Elements of Urbanism - Brooklyn, New York

[Metro Jacksonville]

Elements of Urbanism - Brooklyn, New York



Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough with approximately 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-aug-elements-of-urbanism-brooklyn-new-york

[Coolyfett]

Nice! Gotta love the city. Looks like so much to do. How many train stations does brooklyn have?

[brainstormer]

I noticed a lot of one way streets, but I'm guessing that is due to the high density.  A street that is three lanes wide can have a one way lane and then parking in the other two.  I like how they are recreating an old pier into public green space.  I would like to see the big shipyards pier downtown turned into a beautiful park.  With the Northbank Riverwalk extended along the edge that would really extend our core in a positive way. 

[fieldafm]

Reading this article got me mad this morning.  I was recently at a trivia night and the final question was to rank in order the 5 borroughs in NY based on population.
I had Brooklyn and Manhatten 1 and 2 respectively, and the trivia guy was adament it was the other way around.
Our team lost b/c of the final question!


Anyway, thats my rant for the day

[Steve]

I noticed a lot of one way streets, but I'm guessing that is due to the high density.  A street that is three lanes wide can have a one way lane and then parking in the other two.  I like how they are recreating an old pier into public green space.  I would like to see the big shipyards pier downtown turned into a beautiful park.  With the Northbank Riverwalk extended along the edge that would really extend our core in a positive way. 

One way streets are one thing if you have the traffice demand, and viable public transit.  They are another thing if traffic demand is low, and you force everyone to drive.
Furthermore, Most NYC drivers are used to the one-ways, whereas most of Jacksonville is not.  Don't underestimate that.

[finehoe]

Reading this article got me mad this morning.  I was recently at a trivia night and the final question was to rank in order the 5 borroughs in NY based on population.
I had Brooklyn and Manhatten 1 and 2 respectively, and the trivia guy was adament it was the other way around.
Our team lost b/c of the final question!

No one had a smart phone?

[fieldafm]

Reading this article got me mad this morning.  I was recently at a trivia night and the final question was to rank in order the 5 borroughs in NY based on population.
I had Brooklyn and Manhatten 1 and 2 respectively, and the trivia guy was adament it was the other way around.
Our team lost b/c of the final question!

No one had a smart phone?

Yes, but homeboy wouldnt budge b/c his source said Manhattan #1.
BTW, you can't use smart phones for trivia nights... kinda defeats the whole purpose, lol.

[finehoe]

BTW, you can't use smart phones for trivia nights... kinda defeats the whole purpose, lol.

Well obviously it would defeat the purpose of showing who knows what, but it seems kind of silly not to have some kind of factual authority for just such disagreements as you describe.

[Lunican]

Manhattan is actually third.
   
Brooklyn   Kings               2,567,098   
Queens   Queens             2,306,712   
Manhattan   New York      1,629,054
the Bronx   Bronx             1,397,287
Staten Island   Richmond   491,730   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Boroughs

[mbstout]

I was raised in Jacksonville, attended UF, and moved to Brooklyn eight years ago into a former garment factory building in an industrial area that would be Jacksonville's version of the Springfield Warehouse District.  When I moved in, there was one place to get food, the rest of the area left for industry or unused.  Now (mixed in with the metal shops, concrete factories, clothiers, cabinetry builders etc..) we have 5 coffee shops, 7 restaurants, 6 bars, 3 health food stores, a video rental store, a green gym, a wine/liquor store, several gallery spaces/photo & film studios, a bi-annual Artist's Open Studios/festival, and a sushi place on the way.  It's been amazing to watch and live through and I only hope that Jax can get it's act together with the S-line and a stop in the Springfield Warehouse District and things would probably mirror (on a smaller scale) what's happened here.

[finehoe]

...I only hope that Jax can get it's act together with the S-line and a stop in the Springfield Warehouse District and things would probably mirror (on a smaller scale) what's happened here.

Maybe we can draft Bloomberg for Mayor of Jacksonville. 

[stjr]

With a rapidly growing population and high densities already, New York City has virtually nowhere to put new parkland - except for on its riverfront. Over the past decade, the city has been replacing broken-down piers and abandoned industrial zones with green spaces on the Hudson and East Rivers, hoping to give New Yorkers a respite from the grayness of the urban grid.

Brooklyn is no exception to the rule, and locals have been pushing for years to have its waterfront transformed. Last week, we saw a major step in that direction with the opening of the first segment of the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The park sits under the world-famous bridge, on land used for freight shipping until the early 1980s.

The first section of the park, a 9.5-acre expanse called Pier 1, is mostly grass. But it also includes a playground and a series of steps leading towards the river called the "Granite Prospect."

Jax needs to learn from New York.  We have some opportunities here with the Shipyards and JEA.

[urbaknight]

I always compair Jacksonville to Philadelphia and New York City and now you see why. I consider them both my home cities, I'm from New Jersey (mother's family is from North Jersey, father's family is from South Jersey) What makes them special is, first and foremost, walkability, history, cultural heritage, (they have their own  styles, for example) They still have ethnic neighborhoods from all over the World. Their's always something to do. Don't get me wrong these cities have their share of problems, crime, parking and they're very expensive. They have things that they're tired of, things that we have to fight tooth and nail just for our idiots in city council to even listen to. We have a great opportunity to learn from and capitalize on. I dare say that Jacksonville can be even better than those cities that I so desperately love. With proper planning, we can correct the problems as we implament our improvements, even before projects are finished. That's why I say over and over again, we need leadership from up north or out west. As great as the south is, it sucks at city planning, not always, (see New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston, and a handfull more) I don't mean to offend, I'm just homesick and just want to feel like I'm back there.

[wordofmouse]

For the love of God, stop trying to emulate another city or neighborhood. Why you point to Brooklyn as an example Jacksonville should follow is a silly comparison.  Reason Brooklyn has so many people walking is because it is out of site to afford a car in New York City main boroughs. Then top it off with shit holes to live in for $700k. Dont get me wrong, Ive been living up here now for 10yrs after leaving Jax. but for you future planning dreams, make them bigger and broader than Brooklyn NY or any other place. Consider yourself lucky, you have a clean slate to build almost anything you want in Jax.  You took bold steps Consolidating, and in the 80s with the focus on Downtown.......now is your time to do it again but with lots more voices calling for it and experiences of other cities to draw from and develop your own special living urban environment and identity.