Just Say No To Parkmania
Here’s a truly terrible idea from DCMetrocentric implying that it would be nice to see the currently undeveloped blank spot of land in downtown DC that used to contain a convention center turned into a park.
It’s maddening to see this large parcel of vacant land standing basically vacant as a surface parking lot. But the location is already very close to Franklin Square which is a park (and not doing much of anyone much good) and also to the quasi-park of Mount Vernon Square. What ought to go on the site is exactly what’s planned to go there—buildings! Full of people and stuff!
What I think the inability to get something built there actually does is illustrate Keynes point about the irrationality of major investment decisions. If you take a deep breath and think about the long view, obviously there will be a market for office buildings in the middle of downtown Washington. Every other office building in downtown Washington has worked as an investment, there just don’t happen to be any office buildings on this particular patch of land yet. It should be a no-brainer. But when leveraged bets on highly speculative real estate investments cause a giant global banking panic, suddenly financing dries up for even really banal ideas like “there shouldn’t be a vacant lot surrounded by huge, busy office buildings in a very expensive city.”
Note that this would have been a better example for my anti-park crankier than the example I actually used.
10 Responses to “Just Say No To Parkmania”
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August 20th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
This does seem to actually make sense. Judging by the map, it looks like Mt Vernon is 1 block away, and Franklin Square is 4 blocks. It would seem crazy to have a park within 5 blocks of 2 other parks. You can learn that from playing SimCity.
August 20th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
The reason this huge block of space is vacant is because there is currently a huge overhang of office, condo and apartment space in Washington, DC. As soon as that changes, the site will be developed.
August 20th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
In this anti-park rant, Matt is right. It’s a waste of land as a park and a parking lot. During previous visits, the damn lot is half empty, even on Friday nights.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Please don’t try to hide your obsession with the Washington Kastles behind ‘anti-park’ crankiness.
But in all seriousness, I live three blocks from here and walk through this lot to work every morning. While I agree with your thoughts, I think the best reason not to build a park here is the fact that that Bolt Bus and Mega Bus use this parking lot as a station.
I take Bolt Bus to NY and back at least once every month. It’s always packed going both directions. I also notice that there are a lot of people waiting for these buses every morning.
The economics of Bolt Bus and Mega Bus are an entirely different argument which I suggest you take up. But there’s definitely an argument to be made that part of the success of these buses is the fact that their pick-up and drop-off locations are in the middle of the cities they serve. Who knows where Bolt/Mega would go if this parking lot became a park.
I suppose they could pick-up and drop-off on the street as NYC does. But since these buses are so popular, DC should definitely have an adequate place for passengers to wait.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Dammit, BCM, I clicked on the Comments button specifically to make a Kastles joke, and you stole my thunder. You’re on the list, bucko.
August 20th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
The guy from Manhattan, 5% of which is Central Park, thinks DC has too many parks. Even though DC (25% under 18) has proportionally more kids than Manhattan (16% under 18).
August 21st, 2009 at 12:22 am
Franklin Square park probably is doing people a lot of good – at least in terms of being pervious surface cover that helps mitigate urban stormwater runoff. Considering the perilous state of D.C.’s combined sewer overflow system, every little bit definitely helps. Not to mention the other benefits of urban green space, like combating the heat island effect and improving local air quality. That said, it seems like it could be smart to put some green-roofed development in the old convention center space.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:34 am
Can’t you have a public park and a commercial building on the same property? You know, elevate the building so the park can exist below it. The park doesn’t have to be a forest. Make it Japanese style, maybe, with rocks and shrubs and some babbling artificial brooks rolling thru with fountains to keep everyone both shady and misty cool.
I know. Bad idea. You are giving up at least a couple of floors of prime real estate.
I know, shut up the F up and become an architect if you want to comment on such matters.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:24 am
Is that Drift art installation still up in the middle of that parking lot? I had the best parking lot drink-a-thon at that thing a couple summers back.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
[...] turning the area into a park, plaza, or some other sort of space. Matt Yglesias rightfully shot the idea down. The map accompanying his post makes the reasons why abundantly [...]