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January 13, 2008
The Superblock lives. Unfortunately.
Alex Marshall, Editor, Spotlight on the Region, via Historic Districts Council Newsstand
Everyone knows the Superblock is dead.Jane Jacobs put a stake in its heart 47 years ago, with her convincing analysis that large blocks decrease street life and are less versatile than smaller blocks that provide a finer-grained network of connections.
While her analysis was once a dissident point of view, it is now that of the establishment, at least in academic circles. Today it would be difficult to find a prominent urban designer that would speak in favor of the Superblock. It’s a relic, most urbanists say, a leftover of Modernist urban planning that celebrated separating uses, showcasing the car, and denigrating the old-fashioned street.
So if that’s the case, why is the Superblock very much alive and well here in New York City and around the region when it comes to designing new projects? Let’s look at a few here in New York City, Jacob’s old stomping ground.
One of the most prominent examples is the planned Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn. The rail yards to be built upon now separate the neighborhoods of Prospect Heights and Fort Greene like a giant moat. But rather than extend some of the smaller streets in Fort Greene across the site and Atlantic Avenue, the current plans actually demaps a major roadway, Pacific Street. This helps create several superblocks, one of them particularly enormous. Connectivity will actually be reduced by the new development.
Posted by amy at January 13, 2008 10:44 AM