Some good ideas here:
http://www.kwgs.org/post/tulsa-americas-most-beautiful-city-again (http://www.kwgs.org/post/tulsa-americas-most-beautiful-city-again)
Tulsa's Beautification Task Force wants to reclaim "America's Most Beautiful City" moniker. The title was given to Tulsa over 50-years ago by Reader's Digest.
To accomplish the task, many things will have to be done. Task Force member Ken Busby says sign regulations will need better enforcement.
Other items include: more flowers, cleaning up blighted areas, underground utilities and even showcasing the routes to and from the International Airport.
...
A wonderful idea.
Getting rid of billboards would be a great way to start.
Quote from: Townsend on December 03, 2012, 11:40:22 AM
A wonderful idea.
Getting rid of billboards would be a great way to start.
That's true, but I think Busby may have been referring to businesses signage exceptions that the BOAs hand out like candy.
When the ordinances limit size, brightness and distractability, its usually for a good reason.
Quote from: patric on December 03, 2012, 12:08:57 PM
That's true, but I think Busby may have been referring to businesses signage exceptions that the BOAs hand out like candy.
When the ordinances limit size, brightness and distractability, its usually for a good reason.
Well, anything's something.
Quote from: Townsend on December 03, 2012, 12:25:43 PM
Well, anything's something.
I think all there should be a ban on billboards inside the IDL.
Quote from: carltonplace on December 03, 2012, 12:36:42 PM
I think all there should be a ban on billboards inside the IDL.
Nationally in my mind but might as well start here.
Quote from: carltonplace on December 03, 2012, 12:36:42 PM
I think all there should be a ban on billboards inside the IDL.
Actually, that's on a scale that's doable.
There would be a substantial safety benefit to expressway traffic, as well as the obvious aesthetic improvement.
You guys don't find the double-wide lime green bail bonds billboards an attractive addition to our city?
I served on that task force and helped write the report. I will put a link to the full report on my website later today.
We actually talked quite a bit about all signs, including billboards. One of our task force members was very clear about this topic and used the sign on 75 highway entering downtown that ruins a wonderful view of the skyline. We even discussed using private dollars to buy it and tear it down.
I thought our report was good. We had a few difficult tasks, but overall felt like most of our recommendations were affordable and possible. We had many meetings, took a van around town looking at problems, met with city planners and beautification folks and got our report out in just a few months time.
Don't stop with landscape beautification. The first thing visitors are greeted with off the main arterial, I-44, is the smell of sewage treatment operations and a bone dry river. That isn't necessary. Those smells can be scrubbed, and the river.....well...paint it blue.
Billboards? What? Let's start with air pollutants (refineries) and water (chloramine)...
billboards? Seriously?
Then we need to work on camouflaging those ugly gray trash containers...
There's no way to return Tulsa to "America's Most Beautiful" because so many other community's have stayed focused and disciplined over the years. Our leaders have had no clues.
There was a river task force as well. We were charged to recommend visual things, not smelly things.
Maybe it's just personal preference, but to me sprawl and beauty can't co-exist. The most beautiful cities are always going to be those that have more buildings than parking lots and brownfields.
But that shouldn't stop us from trying to make our city more attractive.
Quote from: Teatownclown on December 03, 2012, 01:34:57 PM
Billboards? What? Let's start with air pollutants (refineries) and water (chloramine)...
billboards? Seriously?
Then we need to work on camouflaging those ugly gray trash containers...
There's no way to return Tulsa to "America's Most Beautiful" because so many other community's have stayed focused and disciplined over the years. Our leaders have had no clues.
Does "Other items include: more flowers, cleaning up blighted areas, underground utilities and even showcasing the routes to and from the International Airport." sound like a task force for pollutant controls?
Yes, billboards seriously.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 03, 2012, 01:23:35 PM
I served on that task force and helped write the report. I will put a link to the full report on my website later today.
We actually talked quite a bit about all signs, including billboards. One of our task force members was very clear about this topic and used the sign on 75 highway entering downtown that ruins a wonderful view of the skyline. We even discussed using private dollars to buy it and tear it down.
I thought our report was good. We had a few difficult tasks, but overall felt like most of our recommendations were affordable and possible. We had many meetings, took a van around town looking at problems, met with city planners and beautification folks and got our report out in just a few months time.
I recognized your thumbprint on a few items. I really like the downtown planters and under grounding utilities. I was just in Fort Worth last week and it is remarkable what hanging/standing planters can do to a sidewalk. Plus they have very few surface parking lots and they seem to have a set of rules for parking lot aesthetics.
Speaking of billboards, what's with Bill Stokley flying his copter around Arizona public lands burying gasoline while changing his id tail numbers? Has he gone over the edge? (sorry, KOTV reported the story but has no linkage)
Quote from: TheTed on December 03, 2012, 01:43:03 PM
Maybe it's just personal preference, but to me sprawl and beauty can't co-exist. The most beautiful cities are always going to be those that have more buildings than parking lots and brownfields.
But that shouldn't stop us from trying to make our city more attractive.
The Great Tulsa Land Grab of 1966 increased the sprawl immensely. Tulsa city limits went from about 50 sq miles to about 165 or so virtually overnight.
You can thank Sand Springs (sort of) for that. They acquired fenceline for about 110 sq miles of land west towards the Keystone Dam. Tulsa's knee jerk reaction was to protect that land they felt was within the city's interest.
Here is a link to the beautification report. I would be very interested in comments.
http://metrecycle.com/category/reports/
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 03, 2012, 01:23:35 PM
I served on that task force and helped write the report. I will put a link to the full report on my website later today.
We actually talked quite a bit about all signs, including billboards. One of our task force members was very clear about this topic and used the sign on 75 highway entering downtown that ruins a wonderful view of the skyline. We even discussed using private dollars to buy it and tear it down.
I thought our report was good. We had a few difficult tasks, but overall felt like most of our recommendations were affordable and possible. We had many meetings, took a van around town looking at problems, met with city planners and beautification folks and got our report out in just a few months time.
A grand entrance can do much for a city's image. It would be beneficial to do a bit of photo editing magic showing the skyline as it would appear if that billboard were removed, Michael.
Take a look at this grand entrance into Pittsburgh through the Fort Pitt tunnel.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 03, 2012, 04:45:56 PM
Here is a link to the beautification report. I would be very interested in comments.
http://metrecycle.com/category/reports/
We should include SH11 as a corridor from TIA to downtown, since roadsigns direct people that way.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 03, 2012, 01:23:35 PM
One of our task force members was very clear about this topic and used the sign on 75 highway entering downtown that ruins a wonderful view of the skyline. We even discussed using private dollars to buy it and tear it down.
Condemn it under Eminent Domain. Cheap, easy.
Something I think would really help is simply painting the retaining walls and guard rails that line our expressways, arterial streets and some neighborhood streets. A good example that needs attention is the wall along 31st Street between Yale and the Broken Arrow Expressway exit. It looks like the wall itself hasn't been maintained or repaired in about 40 years, and the guard rail above is rusting. The rust is running down the wall. The stop light poles are almost as rusted as the guard rails. Here's a Google Street View (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4100+E+31st+St.,+Tulsa+OK&hl=en&ll=36.118602,-95.91816&spn=0.003928,0.006094&sll=35.309049,-98.716558&sspn=5.745317,12.480469&t=h&hnear=4100+E+31st+St,+Tulsa,+Oklahoma+74135&z=18&layer=c&cbll=36.118888,-95.918711&panoid=2ab9LORARB6wC0LLDgUSag&cbp=12,327.79,,0,2.38).
The retaining wall along the BA definitely needs some fresh paint, and ODOT needs to trim back the trees and shrub overgrowth FOR REAL. They do a really poor job of maintaining that, and the trees often protrude beyond the exit signs.
Can we incorporate murals on some of our retaining walls? At exits like the westbound BA at Yale exit, could we incorporate some kind of cool, painted directional signage ("<--Yale, that way!" for example, or a fancy, "Thirty-first Street")? Sometimes, it's just something that says, "someone cares about me" that really can make an area look nice. For a more artistic approach (and why not?), here are a few ideas from Calgary: http://c4-yyc.tumblr.com/post/33776177992/design-challenge-wednesdays-1 (http://c4-yyc.tumblr.com/post/33776177992/design-challenge-wednesdays-1)
Most of the bridge overpasses also haven't been painted in decades and look like piles of rust. Paint them. Replace or repair rusted fences and guard rails.
All of those things make an impact on me every time I drive through town, and they're everywhere. They're things that can look 10000x better almost overnight.
There are examples all over town of walls that could use a coat of paint. That would be a good project for a bunch of civic minded volunteers.
We chose the 1-244 corridor because we knew that there was already some plans to work on it and we wanted to find a project that we had partners and offered high visibilty to visitors. The plans are to stain the concrete overpasses and to paint all the steel supports. We hope to try some real visible gardens and continue to plant trees and shrubs.
One of my favorite parts of the plan is to try to bring flowers downtown. We envision hanging baskets and planter boxes on every block with dedicated funding from private and public sources for regular watering and maintenance.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 03, 2012, 10:17:10 PM
There are examples all over town of walls that could use a coat of paint. That would be a good project for a bunch of civic minded volunteers.
Sign me up. Right now.
QuoteWe chose the 1-244 corridor because we knew that there was already some plans to work on it and we wanted to find a project that we had partners and offered high visibilty to visitors. The plans are to stain the concrete overpasses and to paint all the steel supports. We hope to try some real visible gardens and continue to plant trees and shrubs.
One spot along 244 that I'm really surprised isn't maintained is the Delaware overpass (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=10+S+Delaware+Ave,+Tulsa+OK&hl=en&ll=36.159797,-95.949107&spn=0.003926,0.006094&sll=36.159724,-95.949221&layer=c&cbp=13,5.21,,0,7.55&cbll=36.159793,-95.949253&hnear=10+S+Delaware+Ave,+Tulsa,+Oklahoma+74104&t=h&z=18&panoid=8hMR5_u-lcju0B8xtmOQUg). It's the welcome spot for anyone visiting TU, and I'm surprised it looks as bad as it does. Right now, it's a rust bucket like most other bridges in town, the fences are rusted and collect flying debris, and the one tree planted in the median on Delaware looks like it was an accident. I'd think the University would want to make that first impression a good one, especially for prospective students and their families. Paint, stain and plantings are sorely needed there.
I worked on a couple examples of what the 31st/Yale exit from the BA could look like:
Current:
(http://djeffries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/31-yale-BA-current.png)
Just paint:
(http://djeffries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/31-yale-BA-new.png)
Paint and shrubs with some vintage Tulsa murals:
(http://djeffries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/31-yale-BA-new-shrubs.png)
Quote from: Ed W on December 03, 2012, 05:20:41 PM
A grand entrance can do much for a city's image. It would be beneficial to do a bit of photo editing magic showing the skyline as it would appear if that billboard were removed, Michael.
Take a look at this grand entrance into Pittsburgh through the Fort Pitt tunnel.
That looks like the route I took once driving to Boston. I came out of the tunnel at night and had a pancakes? moment.
Apparently I should pay more attention to the interim map points when I drive.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 03, 2012, 10:17:10 PM
One of my favorite parts of the plan is to try to bring flowers downtown. We envision hanging baskets and planter boxes on every block with dedicated funding from private and public sources for regular watering and maintenance.
St Louis has a large number of decorative plantings in their downtown. Hanging baskets, large curb planters, window boxes, etc. It brings a real organic feel to downtown and (assuming it is maintained unlike the shrubs along the Kennedy Building Bumgarner can't seem to grow) shows there is life in the urban core.
How do you include/draft the public? I've often thought that I wouldn't mind spending a couple hours painting the railing on the Main Street Bridge over 51, or maybe transplant some decorative grasses and throw some mulch on the bare median at 11th and Boulder. I'm just worried that someone might fine me for taking things into my own hands.
Quote from: carltonplace on December 04, 2012, 12:40:09 PM
How do you include/draft the public? I've often thought that I wouldn't mind spending a couple hours painting the railing on the Main Street Bridge over 51, or maybe transplant some decorative grasses and throw some mulch on the bare median at 11th and Boulder. I'm just worried that someone might fine me for taking things into my own hands.
Citizens and even private entities are not allowed to "fix up" ODOT property. You are free to pay ODOT to do it however.
Quote from: carltonplace on December 04, 2012, 12:40:09 PM
How do you include/draft the public? I've often thought that I wouldn't mind spending a couple hours painting the railing on the Main Street Bridge over 51, or maybe transplant some decorative grasses and throw some mulch on the bare median at 11th and Boulder. I'm just worried that someone might fine me for taking things into my own hands.
I don't believe there are clear cut rules. The smart thing would be to include the city Councilor in writing early and invite them to help.
Quote from: sgrizzle on December 04, 2012, 01:51:10 PM
Citizens and even private entities are not allowed to "fix up" ODOT property. You are free to pay ODOT to do it however.
Sounds OK to me.
Quote from: sgrizzle on December 04, 2012, 07:23:00 AM
That looks like the route I took once driving to Boston. I came out of the tunnel at night and had a pancakes? moment.
Apparently I should pay more attention to the interim map points when I drive.
I'm surprised you went through there enroute to Boston. Most east-west traffic avoids the city by using either I80 or I70.
There was a night time view of the same entrance on youtube, but with a hand held camera it's just not as good. One of the networks featured it using broadcast quality, and it was spectacular. It was for Monday Night Football, if I remember right. The camera panned to the left of the bridge to show Heinz Field across the river.
Also, that sharp right bend on the end of the bridge was the site of numerous crashes. It probably still is. There used to be a curb on the inside of the bend. My cousin hit it, flatted both right side tires, and rolled his car. He was OK, but the car was totaled. The curb has since been removed.
Speaking of billboards... I didn't they they were allowed to animate them.
There's one on northbound 75 around S 85th St (west side) that is definitely full-on motion / video
It also seems to be a bit smaller than all the other digital boards.. They find a loophole in the restriction?
Quote from: BKDotCom on December 04, 2012, 07:33:38 PM
Speaking of billboards... I didn't they they were allowed to animate them.
There's one on northbound 75 around S 85th St (west side) that is definitely full-on motion / video
It also seems to be a bit smaller than all the other digital boards.. They find a loophole in the restriction?
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=13198.msg232493#msg232493
Quote from: sgrizzle on December 04, 2012, 01:51:10 PM
Citizens and even private entities are not allowed to "fix up" ODOT property. You are free to pay ODOT to do it however.
When I lived in St. Louis, there was a group that used to dress like Ninjas at night and do things like plant whole gardens on medians or mow and weed public property. I remember one morning driving down Delmar by an abandon house that was an eyesore to see all of the trash in front of the home gone, and the garden completely in bloom. They even painted the front of the house. The cops never caught them to my knowledge. That was about 12 years ago, not sure if they are still doing it.
Perhaps we need such a covert urban task force?
It's called "Guerilla Gardening": changing public spaces with or without permission.
www.guerrillagardening.org/ (http://www.guerrillagardening.org/)
Downtown Tulsa needs to Pimp It's Pavement. Lord knows we have plenty of it down there. http://www.pimpyourpavement.com/
Quote from: Gaspar on December 05, 2012, 08:54:52 AM
When I lived in St. Louis, there was a group that used to dress like Ninjas at night and do things like plant whole gardens on medians or mow and weed public property. I remember one morning driving down Delmar by an abandon house that was an eyesore to see all of the trash in front of the home gone, and the garden completely in bloom. They even painted the front of the house. The cops never caught them to my knowledge. That was about 12 years ago, not sure if they are still doing it.
Perhaps we need such a covert urban task force?
Non-violent civil disobedience? Warm up the APC, boys, they're fixin' to occupy...
Quote from: rdj on December 05, 2012, 10:12:15 AM
Downtown Tulsa needs to Pimp It's Pavement. Lord knows we have plenty of it down there. http://www.pimpyourpavement.com/
I love that.
Tulsa always had a nice skyline.
http://www.newson6.com/story/22027280/downtown-tulsa-digs-flowers-competition (http://www.newson6.com/story/22027280/downtown-tulsa-digs-flowers-competition)
NewsOn6.com - email
The Tulsa Downtown Coordinating Council is hosting a competition called Downtown Tulsa Digs Flowers.
TULSA, Oklahoma -
Downtown Tulsa will be blooming this summer, even more than usual. The Tulsa Downtown Coordinating Council is hosting a competition called Downtown Tulsa Digs Flowers.
The idea is for property and business owners to create living displays of flowers and plants to beautify the city.
The seven districts that make up downtown will compete for a traveling trophy.
Downtown green thumbs have until May 15 to register, and the winner will be announced in early August.
Quote from: carltonplace on April 23, 2013, 09:24:15 AM
http://www.newson6.com/story/22027280/downtown-tulsa-digs-flowers-competition (http://www.newson6.com/story/22027280/downtown-tulsa-digs-flowers-competition)
NewsOn6.com - email
The Tulsa Downtown Coordinating Council is hosting a competition called Downtown Tulsa Digs Flowers.
TULSA, Oklahoma -
Downtown Tulsa will be blooming this summer, even more than usual. The Tulsa Downtown Coordinating Council is hosting a competition called Downtown Tulsa Digs Flowers.
The idea is for property and business owners to create living displays of flowers and plants to beautify the city.
The seven districts that make up downtown will compete for a traveling trophy.
Downtown green thumbs have until May 15 to register, and the winner will be announced in early August.
Just added flowers, (and a flowering tree) out in front of my shop. GO! DECO DISTRICT! ;D
Lets install these on Boston
(http://i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/ny/06-18%20gtown%20flowers%20close.jpg)
Quote from: carltonplace on April 23, 2013, 03:11:06 PM
Lets install these on Boston
(http://i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/ny/06-18%20gtown%20flowers%20close.jpg)
Snow Emergency Route signs?
Gold Domes
I would love that row of buildings up and down Boston where the parking lots are.
Vernal Utah.
Excellent city floral decorations.
Coeur d' Alene ID has a beautiful downtown
(http://www.cdadowntown.com/20812/main/Content/ImageLib/basket%20round%20web.jpg)