Laura takes a drive on Sprague and Division.

Sprague and Division are silently begging for infill. 

It is impossible to drive any distance on our two major cross section streets without being confronted with monuments to failure and wasted potential. You see it so often it becomes invisible. Laura took a drive with her camera to help us see how much commercial and mixed use space we already have.

Large Tracts of Vacant Land

From Larry Ackerman,

Large tracts of developable land INSIDE the existing urban growth area show that we don't need to pave over farmland to grow.

My Mom gets it!

A text from my mom:
"Affordable housing-- NW Blvd Albertsons site -- close to schools and bus routes! Hope this qualifies."

It certainly does, mom!

From My Inbox

"Attached are my 3 photos all within 3 blocks of my house. I wish these areas, 4.5 miles from downtown, were homes with sidewalks, green spaces, parks and trails for walking and hiking."--Mary Lou

From the Twittersphere

Twitter roundup.

Highlights from #insteadofsprawl

Pocket Park

Browne's Addition:

Because density needs green space and there is an amazing view. I wish this was a pocket park.

Browne's Addition, Riverside Ave.

Vertical Potential

City of Spokane Planning Commissioner and developer of mixed use development notices vertical potential. 

our Trader Joes building/their Trader Joe's building

Gail says:

"empty land, large surface parking lots and dilapidated buildings are one option. The other untapped area, is large, sprawling one story buildings. We could put 5 stories of residential on top of ground floor commercial!!!

Here's an example of an apartment above Trader Joes [in Minneapolis]

As long as it is cheap and easy in the short term (very expensive in long term) development will sprawl and taxpayers, businesses and low income [people] will pay, Pay, PAY." 

Play along with us on Twitter! Use the hashtag #insteadofsprawl

Thanks to Spokane Rising for joining our project! I will monitor #insteadofsprawl and feature your contributions here.