 |
Newburgh, NY |
A google search for "Widest Main Street in America" gives you a long list of cities claiming to have the widest main street in America, including:
- Onowa, Iowa
- Greenwood, South Carolina
- Keene, New Hampshire
- Canal Street, New Orleans
- Plains, Kansas
- Newburgh, New York
Putting aside the obvious question of which city really has the widest main street, let's ask another question: should a city promote this fact? My two cents:
I refer to the old adage quality, not quantity. Sure, a 100' wide main street might put your city on the map, but unless it appropriately meets the needs of its users, encourages economic activity, and is a welcoming place to be, I'm not certain a city should highlight this fact.
Case in point: Newburgh, NY
Unfortunately, the enormous width of Newburgh's main street makes the city seem even emptier and depressed than it might be if it had, say, a 50' wide main street. In short, the size of Newburgh's main street is disproportionate for a city of 25,000 people, and the result is an image of a sparse, nostalgic, depressed downtown core.
Of course, urban design is just one of many contributing factors to Newburgh's state of affairs. An influx of social services, a high crime rate, struggling nat'l/ regional economy, and mediocre political leadership, among others, all make Newburgh the tough place it is today.
But a narrower, more intimate main street would go a long way in alleviating Newburgh's problems. At least on the surface.
