High Street is a street with a high level of pedestrian traffic due to the college and dormitories on the west side of the street and the many commercial eateries on the right side of the street. Some problems with this area make the area seem unsafe and without character. There is no greenery on the east side of the street. With no connection to nature, that side of the street seems dull and dirty. For the most part, the biggest problems are on the east side of the street because along with no connection to nature, there is no connection to the area. Virtually all of the restaurants in this area of N. High Street are chain and can be found nearly anywhere in the country. There should be a draw to this area that makes it different from everywhere else just off campus. Local and family businesses benefit the area by making it more unique and also benefit the economy of the area as well; this area seems to have none of that. Lastly, the issue of safety needs to be addressed for pedestrians. This street has a high volume of car and pedestrian traffic. Pedestrians have a few crosswalks in the area, but they are not differentiated from the street and can be dangerous.
One approach to make this area more lively would be to make it green and environmentally connected. In between Lane Ave. and Woodruff Ave., one side of North High Street is green and beautiful, while the other side is plain and dull. This unbalance is somewhat unappealing. The campus (west) side of the street is clean, organized, and inviting with green space. On that side of the street, we would add more natural colors- like flowering trees or a fountain. This would add a deeper connection to all of the environment’s natural features. The east side of the street is very different and has very few small trees and no grass. To fix this problem, we would add grass and trees to balance the area. Adding these natural features helps connect it with the other side of the street to make it look more unified and clean. The sidewalk may need widened in order to support the pedestrian flow of traffic along with adding the grass. Overall, by making both sides of the street green and uniform, the whole area will look cleaner and would brighten up the whole area.
The left side of the street would benefit greatly from more green space and trees. Here is a sketch I drew up to make the street more appealing.
Another approach to revitalize the area would be to take a more people-centered approach. This intersection is a fairly bleak area that does not live up to its full potential. This is not an intersection in which people would want to spend very much time. There are many small yet worthwhile efforts that could be made in order to change this. The first change that could be made would be to implement vibrant brick crosswalks in this area. This would make this intersection feel like an entire new area that stands out.Those driving in this area would go slower as the vibrant brick would catch their eye which in turn would make things safer for pedestrians. Parts of Columbus, specifically High Street, have art on buildings that add to the culture of the city. Something similar could be done on this specific intersection. Another way to promote people in this area would be to put in interesting benches- much like the one seen below. Along with these benches, street lights with similar features could be added to bring the area more depth and personality. Lastly, promoting the local businesses in the area may draw in a wider variety of people. Family or local businesses bring people to the area because it is one of the only places to get the specific good or service that they provide. It promotes a unique environment and possibly would stimulate that areas economy. These additions to this intersection would make this area have more cultural significance and become a more memorable part of High Street.
Implementing either of these two approaches could mean very high costs. The green approach would be a great effort to bring uniformity and a calmer atmosphere; however, the cost of expanding sidewalks could be high, as well as the high impact it may have on traffic. The green approach would be a good long-run plan because it would create a more walkable area where people want to spend time and money in the area. To make this happen, city planners would want to communicate with OSU students and others who use that strip everyday and see if there is a lot of support for the effort. If there is sufficient support, the city could allocate funds for the green approach on this part of high street. The people-centered approach would be much more expensive. Adding these brick pathways would be appealing to the area and make the street safer and more accessible to pedestrians. It would be feasible for the area because it is constantly packed with visitors to the university and perspective students. Using policy and incentives to bring in local businesses would benefit students and visitors greatly because there is a need for the culture local businesses provide. Ohio State and Columbus have so much to offer, and these approaches bring people together and promotes nature in our everyday lives.