Normally,
I’d compare and contrast the two cities.
However, the nature of the trip precluded that approach. Along with a family member, I was following a
minor league ballclub for a weeklong roadtrip.
The trip included staying in same hotels as the team. As I’ve previously written, the Omaha ballclub plays in a
cornfield a long ways from downtown Omaha.
Not surprisingly, the visiting team hotel is close to the ballpark, so far
from the part of Omaha that would have most interested me.
So the best
I can offer is observations about the two cities.
We made a
couple of short visits to downtown Omaha.
The downtown grid pattern is fairly strong and logical, although
freeways have intruded on it. There were
areas of interesting existing buildings, but on both a Sunday evening and a
Monday morning, there was an absence of street activity in most districts. There was a sense that Omaha was where people
worked before hopping onto a freeway to drive to a home in the suburbs.
The only neighborhood that had much street life was the Old Farmers Market District. On a Sunday evening, it was so filled with activity that we chose not to fight the crowds, but went elsewhere for dinner.
On Monday
morning, the district was quieter, so we stopped for breakfast. Indeed, it was so still that it was obvious
that the district relied on tourism for its vitality, which is a different thing
than good urbanism. In a well-conceived and
mature urbanist neighborhood, streets are active for most hours of the day all
seven days of the week. The Old Farmers
Market District was a fun place to visit, but it was more Disneyland than
working city.
Relating
Omaha to Northern California equivalents, much of downtown was like the
Financial District in San Francisco, nearly deserted on a weekend. But the Old Farmers Market was like Old
Sacramento, hopping during play hours, but largely somnolent during business
hours.
After my trip,
I visited with a planner who knows Omaha well.
He confirmed my impression that much of Omaha, with the exception of the
Old Farmers Market District, lacks urban vitality. Nor does the zoning code or the current mayor
encourage urbanism. It’s too bad. There are missed opportunities for Omaha to
be a more interesting place.
Des Moines
was a stronger urban place, but still less urban than might be hoped. The Iowa State Capitol, sited on a hill just
east of downtown, is a strong element, providing a visual point of reference
from much of the downtown.
Unlike
Omaha, the ballpark is close to downtown, almost close enough that we could
have walked from the visiting team hotel.
And the State Capitol is noticeable landmark over the centerfield fence,
which provides a solid connection between the park and the town. (Although I understand that the ballplayers
aren’t happy about trying to pick up pitches out of a background that includes
a sunset reflecting off gold leaf.)
My only concern about the ballpark was that, although close to downtown, the true pedestrian experience was interrupted by parking lots between the public street and the front gate. However, there were indications that the parking lots will soon be redeveloped into lofts. I didn’t learn how parking will be provided, but the loft project, especially if it includes retail, will make Principal Park a more complete urban experience.
Otherwise,
Des Moines included several neighborhoods that offered urban experiences,
although most were thin gruel.
East Village,
lying between the Capitol and the Des Moines River, was described as a historic
district, but the elements of history were dispersed among a mélange of low government
and commercial buildings and lacked a critical mass. The most distressing element was boarded-up
houses a couple of blocks northwest of the Capitol. If a city can’t create a demand for housing
within walking distance of the State Capitol, urbanism is severely lacking.
Court Street
was the entertainment district, with a string of brewpubs and music
venues. Perhaps it hops in the evening,
but it was awfully quiet through the lunch hour and early afternoon.
The Des
Moines River is spanned by a series of bridges, similar to Napa, although they
seemed lightly used. I had a hotel room
overlooking the bridges and was surprised to see them bereft of traffic at 8:00
am. None of us like traffic, but it’s a
sign of economic activity and its absence is concerning.
The historic
Governor’s Mansion is in the Terrace Hill residential neighborhood, which is
filled with interesting architecture, but doesn’t function as a walkable place.
The most
exciting blocks I noted in Des Moines were along the route between downtown and
Terrace Hill. With a moderately dense
mixture of offices, medical facilities, and residential, and a sprinkling of
interesting parks, it seemed to be the area closest to achieving urbanism. The number of pedestrians on the sidewalks in
the early evening supported that observation.
Looking
again for a Northern California equivalent, Des Moines is like a sleepier
version of Sacramento. (To those who
might be surprised that it’d be possible for Sacramento be to any sleepier, you
need to take another look at Sacramento.
It’s not yet a walkable urban paradise, but it’s trending in a good
direction.)
Like Omaha,
Des Moines seemed to have the pieces to be a good urban place, but work remains
to be done. Less work than is needed in Omaha,
but still work.
As always, your questions or comments will be appreciated. Please comment below or email me. And thanks for reading. - Dave Alden (davealden53@comcast.net)
Is there a ball team in Lincoln, Nebraska? Years before I had any conscious sense of urbanism or planning, I thoroughly enjoyed a short visit there. I'll betchya it has an urban vitality that would provide a contrast to Omaha. Incidentally a google maps search shows downtown Lincoln as an 11-minute walk from the University. Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteBarry, the Lincoln Saltdogs are a long-time member of the Northern League. It's independent baseball, similar to the teams in Vallejo and San Rafael, but the Northern League is among the strongest independent leagues, so I suspect the Saltdogs are a better club than the Admirals or the Pacifics.
DeleteI agree that college towns can have a particularly vital type of urbanism. I visited Ames, Iowa, home of Iowa State, during my Midwest trip and will soon share insights.
Many of your comments are spot on for the time they were made, however the city has added thousands of housing units and jobs in the last 5 years. I think if you look at downtown now, especially the east village, you would see how far we have come. The wasteland of parking lots around the ball field have not yet been developed unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response. I'm pleased to learn of the changes. I'll look forward to another chance to visit Des Moines. I'll be somewhat close this summer, but the travel plan is a tour of minor-league ballparks and our closest approach to Des Moines will be when the Iowa Cubs are on the road. Maybe next time.
ReplyDelete