September 25, 2011
I was in Savannah, Georgia about one month ago as part of a short, but much needed vacation.
The original capital of the colony of Georgia and founded in 1733, this bustling capital and fourth largest U.S. port city is also host to one of the country’s largest historic districts. Encompassing nearly the entirety of the downtown district, the city has managed to preserve a grid pattern centered around 22 public squares. The historic district came about in large part out of a very public backlash around converting these historic squares and adjoining buildings into the standard and quite ugly 1960s parking garages.
As we get ever closer to approving the City of Waterloo’s Official Plan, which contains our first historic district and a significant update in how we view development from the 1990 version to which we are still subject, I couldn’t help but think a bit differently about how progress and the past can get along.
Columbia Square in Savannah, GA
I was particularly drawn to the public squares, which have served as the front and backyards to generations of Savannah residents given how tight the traditional buildings were before the idea of suburbia transformed what we look for in our homes. With just four trees, one on each corner, an entire square is now in shade, providing a gathering place both in and out of the hustle and bustle of city life.
As I look ahead to the October 5th community visioning session for Northdale, I wonder how we can reconcile the past and progress, and the need for public space, in a way that will contribute to a better Waterloo.
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Jeff,
Savannah is a great example of reconciling past and progress, as you say, but also an excellent example of “placemaking” – public spaces that are meant for people to interact, connect, explore, relax, gather and develop a connection to. Great public ‘places’ are more than just ’space’ and so much more than just a fancy design. They weave together the fabric of a community and we’re lost without them.
The Northdale redevelopment is a monumental opportunity, one that doesn’t come around very often. Hopefully, the process leads to a revitalized community that feels engaged, safe, dynamic…. one that everyone will want to come to because it has something unique – a community that is built by the vision of the people who live there rather than what developers want to build.