People for Urban Progress presented their latest idea for massive reuse at the Think Farm event on November 11th. They are in the process of refurbishing the stadium seats in vacant Bush Stadium and locating them at bus stops around the city. I love the idea of taking something that has exhausted its use, and …
Earlier this year I witnessed a terrifying event while out in my neighborhood. Textbooks would refer to it as a “pedestrian-vehicle conflict”, something that can be observed at any number of intersections several times a day. Seeing it play out in reality, I began to realize that our built environment has done a very poor …
I was contacted earlier this summer by a friend of mine and approached about crafting some coverage for Lawrence Village at the Fort. For those of you who are not in the know, the old Fort Benjamin Harrison has been undergoing a reuse of sorts guided by the Ft. Benjamin Harrison Reuse Authority. What …
Here’s what I’ve come across in Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) and Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission (IHPC) filings as of 11/17/11 (click links to read staff reports on these cases): 1. MDC 11/16/11 – Business Resolution NO. 2011-R-027: Authorizes the DMD to convey the former Winona Hospital Site properties located at W. 33rd Street and 3232 …
My neighborhood, Meridian Kessler, has been doing some behind-the-scenes maneuvering to promote the implementation of Form-Based zoning codes in the neighborhood. Form-based codes are the logical antidote to the current use-based zoning that is in place in much of the United States. Urban Indy will be highly supportive of the Meridian Kessler Neighborhood Association’s push …
Last week, guide lines went down on Broad Ripple Ave between the village and Keystone Avenue. I knew that the thermostriped permanent ones would not be far behind. Well, the new lines are down and my initial expectations for what the corridor would look like have been exceeded. The new design has caused a small …
Residents of Indianapolis, I have a simple question to ask that is rooted in some deep philosophical debates. What kind of city do you want to live in? Is it the type of city where you get in your car to go get everything? Is it the type of city where you can walk out …
Tonight at 8 pm is the latest public event from the folks at Big Car gallery.  Urban Indy is a sponsor of the event which features six presentations based around big ideas centered around this year’s theme of the Spirit and Place Festival, which is the body. The event takes place at the Service Center …
The story of Franklin Township’s new fee for School Buses has struck such a chord with people that it has now reached NPR. The program hits some familiar themes: Budgets are tight, property taxes are capped, and the district is forced to do more with less. However, being an urban design blog, I wish to …
From time to time I like to troll through the city’s aerial photography records and see how the configuration of our city has changed over time. In particular, it’s fascinating and depressing to see the changes that interstate highway construction brought upon our urban neighborhoods. In some cases, the construction bisected once contiguous neighborhoods; in …