The Phoenix Center's core problem was similar to that of the Renaissance Center's when it opened. Both were built in a crime-anxiety era and displayed a fortress mentality in an attempt to say "you are safe here".

There were set apart and walled off from the rest of their downtowns--the RenCen with its now-removed berms, Phoenix with its parking lots. Neither flowed naturally into their downtowns and both the downtowns and the projects suffered. [Click image for larger view]

Those of you who have been around this forum for some time will recall this being given the humorous architectural style nickname of "Ghetto Renaissance", nearly windowless structures with barriers. The now long-gone Highland Park High School on Woodward was a classic example.

Name: Highland-Park-HS.jpg Views: 807 Size: 59.2 KB