Since I’m reading the incomparable Jane Jacobs, whose lay-person’s analysis of the way cities work 50 years ago is recognized as the single most important reason why we planners and urban thinkers today are cleaning up the messes of the planners and urban thinkers of yesterday (and, actually, today as well), it makes sense for me to address one of the four most important ingredients to a successful city: the mixing of land-uses. For those of you who don’t speak Planner, mixed land-uses refers to zoning codes that allow a variety of building uses in a single area. For example, many old city centers and small downtowns are rich with two- or three-story buildings in which commercial shops, such as restaurants and retail stores, attract people on the bottom floors while offices and residential living spaces occupy the top floors. This is an example of vertical mixing. Horizontal mixing is also possible and can be just as effective. This often occurs in old inner-ring (just outside of the center city) suburban neighborhoods which contain single-family or multi-family detached homes right next to shops, offices, restaurants, and other commercial and business uses.
Bethlehem has a great variety of vertical and horizontal mixed-use neighborhoods. Both downtowns (north and south) have a good selection of vertical mixed-use areas of restored old buildings that are charming, attractive, and (most importantly) still functional. West Bethlehem and the eastern portion of the Southside present excellent (though not perfect) examples of horizontal mixing, with residential units separated from but within easy walking distance to daily needs and entertainment. These types of developments stand in stark contrast to most modern city designs, which have a penchant for isolating residential areas from commercial areas, and separating both of those from office areas. What we get from such segregated uses are bedroom communities, strip malls, office parks, and a stagnant local economy that increasingly depends on (yet sucks the life out of) nearby central cities.
Mixing uses, however, does not automatically determine a successful neighborhood. Jacobs points out that most older cities are full of mixed-use communities, but most of them have spectacularly failed as lively and vibrant places. The key to a successful mixed-use neighborhood (indeed, any neighborhood) is its ability to be in a constant state of dynamic use. Take, for instance, West Bethlehem’s Broad Street (west of 8th Avenue). Although a very nice area, this part of the city is beginning to lag. Residents attribute this downward trend to “riff-raff” moving in, which couldn’t be a more prejudiced and incorrect assessment. According to Jacobs, the reason West Bethlehem is lagging is because its mix (which gives it an edge over most modern neighborhoods) is not optimal. First, very few of businesses operate out of buildings that are designed to allow the employees and business-owners to keep an eye on what’s going on outside. There are some, such as Denny’s Barber Shop, run out of a retrofitted old house, but they are significantly lacking. Second, even if there were more “eyes on the street”, so to speak, the actual street is too wide to allow much life in the area anyway. In order for a neighborhood or district to have life, pedestrians must be able to safely and easily cross from one side of the street to the other (see 4th Street South Bethlehem and Main Street North Bethlehem for good examples of this). Third, there are no restaurants or grocery stores. This is a very important absence because it means that those who work in the area must go somewhere else to eat around lunchtime and after work. So, even if there is life in the mornings and afternoons as people are going to work and others are patronizing the businesses, lunch hours and evenings are dead. Finally, as a tag-on to the last sentence, there is nothing in West Bethlehem to sustain life after 5pm. Shops close, workers go home, and bars, clubs, and restaurants are not there to attract anyone else.
When an ineffective mix of land-uses is present, two things begin to happen. The most important occurrence is a decline in safety and a rise in “incivilities.” When the neighborhood cannot sustain life and people are not able to keep an eye on what’s going on, bad things tend to happen. Even something as small as graffiti can play with people’s perceptions of their own security. While I have not felt unsafe in West Bethlehem, neighbors that I have talked to who have lived here for years say they can see it going downhill. Along with perceptions of insecurity goes economic vitality. Without a good, effective mix of activities (5 hair-cutters are too many for such a short distance), and without a crossable road, West Bethlehem will struggle to compete with the more lively, interesting, and effective mixed-use downtown, where there is life going on almost 24/7.
Does anyone have a different assessment as to why many cities and neighborhoods fail to thrive? Can anyone convince me that the great Jane Jacobs missed something?
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9 comments:
I think it's a fair assessment, though as a resident of West Bethlehem I would say that there are plenty of folks around the neighborhood after 5pm -- the residents! We are all here, strolling the streets with our kids and dogs, relaxing on porches, hosting dinner parties.
But, yes, there are no businesses on Broad Street that stay open late. I'm hoping to change that someday with a couple of ideas I have, but I'm not ready yet, so if anyone else wants to take the plunge, we'd all appreciate it!
I agree with your mixed use assessment and that section of West Bethlehem is almost the "suburbs" of Bethlehem, where people moved to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
It would be nice to see a little more of a mix over there but I don't see it ever becoming the city's "third downtown" area.
It beats any suburb hands down, and here is why: sidewalks, sense of community, quality/diverse architechture, sidewalks, mixed home values (large homes mixed with row and duplexes), mature landscaping, and did I mention SIDEWALKS.
Why are there no sidewalks in modern developments? Because there is no where to go.
Ryan-
Any discussion about Bethlehem today has to take into account the unique history of this city. Unlike every other third class city (Reading, Allentown, Easton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, etc...) Bethlehem was not established a an incorporated city by the 1850's - 1870's period. It's the only city that lies in two counties and it's the largest city anywhere that does not serve as a county seat. This is primarily due to the fact that for about 100 years after is founding (1742 - 1842), it was essentially a closed religious communr. While other cities grew, the Bethlehem's as they were known remained small boroughs. This accounts for the three small, separate retail districts, one in each borough. Bethlehem (north of the river, east of the creek) was first. What became South Bethlehem (formerly Wetherill) developed when the Moravians realized they could not innore the effects of the Industrial revolution in the mid-century. To head off "progress" from intruding upon their dream utopia, they sold off parcels south of the river, thinking that the riff raff could never cross the river. SouthBethlehem developed quite separately and distictively from the other areas, due to industry, rail and imigration. One could say that the west portion became a haven, an early suburb for those wanting to remain in the area, but away from the polution and noise. The second generation of steell managers were encouraged to establish homesteads on the west side, near Mr. grace. As early as 1902, the steel heads were pushing for "consolidation" to make the three boroughs a third class city of 100,000 souls.
This history explains why ther is no couthouse, no prison, no single, large downtown (even Easton's is more extensive). Despite this (or because of this) bethlehem is probably better off than many cities, don't you think?
I believe that Bethlehem needs to continue to maintain its position as a residential city by controlling rentals, encouraging middle-class homeownership and by tweaking its distinctive downtowns. A pet peave that I have is that in the Main and Broad area, with plenty of residential components, there is no decent grocery store to serve the people who live downtown. An I don't want to hear about "Simms". There are for example, a cluster of four high rises near Main and Union with about 500 seniors, but no reasonable place for them to walk for groceries or drugs. My plan would be to target the area between Garrison and Goepp, from Union to New, and "acquire" properties for this purpose. Imagine a retail/service center, in colonial style with shops which would include a grocery/market (outdoor), a Rite Aide, and other essentials.
Voice of Reason
Thank you all for your comments! It's nice to have insider perspectives on what's going on.
To the first Anonymous: I have seen plenty of residents out in the neighborhood at around 5:30pm or so, and I appreciate this liveliness as I am walking home, but I hardly see anyone actually walking along Broad Street; yet that's exactly where we need people the most! I wish you luck on your ideas!
To MOB541: I agree that West Bethlehem beats the hell out of almost any other suburb. In fact, I don't even like to call it a suburb because a) it doesn't have the feel of a suburb, and b) the streets are laid out in a grid, which makes it unlike 99.9% of all other suburbs. Even though I live on the western side of West Bethlehem, I still consider myself as living in an urban area.
And it's interesting that you ask why most new developments don't contain sidewalks. Actually, I think most of them do, but it is a collosal waste of money because, as you say, there's no where to go.
To Voice of Reason: Thank you very much for giving such a comprehensive and helpful history of Bethlehem. I haven't really been here long enough to learn things like this. You are right that Bethlehem has fared better than Allentown and Easton. I think the main reason for this is Bethlehem's willingness to invest in their downtowns at least as much as their suburbs. As I said, standard suburbs (not necessarily the West Bethlehem type, although this can happen as well), as a rule, suck the life and investment out of center cities if the cities allow them to. It seems Bethlehem has done a reasonable good job at fighting this trend, whereas Easton and Allentown have largely been left to fend for themselves.
Ironically, there are so many incredible assets that could be built upon in both Easton and Allentown that, if done right, those cities could be far superior to what Bethlehem could ever have a chance of becoming. But even Bethlehem, with its own unique history, attractions, and culture, could benefit from the resurgence of the other two cities. This is what the Lehigh Valley should focus on.
And I couldn't agree with you more about the grocery store, although we should be careful what we clear away to attain it. Whatever happens, it cannot be a standard shopping center, it must be oriented to the street, and it has to replace whatever residents it took the place of by stacking a couple of stories of section 8 units above it. A large, single-use plot of land right in the heart of downtown will slowly (or more quickly) begin to eat away at whatever investments have been made to keep the downtown vital.
And I actually think Simms plays its part well enough, though it is not in a good location to help the people you are talking about.
I guess I should have specified that new suburban developments built on former expanses of farmland usually don't have sidewalks.
Older developments in town, like the Edinbourgh neighborhood in Bethlehem do have sidewalks.
On a similar note as the need for a grocery store in the historic area of north Bethlehem, they could also use a drug store. There used to be one a Rite Aid just down from the Apollo Grill.
In a country that seems to have an overload of drugstores, this is one area that actually needs one. If you are at Musikfest and need something the closest option is to walk over to the southside. The CVS is way too far.
But today's chain drugstores are only interested in huge megastores with big ugly parking lots and existing independent stores are barely getting by, not expanding. I wouldn't expect any action in Historic Bethlehem in respect to new drugstores or grocery stores for this reason.
Sim's may not be Wegmans, but it is a fine neighborhood market. When I lived in DC, there was a place just like Sim's where we shopped almost every day for our daily groceries. Because everyone shopped there, the business thrived, produce turned over quickly, and it was a hub of neighborhood activity. It was not shiny or fancy, but everyone shopped there - that's the difference.
There are also a couple of restaurants open to eat-in lunch, Mayflower and The Cafe, at least one private club I know of (Rosemont) and a night club (Diamonz). Neither club is usually distruptive to the neighborhood so you might not have noticed them. We like the peace and quiet at night, so I would not be in favor of more nightlife!
More on Bethlehem-
When Bethlehem was consolodated in 1915 -1917, one of the most important things on the "to do" list was to establish a government center where the now unified city could conduct all such business. It only took fifty years for this to happen (mid sixties) and not without controversy.
First, where to locate it? Eventually, someone (Clarke, Rapuano?) came up with the absolutely brilliant idea of the bluff overlooking the southside (Church and New). This way, the center in near downtown but not in it, overlooking the southside, but not on the southside. The plan included three or four handsome colonial-style buildings, about four stories tall with a-roofs and cupolas with weather vanes. These would be built of red brisk and have nice colonial court yards. Look what we ended up with! The modernists won out, despite the fact that it is not arguable that the proposed style would be a better fit with the style of architecture present in this area. Bethlehem came out of this ok though, as the scale of the center is small enough as to allow us to not look upon it as the modern monstrosity that it actaully is.
Lesson- Bethlehem is unafraid to move forward and lives with the mistakes it sometimes makes. At least modern Bethlehem has had a "let's move it forward" mentality.
VOR
Regarding Sims Market on West Broad, please understand that I was not criticizing the market, just saying that downtown, defined as east of the creek, should not consider Sims as a downtown market. My context was that with all of the residential units within the downtown area, a Sims-like market should serve this community as well.
As a boy growing up in this area in the 50's- 60's, there were, believe it or not, at least three food market/groceries in this area. There was an A&P (later Schoenen's)at East Broad and Long; there was a Food Fair inside the arcade building on West Broad, (Sun Inn Court Yard); and there was the Mohican Market at Broad and Guetter. Today - nothing at all, despite the proveable fact that there are at least as many people resideing in this area as there were forty years ago. In my estimation, it's the car culture rearing its ugly head again.
VOR
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