Adaptive Reuse - Chapter 3 - Gunn Meyerhoff Shay

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68 York, London, Tokyo. Others are becoming those hotspots, like Austin and Seattle. “Savannah needs to take its place among them. We need to embrace technology and tolerance in a way that attracts people to come here.” Safety will be another important factor. “From the perspective of urban planners, in the historic district, density is frighteningly low. We’re down to about 14 residents per acre in the historic district,” says Shay. The figure in Manhattan is 418; in Paris, 333. “It doesn’t look that empty, because of the tourists and transients. But lowpopulation densities are the most dangerous when it comes to homicides and accidents.” “With the average Savannah town house going for over $1 million, you’re excluding all but a very few people. But condos and rental units can add density,” he says, “and be built above the storefronts, so that we recreate the urban environment before automobiles.” Meanwhile, throngs of retired baby boomer are headed to Savannah to find a happy quiet life. One demographer predicts Savannah’s population will reach one million within 15 years, fueled largely by retirees. Says Shay, “Why don’t we go ahead and make that our specialty? It will be different here than a gated community. It won’t be like the mall or private golf course. Yes, there is a little bit of risk associated with that. But that’s one of the things that’s good about Savannah. If you live in a city, you’re engaged. You see a homeless person on the street – you have to make a decision. Will you give money, or not? Acknowledge him, or flee? It might be unsettling, but either way you’re engaged. You know what’s going on in Savannah, and the world, and you have to do something about it.” “Our work is intended to be a bridge between diverse cultures,” says Shay. “between the Asian computer programmer sitting in front of the coffee shop, as well the gentry who move in from the suburbs. Venice may be Shay’s ideal in
Park Place condominiums 69
Page 2 and 3: 50 S Y N E R G Y When something is
Page 4 and 5: 52 River Street public thoroughfare
Page 6 and 7: 54 on Bay Street look even better w
Page 8: 56 It is futile to plan a city’s
Page 13 and 14: Cathedral spires in Savannah ☛ Ve
Page 15 and 16: Savannah S oftball Complex
Page 18 and 19: 66 T H E F U T U R E The future of
Page 22 and 23: 70 many ways, but he also acknowled
Page 24: 72 The care of human life and happi
Page 28: 76 Credit is due to the hard-workin

Adaptive Reuse - Chapter 3 - Gunn Meyerhoff Shay

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