I was driving on I-75 south near Flint the other day when a drone flew right down the lane of traffic. I had never seen this before and I'm hoping it was for police use and not someone flying their toy over I-75. It does not seem like a great idea to me.
I like the idea of the scooters, but so far the reality isn't living up to the ideal for me. I've personally come across scooters abandoned in the middle of trails and sidewalks in multiple locations. In some instances I've had to move them to the side in order to bike safely past them. It makes me feel bad that people can be so inconsiderate to other trail/sidewalk users.
Yes, that is the thing that bugs me about these scooters, but I guess that is also the freedom that you can just ride to where-ever and leave it. They seem to do a good job of gathering them up at night around here, I think providing parking stands on busy corners could help. Perhaps offer a discount or free minutes for returning them to a stand. It kind of surprises me that some of them have not ended up, chucked into the river.
Out here in CA you're seeing them pop up mostly in touristy cities. They are everywhere in South Lake Tahoe. San Francisco soft-banned them for a while, but recently awarded permits for a couple of companies to start offering them again. So far the only thing I've seen around here in the Sacramento area are rent-a-bikes.
In SLT they're not that bad; sidewalks are wide and people are generally pretty courteous. But I can imagine it's a totally different story in SF.
I saw an interesting program on PBS which profiles architects and their projects. The story that I thought somewhat related to Lansing was Ft. Worth. a vastly different scale of course, but they had a similar story a dying downtown suburban flight etc... They found an architect and a developer that had some vision beyond glass skyscrapers. They looked at the town itself for references that would be incorporated into new buildings. Red bricks stockyards grain silos where some of the features of the local architecture that they referenced. They wanted to create developments where people would feel comfortable and familiar even though they were new. They created public squares with the residential housing surrounding the square. The re-established downtown as a place to live work, shop and find entertainment. An interesting point was made in that downtown belongs to everyone, folks from all directions and neighborhoods call downtown their own. I think Lansing could learn a lot from Ft. Worth. Create a new downtown with references to the old. Build places that are fun and comfortable that look like Lansing. The development at the old Y comes to mind. There is nothing in that design the references Lansing, it is not even a very urban design. I would like to see us do better, and there is no reason we can't.
Agreed! Interesting, have to look into Ft Worth. Reuter Park really should be one of the greatest urban spaces in the state of MI. It has so much going for it. I think it will become very special within the next ten years.
It's true that Rutter Park could become an active neighborhood center when many more residents live right on that square. I could see small concessions more like push carts rather than food trucks, much better and more formal garden plantings, a park custodian and security in the park every day. and the fountain running during the whole warm weather season, not just summer.
I was flipping through a Motor Trend Magazine at my barber shop when I noticed a promotional photo of a Lexus [I think] turning onto Michigan Ave. with the Capitol and downtown skyline in the background. I think it is interesting that ad photographers find our skyline a good backdrop.
Comments
I was driving on I-75 south near Flint the other day when a drone flew right down the lane of traffic. I had never seen this before and I'm hoping it was for police use and not someone flying their toy over I-75. It does not seem like a great idea to me.
I like the idea of the scooters, but so far the reality isn't living up to the ideal for me. I've personally come across scooters abandoned in the middle of trails and sidewalks in multiple locations. In some instances I've had to move them to the side in order to bike safely past them. It makes me feel bad that people can be so inconsiderate to other trail/sidewalk users.
Yes, that is the thing that bugs me about these scooters, but I guess that is also the freedom that you can just ride to where-ever and leave it. They seem to do a good job of gathering them up at night around here, I think providing parking stands on busy corners could help. Perhaps offer a discount or free minutes for returning them to a stand. It kind of surprises me that some of them have not ended up, chucked into the river.
Out here in CA you're seeing them pop up mostly in touristy cities. They are everywhere in South Lake Tahoe. San Francisco soft-banned them for a while, but recently awarded permits for a couple of companies to start offering them again. So far the only thing I've seen around here in the Sacramento area are rent-a-bikes.
In SLT they're not that bad; sidewalks are wide and people are generally pretty courteous. But I can imagine it's a totally different story in SF.
I saw an interesting program on PBS which profiles architects and their projects. The story that I thought somewhat related to Lansing was Ft. Worth. a vastly different scale of course, but they had a similar story a dying downtown suburban flight etc... They found an architect and a developer that had some vision beyond glass skyscrapers. They looked at the town itself for references that would be incorporated into new buildings. Red bricks stockyards grain silos where some of the features of the local architecture that they referenced. They wanted to create developments where people would feel comfortable and familiar even though they were new. They created public squares with the residential housing surrounding the square. The re-established downtown as a place to live work, shop and find entertainment. An interesting point was made in that downtown belongs to everyone, folks from all directions and neighborhoods call downtown their own. I think Lansing could learn a lot from Ft. Worth. Create a new downtown with references to the old. Build places that are fun and comfortable that look like Lansing. The development at the old Y comes to mind. There is nothing in that design the references Lansing, it is not even a very urban design. I would like to see us do better, and there is no reason we can't.
Agreed! Interesting, have to look into Ft Worth. Reuter Park really should be one of the greatest urban spaces in the state of MI. It has so much going for it. I think it will become very special within the next ten years.
It's true that Rutter Park could become an active neighborhood center when many more residents live right on that square. I could see small concessions more like push carts rather than food trucks, much better and more formal garden plantings, a park custodian and security in the park every day. and the fountain running during the whole warm weather season, not just summer.
I was flipping through a Motor Trend Magazine at my barber shop when I noticed a promotional photo of a Lexus [I think] turning onto Michigan Ave. with the Capitol and downtown skyline in the background. I think it is interesting that ad photographers find our skyline a good backdrop.
one of the best skylines in the country for a city of this size
....but really only from a couple of angles. (Michigan Ave westbound and 496 westbound.....and maybe from somewhere around Prudden Place)