Museum-Library Block

**1953** · January-31-11, 09:23 PM

Midtown is really starting to gel, but the block of Woodward that houses the DIA and the library is a bit of an urban dead zone. What fixes, short of moving those buildings closer to the street, might forumers suggest to liven up that block? Would more trees and benches do it or are bigger fixes needed?

**Gistok** · January-31-11, 09:46 PM

Well I can't say about the DPL block, but the DIA block has had a lot of rebuilding work done over the last 20 years. Those 2 beautiful Camperdown Elms from Scotland are a nice landscape touch... but as far as trees go... aren't the number of trees out front already enough??.......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:De...eArts2010A.jpg

The siting and landscaping of these buildings are part of the "City Beautiful" movement. Having them closer to the street wouldn't do them justice.

Except with some maintenance problems that the DPL is experiencing... I don't see a problem with arguably the 2 nicest landscaped blocks in Detroit. Perhaps a Woodward Ave. traffic circle with a fountain in the middle between them would improve the site... but that would be impractical.

**Hamtragedy** · January-31-11, 11:00 PM

I think the maintenance concerns of the Library grounds are valid. The have had the gates up blocking the marble steps from the north for at least a year now, even though there's a nice walkway leading up to it. But I would hardly call this a dead zone. Then again, it is January.

**wolverine** · February-01-11, 01:37 AM

I think it's fine that there's an open break, and it's not a bad one either, considering the architecture and landscaping is nice. I think buildings on each end just needs more retail to create active bookends to this space so passing through isn't so empty. I think the reason why it feels dead is because the interesting experience through this area loses intensity as you reach the museum. Large open spaces, as grand as they may be, don't always feel as lively, and every city out there is looking for solutions to improve them.

I don't believe the fix for this problem is architecture, and streetscaping may not be the solution either. I think filling buildings with more restaurants and stores on either side will go a long way.

**mwilbert** · February-01-11, 08:37 AM

You could have some street vendors in front of the Museum. Aside from that I think you just have to enjoy the view of the building.

**1953** · February-01-11, 09:20 AM

What interesting responses. I was expecting more hair-brained suggestions for jazzing the place up a bit. It does seem fair to suggest that more traffic on surrounding blocks would have a good spill-over effect.

@Gistok: there are quite a few trees on the DIA lawn, but the sidewalk in front of the museum seems drearily empty. Maybe some benches and sidewalk trees would make it a more worthwhile meander.

If only these "city beautiful" structures didn't have such massive footprints, devoted to single use facilities with limited hours...

DetroitPole · February-01-11, 09:23 AM

I've held a grudge against the library for having those walkways closed for years, for reasons I can't understand. Maybe people are too lazy to unlock them? It really is beautiful in that green space, it would be a nice place to just walk though. Now of course they've been working on the sidewalk on Kirby and the library roof, I think.
Personally I think it is far from a dead zone though, with the DIA, DPL, Macabees Building, Park Shelton, Rackam, cathedral all in view, it is really nice to walk down Woodward and admire these buildings. The grounds of the DIA and DPL are very beautiful too, and the DHM has nice landscaping out front as well.
Woodward is just too damn big though. It feels like you're walking down a highway median. Absurd having a 9 lane road for that little traffic. Makes the pedestrian feel unwelcome.

**NorthofNormal** · February-01-11, 09:40 AM

I was thinking about this as I went past this area on my way to work this morning. My first thought was--free wifi. Open up the park around the library, put some picnic tables/cafe tables around the park and the plaza in front of the DIA. Let some small food vendors in, coffee, pretzels, that kind of thing. And then: free wifi. It could be a nice spot for students to study or for the apartment-dwelling coffee-shop crowd to hang out in nice weather.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-01-11, 10:08 AM

The North Walkway was probably closed for the construction of the Midtown loop. I personally like the Beaux Arts look of the set-back buildings there.

**Detroitnerd** · February-01-11, 10:18 AM

If you dislike the setback of the Main Branch, you should see the pre-1963 building, before the wings by Cass Gilbert Jr. were added on. That large footprint was achieved at considerable cost, as they had to knock down a few recently built mansions on that block to build the library.

I hadn't considered that new urbanists would look upon these sorts of buildings with disdain. Two massive institutions across the street from each other do sort of make for a dead zone. Then again, Wayne State has been tearing down all the little structures in that area, and big residential structures, to build institutional structures, and that may have something to do with foot traffic. For instance, they replaced Mackenzie Hall, a 12-story Italian Renaissance hotel built in 1925, with a parking structure. When those are your priorities ...

**j to the jeremy** · February-01-11, 10:33 AM

Light rail and complete streets would do wonders to make this stretch more friendly, the Midtown Loop is already starting to look good.

**NorthofNormal** · February-01-11, 10:53 AM

Two massive institutions across the street from each other do sort of make for a dead zone.

Dreaming of a full and crowded Detroit of the future, though...they could act as a kind breathing space between a completely infilled Downtown-Midtown and New Center.

[[Where we could all tie up our unicorns and eat Cheesecake Factory carryout, I know. But still. Nice to dream, yeah?)

**Detroitnerd** · February-01-11, 11:01 AM

It's weird, though. In New York, at Fifth and 42nd, they have the massive main branch of the New York Public Library. There are vendors, people sitting on the steps, plenty of street life in the plaza out in front, not to mention activities and stuff in the park behind it. They use that space there. Why can't we use it here. [[I know, I hate those barriers that have blocked off the front walkways for, what, five years now?)

**NorthofNormal** · February-01-11, 11:21 AM

My thoughts are along those same lines, Detroitnerd. The set-backs only look empty or like a "dead zone" in the context of the rest of the area. The empty space blends in with the vacant or run-down buildings in the blocks approaching that area.

Also, it's February--snowmageddon eve, no less!--in Michigan. Everything looks grim and horrid.

**Baselinepunk** · February-01-11, 12:56 PM

Went down to the DIA on Sunday via Warren from I-75. Old Main looked like it was actually on Woodward from that vantage point.

Weird.

The problem I can see with the vendor and parks suggestion is who is going to maintain it? There is enough problems with trash on the streets; I'm concerned that these ideas, while good one, would exasperate the problem.

**Detroitnerd** · February-01-11, 01:31 PM

Well, the grounds aren't that bad. They look best in spring, when the trees blossom. Honestly, at the NYPL, they just hang out on the steps. No tables or anything. It's just a cool hangout, near the marble lions.