Sometimes Better to do nothing part two: Cleveland's Warehouse District

make a gif

 I posted this before and after GIF months ago, which illustrates how little is left of the Warehouse district just west of Cleveland's downtown.

Truth is I don't know the exactly how or why these buildings were torn down- but given overall national history and the relative proximity to Cleveland's massive sports stadiums and I-90, I have an idea.

 Most, do not look like they were historic gems- some of those were saved. What one sees is blocks of solid, useful buildings, forming an urban, walkable fabric, perfect for gradual reuse- or even replacement.

 Michael Lewis, in Moneyball says it's not the great players or moves a team doesn't make that haunt as much as the disastrous gambles that don't pay off. The other thing one got from the movie- is that the temptation to swing for the fences and grab for the the trendy all star or latest urban fad is almost overwhelming.

We can see that in cities pretty clearly. Once, a massive destructive mistake like a West Side Highway or Allegheny Center is made, it's very hard to fix. Perhaps nothing hurts as much as a design that permanently breaks or changes the street grid.

Let's hear it for small-ball.