I want to say that, before I proceed with writing this post, that the very idea of Designing Local is a fairly new conversation. Communities have worked hard to provide infrastructure for citizens that is functional. They work with the very best intentions. And, communities have provided infrastructure long before anyone was talking about the importance of locally-inspired designs (which is right now!). So this post is not meant to point fingers. It’s merely to show how pervasive ‘catalog bought’ infrastructure has become and why Designing Local is needed.
I live in one of if not the most interesting, colorful and unique neighborhoods in the Midwestern United States: The Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio. It’s considered to be expressive, and, relative to virtually any neighborhood I’ve visited, it is. It’s so colorful that I included it in many permanent photos in the design of this website. The Short North is a destination. It even boasts a national reputation for being vibrant and fascinating, worth “at least a day trip.” But even in The Short North where things are supposed to be dramatic and brilliant, “catalog bought” infrastructure pervades.
Let me show you what I mean…
I grabbed my camera and walked down High Street, the main commercial corridor. I was on a quest to take photos of infrastructure that was bought from a manufacturer and implemented along the street– the kinds of items you’d find anywhere.
I first noticed this garbage can and parking meter (below) are straight from manufacturers’ catalogs. Someone picked out a trash can and parking meter, wrote down the purchase order number, and the garbage can and parking meter were delivered and implemented with little thought, no muss, and no fuss. This is what happens in cities and towns everywhere no matter where you go.
You probably have these garbage cans and parkind meters–the exact models– in your community because your folks also bought them from the same catalogs. This is a big reason why our places look the same.
It only took a few steps along the neighborhood’s main street (High Street) to find more catalog-bought infrastructure. Below is a photo of a catalog-bought planter with a generic shrub that could be purchased at any big box home store. Neither the generic planter or the shrub have anything to do with The Short North, and, when they are found in thousands of other places, they diminish my neighborhood’s power of expression. They are missed design opportunities for bringing out the neighborhood’s local soul.
Look at this multi-mailbox stand. It says nothing about The Short North because it also comes directly out of a catalog. This mailbox represents another overlooked chance to tell a Short North story.
This bench– you’ve seen it. You’ve probably sat on it in your community because it’s everywhere. And it’s everywhere because it is mass-produced.
These light posts and globes are straight off the early 1980s rack.
Here’s a crosswalk signal sign, probably still under manufacturer’s warranty.
This newspaper dispenser bin looks like thousands of others. Everywhere.
This fire hydrant could have told a Short North story, but it doesn’t.
This tree grate isn’t a Short North identifier. Everyplace has them. And, unfortunately, Neenah, Wisconsin (where these things were manufactured) is showcased, not The Short North.
Here’s a catalog-bought cigarette dispenser.
This is a catalog-bought bike rack. Another blown chance to tell the story of the fabulous Short North.
Here’s a catalog-bought walk-signal activator… (Boring! No story here!)
Even the sidewalk is generic. Plain sidewalks are tremendous missed-opportunities to have designed something amazing instead of pouring plain-old gray concrete that every other place pours.
When a bicycle repair station was installed after buying them from a catalog it was received very positively. These stations are new to the area, and new things are always interesting. This station also provides a valuable service for cyclists, but their out-of-the-box designs do not contribute to the local area at all. This exact station model is being opened out of boxes in many other neighborhoods and cities. They represent a new form of generic infrastructure.
But, if places must implement off-the-rack infrastructure, The Short North has some good examples. For instance, these bike shelters (below) obviously came straight from a catalog. As you can see, the neighborhood’s name and a bike map of Columbus were added for a nice personal touch. While this is much more interesting and locally-specific than merely installing the bike shelters as delivered, Short North shelters could been 100% original, pimped out with specific neighborhood design in full Short North style.
A few feet away from the bike shelter is what looks to me like a catalog-bought information kiosk. This side (below) of the kiosk is, well, just a kiosk. It does features a custom map and business directory of the neighborhood as would be expected from any other neighborhood that purchased this info infrastructure from a catalog.
The other side of the kiosk is more emotive and interesting. It actually (literally) tells The Short North’s down-on-its-luck-to-fabulous story. It’s just too bad that the kiosk itself couldn’t contribute to the area’s comeback story, too. I’d love to see a Short North kiosk design based on that drag queen’s costume that is featured in the photo below. (Or is it a ballerina mime? Hmmm.) Such a specialized kiosk would be more remarkable than the ‘very nice’, functional version that is on the ground today.
The Short North touts itself as a tourist destination. For places that do, I tend to measure successful community design by how many people take the time to stop and take pictures. During my walk, I took this picture of three strangers taking pictures of each other with a colorful mural as their backdrop. People crave these kinds of special experiences that capture their imaginations. Thankfully, The Short North is full of surprises like this mural. But, unfortunately, the district has many more examples of catalog-bought infrastructure than it does 100% original things that say “I’m the Short North!” My neighborhood could become even more of a picture-taking opportunity with a bit more attention paid to the mundane things. (Mundane things that were store bought and ubiquitous to every other place.)
It’s important to know that I only spent 10 minutes taking these photos. They were snapped within a two block area. I could have snapped hundreds of individual images of catalog-bought items along the street, but the ones I’ve included above were adequately representative.
I hope that you are now aware of how details matter. Everything we put on our landscapes matter. We must be aware how we homogenize our communities that should be telling remarkable stories instead. We can choose not to build the same streets and buildings from standard designs. We can decide not to install the same signs. The same sidewalks. The same festivals. The same everything!
The Short North– and your ‘hood– should be encouraged to imagine and design every aspect of its built environment. A Designing Local workshop can help start the ball rolling: http://www.designinglocal.com/#the-work .
And I invite you to read Designing Local: 100% Original Communities (Coming later in 2013 or early 2014) for a more in-depth look at ways to create places that are remarkable. Meanwhile, join the conversation here on www.designinglocal.com.
Sincerely,
Kyle Ezell