Other Cities, Take Note: Bold, Smart, Green Vision Proposed for Downtown Raleigh

Dan Douglas was, until recently, chief downtown planner and director of the Urban Design Council in Raleigh, the state capital of North Carolina. He is now in private architectural practice, but his passion for the city remains, apparently. In particular, he is now proposing that a public/private corporation be formed to undertake a major overhaul of Raleigh's downtown. And Douglas is thinking big, bold, smart, and green.

Among the exciting possibilities:

Nine new public squares, two of which would also function as green roofs for parking facilities.

Buildings at a European-scale height of six to seven stories, except in the heart of downtown, where they might be taller.

A major multi-modal transit center for buses, commuter rail and a hoped-for future high-speed Amtrak line.

Six "green streets" where cyclists and walkers would be given priority.

New cultural and civic facilities.

Major increases in downtown residential units and jobs.

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