Friday, February 29, 2008

Crap be gone - 1914

There is often a feeling of resignation that once crappy architecture is built, it cannot be erased. The 1914 book "Modern City Planning and Maintenance" by Frank Koester shows that crap can be defeated. Attached is a photo of 23rd Street in Manhattan, with stoops and porches encroaching onto the sidewalk. After the city Board of Estimate voted to restore standard width to sidewalks, the encroachments were gone. See- crap can be defeated!

-mazeartist

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

amazing difference w/o the stoops. I always liked wide sidewalks. LIC has got a lot of them, I think. Gives places a nice spacious feel.

Anonymous said...

I feel the stoops are ornate and contribute personality to the streetscape, with the exception of the random placement of signs. Brownstones with stoops depict neighborliness. I disagree with Mazeartist & Ken. Too much cement.

Anonymous said...

you may have a point there, but in these particular photos the stoops just extend out too much.

Anonymous said...

Wider sidewalks create opportunities for street trees, benches, and more space for pedestrians.