August 16, 2007
The Death and Life of Wooldridge Square Park
Two weeks ago, Katherine Gregor's Chronicle column discussed a recent study by professors Louise Harpman and Jason Sowell from UT Architecture, sponsored by the Downtown Austin Alliance. The study concluded that Wooldridge Square Park (between Guadalupe/San Antonio and 9th/10th Street) needs more community support, event programming, and landscaping improvements. Wooldridge Square, along with Republic Square and Brush Square, was one of four public squares included in the original grid for the city of Austin (the other is now the First Baptist Church).
This week, Katherine gets closer to the real problem with Wooldridge Square Park, which is its context, not its content. Unsurprisingly, this is the subject of a different study, this one by the Downtown Commission, titled "Downtown DevelopÂment and Capitol View Corridors." This study discusses the fact that the blocks immediately east and northeast of the park (left and lower-left in the image above) have limited development potential because of an onerous view corridor, and as a result contain only surface parking and drive-through uses. As Jane Jacobs explained in The Death and Life of Great American Cities, the success of an urban park is dependent on a constant stream of pedestrian traffic, which results from a variety of pedestrian-friendly uses and destinations in the blocks surrounding the park.
Wooldridge has only one really good neighbor - the Austin History Center to the south. The Travis County Courthouse to the north and northwest has potential, but the building is currently configured such that it cannot be entered from the side facing the park. The remaining neighbors include surface parking lots, parking garages and a drive-through bank; all are unfriendly to pedestrians. The only dense use is an office building to the southwest, and it does not have any ground floor retail. Without nearby residential and retail space, Wooldridge has a view corridor, but no one to view it.
Image from Microsoft Live. Relax. Up = south in order to indicate that this image is used in a purely post-post-ironic hipster way.
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Also see this thread on Metroblogging Austin in which I and a paleoliberal go at it on the same issue. Woolridge is used primarily by bums right now because there's nobody nearby who can crowd them out. It'll always be used by bums unless there's stuff nearby to attract the non-bums. Even the programmed events (like the free symphony concerts) have trouble with the bums.
It's a chicken and egg thing; right now the park is in bad shape and it's used primarily by bums, but will the park be improved or used by other people if it's known mostly as a de facto homeless shelter?
It should also be noted that among the few good neighbors the park has, both the library and the courthouse are likely to be moving in the future.
Getting a little NSFW with the Dramtica links at the end, eh?
Wells
It's not a 'bum' situation, really. It's the place where you wait for your friends to get out of jail, or go to have a cigarette while waiting for a court appearance. Jeez. If you don't want a bunch of 'bums' and criminals lallygagging about, stop making so many things illegal.
Wells, we're edgy like that.
Back to the chicken/egg thing: the park is a stop for mobile food kitchens sponsored by local churches (I think). Are the bums there because they know they can get a free meal or do the trucks show up because the bums are there?
Maybe the city should move its weekly music series from the sterile front steps of City Hall to the gazebo in the park. The slope is perfect for lunch while watching a band. If not the city maybe the county can start its own music series. All the buildings around the park are county workers anyway.
The surface parking lots are owned by Travis County. They've had numerous opportunities to improve the area -- including with the existing courthouse -- but they've done nothing positive. Why trust them with removing a view corridor? There are so many other things that can be done that are positive (like live music suggested by myname above) before pitching the corridor.
As to the "bums" -- I assume our parks are open to all, including the homeless.
Scenesters, start a trend of hanging out in that park. Sometimes there is a big chess set near the gazebo - kinda fun, or at least a cool photo-op. Very near Wooldridge there is a pedestrian friendly food trailer with yummy sandwiches, coffee & baked goods. It's called Bistrolli's. Open 7AM - 2:30PM weekdays at 1104 San Antonio Street in the courtyard (back yard) of the Allan House. Look for the big, white trailer. Grab a bite and head for Wooldridge.
Doesn't help that it shares a corner with the jail.
"myname", the reason the county hasn't done squat is because the view corridor prevents them from going up more than about one story. At that height, a surface parking lot is actually a better investment, sadly enough.
There is the threat that if the view corridor was removed, the county would build another parking garage on those blocks, like the one they built on the block to the west of the park.
There is not an urban park in America that isn't populated by bums from the hours of 8pm to 8am
I have no confidence in the county to do something with this property. They shouldn't be making "investments" in property with our tax dollars. If they can't use the land, they should sell it to someone who can. Didn't they know that the view corridor was there?