Is Downtown Tacoma a space or a place?

Portland transforms space into place - so can downtown Tacoma

Blackwater Wins Third Place!

www.Blackwatertacoma.com

They say “tying” is like kissing your sister and “second place” just means you lost. But, let me tell you a secret – a “Third Place” can be the real winner. “Third Place”, besides defining your place in a contest, is a term used by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, in his classic book “The Great Good Place”. Your “first place” is your home, your “second place” is where you work, and the “Third Place” is somewhere in the neighborhood where people can meet, talk, hang, and “just be” together. It’s not exclusionary; it doesn’t cost a ton to be there; and it creates environments where people in the community can begin to know and trust each other. Whether it’s a pub, club, café, park, or plaza “Third Places” are winners.

Blackwater Café in downtown Tacoma currently ranks as one of the best friggin’ Third Places on the downtown planet. It’s not just some chain restaurant or coffee shop, it’s a “downtown place.” It’s unique to the neighborhood; you can’t find one in Seattle; and it’s one of the best expressions of culture our community has. The conversational seating, the “dope” baristas, the artistry, the community info hub, and the entrepreneurial spirit lend to a vibe “where everybody knows your name.”

McDonalds is built to move customers quickly. Starbucks imports their “art” from God knows where. Tully’s charges for wireless internet. Even the classier local joints around town are often built for privacy (otherwise known as isolation). But then there’s Blackwater…

Blackwater is the future of good urban development. It is a “social condenser.” People who come aren’t just customers, they are regulars, or even friends. It doesn’t exist just to make money (although they deserve to make a hell of a lot). Instead, this “third place” sets out to build social networks, to bring Tacoma to life through art and music, and to give a sense of belonging to the members of the community. I’ll go to Blackwater any day (if not everyday)!

Don't Get Boxed Out!

Are Wal-Marts and Big-Box stores killing our communities? Check this out this little excerpt from the Matrix blog at http://matrix.millersamuel.com/?cat=9 (make sure to check out the little video on the spread of Wal-Mart at the end - freaky).

With the gaining momentum of new urbanism and the revitalization of downtown areas by converting obsolete commercial buildings into residential, the entry of big box stores like Wal-mart are believed by many to disrupt the natural economic evolution of downtown residential centers, or stop them all together. With the saturation of Wal-mart stores, it would appear likely that there will be new pressures for them to develop in urban areas, but this will likely add to their current public relations woes [Newsweek] as they attempt to remake their public image [NYT].
Wal-mart organic growth movie [windows media].

Nerd Blog: Small Worlds Theory and Livable Downtown

Part One: Short, quircky, amateur commentaries on "Small Worlds Theory" and its relationship to the "Livable Community" of Downtown Tacoma.

What is "Small Worlds"?
Small worlds is a theory of maximum connectivity. It describes a real world phenomenon found in all types of effective communicative systems (the brain, the internet, viruses, etc). It happens when individual nodes engage in small clusters or "worlds" interacting tightly with one another ("strong links"). These nodes work together in Small Worlds while still maintaining the important connections to other nodes and clusters ("weak links"). This is illustrated in the connected clusters of the small diagram to the right. Small worlds and/or scale-free networks connect individual points with the least degree of separation between them.

What is the "Livable Community" of downtown Tacoma?
A livable community is defined by the quality of relationships shared within a particular geography. These relationships partner together for the economic, social, environmental, and civic life of the place they live. Tight-knit "small worlds" enjoy the potential benefits of proximity (context, relationality, collaboration, social capital etc.) without compromising the regional and global benefits of (transparency, knowledge, perspective, and resource sharing, etc.). They are big enough to live life in (clearly larger than a block) and small enough for a high level of spontaneous relational connectivity (clearly smaller than a region).

Short Premise
Throughout the ages most of the known world has lived with both the good and bad of life in primarily tight-knit community clusters (town, neighborhood, village, tribe, clan). Even in the few larger cities that existed, lack of mobility and primitive technology did not permit people to perceive themselves individually apart from community. With the industrial revolution and the current age of knowledge production, modern human society has worked hard to push the scale to the opposite extreme. Individuals can live as "free agent" monads without connection to local people and place. Living in what author Manuel Castells refers to as "the space of flows" we have lost the relational context that enables deep social transformation, the care of the created world, and the grounded identity of place.

The Paradigmatic Crux Of The Ages
We live at the paradigmatic crux of the ages: this is the first time in history that we have the capacity to live free from the destructive ignorance and tyrannies found in the isolated communities of old. It is also the first time since the history of the industrial revolution that we are coming to realize that there are crucial problems that can only be solved by a commitment to both worlds: that of local livable community and that of regional and global connectivity.

Downtown Tacoma
Downtown Tacoma is at a critical moment for shaping its future in an exemplary way. Three variables can make all the difference:

(1) A commitment to design and shape our built environment in ways that allow community members the freedom to live life (work, play, sleep, eat, relate) in one community.

(2) A commitment as members to develop more holistic patterns of life within the livable community context of downtown.

(3) A commitment to collaborate together with the other livable communities of Tacoma for the vitality and sustainability of all.

Want To Learn More?
Small Worlds theory is one of the many emerging scientific models that point us toward this local/global (glocal) model of life. (Part 2: Coming Soon)

Small World - Just for fun Learning Party Links
Link 1: Join the Grand Experiment (become the laboratory):
http://smallworld.columbia.edu/index.html
Link 2: Power Point Learning (watch the slides):
http://www.legendmud.org/raph/gaming/smallworlds_files/frame.htm
Link 3: Amateur Learning Party (you play six degrees):
http://www.canyouhearmeyet.com/small_world_primer/small_world_entry.html
Charts and Graphs: (See the incredible work of John Cage)
http://www.sojamo.de/iv/index.php?n=10&ci=003-01

"Coffee and Rhetoric" gets crazy fun

Here's a couple highlights of a crazy fun night at Julie Bennett's Coffee and Rhetoric night in downtown Tacoma.

Tacoma News Tribune:
"Urban community guru" Paul Sparks will talk about how develeopment affects the downtown community at the second edition of Coffee and Rhetoric

Exit 133
Paul is a guru of sorts. Keeps a low profile but works tirelessly with small businesses and people in Tacoma to “build community.” Best of all, helping Tacomans is his day job.

From The Volcano
It was pretty interesting & entertaining. In addition to Paul, Stacy Kovats of Marcato fame was there as the developer viewpoint. Despite some name calling from the audience, (“Opportunistic B****” was my favorite) it was an interesting discussion.

As she’s done before, Stacy reiterated that she has a huge amount of vacant land in downtown Tacoma and is looking for suggestions from residents on how to develop it. Some audience suggestions included affordable housing, performance spaces, and a dog park.

As he’s done before, Paul reiterated how much power the people of Tacoma have in influencing the direction our community goes. He suggested means to organize and present concerns to public and private leaders – always acting as representatives of a larger group.
http://weeklyvolcano.typepad.com/spew/politics/index.html

Humbled you will be!

The Urban Yoda of Downtown Tacoma defines "gritty art" for Seattle clones.

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Join "The Downtowners"

If you live or work in downtown Tacoma then you're invited to join "The Downtowners". The Downtowners is a neighborhood collective that partners together to develop the social strength of the community. It is an open and interactive site for sharing stories, highlighting events, mapping strengths, and creating the unique culture our downtown needs. Currently the group is located on Facebook.com under "The Downtowners." Soon we will host the frontpage www.thedowntowners.org and feature all kinds of fun.

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