On principles

Alive & Unedited

On principles

By Tracy Zollinger Turner

WILL SHILLING PHOTO

Throw a stick from any corner along Columbus' east-west artery of Broad Street and you'll likely hit an area that somebody hopes will become the city's next great urban neighborhood. But few have drawn as much consideration as the historic area of Franklinton, made viable this century by its location in the morning shadow of Downtown and the completion of the Scioto River floodwall.

Last week, a group of master's candidates in OSU's Knowlton School of Architecture's City and Regional Planning program unveiled an extensive, deeply researched plan for the neighborhood, called for by the Franklinton Development Association.

Mark Lundine is one of the students responsible for the plan. Having worked on the city's 2012 initiative as an intern, he was well acquainted with the growing desire for affordable urban housing, as well as space and ownership for artists that have been priced out of the Short North.

Lundine spoke to Alive about the five key principles that would guide Franklinton development.

The first principle of the plan is to promote the neighborhood's history. Give us a snapshot.

Franklinton was the first community in Central Ohio. In 1908 there was a civic plan for Columbus that extended across the river — in 1913 there was a massive flood in Franklinton that killed a lot of people and destroyed a lot of the neighborhood.

In 1982, Congress declared it a flood plain, which caused a lot of disinvestment. No one would build anything because no one would insure it, but in 2003 the floodwall was completed, which changed that.

The oldest building in Columbus is in east Franklinton — the Franklinton post office. There are four historic registry sites in various stages of preservation, another six that we have recommended and about 24 sites that need additional information. This neighborhood needs to work on preserving those buildings in order to create the historic fabric that can help hold it together.

The second principle is to create a walkable, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood that improves the health and safety of its residents. How can a neighborhood do that?

Just physically encouraging people to walk as a mode of transport contributes to a neighborhood's overall health. We have an obesity problem in our country and a lot of that has been tied to the built environment.

From a safety standpoint, crime prevention can be achieved through environmental design. Organizations like Pilot Dogs, located in East Franklinton, regularly do training walks in the neighborhood, which creates a natural surveillance.

Number three is to become Columbus' first urban green neighborhood. How would that be achieved?

Franklinton is perfectly suited for [green design] because of its location, the small gridded street network, its walkability, and access to parks and green space along the Scioto River. The neighborhood standards are more focused on building in long-term sustainable pieces.

It's also a marketing piece — you can show people that over time, green building and green design really save money, save resources, and long-term it actually affects people's health. People who live in green environments are absent from work less because they are sick less.

The fourth is to attract artists and young professionals to start the rejuvenation of the neighborhood. Why are artists so important to creating the foundation?

Artists are willing to take a little bit of a risk, and often because of lower salaries are forced to take more of a risk. [Their] art creates a vibrancy that reflects back on the economy of the neighborhood. Obviously the Short North is a great example of this. But we wanted to look at art ownership because the Short North has priced out many of its artists.

The last principle is to become "Columbus' model mixed-use/mixed-income neighborhood." What are some of the advantages of and means to this?

We have a lot of great mixed-use areas in Columbus, but mixed-income is our real gem. The thing that inspired us was talking to Mount Carmel West. A hospital employs people at every income level, and we really wanted to provide for that in this plan. Keeping the affordable component of the neighborhood is crucial.

May 29, 2008