I was going to take the night off, because I'm in that phase at the new job where I'm taking in so much new information each day that I kind of just want to be a vegetable when I get home...but then I saw a truly awful video promo for a new set of condo towers back in my hometown, Milwaukee. It's gross, y'all. You'll be reeling from the clichés by the end, but it's kind of fascinating to see which elements of a location are used to lend status to some fairly bland architecture...I'm particularly interested in how green and pastoral they try to make these twin hulks seem. I was also amused by the way that downtown cultural venues (located more than a mile and a half away) are advertised so fervently when it is within a five minute walk of two of the most vibrant areas in the city (Brady Street and North Ave.)
If it seems like I'm being picky about the distance, you have to take into consideration that a mile and a half actually still means something in Milwaukee, where the metro is really only about thirty miles end to end. Sure, the exurbs stretch further out, but the developed part of the region is very compact. There has always been an economy of space here that had a lot to do with shaping my views on the spatial requirements of individuals and on places in general. Milwaukee was, for quite a while, one of the most densely populated cities in the country...so to see this regionalist attitude that justifies bland design through perceived proximity to downtown is kind of...weird.
Nevermind my ramblings...go and enjoy the video.
Links:
Park Lafayette (The video link is in the center of the page.)
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