Mayor Matt Tuerk spent last week in Germany learning about European urban planning. I'll spare you particulars, except to say that I hope that he spares us the particulars. Here's his summation: "I’m coming back to Allentown with a lot of new partners and ideas to help us create a safe, clean, and healthy environment that promotes the well being of our residents."
On the trip Matt saw some redevelopment that he hopes helps us improve the plans for the former state hospital site. Fine Matt, glad you enjoyed your trip, but I think that J.B. Reilly wasn't counting on your input. Matt also saw some inspiring murals like we're doing in Allentown, and some nice bike paths.
I don't know if Matt is serious about the lessons, or just blowing smoke. I hope just blowing smoke. Matt, since I'm sure that you're appreciating my advice, let me tell you how I really feel... There is too much going on in Allentown. Too many events, especially in the parks.We don't need one jam packed weekend after another. We're a city, not an destination park in Orlando. If you don't want to lay off any of these planners, then give them a garbage bag, there's plenty for them to pick up.
Anyway, if this trip helps Allentown as much as his trips to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, we should have another good year.
Picture postcard above from a time when mayors didn't have to go on study trips to improve us.
Oh, please spare us... the cost... the expense... and the bullshit being jammed up our collective asses and down our collective throats!!!! If the mayor wants to do something, how about lowering our water bills and taxes...
ReplyDeleteBTW, look at the beautiful lightpost plantings in the above picture... that would be an improvement...
They should put a needle exchange in Michael Adam's old squat, harm reduction baby give the masses what they crave good clean safe dope lower the overdose rate and stop with the distorted antiquarian vision for our parks
ReplyDelete"I’m coming back to Allentown with a lot of new partners and ideas to help us create a safe, clean, and healthy environment that promotes the well being of our residents."
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Tuerk (and Allentown City Hall under him), is that there isn't enough focus on the basics. If you want a "safe, clean and healthy environment", then hire more police (safety); enforce litter laws (cleanliness), and find a way to get the trash picked up (health/sanitation) without an outrageous increase in price.
Instead, more money will be wasted on shiny new gimmicks to distract residents from the fact that the basic functions of city government aren't being addressed.
In the 19teens, Mayor Reichenbach went to Europe (albeit on his own dime) and saw the wide, uncluttered avenues of cities such as Paris and Brussels. He also saw flowers hanging from street lampposts.
ReplyDeleteWhen he returned to Allentown as mayor, Reichenbach cleaned up Hamilton Street of the myriads of overhead electrical, telephones, telegraph lines and other clutter, including the wooden utility poles, and contracted to have them buried instead of hanging all over the place. He also had all of the porches from the retail stores along Hamilton removed and the sidewalk merchants also removed, giving people a clean, uncluttered sidewalk to walk on. Also, he removed the wire-hanging streetlamps and bought the 'hanging gardens' lampposts that Allentown was known for.
The postcard you illustrated the piece on your blog with today shows the results of Mayor Reichenbach's efforts, as well as paving the dirt over Hamilton with asphalt for the first time.
Now, I don't expect Mayor Turek to clean up Hamilton Steet like Mayor Reichenbach, but he certainly can help restore the blighted, run down areas of the city, and especially insure public safety for the citizens of the city. Murals are nice, but apprehending criminals and gang members seems a lot more urgent than a painted brick wall and bicycle paths that hinder traffic on the already narrow city streets.
As always, I'll ask the questions that never seem to be asked in City Council's public meetings. Was the trip funded by the taxpayers and if so:
ReplyDeleteWhat was the cost of this trip?
What other city employees went on the trip?
Were there any family members of any city employees on the trip?
Did the Mayor ask council and the public for their input prior to taking the trip?
Was the trip specifically described and budgeted in the city budget?
Etc., Etc., Etc.
BTW, I'm sure it's only coincidental that this trip coincided with Germany's Oktoberfest celebrations.
Tuerk will claim this isn't yet another publicly funded junket, but I'm skeptical. As far as better plans for Northridge, there are plenty of planning consultants that the City could have hired to advocate for a better design/layout/mix of uses. In fact one could argue that Allentown itself presents a great model for development of a walkable mixed use community and that Overlook Park (just 1 mile away) presents an ideal model for traditional neighborhood development. Instead the City sat by passively and let City Center's engineers draw up a suburban style medical office and apartment complex that looks right out of cold war Eastern Europe. My only surprise is that City Center didn't throw in a couple of warehouses for good measure.
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:34 said:
ReplyDelete(Mayor) “…Reichenbach cleaned up Hamilton Street of the myriads of overhead electrical, telephones, telegraph lines and other clutter, including the wooden utility poles, and contracted to have them buried instead of hanging all over the place.”
This is something I’ve long advocated for that needs to be done. Anyone walking down a city street or alleyway would immediately notice this as an unsightly problem that needs to be dealt with. Yet Tuerk, supposedly a runner who jogs city streets regularly, seems to notice nothing.
I’m not saying all the wires and telephone poles should be removed tomorrow, but how about a program that starts cleaning them up on a systematic basis? Perhaps tie it to the street resurfacing schedule?
This is an obvious improvement that shouldn’t be limited to Hamilton Street.
Be careful for what you wish for: The UGI project to upgrade the gas pipes has had Allentown streets torn up for years. First they installed plastic pipes, but when they decided to use higher pressure, those "new" pipes were insufficient, so they had to redo the new pipes again. The overhead wires are electric, plus cable from two different companies. Some of the old alleys are still cement, which we couldn't afford anymore.
DeleteMM - Then how about a requirement that utility companies remove unused lines?
DeleteWalk any alley and you’ll probably find multiple cable lines running to houses, and they’re not all in use. Similarly, I’m willing to bet that with cell phones many of those old phone lines aren’t being used anymore.
We need to do better. We can do better. I’d like to at least see SOMETHING done to improve the situation.
Mike, over the years I have spent a considerable amount of time in France. I can attest to the fact that it is a wonderful place to visit. I can also say with certainly that Europeans think and live very differently than we do. One huge difference is how they approach public transportation and private transportation/cars. Europe in general, is much smaller and more tightly packed than America, always was, always will be. A lot of Europeans actually don't need personal vehicles because the make up of their living area is more compact. Over the centuries public transportation has evolved to efficiently accomade their needs. For obvious reasons, this European approach only works in a few areas here in America such as NYC, and the surrounding northeast corridor. In the meantime, many Americans travel to Europe and uncriticly wonder why we can't do the same, public transportation for everyone, here. Matt will no doubt return with similar stars in his eyes and wistfully have plans drawn up to make Allentown's commuter system resemble the German city he visited. In doing this he will demonstrate a certain cluelessness, a lack of critical judgement, and a total ignorance of the type of reforms Allentown really needs to improve. But what else is new.
ReplyDeleteThey have centralized, national land use planning that built upon dense urban centers and is transit oriented. Local government does not control land use. It results in a beautiful tapestry of vibrant towns and cities with rigid boundaries that give way to lovely rural landscapes. It's a hundreds year old wonderful system that could never be implemented in America. If anything, Tuerk's trip to Germany is just a fanciful tourist excursion to enjoy the beautiful plazas, boulevards, open spaces and intermodal transit facilities that could never, ever be translated to America, nevermind to Allentown. Even the few places in America (Portland , OR) that have embraced this type of centralized transit oriented land use have struggled with it. Tuerk would be better off getting the state of Oregon to pay for his next outing.
DeleteTuerk is claiming that the German government is paying for the trip. I find that idea to be preposterous. If you could trust Allentown, it would be interesting to do a RTKL request to find out which staff went and what were the costs to the City incurred. if the nation of Germany paid upwards of $5,000 to host Matt Tuerk on a tourism junket, their citizens should be outraged. The whole concept of implementing German urban planning initiatives in Allentown is so absurd. The City can barely manage to provide basic services to its residents.
ReplyDeleteKeep an eye out for a German "dignitary" being "hosted" by Allentown at some point in the future.
DeleteSpecial events in Allentown are not all of the same benefit to our economy. The key question to ask is “How much brand NEW money is being spent in Allentown as a result of hosting this thing?
ReplyDeleteAll diverse activities offered here enhance our quality of life. At least for most people. Some, but very few, bring in additional revenue through spending within the city. They more than pay for all the hassles, neighborhood inconvenience, clean-up and other special services.
Best example is the annual 3-day Drum Corps International Convention that spills over into Cedar Creek Park. Clearly, the biggest convention EVER held in Allentown.
The Drum Corps International Weekend participants and attendees are estimated to be 80% out-of-towners! They’re dumping brand new dollars into our economy. Millions of additional dollars spent here
Whatever amount Allentown spends to accommodate that particular gathering is PEANUTS when compared to what the event generates for us in return.