Letters: 69th Street could learn from Cleveland
There is no reason to consign the 69th Street business district to oblivion ("Community's unending struggle to stay vital," Tuesday). On the boundary of Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Ohio, is Shaker Square, a thriving town center built between 1927 and 1929. Like 69th Street in Upper Darby, Shaker Square was built at the junction of rail transit lines, and is now a desirable place to live among young professionals.
There is no reason to consign the 69th Street business district to oblivion ("Community's unending struggle to stay vital," Tuesday). On the boundary of Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Ohio, is Shaker Square, a thriving town center built between 1927 and 1929. Like 69th Street in Upper Darby, Shaker Square was built at the junction of rail transit lines, and is now a desirable place to live among young professionals.
A major focus of contemporary urban planning is the concept of Transit-Oriented Development, which supports a walkable community with access to higher-quality public transportation as an alternative to so many cars. Shaker Square and 69th Street were built as TODs in their era, and they remain the antithesis of suburban sprawl today.
Upper Darby doesn't need to reinvent the wheel; it just needs to fix the wheel.
William A. Ritzler
Pitman