I would love to see each of Troy's neighborhoods get a "face-lift" on the major artery through the area. I'm not talking about massive projects here, just little flourishes to create community cohesiveness.
I live in the 'Eastside' neighborhood, so that's where I'll give my example. Our neighborhood is overwhelmingly residential, and chock-full of historical architecture, but the main road through it, Pawling, is constantly clogged with high-speed traffic, and is practically a wasteland right up to the property side of the sidewalks. While most side streets are lined trees and flowerbeds, and practically beg kids to play in or alongside them, what most outsiders see of our community is the raceway and its concrete skirts. If two or three blocks of Pawling had something as simple as planters and/or benches and/or statues placed curbside at reasonable intervals, it would be incredibly eye-catching, and significantly soften the industrial look of the area. These elements would provide at least a mental barrier between waking spaces and driving spaces, which would bring people out into the neighborhood more, and might even convince a few parents that it was OK to let their kids out to play, even if they live on the big, bad street. Additionally, studies have shown that the addition of a few striking visual elements to the sides of a heavily traveled residential street can reduce traffic speed by up to 30%, which would make the area safer, significantly reduce road noise, and give outsiders a chance to appreciate the beauty and character of the neighborhood.
That's just one idea, for one neighborhood. Most of the others could use something like it too. Certainly, the downtown neighborhood already has a significant character, with all the recent work that's been done, and nearby neighborhoods like Little Italy, Washington Park, and the Pottery District all have a definite character observable from the main roads through them, but there are at least 14 other identified neighborhoods in Troy, most of whom have nothing to help them stand out to passers-through, and nothing to build a sense of community around.
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I live in the 'Eastside' neighborhood, so that's where I'll give my example. Our neighborhood is overwhelmingly residential, and chock-full of historical architecture, but the main road through it, Pawling, is constantly clogged with high-speed traffic, and is practically a wasteland right up to the property side of the sidewalks. While most side streets are lined trees and flowerbeds, and practically beg kids to play in or alongside them, what most outsiders see of our community is the raceway and its concrete skirts. If two or three blocks of Pawling had something as simple as planters and/or benches and/or statues placed curbside at reasonable intervals, it would be incredibly eye-catching, and significantly soften the industrial look of the area. These elements would provide at least a mental barrier between waking spaces and driving spaces, which would bring people out into the neighborhood more, and might even convince a few parents that it was OK to let their kids out to play, even if they live on the big, bad street. Additionally, studies have shown that the addition of a few striking visual elements to the sides of a heavily traveled residential street can reduce traffic speed by up to 30%, which would make the area safer, significantly reduce road noise, and give outsiders a chance to appreciate the beauty and character of the neighborhood.
That's just one idea, for one neighborhood. Most of the others could use something like it too. Certainly, the downtown neighborhood already has a significant character, with all the recent work that's been done, and nearby neighborhoods like Little Italy, Washington Park, and the Pottery District all have a definite character observable from the main roads through them, but there are at least 14 other identified neighborhoods in Troy, most of whom have nothing to help them stand out to passers-through, and nothing to build a sense of community around.
16 Comments
Tell a friend
Start a project!
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