More Ideas for Fixing Cathedral Square - Mary Shepard

More Ideas for Fixing Cathedral Square - Mary Shepard

 

 

I am responding to an April 19 GoLocalProv article about the dilapidated conditions in Cathedral Square in downtown Providence. I believe that much more is needed than cosmetic improvements—the city merely repairing the fountain and the broken stones underfoot. Even when spruced up, the space will still be isolated, dead, and unsafe, needing more activity and more reasons to go there. A total rethinking of the urban design elements is needed.  

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Now only for pedestrians, I think the restoration of limited automobile traffic could help add the energy and greater safety this area needs.   This large open space is in front of one of our most magnificent churches, the cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the huge Gothic Revival, double-towered edifice of 1878-89, by architect Patrick Keely.  Over the years, traffic went through this area. But without cars,  it is far too quiet, most of the time. 

 

Adding trees around the square instead of the dense, shady grove that now harbors questionable activities would be another improvement.  Improving sightlines and ways into the square would also help. 

 

The square needs more reasons to go there.  Other than church services, entering the offices of the Diocese of RI or one of the surrounding apartment buildings, the square doesn’t see many people.  Why go into the square?  Except to walk through it quickly, to other streets?  Maybe it needs a cafe or two to make it function like the European squares that renowned designer and architect IM Pei surely had in mind when he designed this square as part of the redevelopment efforts of 1967-1976.  People sitting in cafes are eyes watching the street, which makes a place safe.  A long-time resident told me that IM Pei’s fountain, now a ruin known as “the beehive,” was quite spectacular when it operated.  But we need more reasons to go into the square than a pretty fountain.  Or could it be made into a fountain where children could play safely, with very shallow water? 

 

The square apparently had a lot of auto traffic when Westminster Street went right through it.  Totally eliminating cars from this area is the same mistake as was made when the eastern part of Westminster Street was closed to cars in the 1960s, and the stores did badly.  So traffic was restored.  So why not restore very limited, slow-moving traffic, using traffic calming techniques - one very narrow lane along the edge of the square.

 

Hopefully, our city’s planners will consider various options for narrow routes through the square.  Having citizen participation in charrettes might help generate good ideas.  One narrow road might go close to the front of the church, to drop people off, alongside an already elevated area.  This would still allow for a generous central open space where I’ve seen children play ball.   Recently, I parked along Washington Street and walked into the square through what’s called Jackson Walkway, where I passed several low tents lived in by the homeless.  Perhaps this could be opened up to traffic.  Maybe even open up the stairs rising up from Empire Street to traffic.  There are other entrances where vehicles, like police cars, occasionally drive into the square. 

 

Instead of adding more expensive police protection, let the city put money into the urban design aspects of the square which will make it both safer and more attractive.  We will likely need to get the public behind paying for these improvements, and adding ideas.   Have meetings; planners call them charrettes.   Get people excited about it, perhaps stage some activities to familiarize people with the space.  Nearby businesses and stakeholders such as Gilbane, the nationally known building company, might add suggestions and contribute. Hopefully, we can make some really significant improvements to this area - maybe even make it a destination.    

 

Mary Shepard, a Providence resident, has been writing occasional opinion pieces about urban design for newspapers for over 20 years.  She is a photographer and studied urban planning at URI and with the New Urbanists, who have a national conference in Providence, CNU 33, June 11-14.