on freeway park
Today, Joel Connelly writes [p-i] that it’s time to reclaim Freeway Park. Four years ago, Charles Mudede profiled it as ground zero in the city’s “Topography of Terror” [stranger]. Both provide interesting takes on a good idea gone bad.
I’m pretty sure that the “Terror” article was the first I’d heard of the park and I suspect that it how it will always be branded in my mind. Since reading the article, I’ve only ventured into Freeway Park once, somewhat by accident, and hurried quickly to exit.
I do hope more is done to make Freeway Park safe, especially with so many older people living nearby (and more on the way). The park is a great asset because it is the only way to cross the freeway without feeling like you are crossing a freeway.
The lack of sightlines is the biggest problem. To invoke Jane Jacobs, the safest parks (and thus most pleasant) are the ones you can see across, or at least see out of.
That Charles Muede article was intensely sensationlist!
He’s really mellowed in the last four years.
I live very near the park and use it quite often as a shortcut to the northern side of downtown; I also do a lot of photography there and sometimes just sit out and walk. During the week day it’s as safe as anywhere downtown, just be as cautious as you normally would be. Weekends during the summer bring a lot of wedding groups for photography, which is always interesting to watch. Weekends during the fall and winter–and nights all year around–aren’t intimidating to me as I know the park very well (I know where all the cameras and callboxes are) and thus it’s easy for me to stay in the open, lit areas and out of the boxed in and dark areas.
I wouldn’t recommend most people spend a lot of time there alone at night, definitely: you’ve really got to have your wits around you and know where you’re at, but I don’t think the park really deserves all of the negative press it’s gotten.