing over to the Northern Midwest to see firsthand many of the places I’ve only heard about from time to time on news reports. Thus, I packed up my Honda Civic with a week’s supply of food, clothes, and accessories, and then started my casual saunter around the Great Lakes.

**Photo Credit: Thomas Gilbertson (2017 Honda Civic) – Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.**

Although I took time to stop at random towns and points of interest along the way, the general itinerary included:

Cleveland, Ohio;
Detroit, Michigan;
Michigan’s Lower & Upper Peninsulas;
Green Bay, Wisconsin;
Chicago, Illinois; and
Toledo, Ohio

As I traveled across the Northern Midwest, I collected data points on various observations. I discuss many of these observations within this post. You can explore my observations on your own through an ArcGIS Instant Application at the link below.

Click Here to Explore A Map Showing my Overall Travel Observations

Photo Credit: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79074811
Photo Credit: Derek Gauci, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49610281
Photo Credit: Yinan Chen – www.goodfreephotos.com, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33636064
Photo Credit: Peter K Burian, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80139945
Photo Credit: Chris Rand, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34696968
Photo Credit: quinntheislander, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65976595
Photo Credit: MrJacon000, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120812977

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the Northern Midwest. Many areas throughout the region appeal greatly to outdoor recreation, and numerous small towns have achieved a tourist orientation and seem to be doing well economically. From my observations, I assume that the real decline across the Northern Midwest is mostly limited to the inner city neighborhoods of large regions and rural towns whose economies never diversified beyond farming or agricultural products. Based on this assumption and the other signs of new life that emerged along my journey, I could envision an economic rebirth of this Rust Belt region one day. Meanwhile, as I drove from place to place, I noticed a potential indicator of economic wellbeing. It appeared that the condition of the highway I was on aligned with my perception of the prosperity of the surrounding region.

Cleveland, Ohio

My stay in Cleveland, Ohio was probably the most limited among the places I visited. I limited my stay for two reasons. First, I was attempting to beat a growing system of thunderstorms that were chasing me back into Pennsylvania. Second, I already live not too far from Cleveland and actually have the ability to visit the city easily as a day trip over the weekend. However, despite limiting my stay in Cleveland, I managed to check out the historic Terminal Tower (Tower City) which I have not been around to visit before.

The front entrance lobby inside Terminal Tower.
Looking up through the grand skylight at Terminal Tower within the atrium of the Tower City Mall.

Terminal Tower is one of the grandest buildings I’ve ever seen. It must have been a sight during its heyday. However, that heyday is long gone. Just outside the mall, I was greeted by a horrific fight between two grown persons concerning the custody of a child. The interior shopping mall was very undercapitalized. To be quite honest, this is the only shopping mall that I’ve entered where I felt unsafe (even though I entered mid-day). The kiosk merchants who approached me to sell their wares came off more like street hustlers than retail employees. I was saddened by this experience and decided to limit the amount of time I spent there as a result. This atmosphere mixed negatively with another issue in that the site appears to attract many people struggling with drug addiction as well as those experiencing homelessness. Many of the storefronts were not leased out and the remaining tenant mixture was disjointed. Even the food court hosting a Chick-Fil-A was almost entirely empty. Sections of the mall felt so deserted that they appeared ripe for criminal activity.

The shopping mall’s connection to the adjacent casino seemed to contribute to a less welcoming environment, and could potentially limit Terminal Tower’s revitalization or redevelopment potential going forward. I thought about the casino somewhat as I walked around the interior atrium of the mall. To me, the inclusion of the casino illustrates some of the tradeoffs that exist between redevelopment strategies in struggling communities. I could imagine that the casino proposal may have come with the promise of delivering much-needed private investment and tax revenue into Cleveland – but at what cost? This attempt at redevelopment differs from the approach employed in Chicago, Illinois where large-scale works of infrastructure and buildings are activated with the arts. In that city, a given space might not have much going on from day to day but the introduction of public art displays can begin to attract at least casual visitors to the area. Needless to say, there was not much art on display at Terminal Tower, and the grand hallways that once likely teemed with travelers and shoppers were so deserted that it felt like I shouldn’t be there either.

As a final thought on Terminal Tower, I noticed that there was formerly a Brooks Brothers retailer in the mall. From research conducted after my visit, it appears that the upscale men’s fashion retailer closed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. However, what seemed telling, as I looked at the retailer’s former entry doors within the mall was how small and tucked away they were. Brooks Brother’s front entry was not saying, “we’re here come on in!” Instead, it appears that it may have once said, “great, you’ve found us, now enter quickly before others outside of our target demographic notice that we’re here.”

The Motor City

The second day of my road trip, I fired up my car and began motoring on to the Motor City. Wait, let’s pause for a moment. Motor City. Detroit is best known as being a center of automobile manufacturing in the United States. What could be the significance of nicknaming a place after one particular type of industry? What can we infer about a city that is nicknamed after only a specific type of economic activity? Can anyone identify any major cities nicknamed in a similar manner? The company of cities nicknamed in a similar fashion is not too encouraging. These include the following.

Flint, Michigan – “The Birthplace of General Motors” & “Vehicle City”
Grand Rapids, Michigan – “Furniture City”
Hartford, Connecticut – “Insurance City”
Lexington, Kentucky – “Horse Capital of the World”
Lincoln, Nebraska – “Hartford of the West”
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – “Brew City”
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – “The Steel City”
Stamford, Connecticut – “Lock City”
Wilmington, Delaware – “Chemical Capital of the World”

With some exceptions, this is not exactly an all-star team of economic success stories. Back to Detroit.

Taken overall, the very center of downtown Detroit was nicer than I had anticipated. I had anticipated a central core that would feel much more dangerous even during the middle of the day than the one I happened upon. A central food pod and relatively open-air bar provided a great deal of foot traffic within the vicinity of Campus Martius Park. This area was nice and could be improved upon to make an excellent community space. As I walked a few blocks away from Campus Martius Park, I noticed that foot traffic dropped off sharply to levels not above that of any typical American neighborhood. My sense of safety dropped as the level of foot traffic declined.

“In essence, Detroit could easily widen its sidewalks, narrow its crosswalks, and otherwise reduce the width of its streets all throughout the city beginning with downtown.”

I got a sense of Detroit’s truly amazing industrial legacy while I drove into the city. Some neighborhoods or areas were so dedicated to industrial production and natural resource extraction that they are completely unlike anything that I’ve experienced within a large city. These vast areas of production facilities lying within the formation of a neighborhood street grid were unique in my opinion.

As I drove into Detroit from its southwestern side, I got a feel for just how oriented the city’s transportation infrastructure is towards the private automobile. I found the presumed age of the automobile-oriented infrastructure to be unique. Many of the roadways as well as the automobile-oriented developments that lined them appear to have been intentionally created for vehicle use and access despite looking as though they were built before WWII. This observation suggests that Detroit and its surrounding suburbs may have adapted their land use patterns and infrastructure for automobile usage before other cities in America followed suit.

A Lack of Businesses

As soon as I entered the city limits there were no more businesses. Unfortunately, it appears that conditions within the City of Detroit are interpreted by businesses such that they do not want to operate within its limits. This could be caused by higher taxes, specific regulations, perceived cultural differences, safety concerns, not wishing to be subject to the political environment offered within the city limits, or some combination of these factors or possibly something else. The land use pattern created by businesses only locating outside the city limits may set up a series of problematic conditions for Detroit including:

less tax revenue;
longer commutes for residents;
inconsistency between land use patterns and how the public transportation system was designed to facilitate mobility and access to jobs and services;
the challenges of cooperation between different jurisdictions over areas that are important to city residents;
the consumption of more space for human habitation than is otherwise necessary to sustain the urbanized region; and
continued disinvestment in neighborhoods within the city limits.

Wider Streets Aren’t Safer

Even within the city, suburbanization was the trend. Detroit should be turning away from the automobile industry – entirely. The activity within the city that made me feel safe and welcome was not cars driving too fast along streets, roads, and “stroads” that were too wide but instead from my fellow pedestrians on the sidewalk. Even when driving around downtown the extra wide streets actually created more hazardous and confusing driving conditions than what one might expect. Despite visiting many unfamiliar cities during my road trip, Detroit was the only place where I incorrectly navigated an intersection and ended up driving in the wrong direction for a short distance before righting the course. I argue that the only reason I misread the intersection was due to it being too wide and having poorly maintained street markings and signage. This minor slip-up would have been a big problem during rush hour. However, I’m willing to guess that Detroit has become so hollowed out that there may not be a “rush hour” anymore. From my observations, I did not observe a line of cars at any one red light. In fact, the lines of cars at nearly every red light were only one or two cars deep and either two or three cars wide.

The Opportunities Created by Overly Wide Streets

In essence, Detroit could easily widen its sidewalks, narrow its crosswalks, and otherwise reduce the width of its streets all throughout the city beginning with downtown. If this were to be undertaken, it might also be a great opportunity to introduce street trees into what was otherwise the most concrete grey city I’ve visited. The one blessing of streets that are too wide is that they offer great opportunities for the use of the extra space. Reducing the width of the streets through a variety of measures could also give off more of a sense of safety in that streets appearing to have more car traffic on them (that is to say deeper but manageable lines of cars at well-coordinated red lights) appear to be more active and therefore safer than completely or almost empty streets. Of course, wider sidewalks will have to be activated with foot traffic in order to improve one’s sense of safety.

Click Here to Explore my Detroit Observations on a Web Map

Some of my takeaway thoughts on Detroit’s urban form include:

The Detroit region appears to be extremely sprawling with many office activities located outside the central city. This decentralized region may benefit from a new approach to public transit and a recognition that the central core is not and may never again be a strong core.
Downtown Detroit could do without the entirety of its downtown interstate highway loop as well as the two suburban cloverleaf exchanges and spurs of Highway 10 and Interstate 75 that would still extend toward the downtown after the removal of the downtown highway loop.
Arbitrary municipal boundaries appear to separate areas that ought to be Detroit neighborhoods from the city itself. This circumstance is likely not rooted in any practical effort to allocate municipal services but probably in the aims of various political cleavages.

Michigan’s Peninsulas

After spending time in Detroit, I made my way to another city that I’ve only heard things about but have never seen for myself – Flint, Michigan. My remarks on Flint will be brief because I did not spend too much time there as I had to travel a great distance on the day of my visit. Flint was clearly a hard up town. However, there were some emerging signs of improvement or energy within the downtown area. I came across one of these signs in the form of a very interesting alleyway adjacent to the Capitol Theater (see below). The space included a mural, drinking areas, overhead lights, and other inviting features. This particular observation provided yet another demonstration of how communities can use the arts to bring positive attention back into struggling areas.

**Photograph of a mural in Flint, Michigan taken in the alleyway next to the Capitol Theater.**

Mackinaw City, Michigan

Beyond Flint, I enjoyed spending my time traveling through the rural and wilderness areas of Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas. On the second day of my road trip, I drove all the way from Detroit’s southernmost suburbs to Mackinaw City at the very northern tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula. Once I arrived in Mackinaw City, I strolled around the town to explore its offerings. I was impressed by how well this community has been able to orient its main street towards tourism. The main street was structured similar to the streets of downtown Detroit in that it was very wide. However, the wide expanse of space comprising the main street was used very differently. In addition to having angle parking on both sides of the street, the center of the street contained angle parking that was even large enough to fit recreational vehicles (RVs) or trucks hauling campers (or two cars). Additionally, traffic islands placed in the center of the street and at pedestrian crossings allowed for lighting and tree cover. Although I don’t normally advocate for car parking, the abundance of car parking already present within the area of the main street appears to have minimized the demand for privately held or public surface parking lots that could break up the continuity of the pedestrian-oriented commercial district. The surface parking lots that did exist within this area either applied to the large outdoor stores or the Mackinaw City Hall and were located behind the commercial buildings on the main street. The overall effect of the site development and parking configurations within the main street area appeared to be the formation of a better pedestrian environment.

The extra wide main street in Mackinaw City is well configured to support parking and pedestrian use. Public restrooms flank both sides of the commercial district and a pedestrian only shopping area contributes to the street life.

The main street of Mackinaw City not only made relatively wise use of its expansive street area to promote ease of use and a nice pedestrian environment, the addition of key public service amenities made for an even better experience. Two public restrooms were made available and open for use and roughly located at each end of the main street area. One of the public restrooms was actually carved out from the back portion of the city hall building. This last configuration potentially represents a great example of the efficiency that can be achieved from dual-use public facilities. To be blunt, every forward thinking community with its city hall already located on the main street should consider incorporating a convenient public restroom into its facilities for the benefit of the main street. I’ll note that “convenient” in this contexts means accessible from the outside of the city hall without having to pass through metal detectors and security.

Sandy Beaches & Alpine Forests

As I ventured across the Mackinac Bridge, I immediately noticed a major change in the vegetative cover of the landscape. I was hoping to spot a moose as I made my way further into the upper peninsula of Michigan. That didn’t happen. However, I did manage to find a few excellent beaches located off the shores of Lake Superior before spending the night at a small lodge in Ontonagon, Michigan. The temperature in northern Michigan was easily about ten or fifteen degrees cooler than what it was in Detroit on the same day. It was also far less humid. If this observation is typical, then the northern reaches of the Great Lakes region could become more desirable if the weather warms substantially. The next day, I went for numerous walks in the Porcupine Mountains. Once I had enough of the great outdoors, I slowly headed south towards the Land O Lakes.

A very inviting beach off the shores of Lake Huron in Mackinaw City.
A beautiful and probably historic lighthouse in Mackinaw City.
A hotdog place that I visited in Mackinaw City.
Sunset over Lake Superior taken from a public beach in Ontonagon, Michigan.
Bonanza Falls in the Porcupine Mountains wilderness in Michigan.
Pinkerton Creek in the Porcupine Mountains wilderness in Michigan.
A view from above; looking down on the Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains wilderness in Michigan.

Green Bay, Wisconsin

I never realized that the northern portion of Wisconsin is so wild. People were few and far between and much of the land was either fallow or natural. As I began to make my way down into the farmland of the state, I noticed just how nicely kept the dairy farms were and the artistic pride taken in the displays on their silos and barns. I looked into these artworks afterwards and realize that they were a part of an agricultural tourism promotion. The displays within the short clip below don’t quite do the artworks I saw justice, but the clip does explain the program. The quilt board artworks were clearly visible from the roads and highways and they gave a storybook feel to the farmland of Wisconsin.

Green Bay was a very nice and quaint town with a small-to-mid-sized appeal. In a number of ways it felt like Eugene, Oregon but instead of hosting a large university a similar commotion comes from the Green Bay Packers. The town was low key but still had many things to explore over the course of a day or week even. I particularly liked making my way around on their Bird Scooters. The scooters could travel up to 15 miles per hour for easily twenty or so miles per charge. They made getting around easy and fun, and also a little dangerous.

The riverwalk in Green Bay was the best one I’ve seen for a relatively small town. Its amenities and design offered a little something for everyone, and I noticed a real diversity of people enjoying it. My experience on the riverwalk was heightened by great weather that simply could not have been better during my visit. From a urban planning perspective, the riverwalk could be accessed from the downtown and nearby neighborhoods through walkways, easements, and paths linking to dead end streets on every block. The walkways, greenspaces, docks, and other spaces themselves were seamlessly integrated with the mixed-use development of downtown waterfront and adjacent neighborhoods.

I noticed that Green Bay appeared to have more manufacturing employment than I had expected. It was relieving to see that the city does not revolve entirely around the National Football League franchise despite its presence playing a substantial role. This observation seems to reinforce my earlier assumption about the impact of professional sports teams within their cities. Although such teams provide a nice entertainment option along with good marketing and usually a community service outlet, they are not major economic drivers. I assume that this is largely because professional sports teams do not bring in many “traded sector” jobs even though they do provide useful opportunities in “non-traded” sector occupations. Based on this assumption and my prior observations that stack against viewing sports stadiums as ways to improve neighborhoods in most cases, I was pleased to see that the Green Bay Packers were not located downtown but instead within a nearby neighborhood. Overall, my impression of Green Bay was very positive. From its appearance alone, that town seems like a nice place to live and work.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Unfortunately, the morning that I woke up in Green Bay I wasn’t feeling one-hundred percent. I wasn’t sick but may have been feeling a bit under the weather. Despite feeling a little off, I forged ahead towards Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee was a beautiful old city with much of its industrial legacy seemingly intact. I found the layout of the city to be somewhat confusing. But that is not a problem at all. In my opinion, a little bit of confusion is a proper ingredient in a well designed city. It is this minor element of chaos in the urban form that makes a place more interesting. This chaos also contributes to a city appearing more vast. From past conversations with individuals who are not too accustomed to visiting or spending time in cities, it seems that their top concerns are often centered on their worries about navigation, odd rules or right-of-way restrictions, getting lost, and the possibility of crime. I’ve also felt that if we can somehow get people to be more comfortable with urban exploration that such a cultural shift would help struggling cities attract more visitors. This idea deviates from the most common tactics used by American cities whereby cookie-cutter attractions are plopped over former neighborhoods rendering cities merely as old places to get-in and then get-out.

**This clever piece of street art in Milwaukee turns gum stains into fish food.**

Milwaukee’s dense urban core was paired with some streets radiating out from the center of town or bending to the contours of the river. The resulting form gave off the impression of an urban jungle that did not reveal itself all at once. Some of this effect could have been that this was my first time back in a sizable city after spending time on Michigan’s northern peninsula. Despite some of the unique elements of Milwaukee’s urban form that I feel contribute to its appeal, the city still appeared to struggle with some of the problems that result when downtown is divided from adjacent neighborhoods by highways.

I had only stopped in Milwaukee for about an hour-and-a-half for lunch because I found out the time zone differential played against my plans for traveling into Chicago that evening. After spending some time walking about, I came to the conclusion that seeing Milwaukee requires at least a few days of exploration. It would have been nice to spend more time there. Perhaps, I’ll come back again for a visit.

Just a view of some buildings in Milwaukee.
It was nice to see that many cities are embracing the use of street cars after Portland, Oregon reintroduced the technology back in 1999.
The atrium of an old fashion arcade shopping mall in Milwaukee.
A view of the Warner Theater’s marque in Milwaukee.
The beautiful and ornate Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce Building
Detail of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce Building’s upper floors.

The Windy City

Chicago is a great city. To me, Chicago feels more magnificent or impressive than any other city in the United States. One caveat being that I’ve never visited San Francisco or Los Angeles being the only two cities that I think could rival Chicago. New York is certainly larger as well as more interesting and influential. But New York was built more to the human scale and just doesn’t carry the sense of grandeur or triumph that I find in Chicago. However, New York’s human scale feel and easily walkable neighborhoods give it a major advantage over Chicago whose urban form could either be the majesty of a thriving city or the curse of a dying one. I remember that walking around Manhattan sort of felt like walking around downtown Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington just with more street life and boisterous people. Regardless, Chicago is the greatest city ever founded and built by Americans and was informally intended to be the economic and cultural capitol of the United States. Today, Chicago still takes pride in its grandeur without apology. If this demeaner continues and larger economic trends begin to tilt back towards the nation’s heartland, then it is possible that Chicago could rise again. Hopefully, the city that does such a great job showcasing its strength is humble enough to tackle the problems that seem present throughout its region.

Comprehensive Public Transit

Chicago’s issues were evident as I entered the city from its northern side. The traffic attempting to circulate through the neighborhoods of Chicago’s far northside was ridiculous. Those neighborhoods could clearly benefit from increased urbanization to promote a more walkable or transit friendly environment. Potentially, the construction of a series of circulator streetcars could conveniently link the residential portions of the city’s outer neighborhoods to the numerous regional train stations that run into The Loop (downtown). I did not see any streetcars in the city or its neighborhoods during my visit. Providing these circulator streetcars could potentially increase the reach and effectiveness of Chicagoland’s regional rail lines. Given the abundance of Chicago’s existing regional train stations, it is possible that “circulator” streetcar lines might not even need to circulate at all. A potential configuration could comprise a streetcar running in a perpendicular line to the trajectory of each regional rail line for about a mile on each side of a commuter station. This method of circulation could make transit use more convenient for people residing within the interstitial areas between regional rail lines.

My impression of Chicago was that the city is teeter-tottering between the natural push of American consumers towards an irrational automobile oriented lifestyle and the type of urbanization that we typically only see in central Philadelphia, Boston, or throughout most of New York City. I believe that efforts to move the city’s urban form towards a more transit and pedestrian orientation could not only improve the local quality of life but result in better economic prospects.

Residential Downtowns will be key to success

I was pleasantly surprised by how Chicago has been working to accommodate a greater residential population within and near its downtown core. The presence of these residents added a consistent flow of street life throughout the central portions of the city. It was amazing to be reminded of just how much more street activity Chicago has over Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh among others. However, the foot traffic declined considerably on Sunday morning – I assumed that this was resulted from lower tourism on that day paired with the onset of rain.

Based on casual observations during my travels, I’ll rank the level of foot traffic and street life in each of the cities I visited as follows:

Chicago (very high on most blocks within central areas, some steady crowds)
Milwaukee (high throughout the central core)
Green Bay (moderate on the main street but high along the riverfront)
Detroit (moderate within a block or two of the core and dropping off almost completely beyond)
Mackinac City (high on main street and moderate at points of interest)
Toledo (low throughout with some areas approaching moderate)
Cleveland (low throughout downtown, but moderate with the “down and out” crowd)
Ontonagon (low but steady along main street)
Flint (low along main street)
Antigo (low)

The Chicago Board of Trade abuts the end of this street.
A beautiful streetscape of old buildings in Chicago.
Even the churches are vertical in Chicago.
The Chicago Riverwalk in the evening.
What a place for a selfie.
The great Chicago Watertower – only building to survive the Chicago Fire.
Chicago is the headquarters of this all-American favorite.
The light show displayed on the side of this building is a must see.
Chicago City Hall has seen some powerful politicians in its days.
These futuristic towers are always a favorite. Just don’t build any more.
An old building tries to fit into a new skyline.
The outdoor arcades and skybridges of the Wrigley Building are some of the nicest in the country.
More of that awesome skybridge (Wrigley Building).
Trump International Hotel & Tower seen from under the Wrigley Buildings skybridge.
Trump strikes again. This time in Chicago.
Trump’s Chicago tower.
One of many grand buildings in Chicago.
The Chicago Theater from underneath the L Train.
North Shore Beach was such a nice place to cool off.
A new pharmacy in an old drugstore building.
Buckingham Fountain is simply impressive.

Chicago highlights the importance of bringing people to live within the central urban core of cities. A key problem often standing in the way of building residential downtowns is the challenge of providing sufficient educational opportunities for students. Since the issue of fixing urban schools has been an ongoing challenge with little results, maybe it is time to rethink the concept of a school. Perhaps kids can attend a mostly online education but socialize with their peers in neighborhood groups or some other similar arrangement instead.

The role of public art

While spending time in Chicago, I was consistently confronted by unique works of creative public art. A diverse mixture of artworks are employed throughout the city’s public realm including modern, classical, abstract, poppy, avant garde, digital, historical, and more. Some of these artworks were used to tell great stories of individuals who have made important contributions to society while others shared tales of civic pride. The most impressive public artworks were successfully able to bring people to areas of the city that would otherwise sit dormant based on their surrounding land uses. A particular stand out was Art on the Mart. I enjoyed watching this digital light and music show on the façade of the Mercantile Exchange Building. The video below is a short clip showcasing the unveiling of Art on the Mart provided curtesy of the Chicago Sun Times in 2018. You can also check out their website to learn more – https://artonthemart.com/

Even though Chicago has soo much going for it already, a continued focus on quality of life improvements and crime reduction could serve the city greatly in the future.

Click Here to Explore my Chicago Observations on a Web Map

Toledo, Ohio

Toledo appeared to have nice bones (buildings, infrastructure, public facilities) left over from its days as a larger manufacturing center. Although the town appeared fairly hollowed out during my visit, the downtown shows signs of sprouting some interesting businesses and the years of population decline made parking easy. In general, the lack of street activity on the day of my visit made me feel less safe, and I didn’t want to spend too much time there as a result. I did manage to find a very nice coffee shop and enjoy walking around a few of the more attractive parts of the downtown before heading back to Pennsylvania. If the Midwest starts to turn around in terms of economy and population, then Toledo might be a city to watch.