In an area where street parking is relatively limited, what is the impact on local businesses? I don’t know. What do you think?

You are observing one of the City of Tacoma’s many efforts in the art of “traffic quelling” or “traffic quieting.”

Why does a dorm need twenty feet of sidewalk?

They don’t. However, the wider sidewalks are being made to make them more friendly for pedestrians.

The theory is that more friendly and inviting sidewalks are used more. For the most part, I think the city’s efforts have worked out pretty well.

Future lane for skaters & Segways?

It could probably be a zoning code regulation or design regulation attributed to the downtown mixed use zone which requires a specific sidewalk width for pedestrian use. Or maybe Tacoma just likes concrete? Once they put in the street trees it won’t feel so wide to the pedestrian.

If you want further information about the closing of Market Street, the first place to check would be with the Permit office (or if you know any of the planners) and ask if a developer has applied for or if the City has initiated an application for what’s called a “street vacation” on Market St.

We need consistent standards for the City as a whole. I’ve inquired about the design standards (lane width, sidewalk width, etc.) for each street classification. There isn’t such a standard in this city. The developers and business owners should not be able to come in and dictate the vision of the area including streets and building design to all of those already in the area. There needs to be a standard and a concensus.

It appears that the proposed street grid will repair some of the mistakes of the past. The Downtown Tacoma plan created by landscape architect Olmstead (designer of Central Park, among others) envisioned a series of gently curving streets “gently climbing” the city’s steep hills to what is now Hilltop. Unfortunately, Jefferson Avenue is the only remnant of this brilliant plan.

UWT is essentially working with a blank canvas (due to the bombed-out nature of that part of town) to create a streetscape that minimizes the extreme topography and arranges buildings in a manner that maximizes their functionality and views.

Leaving Market Street in would be a huge mistake. For most of the past 70 years, our cities and streets have been designed with the primary intention of moving automobile traffic. It is refreshing to see the City and UWT finally begin to give priority back to the pedestrian.

Rather than our streets bluntly being “carved up” by out-of-towners, as Citizen110 asserts, this remake is the work of professional urban designers who have applied classic theory to a poorly-designed, monotonous grid street system.

This street work appears to be laying the building blocks for long term success in the area. I’m positive businesses like the Swiss will become more and more profitable as the Master Plan comes into fruition.

Market Street is another remaining element of Olmstead’s plan. Follow it’s curves from Old town to Stadium District, sloping across Downtown turning into Center Street heading out to South Tacoma Way.

If we ever want to have a street car type system again, Market will be an important Street.

I think you chacterization of the area bombed out is not a fair assement, many Businesses have thrived in the area for many years: Spagetti Factory, Swiss, Buzzard’s, The Rock, Grazzi’s all 10 – 20 years now.

Stop by, talk to some of the local business owners for their view of “The Master Plan.”

“Businesses are simply there to earn money.”
What an insult to so many hardworking people.
Have you seen the work the owners of the Swiss did to clean up drug dealing?
Small business owners often put community before profit. Go to any one of a number of neighborhood groups combating crime in downtown, and you will see almost exclusively small business owners. Small Business Owners are partners in the attempts to activate Tollifison Plaza..

It has been “Planning Professionals” that have allowed a Sex Offender Housing complex to exist in the footprint of UWT, just blocks from these apartments, despite numerous complaints and actions from by those small businesses.

“Unfortunately, many small business owners seem to see little value in making investments such as the UW campus, yet they fail to realize that without the UWT, they would probably not be able to stay afloat.”

Yes, small businesses see the value of those investments. Do think they are stupid?
Small business owners are fully aware of the UWT and continually work with the University on a variety of issues. UWT has clearly indicated the value of small business in making the campus enjoyable. Think back to college, do you remember the times you had in Psychology 101 or the beers you had with friends at the local tavern?

Every small business I mentioned was started before the UWT had it’s first graduation.

It would be nice if we had planners that could plan from the 20,000 foot level, but see the effects at the 2 foot level, Plan 20 years out, but create sustainability for the next two years.

On the other hand, the entire reason for urban planning is to ensure the long-term health of a neighborhood or an entire city.

Yes. But that still begs the question of what is the best “urban plan.”

We want to help UWT succeed. However, we also want the area around it to thrive.

Western Washington University has a street run through it (High Street) and the university has done pretty well over the last 100 years and most would consider the campus pedestrian friendly. They do have a few stop signs on it and it is pretty narrow. The street allows access but it is certainly not a fast thoroughfare.

UW Seattle also has some winding roads through it and I am pretty sure WSU does too. University of Puget Sound has a couple of roads through its “footprint” as well.

Thus, if UWT followed other state universities, the more sensible plan would seem to be to allow some traffic through Market Street with devices like stop signs to slow the traffic through it.

“Thus, if UWT followed other state universities, the more sensible plan would seem to be to allow some traffic through Market Street with devices like stop signs to slow the traffic through it.”

I thought that was the plan but maybe I am incorrect. Currently Jefferson and Court C (?) already have vehicular access.

High Street at WWU is closed to normal traffic during part of the day (at least when I was there—we’d sit and watch folks get tickets).

Considering the positive impact UWT has had on Tacoma’s revival, and the potential which still lies ahead, I can’t help but think that having a contiguous campus would serve future students (and thus the City) best.

I think UWT is here to stay.

The question here is whether the street closure would benefit UWT more than it would cripple the area around it to revitalize.