Our Urban Status Symbols
From the Creative Class Exchange:
Business Week says subways are the new global “urban status symbol”… Well thank god, it’s not humongous stadiums. And if they are, why isn’t the ever status conscious United States building more of them?
Stadiums are totally urban status symbols. Probably not so much in the rest of the world, but clearly they are in the U.S. Because of course no professional sports team could possibly perform in a subpar stadium and no fan could possibly enjoy the game without their time in the stadium being an “experience.” If your city boasts a professional sports team, it boasts (if it has) a high quality venue for them to play in.
There’s been just as much arguing in the Twin Cities over stadiums as over rail/transit. Over the last three years: new stadiums = 2, new rail line = 1. So which do we value more?
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it’s tough to say? rail helps people get around, makes our city walkable, and encourages dense development.
stadiums (when they’re placed in a good location) offer a rallying point to rebuild part of a city. as much as i don’t like footing the bill for the stadiums, at least it’s a quick way to fix up parts of the city.
New library,museums,skating rink,concert halls,parks,river front bike trails,and the 20 year planned Block E development.We’ve got plenty of urban status symbols,enough of them where they will all be underfunded for the next generation.Just ask the mpls library board.No Ford plant or 3M though.
“enough of them where they will all be underfunded for the next generation”
tim pawlenty’s cutting of local government aid is a major cause of the underfunding that’s going on. he’s gone soon, which if nothing else is a good thing for the Cities.