Jim Bacon's recent comments on the clusterfuck that is Tyson's Corner says a lot about what may be the future for Richmond's Short Pump area.
Regarding Tyson's:
...The task force is saying all the right things. Development needs to be more compact. It needs to allow mixed uses. It needs to create gridded, pedestrian-friendly streetscapes. It needs to allow for non-automotive transportation options, from bicycles to mass transit.
From my vantage point, it looks like Tysons Corner is locked into its dysfunctional human settlement patterns. The cost to transform the district into something more inviting and sustainable is so high that it cannot be economically justified. If Tysons cannot be transformed, it will enter into a long, slow decline relative to other business districts with better urban design.
It puzzles me how Henrico County can continue to develop the area as they have been while a clear illustration of the potential problems of the same development patterns exists at Tyson's Corner. West Broad Village is not the solution for Short Pump - more than likely it will add to the problem rather than help it as developers and marketers are screaming.
The John Rolfe Extension, which will connect Ridgefield Parkway with West Broad Street, is currently under construction. Are there plans for a bike lane on this main road? How about sidewalks? I have a bad feeling the answer is no to both questions.
Posted by: Dan Hickman | 12 August 2008 at 05:44 PM