By Erik Gundersen
In the past weeks, we at Dynamic Spaces have shown how Eugene has been expanding its already large infrastructure of skateparks, bike paths and open spaces. We have seen how Eugene is getting more of what it already has; and cities around the country are following some of the same trends. Some are struggling to gain some of the same luxuries we in Eugene experience.
One of these struggles to develop more dynamic spaces in Alameda, California was recently covered by the San Francisco Chronicle. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, there is a large fight over what will happen with the property that is being abandoned by the United States Navy at their Alameda Point base.
The San Francisco Chronicle states that a developing company has a $228 Million plan to build 15 miles of bike paths along with new schools and housing. However, in the current economic climate, the cost of this new development is the main cause for concern. Cities like Alameda are looking to add something to their city that would no doubt improve their quality of life, so it is unfortunate that there is a strong likelihood the ballot measure allowing these developments won’t pass.
While cities such as Alameda have the fate of their biking citizens up in the air, others cities like Eugene are trying to turn people’s attention to bikeways, parks and open spaces as a green alternative for recreation and transportation.
New York City probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of bike friendly cities, but the city government is trying to change that. They call attention to their “Greenways,” which are 100 miles of paved bike paths built along side pedestrian paths. These “Greenways” are something that New York is trying to expand to give its citizens a safe, environmentally friendly way to move around the city by biking, walking, or skating. This proves that there is no city that is too big or too small to be biker friendly.
Dynamic Spaces is trying to increase awareness about how bike- and recreation-friendly the City of Eugene is. In looking outside of Eugene we can see other cities struggling to attain what Eugene already has. Also, we can see great, cosmopolitan cities that pride themselves on alternative routes of transportation and open spaces for recreational use.
Eugene’s bike paths, open spaces and skateparks are some of the greatest features of the city. The citizens of Eugene have an abundance of opportunities to experience the great, natural environments within our city, and they are all accessible by bicycle, with ever-expanding routes. Sometimes it takes just one look to the rest of the country to see how fortunate we in Eugene really are.
[...] next post zoomed out, and with good purpose. Not everyone realizes Eugene’s wealth of outdoor spaces, [...]