Downtown is Reconnecting to the Riverfront!

Two riverfront connections getting a major upgrade.

#SACTOWNURBANUPDATE: Sacramento  City is well under way with it's Riverfront Re-connection project that will greatly improve access between the popular local and visitor destinations of Downtown, Capitol Mall, Old Town and the Crocker Art Museum.  Costing $13.5 million in local and federal matching funds the project is scheduled to be completed by late summer/early fall 2016.

Capitol Mall at Tower Bridge will feature wider sidewalks and improved landscaping; a new entrance to Old Town is being built for pedestrians, bikes and autos that will connect with 2nd Street.

Likely look of new Old Town/Capital Mall connector looking South

The O Street Bridge by the Crocker Art Museum will also feature wider sidewalks and a new railing to encourage pedestrian flow between Crocker and the Riverfront.

Construction is scheduled Monday through Friday and on 3 weekends in the fall, but not during special events in Old Town.

For Construction Detour information visit this map or the City's project site for more details.

Spring is springing in Urban gardens!

Spring is here, and so are thoughts of urban gardens!  If you've wondered about how to grow something edible in your urban space here are some sources for ideas.

It's time to Grow Up!  I mean grow vertically as in Urban Gardening:

Only have a patio?  Check on these patio gardening ideas  And, good gardening means composting:

 

  Are you kidding?  This is a composter!

One excellent source for city dwellers is composting 101; and if you want to know how composting works take a look too at these tips for urban composting

And, get growing!

Image sources: Urban Gardening Online (herb pots), Darby Minow Smith (composter)

Convention Center/Community Theater: Starting over is just not an option...

As presented to the DSP Board this morning, building a new Theater just does not make financial (or common) sense when the existing Theater and Convention Center have "good bones" and a PRIME location.

A location that anchors and ties together the emerging districts from the Riverfront to Midtown.

AND, there may be bond money to help finance the project!

Read All About it...


Image(s) courtesy of SBJ

We rent zip cars, why not zap* bikes to rent? JDI!

The Sacto Flatlands?  For cyclists it's the Badlands!  ...and a bike rental program is in the news again!

Anyone who has attempted the masochistic exercise of biking downtown knows it can be hazardous to their health.  These brave souls encounter bike lanes that truncate between Midtown and Downtown, lanes that squeeze you past obstacles and a patchwork of bike lanes (euphemistically called a network).

The League of American Cyclists rated Sactown one rank above the bottom.  See last year's Dismal bike safety rating.  And yet we're ranked # 8 by Forbes in their 2015 Published Survey.

But maybe there's hope (there is ALWAYS hope!) The city wants to further encourage the use of bicycles by installing a bike rental program.  Perhaps this will be the impetus to deal with the mess we have now.  Maybe we're almost there, just need to ZAP into action! *

I agree with the SacBee Board - just do it (JDI!)  Here's what the they had to say about a
bike sharing service

[* ZAP:  A sudden effect or event that makes a dramatic impact...]

image by Craig Ruttle, AP

Business leaders offer guidelines for sustaining economic momentum...

" With the right leadership, Sacramento can be California's top destination for job creation"

That subtitle tells the true goal of the white paper presented at yesterday's DSP's Board meeting: "A Statement of Principles and Priorities to Grow Sacramento's Economy"

Drafted by a broad cross section of area business leaders, it is meant as a blueprint to guide the city's future political leaders: the mayor, council members, their staff and other regional governmental leaders.

It's intended to Champion Sacramento's Economic Prosperity with a Proposed Economic Vitality Strategy.  The premise is that while there are encouraging signs of recovery from the Great Recession, some experts expect another downturn.  And Sacramento needs to prepare itself by fostering the right conditions for businesses to succeed, thereby growing and diversifying our local economy.

Five key components of the position paper:
A Prioritized Approach to become a top job creation location
   - Foster a business climate so businesses will want to locate here

Stabilize the City's fiscal health
   - Encourage city to take an analytical approach to revenue and expense decisions

Improve Infrastructure and Transportation systems
   - Modernize aging city center utility networks; pursue systemic improvements to RT

Develop Quality Venues to attract ;visitors and locals
   - Prioritize Destination Development; become a Top 25 Convention City

Cultivate and Retain a top STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) workforce
   - The next initiative: Sactown as a technology hub

Read more...comments from others...  and 3 Questions...



Image by Dennis McCoy, SBJ

What's the state of Downtown? It's ALIVE!

It, the local 18th Annual State of Downtown event, was subtitled "Urban Kinesis" to describe how the city's "movers and shapers" are harnessing our collective energy to reshape the city core.

One of the challenges made to the audience of 650+ was that as Downtown begins to rise, we must move beyond continuing to proclaiming Sac's potential.  Together we must harness DT's momentum and turn it into Kinetic Energy, bring DT to life!

Check out where we are... DSP's stunning new video

The event's speakers explored opportunities that would harness our potential and make Sacramento the world-class city it's meant to be.  And I would add; it should keep it's uniqueness too.  That small town charm combined with a rich diversity of people, places and things.

And clearly city leaders want to learn from others.  Keynote Speaker Ron Blatman, Exec Producer/Producer of  Saving the City:Remaking the American Metropolis, a multi part TV series in the making, presented a fascinating slide show that focused on successful and unsuccessful  urban redevelopment of downtowns and nearby neighborhoods.  His question: How do we make our city centers more alive?

A lot of food for thought...

Cell phone use while driving - NOT! (except when looking for parking)

The city is actively overhauling the Downtown Parking system using a combination of smart tools and experimentation.  They're catching up to other "destination cities".

As the public drives to events at the new arena they (or better yet whoever is riding shotgun) can check their smart phones for available parking in garages and on city streets - and they'll be able to check prices and perhaps pay for garage spots in advance too.

Smart meters have been deployed that allow you to add money and avoid a ticket from your smart phone so you can watch the Kings win in overtime, have a nice relaxing dinner or enjoy an  concert encore.

And now SPOT zones are being tried out in Old Town and the Handel District. SPOT (for Special Pricing Over Time - AKA "dynamic parking") would allow residents and visitors to extend their parking time beyond the metered limit, as long as they're willing to pay a premium.

This new technology will give the city's parking authority the ability to monitor demand based upon what is happening at Downtown Commons.  Actually, the City spent about $8M before the ESC was approved to upgrade the city's parking technology - and that investment has apparently already nearly paid for itself with improved parking efficiency and revenue.

Midtown could be next  For more details about Sacramento' parking go to more about parking plans ...

Sources: SacBee, DSP, City of Sacramento