Anecdotally, it does seem to make a difference in how residents and visitors view each place.

There are many details in terms of spacing features such as sidewalks and bump-out etc, the basics of a quality street still remain the same. Vibrancy comes form having people oriented facades and on BOTH sides of the street so that when you’re walking on one side you can envision yourself at another interesting site on the other side, perhaps on a return trip heading in the opposite direction. This creates a simple yet powerful dynamic flow of pedestrians that Downtown Hartford lacks as it possesses far far too few of these contiguous stretches when you compare it to a location such as West Hartford Center / BB Square. Other than tiny Pratt street, there are few examples of a walkable, enjoyable street that mirrors SoHo our Philadelphia’s South Street.

I’m actually a huge booster of Hartford from an activity standpoint – there are many things to do in the city and region, but thanks to the inundation of heinous surface parking, the walking vibe Downtown Hartford has feels as though IT were one of the cities bombed out in a World War but just hasn’t had the moxie to rebuild yet. Most shameful is the surface parking lot at the former Oakleaf site on Allyn Street, as the corridor from Union Station to the center commerce district should be replete with structures that invite one to stroll to the streets within the center city, but instead it looks like a pockmarked collection of disjointed buildings that make for a woeful incomplete street.

I would hope that setting codes and standards for the right type of development can overcome resistance from behemoth parking lot operations who have failed to properly serve and who have only embarrassed the city with serious price gouging when notable events come to town.

’nuff said…yo

EOM…out