Does Copley Square need a redo?

[Padre Mike]

I'm very grateful to discover this site, being a Boston architecophile for over 30 years.
Now for my question: Am I the only one who believes that paving material should be practical for the extremes of the environment? When Copley Square was redesigned, I was suspicious that the medallions set into the brick pavement consisted of granite squares ( ) surrounded by slate triangles ( :x ). Guess what...just as I predicted the slate has worn away and created countless tripping hazards all along the walkways of the square. My next suspicion is that the City of Boston will rip up the medallions and throw in asphalt to "repair" the problem.
While I'm at it, will the contractors who set the granite paving blocks in front of the BPL replace those that have already cracked?? :?

 

[czsz]

Cheap infrastructure is what Massachusetts does best. Has anyone seen asphalt sidewalks in other states?

 

[kz1000ps]

This was "completed" back in October. Now the black makes it even more apparent when the sidewalk is littered with garbage!

 

[Scott]

Cheap infrastructure is what Massachusetts does best. Has anyone seen asphalt sidewalks in other states?

Then why don't you go to school in NYC so you don't have to look at it. Don't they have colleges there?

 

[czsz]

I'm actually at college in New York right now.

New York has its own problems, and some New Yorkers also take perverse pride in their city's deficiencies, hindering perspicacious criticism. I guess it doesn't matter where I am.

 

[Padre Mike]

Actually, the issue for me is not cheap infrastructure at all. Slate is a costly material, and when used in proper context is beautiful. The issue is one of design. Why does the city not look more closely at details when approving public walkways?
Another example: when the ADA kicked in and the city ran rampant to install ramps (pun intended :wink: ) at every corner, the contractors cut into sidewalks, sloped the ramps into the street and created countless catch-basins for water and ice, a situation hazardous to the able-bodied as well as the disabled?

 

[Scott]

From the East Fenway Strategic Plan on the BRA web site:

Boylston Street
As a significant gateway into the neighborhood, and a connector between
Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory, Boylston
Street also deserves and could benefit from the implementation of Cultural District streetscape initiatives. Actually, several buildings along
the street are used as student housing, support rehearsal facilities, and
specialty retail oriented to music students and musicians. An interesting
feature from an urban design point of view is a difference in elevation
between the sidewalk and the ground floor level of the buildings,
which increases as we move from Massachusetts Avenue towards
Hemenway Street. Currently the sidewalk is in poor condition.
Streetscape improvements and a managed programming of retail activities
along this stretch of sidewalk could help create a special place
for students, artists and the general public, such as the following:
? Build a new sidewalk along the south side of the street between
Hemenway Street and Massachusetts Avenue, adding 3 to 4 feet to
the existing sidewalk to allow for larger tree pits and the location of
street furniture.
? Replace the existing asphalt by high quality materials such as brick,
or concrete with a 4-foot wide decorative brick band.
? Add sidewalk extensions or bulbouts at corners for better crosswalk
definition.
? Promote the construction of sidewalk terraces along the existing
buildings, which could be used as pedestrian sitting areas or outdoor
caf?s. Landscaped edges could alternate with stairways andaccess ramps
at selected locations to solve the design problems posed by the fact that the buildings and the sidewalk are located at different elevations.

EDIT- Sorry about the lousy formating. It came from an Adobe document.

 

[kz1000ps]

Yeah that strategic plan is already 4 years old and what do they finally get around to doing last year? No 4 ft. curb extensions, no brick or even concrete.. just some asphalt. I guess they want to keep my block looking trashy.

 

[bowesst]

Maybe all the money went to the crosswalks around Northeastern.

 

[kz1000ps]

You know, I thought of taking a picture of a couple of them yesterday when I was in the area, but then I remembered the thread we had on them was lost with the crash last year, so I didn't.

The pictures would've shown that they are holding up ok (minimal chipping away), but that they were very, very dirty.

 

[Padre Mike]

Even though this tread was hijacked, I'm still concerned with the deterioration of Copley Square (NOT Copley Place and NOT the sidewalks around Northeastern or Berkeley). A recent walk through has revealed:
1. Further deterioration of the slate portions of the plaza/sidewalk which has produced numerous tripping hazards;
2. One dead tree on Boylston, at the Clarendon St. end has never been replaced; Two more trees are de-leafing and apparently near death;
3. The grass is being trampled to death;
4. The plaza in front of Trinity Church has been replaced by asphalt;
5. The number of homeless people hanging about all day has increased.
After 2 reconstructions of this square already, I would hope the city would not wait until the present iteration is destroyed before it steps in to maintain it.

 

[ablarc]

Then why don't you go to school in NYC so you don't have to look at it. Don't they have colleges there?

People who want a place to improve should be required to leave immediately.

 

[Padre Mike]

Even though this thread was hijacked, I'm still concerned with the deterioration of Copley Square (NOT Copley Place and NOT the sidewalks around Northeastern or Berkeley). A recent walk through has revealed:
1. Further deterioration of the slate portions of the plaza/sidewalk which has produced numerous tripping hazards;
2. One dead tree on Boylston, at the Clarendon St. end has never been replaced; Two more trees are de-leafing and apparently near death;
3. The grass is being trampled to death;
4. The plaza in front of Trinity Church has been replaced by asphalt;
5. The number of homeless people hanging about all day has increased.
After 2 reconstructions of this square already, I would hope the city would not wait until the present iteration is destroyed before it steps in to maintain it.

hmmmm.....still being hijacked :x