Style Weekly
Don S. O'Keefe
Member since Dec 23, 2011
Recent Comments
Re: “VMFA Scores Slave-Inspired Artwork”
Another great acquisition for the museum. Thank you to John Ravenal and Alex Nyerges, among others.
Re: “Gathering Steam”
I hope that, someday soon, all trains will stop at Main Street and Staples Mill will be closed. Its really quite embarrassing for a Richmonder to have to meet a visitor at Staples Mill. There is no wonder or dignity to the experience. Main Street street is much more convenient for public transit as well, which must be encouraged.
Re: “Spaced Out”
I don't believe increasing parking spaces is a viable solution. Public transit must be improved and used more widely. Improvements could be made immediately but conditions may have to deteriorate for action to be taken. In the mean time, let us increase population density in whatever way possible thus adding pressure for transit while simultaneously raising the likelihood that more intense transit will be successful.
Re: “China Dolls”
This article was very well written. I think some of the analysis of the art itself and its context in art history is misguided, at least debatable, but I enjoyed the article tremendously, all the same. Thanks.
Re: “Nothing but Rent”
I hope that the trend of new apartments downtown continues as rapidly as possible. This article is well written but it seems to represent the mindset that the current situation is fixed. Many things had to change in order for downtown to get to the point that it has reached. Here are some things that might change the number of apartments needed downtown further.
1. A demographic change in who is renting them. People in all age groups may start renting more or buying more condominiums downtown including those with families. I hope to raise a family without a car, in a dense, urban neighborhood, and likely in a multifamily building.
2. The demand will likely grow as more apartments are added, not lessen. With urban areas, the more densely an area is populated the more attractive it often is. More people can support more services and a greater range of services. Imagine a high quality grocery store, specialty food shops, more restaurants, an art house film theatre, and so on springing up in the remaining vacant storefronts and, most importantly, over the vast swaths of surface parking. A few thousand units can make a huge difference in getting these things started.
As the article states, the ratio of units downtown to units overall is awfully low. Downtown should be as densely populated as possible as quickly as possible. As soon as we can begin to reverse the abysmal mistakes of American planning, the better.
Re: “Inward and Upward”
I suppose I can understad why this would be better than the same number of homes provided in cul-de-sac form, from a land use perspective. However, in comparison to the other end of the hypothetical scale of how Richmond could have developed, it is saddening. Where people live, what people find attractive, and related issues are essentially moral imperatives. Things are either bad or good. Justifications serve only to reinforce instincts honed over a life time of bias. I trust my bias when it tells me that short pump is deplorable. I am sad that things couldn't have been different.
Other Publications
Re: “Richmond City Council Passes Bike Restrictions, Cyclists Protest”
City sign posts are bike rikes. We should embrace their multifunctional nature. What better to lock a bike rike to than an immovable metal pole owned by everyone? Just because signs were designed for one purpose doesn't mean they don't function well for another. What is more, there is no implementation cost because they already exist. They are on the outside edge of the sidewalk so they don't block pedestrians much. The signs are high off the ground so locking to them doesn't affect their visibility. Even when bike racks are around I prefer using the sign post. To be honest, I don't think the city couldn't design a better bike rack if they tried.
Also, down with cars. They have been the death of the American City.