Beautification Projects

[Jake]

OKC being on the plains doesn’t excuse it from having such large sections of the city be so profoundly fugly. The aesthetics of the city weren’t a priority for a very long time and it shows. Hopefully this begins to turn the tide. The city obviously wants to make a good impression for the Olympic events.

[dankrutka]

Two different climates, despite only 100 miles in separation?

Look at a terrain map of Oklahoma from above and Tulsa and eastern Oklahoma supports many more trees and I would assume on average receive more rainfall. I-35 is literally the dividing line of the plains and OKC is right on the edge, or jumping off point to the west. It's almost the opposite in Arkansas, as the western half of the state has many more trees and overall more "green" compared to the eastern half

Sure, but OU planted a bunch of trees when the university was founded and they look great. OKC could definitely beautify the city by planting more trees.

[sethsrott]

I’m excited to have this improvement! I really think they could work with the 39th Street District and make this a really cool gateway into our city’s LGBT District - thinking rainbow lighting / signage on the bridge.

[bombermwc]

Sure, but OU planted a bunch of trees when the university was founded and they look great. OKC could definitely beautify the city by planting more trees.

A little to unpack with this.

OKC is on a transition line. That's why NW OKC is flat and no trees while Choctaw has lots of them. When you rely on nature to maintain a plant, then it has to fit with the climate zone its in. NW OKC is drier than SE OKC...that's just how it is. For OU, it's closer to the river (think water TABLE, not just the river path) and also has OU watering the plants. There's enough water to grow the thing. So just saying OU planted trees 100 years ago, doesn't mean that they would just grow and OKC is way behind on that. We had the "up with trees" campaign and some of those are still around. But it's not just that easy. You have to plan what nature can maintain unless WE maintain it. meaning, you have to water those things. In those first 5 years or so, if you dont water them regularly ALL YEAR (not just summer), they tend to die. Just check how many trees die in new neighborhoods even with sprinkler systems.

Trees are fickle pickles. And you have to have the right thing. And please do not plant Bradford Pears...omg.

[Mountaingoat]

^^^^^^

And along with this, windstorms, and ice storms.......

[dankrutka]

Really informative post, bomber. Thanks for educating me on it.

[Rover]

I first started coming to OKC from Ponca City where there were great towering Pecan trees, Elm Trees, Sycamores and other great trees. I thought the drive to OKC and OKC/Norman were the most tree barren places I'd ever seen. After college I moved to Tulsa and again enjoyed great tree landscape. However, now when I drive OKC and 35 North from here it is amazing the amount of coverage and maturity the trees show from 60 years ago. If you could compare pictures you see that we have greened considerably. OKC is much greener and prettier than it ever has been, but it will never be timberland.

[Jake]

Had the opportunity to drive from OKC through Wichita, KC, Des Moines, Madison, to Milwaukee to see family. Holy smokes, I know the geography, topography, and climate don't do OKC any favors but it was such a stark contrast. Everything just seemed so much better maintained.

Most notable was the lack of trash/junk in the medians of those places. Maybe it's because there hasn't been rain in like 2 1/2 months, but there's just a ton of loose trash seemingly everywhere within the metro. I work near the airport and the drive to and from downtown is honestly depressing. If I were a first-time visitor to OKC and saw that I would think the city is a dump. Just so many plastic bags stuck against chain link fences. Should be the city flag.

Again, there are so many things working against OKC that the city has no control over, so you can't blame anyone. You can't blame the city for people littering, either. However, you don't have to plant a forest of trees to maintain a certain level of aesthetic appeal for your city. Having some native grasses/hardscape that is actually maintained along roadways/overpasses would go a long way. I don't know, something would be nice.

I'm so proud of OKC and the city has come so very far in a ton of areas. But aesthetically the city has lagged way behind its peers and even cities much smaller than itself. Looking forward to the beautification projects but these should just be the tip of the iceberg.

[Pete]

^

This is an area where OKC should be ashamed of itself.

I walk a ton throughout the city and going at that speed along sidewalks (where there are any) you really see all the weeds and trash and neglect. And speaking of sidewalks, my neighborhood had them installed about a decade ago and there has been absolutely zero maintenance since; weeds splitting the pavement, tree limbs blocking the way.

A big part of the issue is we keep our sales tax artificially low to accommodate MAPS and now the new arena. Even with that extra penny, the OKC sales tax is about average in the state.

That means the billions put towards MAPS and now the arena is basically taken from City operations, and sales tax is their only funding mechanism. It shows.

[Jake]

^

This is an area where OKC should be ashamed of itself.

I walk a ton throughout the city and going at that speed along sidewalks (where there are any) you really see all the weeds and trash and neglect. And speaking of sidewalks, my neighborhood had them installed about a decade ago and there has been absolutely zero maintenance since; weeds splitting the pavement, tree limbs blocking the way.

A big part of the issue is we keep our sales tax artificially low to accommodate MAPS and now the new arena. Even with that extra penny, the OKC sales tax is about average in the state.

That means the billions put towards MAPS and now the arena is basically taken from City operations, and sales tax is their only funding mechanism. It shows.

I assume the giant size of the metro doesn't help things. But yes, I would be willing to have my taxes pay to keep our city not looking like trash all the time. I think that's a worthwhile cause.

On a positive side note. Milwaukee and Madison rock. Most of Wisconsin in general was really nice and was overall beautiful to spend time in. The city/state could learn a thing or two from them.

[Pete]

^

I was born in Milwaukee and go frequently for family reunions. One of my traditions is to start in the historic 3rd Ward (like Bricktown on steroids; I would kill for their Public Market) and walk along the river, downtown, and lakefront to what they call the East Side, a great neighborhood where my parents grew up just south of UW-Milwaukee. The entire city is spotless; I often say it's America's most underrated city.

I also did Ironman Wisconsin so I swam in one of the big Madison lakes, rode my bike all throughout the countryside, then ran a marathon through the streets of the city. Gorgeous setting (at least in the summer).

Door County near Green Bay is pretty fantastic with tons of things to do. I rented a bike and spent a couple of days cycling from quaint town to quaint town.

Also, a friend from California has a summer lake house in northern Wisconsin, common with lots of people from Chicagoland. I once spent several days there among literally hundreds of lakes, most interconnected. People go everywhere by boat -- super cool.

[Jake]

^

I was born in Milwaukee and go frequently for family reunions. One of my traditions is to start in the historic 3rd Ward (like Bricktown on steroids; I would kill for their Public Market) and walk along the river, downtown, and lake front to what they call the East Side, a great neighborhood where my parents grew up just south of UW-Milwaukee. The entire city is spotless; I often say it's America's most underrated city.

I also did Ironman Wisconsin so I swam in one of the big Madison lakes, rode my bike all throughout the countryside, then ran a marathon through the streets of the city. Gorgeous setting (at least in the summer).

When we went it was a little misty and the high was in the 50s or so. Not too windy, but a tiny bit chilly that required actual fall clothing. It was amazing.

We went to 3rd Ward and were blown away. I was so impressed by Milwaukee. My family lives near Green Bay so I actually never visited Milwaukee growing up until now. Don't know why lol.

Just such a perfect example of an overlooked city. OKC is approaching MIlwaukee in metro population and may pass it by the end of the decade or so but Milwaukee just has things that far, far outmatch OKC and probably always will. A city is more than just raw population numbers. OKC has a very long way to go still in many areas. Especially in the beautification and quality of life department.

Excited to go back to Milwaukee/Madison. I'd love to go to a Brewers game.

[Pete]

^

Unlike almost all American cities in the 60s and 70s, Milwaukee never experienced the ravages of urban renewal where huge chunks of historic buildings were destroyed. A big reason is the several colleges right downtown (Marquette, MSE, and UWM just north) and lots of housing. Plenty of people fled to the suburbs but the core was never really abandoned. So, when new urbanism became all the rage, they had plenty of building stock to renovate and improve.

I've said many times that waterfront cities have a huge advantage when it comes to revitalization because there is a clear starting point and focus, then things ripple out in concentric circles. OKC has never had any focus and it shows; we are all over the place and our resources are spread too thin -- and I mean in the core, not just suburbia. The Summerfest grounds in MKE were one of the first things that happened along with their gorgeous museums, then the 3rd Ward and onward from there.

And now, you probably saw there are five or six 30-50 story residential buildings, all along the lakefront. It's all due to the laser focus on compact areas.


BTW, I have also been to Milwaukee in February. It's difficult to explain how incredibly depressing it was. So cold, so dreary, and it was dark at like 4 PM. I don't get depressed but after a week I felt like I was in a pit of despair.

Wisconsin and Minnesota are great places but for half the year, the weather is a complete dealbreaker for most. It certainly was for my parents. One of the reasons I love OKC so much is because I grew up listening to my dad talking about how great it was compared to Milwaukee, and he tried to recruit his entire family to live here.

[Jake]

^ That's a really good point. Forcing OKC to focus on a specific point would be nice. What's the closest equivalent OKC has? The river? Scissortail Park?


And good point about the universities. Looks like UW-Milwaukee alone has about 23,000 students. If OCU was even half that size I wonder what effects it would have on the surrounding area.

[Pete]

Imagine that OKANA was located at the Producer's Coop site and that the Wheeler District where Strawberry Fields is planned.

Beyond that, we still have massive holes throughout Bricktown, Deep Deuce, Auto Alley, Midtown, Film Row, Uptown and just about every other district. It's the OKC way and we never can seem to get to critical mass.

[Jake]

Imagine that OKANA was located at the Producer's Coop site and that the Wheeler District where Strawberry Fields is planned.

I think I've grown accustomed to things being so spread out living here but yes it is strange how some of the largest, most successful recent projects are so far apart from everything. Not that "everything" is in one particular place anyway.

[unfundedrick]

Some people seem to have forgotten that this thread was started because of the MAPS 4 beautification projects that are being planned. We can't change the basic topography, climate, and natural amenities that we don't have that other cities do.

[zefferoni]

I don't know if it's related to this project, but OKC Beautiful advertised in my neighborhood's Facebook group that they were doing a tree planting program. I got a free redbud and sycamore planted in my front yard by them.