Downtown Logan

There was an article in the Herald Journal on Feb 22 about some city planners talking about revitalizing downtown Logan. Stephen Goldsmith, a planning director, mentioned that it is the people, not necessarily the aesthetic beauty of buildings, that gives cities their vitality.

Jane Jacobs in chapter 19 said that “A city cannot be a work of art”. Goldsmith advocated that instead of building “authentic-looking Gap or Barnes & Noble” stores, we could instead build drinking fountains or anything that would create a sense of belonging or attachment to downtown Logan. Apparently, this would have the effect of revitalizing downtown Logan, helping small businesses, and providing an atmosphere of community togetherness.

But as was mentioned in the newspaper article, it is hard for downtown Logan to compete with “urban sprawl and strip malls”. Would it or is it ever a good idea to create some sort of policy regarding the revitalization of downtown Logan? And who will benefit from these policies, those that live on the south end of Logan, or those on the north end? Is it in the public interest to do this?

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