Southwest Coffee Talk

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by NorthScottsdale

CraftTeutonic, what is so tacky about that? Should we keep building boring boxes?

I think the idea is tacky because its essential uncreative. The Cardinals stadium works for me because it sort of resembles a cactus or a coiled snake but its not literally an image of one. If you just literally built a giant saguaro, that would look cheesy in my estimation.

Now lets say you had a building that had a roundish shape with accordion like fins like a saguaro, like this (imagine this as a top down view):


with maybe greenish tinted glass would be fine. It would be enough to hint at the shape of a cactus without being so literal.

[PhxPavilion]

http://thebuilderblog.wordpress.com/...ctus-building/




http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/03/18/...fice-building/


I like the quartz crystal idea, it could even be clad in copper.

[Leo the Dog]

Why don't we just build normal downtown city buildings, you know the kind that front the sidewalk with no setbacks, no behemoth parking structures located behind them (mid-town), interact with pedestrian activities, have connections to public transit...you know, like the rest of urban America.

[Vicelord John]

I can answer that question, but nobody wants to hear it.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by Vicelord John

I can answer that question, but nobody wants to hear it.

I'd like to hear your take.

[Vicelord John]

Well, because Phoenix was built almost 100% after WW2, completely around the automobile. It's been a spread out, rural city, for decades, and people are used to that. A lot of people who live here came here for that, because they lived in the dense east coast.

With the exception of NYC, every major development built in urban cities, has to have a ton of parking, most have setbacks, and are non-interactive with the city around it. Phoenix will not be the one exception, sorry. The only hope Phoenix ever had was to have a lot of older/historic buildings, but we all know we don't have those so we are up shit fuck creek with a drinking straw for a paddle. I mean, look at Monroe street between 7th and Central, it feels like a damn suburban mall street.

[Leo the Dog]

Ok, I understand the whole automobile thing, but why are you making excuses for a city of 1.5 mil? Phoenix has been a large pop. center for decades now, It gets quite old hearing how Phx is a "new" city, and the lack of pre-war structures means that it will remain the way it is forever.

SD, LA, Austin, Miami, Dallas, Denver just to name a few, are non-east coast cities that have re-built their once decimated inner-city 'hoods and CBDs. Their downtowns used to be surrounded by surface parking, just as Phx's does right now.

[Vicelord John]

Originally Posted by Leo the Dog

SD, LA, Austin, Miami, Dallas, Denver just to name a few, are non-east coast cities that have re-built their once decimated inner-city 'hoods and CBDs. Their downtowns used to be surrounded by surface parking, just as Phx's does right now.

and um, all of the cities you named have huge stocks of buildings from pre war era, when people WALKED. Phoenix will never be what you want it to be. Even Denver, look at the newer buildings. They all have huge setbacks and plazas... I was depressed walking from the baseball stadium to the hotel monaco through all the suburban office towers. The dense areas are all rehabbed old buildings.

Sorry, but phoenix doesn't have the option to rehab the old building stock.

[Leo the Dog]

I have to disagree with your hopelessness about Phx. Denver has made significant progress in their CBD since as early as the 90's. There are some great photos of before and after Denver pics on this site, you should check them out one day. Phoenix could easily do the same. There really is no excuse for the current situation of the inner-city.

Oh and Miami isn't considered East Coast, its not considered The South...its simply S. Florida. Nobody says I'm flying to the East Coast referring to Miami.

[Vicelord John]

I do

[HooverDam]

Here's an interesting article by Richard Florida about recession geography. He talks a bit about the Valley and how it was more or less hit worse than any other area by the recession, what cities will perhaps be like after the recession, etc. I thought folks here might find it interesting.

[NorthScottsdale]

Is anyone gonna do the Zombie Walk downtown tomorrow night? It sounds like it would be pretty fun. Anyone can go... They are meeting at 530 at Heritage Square and walking the streets though AZ center, ASU downtown, by the Suns game at US air center, and then partying at Fridays Front Row at Chase.. My buddy is going dressed up as an eradication officer. Sounds like it will be a lot of fun!! And it's great to see random, crazy stuff like this going on downtown!

Also, take this as a heads up! If you see a pack of zombies coming at you, the world isn't ending!!! its fake!! lol..

[Vicelord John]

I may mosey across the street and laugh at them all.

[nickkoto]

Show up with a Bruce Campbell mask and a chainsaw.

[Vicelord John]

or dressed as simon pegg

[CraftTeutonic]

or woody harrelson with a cowboy hat

[Vicelord John]

That movie is stupid

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

Here's an interesting article by Richard Florida about recession geography. He talks a bit about the Valley and how it was more or less hit worse than any other area by the recession, what cities will perhaps be like after the recession, etc. I thought folks here might find it interesting.

Excellent find and an interesting read for certain!

[CraftTeutonic]

Originally Posted by Vicelord John

That movie is stupid

What, Zombieland? That's a great movie, don't deny it.

[Vicelord John]

Its gay. Rip off of shawn of the dead. Now thats a zombie movie.