Community Building Tip: Underpasses

[ysabetwordsmith]

For my current set of tips, I'm using the list "101 Small Ways You Can Improve Your City.

28. Remake an underpass into an art space—or a park. Los Angeles has hundreds of pedestrian underpasses originally built to help students get across busy streets. But most of the underpasses have been sealed off to discourage illegal activities. In the Cypress Park neighborhood, coffee shop owner Yancey Quinones fought to reopen a nearby tunnel and fill it with art. The monthly openings spill out into the streets, activating the entire block. Need more inspiration? We’ve rounded up 11 ugly urban underpasses now functioning as parks.

While I generally approve of using underused spaces, I'm not sure it's a good idea to attract  extra people to an area with high noise and pollution from cars right overhead.

Comments

[erulisse]

Here in Houston what they have done in a number of places is add murals to underpasses. Not the type of thing meant to attract pedestrians but the kind of thing meant to look attractive when you drive through it. It does help break up all that grey.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I think that's a better solution. It makes use of the space, creates art, but doesn't invite problems.

[(Anonymous)]

From what I understand people routinely use them as shelters. They'd work better with actual features...

[we_are_spc]

They do. I've heard of a lot of homeles sheltering under those types of bridghes.

-T~

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

People do use them as shelters, and everyone needs facilities, but somewhere away from the heavy pollution would be better.

Re: Yes ...

[(Anonymous)]

Ideally yes.

I live in a country that has technically made it illegal to have no money (and possibly, be homeless) without writing an actual law for people to object to.

I also am feeling rather cynical today, so while I would suggest government-funded projects be put elsewhere, if the guv'ment tries to dissasemble jury-riggged citizen supplied stuff without alternatives I'll be annoyed with them.