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Congratulations To The Best Hotel In North America
21c Museum Hotel Best In United States
Okay, so it’s a little late in the game to be throwing cheers towards the 21C Museum Hotel for being named best hotel in the United States and 6th best in the world by Conde Nast Traveler, but better late than never, right? It is the best hotel in the United States (North America is you tally up the scores!) and its right here in the River City.
Over 25,000 readers wrote in and ranked the 21C as the only hotel in the United States to get a top-20 spot worldwide. The 90-room boutique hotel won in large part because of its unique character, and, of course, all that modern art. The Today Show simply calls the idea, “Brilliant.” (Check out the Today Show video, too.) Here’s a statement from the 21C:
“Since 2006, 21c and Proof have welcomed visitors with the vision that contemporary art can be accessible for everyone, with exhibition and installations that, whether playful or thought-provoking, are always engaging. With hundreds of hotels evaluated, it is evident that Condé Nast Traveler readers have embraced the 21c experience. Their votes affirm our vision that excelling in the hospitality industry is not about extravagance – it is about providing an exciting experience that combines quality, service, authenticity, and affordability.”
It’s also important to keep in mind what a transformation Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson’s 21C Museum Hotel has had on West Main Street. Even though it opened in 2006, it can feel like the 21C has been around for much longer as it has established itself as an anchor on Louisville’s most distinguished cultural address (and 2008 top-ten Main Street).
Not so long ago, though, the old tobacco and bourbon warehouses comprising the 21C were boarded up with paint peeling and nary a penguin in sight. Now, besides being the best hotel in the United States, the 21C provides some of the best architecture in the city with the help of architect Deborah Berke.
PrintFloyds Fork Greenway Plan Wins National Award
Floyds Fork Greenway Rendering (via ASLA Awards 2009)
The American Society of Landscape Architects has presented the Floyds Fork Greenway Master Plan a 2009 Honor Award. Nearly 600 entries were considered for awards and the Floyds Fork plan was one of only 49 projects to receive recognition in several categories. Here’s a little info about the Floyds Fork project:
“The Floyds Fork Greenway Master Plan establishes the general design direction for over 3,200 acres of permanently protected park land on the eastern edge of the Louisville, KY. Visionary in its scope and approach to sustainable design, the plan defines a blueprint to increase biodiversity through habitat preservation and enhancement, improve water quality through innovative stormwater management techniques, preserve agricultural land, and measure the regional sustainability costs and benefits of plan proposals implemented over time…
“When fully constructed, the Fork will be the largest designed park in the Metro area. Larger than Louisville’s famous Olmsted Park system, The Fork’s 3,200 permanently-preserved acres will shape the quality of life for Metro residents well into the future. The sheer magnitude of The Fork is its greatest asset. In the near-term, the basic framework of community parks, trails, and other amenities will be built, providing access and developing focal points of recreational use designed to the highest standard. Over time, as other partners join the effort, many other features and recreational amenities will be designed into The Fork.”
The jury appreciated how the park strives to preserve and protect pristine green space from development: “Beautiful scale. Addresses greenbelt for development protection and connects something that will be meaningful. Now is the time to get this stuff right and here is a great example.” Check out more of the master plan and a few more renderings at the ASLA Floyds Fork page or review the other national winners here. A formal awards ceremony will take place in September.
Louisville Among The Cities Of The Future
Louisville: City of the Future
I guess we’re the Possibility City after all. Or so says Foreign Direct Investment magazine, a publication of the Financial Times company in London. Four months went into researching 400 cities classified under four population categories. A litany of benchmarks covering economic potential , human resources, cost effectiveness, quality of life, infrastructure, business friendliness, and promotion strategy (we’re sure the Possibility City folks helped out with that last one) were used to decide the best.
Louisville ranks 7th overall in the “Small City” category just behind Sacramento, Irvine, and St. Louis. Tampa, Minneapolis, and Raleigh took the top spots. The “Small City” category represents a population base between 100,000 and 500,000 people. I assume this means in the urban service area. For comparison, New York was listed as the top Major City and Toronto is situated as 7th. In the Large City category, San Francisco came in first and Orlando pulled in a number 7 spot.
Our own fair town is the only other city besides St. Louis and Chicago to land a spot on the list from anywhere remotely close to our region, either Midwest or South. Besides the top ten spot for “Small City of the Future,” Louisville was also ranked as 3rd best city for economic potential (just behind Raleigh and Tampa). The magazine used data ranging from construction investment to number of knowledge-based jobs to retail prices to crime rate per 100,000 residents to the airports serving the city.
Read the full article and all the city rankings here [ Warning: PDF ]
Shelby Street Apartments Declared A New Landmark
The Shelby Street Apartments on the corner of Shelby and East Broadway was one of three projects recently declared a New Landmark by the Louisville Historical League. The League issues a New Landmark Award when it determines a building fits contextually with its neighborhood. In this case, the three-story, red brick building blends into the streetscape of Phoenix Hill matching materials, style, and height with surrounding structures.
“The façade detailing and composition greatly strengthens this commercial block, and significantly improves the revitalization of the East Broadway district,” said Steve Wiser, historical league board member. Any time a vacant corner lot is infilled with a new project, the street environment completely changes. The addition of one key building can suddenly make the street feel whole, or at least significantly more than it did prior. And regular readers should know how much we love the East Broadway “Bridge” Corridor. This project only helps to strengthen the area.
The project will open later this year with 22 one- and two-bedroom apartments over 3,500 square feet of street retail. The building was funded with federal funds from the nearby Liberty Green development and will offer mixed-income units ranging from subsidised to market-rate. This has been shown in many cases to stabilize neighborhoods once replete with single-income subsidised housing. The new building is by no means a “project.”
We like how this building is set apart from the rest of Liberty Green and hope the scattering of units across abandoned parcels in the community can help solve many of Louisville’s problems. We appreciate the mix of public and private development going on at the main Liberty Green site, but would like to see that expanded in future Hope VI redevelopment projects. With the funds available to rebuild housing, strategic mixed-income infill across many neighborhoods will create a more authentic urban environment for everyone.
It’s good to see the project receive the recognition it deserves for such an impressive infill development. Leasing the apartments shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but we hope they can find some retail that can fill the corner site.
The Shelby Street Apartments were designed by Phoenix Hill architecture firm Kersey & Kersey. The other two projects to receive New Landmark designation were the Fleur-de-Lis on Main and the Shippingport Bridge at the McAlpine Locks. The Louisville Historical League has been awarding New Landmarks designations since 2005.
- Louisville Historical League (Official Site)
- Shelby Street Apartments Shows Brick (Broken Sidewalk)
- Snapshot: Bricking The Shelby Street Apartments (Broken Sidewalk)
- Snapshot: Brick Arrives At Shelby Street Apartments (Broken Sidewalk)
- Shelby Street Apartments: Window Edition (Broken Sidewalk)
- Shelby Street Mixed-Use Development Mega-Update (Broken Sidewalk)
- More East Broadway “Bridge” Corridor Sale-ability (Broken Sidewalk)
- New Sidewalks: Fleur-de-Lis Construction Fence Removed (Broken Sidewalk)
- McAlpine Locks Work Nearly Done (Broken Sidewalk)
Project for Public Spaces Celebrates Louisville’s Neighborhoods
Mansions on Fourth Street in Old Louisville
We just came across a glowing write up of Louisville neighborhoods from the preeminent public space group Project for Public Spaces. The article appeared in their Making Places blog yesterday and finds only one major fault with the River City: it’s cut off from its river. So much so that the author recommends driving to Jeffersonville for the best experience on the river (and, of course, the views). We could change that, you know. The rest is pure love, though. Here are a few tidbits:
“In my days as editor of Utne Reader, we published an article by urban expert Peter Katz ranking Louisville as the 3rd most underrated city in America (Milwaukee was first). Ever since then I have eager to see things for myself—the last time I passed through was on the way to Daytona Beach for spring break while in college. So I jumped at the chance last fall to speak at a regional smart growth conference right across the river in Jeffersonville, Indiana. I arrived a day early to wander around Louisville, and was even more pleasantly surprised than I anticipated.”
So far so good, but it gets better…
“Old Louisville is in the midst of gentle gentrification, so you find Laundromats and cut-rate liquor stores sharing street corners with French bakeries and swank antique shops. Wealthy professionals’ BMWs are parked on the street in front of old mansions while students’ bicycles are locked to the second story fire escapes.
“A world away (but actually just a few blocks) is Germantown— an enclave of stereotypically tidy small houses interspersed with brick factories and tall-spired churches. Now an ethnically diverse area, Germantown nonetheless reminds me of a Central European village where people stop to chat in the street and community life revolves around the churches and taverns. Indeed, an unexpected characteristic of this Southern city is the German, Irish and Italian names you see everywhere.”
There’s more to read, including a stroll down Eastern Parkway to Bardstown Road. It’s easy to read about loving Louisville, so check out the rest of the article over at the PPS blog site.
West Main Street Apparently Great
West Main Street Among America
Yesterday it was announced that Louisville’s West Main Street was selected as one of the Top Ten Great Streets in America, and what a great designation. But is Main Street really there yet? Does it currently have what it takes to be a truly great street? It depends what your criteria are. According to the American Planning Association who hands out the awards:
“APA has singled out West Main as one of the Great Streets in America for 2008 given the street’s rich architectural legacy, unique sense of place, and contributions to downtown Louisville’s redevelopment, which has attracted $1.8 billion in reinvestment since 1992.”
Looking at West Main that way, it certainly deserved its spot on the top ten list. The architecture is definitely unparalleled and with the help of a high-quality street-scape does provide a real sense of place. It is also true the reemergence of West Main Street signaled a renewed interest in downtown and has been the poster-child of what downtown Louisville can be. There are now more people and activities on the street than ever before, from restaurants, to some of the most creative industries in the city, to museums and a few small shops. There are even a few people living on West Main in buildings like the Harbison Condos. But is the place ‘real’ yet. Does it exude that urban vitality that all great streets have. To an extent, yes, but West Main is still fairly dead after 5:00 pm except during a few programmed events every year. Retail shops still can’t stay in business long and no one could live a walkable lifestyle here: all the daily necessities simply cannot be walked to.
We’re not down on West Main Street, it is destined to become Louisville’s greatest street. Just don’t rest on our laurels too long and forget all the work that needs to be done to transform the street from a museum district into a living community. Not just a destination but a place.
Louisville Among Top Sustainable Cities, Kind Of
Louisville comes in 29th in the 2008 list of Top Sustainable Cities compiled by SustainLane and pointed out by The Building Bloc(k). Of course, no surprise, Portland, OR ranks first followed by the likes of San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Seattle, but Louisville’s top 30 appearance seems to hold ground in our region. Our 29th place also marks an improvement from 35th last year. No other city around us is ranked higher. Not Columbus (ranked 30), not Nashville (ranked 40), nor Indianapolis (ranked 44), nor Memphis (ranked 46). So overall, the River City is leading on the sustainability front, and it seems our prospects are looking brighter and brighter. Our first LEED Platinum building is set to open soon in the East Village (a cadre of other LEED properties are in the works as well), Humana has rolled out its Freewheelin’ bike-share program for public use for the IdeaFestival, we’re at least trying to provide some sort of bicycle infrastructure. Many points were considered when ranking each city; here’s what SustainLane says:
“The SustainLane 2008 US City Rankings of the 50 largest cities is the nation’s most complete report card on urban sustainability. The rankings explain how people’s quality of life and city economic and management preparedness are likely to fare in the face of an uncertain future.
These indicators gauge, for instance, which cities’ public transit, renewable energy, local food, and development approaches are most likely to either limit or intensify the negative economic and environmental impacts of fossil fuel dependence.”
The SustainLane site breaks down each city across a number of criteria. For instance, Louisville ranks 35th in Air Quality, an improvement due to fewer violations of the Clean Air Act, but still in the “Challenged” category and 42nd in Green Building (that’s “Endangered”, but hopefully should change soon!). Louisville also ranks 2nd (in fact, we tie with Portland for 2nd) in terms of Water Quality, making us a distinct leader in that category. More than anything the rankings help us see what needs improving in our city and lays it out in an easy to understand, point by point way. Here’s an excerpt from Louisville’s breakdown:
“While Louisville may not hold that coveted blue ribbon from us yet, it’s setting itself up to break away from the pack. Over 100 miles of greenways—dubbed The Louisville Loop—are in the works, as part of the “City of Parks ” initiative. Cycling has also taken off in Louisville, leading Bicycling Magazine to name it among the three most improved cities in the country. Not resting on those laurels, Louisville is making the city even more bike-friendly by launching a bike commuting website, starting a “Bikes on Board” partnership with local transit, and publishing new maps of Louisville’s paths and lanes.”
Of major concern for Louisville according to the results are commuting and transit ridership. This is a result of… well… not having a viable transit system when all our peer cities are well ahead and on their way to implementing such systems. Louisville ranks 49th (!) and 42nd in those respective categories.
- 2008 US Sustainable City Rankings (SustainLane)
- Louisville Ranked 29th Most Sustainable City (The Building Bloc(k))
Interstate 64 in Louisville Ranks 7th Nationally
America's 7th Least Wanted Highway
Interstate 64 running through downtown Louisville made it to 7th place on the Freeways Without Futures: Nation’s Least Wanted Highways list from the Congress For The New Urbanism. The list includes highways in some of the most progressive cities today: Seattle, New York, and Toronto to name a few. While Louisville’s highway doesn’t rank first, that designation goes to a battle that’s been raging for years over the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, making it on to the list demonstrates national attention being drawn to our local planning issues. Here’s some information about the project from the CNU:
“The “Freeways Without Futures” list recognizes the top-ten locations in North America where the opportunity is greatest to stimulate valuable revitalization by replacing aging urban highways with boulevards and other cost-saving urban alternatives. The list was generated from an open call for nominations and prioritized based on factors including the age of the structure, redevelopment potential, potential cost savings, ability to improve both overall mobility and local access, existence of pending infrastructure decisions, and local support.”
CNU President John Norquist, former mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, testified on behalf of 8664 in front of Metro Council last January. Norquist was successful in removing a stretch of highway from his downtown, replacing it with a lively urban, pedestrian-oriented boulevard. He warned that streets are “not just about the traffic” and stressed the three equally important purposes of streets: movement, social, and economic. Streets, especially in a compact urban area, should adhere to these standards, something a new waterfront boulevard could accomplish. Norquist cautioned Louisvillians to guard against our city becoming just another truck stop along the highway, something he sees as possible with the new designs for Spaghetti Junction. Louisville’s stretch of Interstate 64 running through downtown as described by the report:
“Louisville’s riverfront, while lined with an award-winning park, is currently separated from downtown by an elevated, 6-lane portion of Interstate 64 (I-64), which connects with Interstate 65 and Interstate 71 just east of the downtown. In September 2003, the States of Kentucky and Indiana, working with the Federal Highway Administration, approved the Ohio River Bridges Project (ORBP), a project that adds two new bridges crossing the Ohio River and expands the junction of I-65, I-71, and I-64 in downtown Louisville. The project is estimated to cost $4.1 billion, with $1.6 billion going towards the expanded 23-lane interchange, commonly known as Spaghetti Junction.
“Citizens, led by 8664.org, have been opposing the growth of Spaghetti Junction and calling for the rerouting of I-64 to a northern bypass around Louisville. This would result in a much simpler junction downtown and conversion of 2.0 miles of freeway from its existing limited-access configuration to an at-grade boulevard alongside a riverfront park. One benefit: 60 acres of prime reclaimed land. The traffic volumes in 2025 for this stretch are projected to be 100,000 average daily traffic (ADT). The local pro-boulevard organization 8664.org, with the help of feasibility report by the eminent Walter Kulash, predicts that with the rerouting, 20,000 vehicles per day would move to the bypass, 45,000 could be handled by the riverfront boulevard, and the rest could be easily accommodated by the existing street grid which currently has a 174,000-vehicle-per-day spare capacity on east-west streets in or near the riverfront corridor. As of August 2008, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet temporarily suspended study of the 8664.org plan.”
Here’s the full list of Freeways Without Futures:
- Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle, WA
- Sheridan Expressway, New York, NY
- The Skyway and Route 5, Buffalo, NY
- Route 34, New Haven, CT
- Claiborne Expressway, New Orleans, LA
- Interstate 81, Syracuse, NY
- Interstate 64, Louisville, KY
- Route 29, Trenton, NJ
- Gardiner Expressway, Toronto, ON
- 11th Street Bridges and the Southeast Freeway, Washington D.C.
- Freeways Without Futures (CNU)
- Highways to Boulevards Initiative (CNU)
- Why Freeway Removal Makes Sense (CNU)
- America’s Least Wanted Highways (StreetsBlog)
America's 7th Least Wanted Highway
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