Pontiac, MI - living case study
How does everyone feel about this current situation happening in the City of Pontiac, Michigan? ( Link below) I am a civil engineer but have been drawn to the planning side of the transportation equation in recent years. I can see the benefits of the current system and the new, but I don't see this investment brining in more revenue/business or connectivity to the city. I'd love to start a conversation with fellow professionals. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/01/02/state-unwind-woodward-loop-pontiac-leaders-say-strangles-city/9057673002/
Comments
3 comments
(disclaimer: I'm not a professional in planning or transportation...but then again, I think that few of us on Strong Towns are.)
Giving this just a quick glance, this sounds like a classic example of transitioning from a road to a street. This article explores the revenue/business benefits of such a conversion: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/1/16/why-walkable-streets-are-more-economically-productive
I will say having a four lane road looping the city is a bit over kill even in the Cities heyday.
But my view is the road does not prevent but help get people into a town ( a road). The downtown scene (a street) has never had an success. I am from around Pontiac but there is nothing to attract people from the outside. Google Earth shows many vacant buildings. Does making the boarding roads more walkable make this city more viable? It hasn't even out grown its current area.
29 N Saginaw St
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Kn1fdoZJDTFabrq7A
Thanks for sharing more of the context. Given the lack of existing investment or productive places along that road, I think the Strong Towns approach would avoid pouring a bunch of money to convert that from a road to a street. However, I think it could be ripe for some low-cost tactical urbanism approaches to squeeze it down to a more reasonable size, especially at intersections, so as to make it more permeable for people outside cars. I think the Strong Towns approach to public investment would be a useful guide for focusing improvements in areas like this.
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