Stories like this really amuse me.
It’s hard to imagine The Woodlands Waterway as a drainage ditch, but that’s exactly what it was more than 30 years ago.
Today, the 1.25-mile linear park and pedestrian/transit corridor is the heart of a growing urban center.
Such urban centers — high-density places where people like to gather — are a burgeoning trend, particularly in suburban areas across the country.
”People in the suburbs are desperate for an interesting urban experience, a sense of community or civic place,” said Alan Ward, principal of Sasaki Associates, an international urban design and planning firm based in Boston and San Francisco.
It’s fortunate I wasn’t drinking anything when I encountered that quote. To sum up the silliness of this enterprise, let me quote some Rush lyrics at you:
“Any escape might help to smooth the unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth”
Or, apparently, of not-so-youthful people, either.
Look, I’m happy that the Woodlands found a way to bring a little city charm to its suburban paradise, even if it’s kind of a Disneyland “Main Street USA” thing. Who knows, maybe some folks there will eventually figure out that there’s nothing like the real thing. In the meantime, have fun pretending you’re in the city, Woodlanders.
Just about as amusing as finding green space between the skyscrapers.
Substituting a few choice words into your summary: Look, I’m happy that downtown found a way to bring a little country charm to its urban paradise, even if it’s along the bayous. Who knows, maybe some folks there will eventually figure out that there’s nothing like the real thing. In the meantime, have fun pretending you’re in the country, Houston.
The difference is that urban areas have always had parks, and the addition of a park doesn’t change the fundamental nature of an urban district, whereas suburbs are clearly trying to correct some fundamental shortcomings.
Like Kuff I think it’s odd that people will work so hard to recreate something that always exists, but ultimately it does add some amenities to those suburbs, so it’s a good thing.