Wheeler District

[GoGators]

If all of those proposed buildings along Western are actually built that close to the road with street trees, the speed issue along Western will resolve itself.

[Teo9969]

If all of those proposed buildings along Western are actually built that close to the road with street trees, the speed issue along Western will resolve itself.

This.

[Just the facts]

If all of those proposed buildings along Western are actually built that close to the road with street trees, the speed issue along Western will resolve itself.

Not only that but we spend millions making the streets as flat and smooth as possible, then wonder why people speed. If this actually got built like this I would make the roundabouts and road between them out of brick.

[Urbanized]

They are going to have to find a way for homeowners on the east side of Western to safely cross that very busy road.

Not just for the amenities but especially for the school, which is a big selling point.

I wonder if they are considering a pedestrian bridge over Western.

Not a chance. Pedestrian bridges are antithetical to quality urbanism, and this is intentionally one of the most true-to-form new urbanist developments in the U.S. right now. They will fight to bring about at-grade crossings that are safe, regardless of whether the roundabouts make the cut. However this ends up, it will be a purposeful demonstration to the rest of the city that safe at-grade crossings, pedestrians, bicycles and automobiles traveling on a reasonably busy arterial street CAN peacefully coexist.

[Plutonic Panda]

Not a chance. Pedestrian bridges are antithetical to quality urbanism, and this is intentionally one of the most true-to-form new urbanist developments in the U.S. right now. They will fight to bring about at-grade crossings that are safe, regardless of whether the roundabouts make the cut. However this ends up, it will be a purposeful demonstration to the rest of the city that safe at-grade crossings, pedestrians, bicycles and automobiles traveling on a reasonably busy arterial street CAN peacefully coexist.

This is all so wrong. This development goes against everything real urbanism stands for. It’s a white flight suburb for those who want to live some weird Truman Show type lifestyle. That said I think this development is cool and very interesting. I am enjoying seeing it go up. But you think they won’t consider a pedestrian bridge across Western for this?

[Just the facts]

Ironically, The Truman Show was filmed in Seaside, the first built from the ground up New Urbanism community.

[Plutonic Panda]

Ironically, The Truman Show was filmed in Seaside, the first built from the ground up New Urbanism community.

Yeah I watched a documentary about that. Very interesting. I love new urbanism communities and I do “like” the Wheeler District but I don’t think of it in terms of being something to be proud of. It seems its success is prompting mimics like Liberty Park in Edmond. I am going to be VERY interested in seeing how that development progresses and how it stacks against the Wheeler District.

The developers have a very interesting past history in case anyone wants to look.

[April in the Plaza]

Ironically, The Truman Show was filmed in Seaside, the first built from the ground up New Urbanism community.

correct. and you also won't find a pedestrian bridge anywhere along 30A. the wide majority of that highway is limited to 25 mph (definitely through the very best parts, like Rosemary), and it never gets wider than 2 lanes.

[LocoAko]

This is all so wrong. This development goes against everything real urbanism stands for. It’s a white flight suburb for those who want to live some weird Truman Show type lifestyle. That said I think this development is cool and very interesting. I am enjoying seeing it go up. But you think they won’t consider a pedestrian bridge across Western for this?

Please, tell us what real urbanism stands for. Obviously it is all being built from scratch so there's no reclamation aspect other than the land, but it is kind of laughable to claim a neighborhood built within inner Southside OKC is representative of white flight. And have you actually spent much time in Wheeler District? From what I've seen in my time there it is actually more diverse than most OKC neighborhoods.

[Jake]

Please, tell us what real urbanism stands for. Obviously it is all being built from scratch so there's no reclamation aspect other than the land, but it is kind of laughable to claim a neighborhood built within inner Southside OKC is representative of white flight. And have you actually spent much time in Wheeler District? From what I've seen in my time there it is actually more diverse than 90% of OKC neighborhoods.

What Wheeler clearly needs is for Western to be turned into a larger, 6 lane boulevard. /s

[Plutonic Panda]

What Wheeler clearly needs is for Western to be turned into a larger, 6 lane boulevard. /s

Yes thank you for pointing that out. Kerry, confirm my beliefs. Turn Western into a six lane BLVD. Dumbass.

[Plutonic Panda]

Please, tell us what real urbanism stands for. Obviously it is all being built from scratch so there's no reclamation aspect other than the land, but it is kind of laughable to claim a neighborhood built within inner Southside OKC is representative of white flight. And have you actually spent much time in Wheeler District? From what I've seen in my time there it is actually more diverse than most OKC neighborhoods.

I have I promise. I drink at the Big Friendly. It’s an awesome place. Haven’t been anywhere else yet I walk around. Like I said it’s an awesome development.

What I believe it lacks? Authenticity and sincerity. How else can I describe that to you? I can’t. It just seems to lack diversity and vibrancy which may or may not come with an expansion. We’ll see idk.. I’m rooting for it not against it. A light rail line needs to be built to it. How the f@ck does OKC not have a LRT line yet? Don’t you tell me they have a streetcar!!!

[Urbanized]

This is all so wrong. This development goes against everything real urbanism stands for. It’s a white flight suburb for those who want to live some weird Truman Show type lifestyle. That said I think this development is cool and very interesting. I am enjoying seeing it go up. But you think they won’t consider a pedestrian bridge across Western for this?

LOL OK…do me a favor then and explain what “real urbanism” is, as far as you’re concerned. It might also be worth looking up Dover Kohl while you’re at it.

[Wild]

I have I promise. I drink at the Big Friendly. It’s an awesome place. Haven’t been anywhere else yet I walk around. Like I said it’s an awesome development.

What I believe it lacks? Authenticity and sincerity. How else can I describe that to you? I can’t. It just seems to lack diversity and vibrancy which may or may not come with an expansion. We’ll see idk.. I’m rooting for it not against it. A light rail line needs to be built to it. How the f@ck does OKC not have a LRT line yet? Don’t you tell me they have a streetcar!!!

What type diversity are you referring to?
Construction type
Price point
Ethnicity
Housing product

[Swake]

LOL OK…do me a favor then and explain what “real urbanism” is, as far as you’re concerned. It might also be worth looking up Dover Kohl while you’re at it.

This is real:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4177...7i16384!8i8192

I lived in the house with the yellow door when I was a kid.

[Urbanized]

LOL, yes, I’ve spent considerable time in historically urban environments. Mostly on foot. I’ve spent time in places like Boston, NYC, London. I was in downtown Chicago and Wrigleyville a little over a week ago.

I’ve attended and participated in trainings, conferences, and design charettes from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Main Street Center, the International Downtown Association, Congress for New Urbanism, National Town Builders, and the Urban Land Institute. I don’t really need a primer.

I can also dig around on Google Maps and find dense, historically urban environments that closely resemble what’s been built so far in Wheeler, only with a bit more wear and tear. I could show you a Google street view of a building in Midtown Manhattan, or a white row house in Kensington, and I could point out that they each look nothing like the link you shared, and I’d be right. But that certainly doesn’t make your childhood home any less urban. In fact, that very variety is a STRENGTH of the urban form.

Human scale has multiple forms, but also many consistencies.

Plus, we have yet to see the much more dense and urban development intended for Wheeler. Lots of people commenting here as if what’s been built to date is the holistic final form of Wheeler. Which ignores what we’ve already been told about the place by the developers themselves.

I was responding to PluPlan - who had himself posted in response to me saying Wheeler was a true-to-form new urbanist development by saying “…this is all so wrong. This development goes against everything real urbanism stands for…”

I’d like to know Plutonic Panda’s definition of New Urbanism, so that I may understand EXACTLY where Wheeler has run so far afoul of it.

[David]

This is all so wrong. This development goes against everything real urbanism stands for. It’s a white flight suburb for those who want to live some weird Truman Show type lifestyle. That said I think this development is cool and very interesting. I am enjoying seeing it go up. But you think they won’t consider a pedestrian bridge across Western for this?

A white flight suburb in the middle of the city with road connections to the nearby minority majority neighborhoods as well as a new elementary school set up to intentionally draw from both Wheeler and those same nearby neighborhoods? This could not possibly be a worse white flight suburb.

[amocore]

We were told there was funding this year to begin the process for the installation of the roundabouts but that it was pulled at the last minute. We weren't told why it was pulled, but I got the sense that it was due to a particular person not wanting to fund it. We were also told funding may be in the next budget for it, but there were no guarantees. People regularly go 60+mph down Western in this section, so something needs to be done to slow traffic.

It is the Mulsanne Straight from 25th street to the bridge over I 40. Roundabouts would be the best fix for sure.

[UrbanistPoke]

A white flight suburb in the middle of the city with road connections to the nearby minority majority neighborhoods as well as a new elementary school set up to intentionally draw from both Wheeler and those same nearby neighborhoods? This could not possibly be a worse white flight suburb.

Wheeler has no street connections with the nearby neighborhood. Probably the single most ridiculous thing they did on this development. It gives off "gated community" vibes for sure and we're afraid of those poor people next to use using our roads and parking on the street.

99% of this project is awesome except for the connectivity to the surrounding neighborhoods. I hope they reconsider and when the phases north are build that they will connect with the existing grade at 13th, 12th, and 11th. One of the biggest principles of new urbanism design is connectivity and Wheeler fails at that by essentially build a slight more urban cul-de-sac on the western edge of the development.

[Plutonic Panda]

17th, 18th, and 19 streets should be connected. Is there any connection at all to the western neighborhood?

[LocoAko]

Wheeler has no street connections with the nearby neighborhood. Probably the single most ridiculous thing they did on this development. It gives off "gated community" vibes for sure and we're afraid of those poor people next to use using our roads and parking on the street.

99% of this project is awesome except for the connectivity to the surrounding neighborhoods. I hope they reconsider and when the phases north are build that they will connect with the existing grade at 13th, 12th, and 11th. One of the biggest principles of new urbanism design is connectivity and Wheeler fails at that by essentially build a slight more urban cul-de-sac on the western edge of the development.

The plans show connections straight through at SW 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th in the north phase. I don't know why there's more limited connectivity on the southern half of the development compared to the planned northern half, but it does appear the streets to the north are already built out adjacent to the development on Douglas while SW 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th deadend and don't connect through.

[CCOKC]

There was some dirt work done on Saturday that I thought was the beginnings of opening up 15th street to the west. But after further inspection yesterday I am not sure that is what is going on. When the gate is open on the north side of the Runway, there is access to the west. I live on 16th street and a lot of GPS programs (not Google Maps) give directions to my house by going east on 15th from Penn to the dead end by the school. You can see my house from there, you just can't drive to it. I have had so many packages returned from FedEx because they can't find my house.

[David]

Wheeler has no street connections with the nearby neighborhood. Probably the single most ridiculous thing they did on this development. It gives off "gated community" vibes for sure and we're afraid of those poor people next to use using our roads and parking on the street.

99% of this project is awesome except for the connectivity to the surrounding neighborhoods. I hope they reconsider and when the phases north are build that they will connect with the existing grade at 13th, 12th, and 11th. One of the biggest principles of new urbanism design is connectivity and Wheeler fails at that by essentially build a slight more urban cul-de-sac on the western edge of the development.

As far as I am aware this is the current site design and there will be connections to the neighborhood to the west:

[CCOKC]

The old hangar is coming down.

[Plutonic Panda]

As far as I am aware this is the current site design and there will be connections to the neighborhood to the west:

Bad siteplan they should’ve fully connected further south.