5/19/2005

Death and Life...of Great American Cities...
I was first introduced to the work of Jane Jacobs while reading Craig Howard's blog A Voice from America's North Coast, in January. When I ordered Death & Life of America's Great Cities, it couldn't have arrived at a better time. I just began networking with the PTO at Performing Arts High School and acted as a neighborhood activist to help smooth a decision to help make a new home for the Performing Arts High School here in this little corner of Masten. Iwrote about a number of neighborhood assets and attended the meeting where the decision was finally made to re-locate Performing Arts High School, directly across from the Woodlawn Row Houses.
Jane Jacobs
Here's what I wrote about Jane Jacob's work back in January in reference to what's going on with this little corner of the city's east-side. Hank Bromely, a Performing Arts High School parent, made the full transcript of his interview with Jane Jacobs (July 2000) available, too. James Howard Kunstler interviewed her a few months later. His work, The Cluster Fuck Nation Chronicles is still, pretty wacky and often dead on!

The decision to re-locate Performing Arts High School one block from Main Street on Ferry at Masten, (see google map/satellite image) that shows proximity to Elmwood, is a hugely important decision that has transformative qualities for our city. I've written about that that decision, over here. Florence Johnson, Buffalo School Board President, picked up on this and included it as the second story in her totally awesome blog, Fix Education.

Now we are building a working committe, PTO, neighbors, Cannon architects, a Buffalo City planner and members of other community organizations. We will be reviewing the plan document and determine where we need to extend and add a few design pieces to firmly integrate the "new" school within the streetscape along Ferry Street between Main and Jefferson. We are identifying private funding sources that may be interested in lighting, landscape and other issues that will insure the success of this venture.

Oh yeah...make sure to check out Figmo's new post about Jane Jacobs at Buffalo Rising and Alan has something to say about it already at Buffalo Pundit.
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Artspace ArchiveAnnals of NeglectBAVPAWhere is Perrysburg?Broken Promises...
Writing the CityWoodlawn Row HousesTour dé Neglect - 2006faqmy flickr

And I finally had the opportunity to meet Craig Howard over here in the 'hood about a month ago. You can read about it here, great pics from Craig, too!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

They erased another one of mines.

Another bougey article, Figmo? You don't have any shame do you? Just like Clarence Thomas and the Republicans, the only people coming to your defence are white's who think you're acceptable because your their dog on a leesh who won't bite.

Even the guy over here knows how wack you are. Read this, brotha. I hope you aren't ashamed of me calling you that but that's what you are. Read this
http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2005/05/death-and-life.html

But you won't go over there will you? You just want to talk about your privleged white life in New York and California with the racist white folks who love you. You don't want to read about the East Side. Maybe you grew up here but sure are running away from it.

You must be embarassed. That's why you don't even put your face in your profile.

Go ahead and erase this now, just like you try and erase the black away. I feel sorry for you.

Anonymous said...

I think BRJ just ended this.

Sorry, boys.

Don't worry. I'm sure no one knows who they're talking about.

http://buffalorising.blogspot.com/2005/05/biffalo-buff-and-other-lessons-from.html

Anonymous said...

Updated Megan, she rocks!