MetroSpokane

Planters adding more green to downtown sidewalks

New greenspaces are often hard to come by in dense urban centers and the only alternative is to make use of above ground planters.  They're an excellent amenity to add, especially in those areas where ample outdoor seating is provided by street-level restaurants and cafes.  Sidewalk dining downtown has seen a boom over the past few years, and these new planters we spotted being installed yesterday can only enhance the experience.  Urban sidewalks should be lively places where people can sit, hang out, catch a bite and enjoy the fantastic weather we've been enjoying.  Just another step towards making our city a more comfortable place.

• New Street Furniture Downtown? [MetroSpokane]
• The Sidewalk...  [MetroSpokane]

Spokane water woes . . . or not

[Image courtesy of Rachel Schell via the MetroSpokane photo pool]

Seemingly on the heels of the Seattle PI article concerning per capita water usage in Seattle and Spokane, Mayor Verner has proposed new regulations that could prohibit sprinkler use between noon and 6 PM for the months of May through September.  She has also proposed restrictions allowing even-numbered addresses to water only on even-numbered days and odd-numbered addresses to water only on odd days.

The truth about Spokane

We know a number of our readers hit our website from well beyond the borders of this great city.  We also know many of you are considering a move to Spokane in the near future.  As frequent boosters of all things great about our city, MetroSpokane is your source.  Sometimes though you need a little more.  You need the inside scoop on the issues that matter most...at that moment you should turn to SPOKANEOWNSYOU.COM.   

Remi and Stefan, the genius behind SPOKANEOWNSYOU.COM stand alone.  Not only do they provide you the stripped-down truth about life in Spokane, they do it in rich, luscious streaming media on a weekly basis.

ZOLA Gets a cage

A tipster with his iPhone handy snapped the above pic and sent it our way. The restauranteers over at ZOLA are expanding their seating options out onto the sidewalk.  Our vision of downtown Spokane, hell even the neighborhood business districts, has about ten times the outdoor seating we currently carry. 

Streetcar mural now showing on Monroe Street

What do you do with a large blank wall fronting on one of the best corridors in Spokane?  Dress it up a bit.  A tipster sent in some info that a new mural was taking shape on Monroe Street.  Above is the finished product.  A massive historic image of a streetcar with a few liberties taken on some of the naming (e.g. Tweedy Lines and Monroe Street Railway).  Still, it's a nice addition to the streetscape and we should thank Empire Office Furniture for taking the time and dollars for this nice gesture.

Pools, geysers, tipping buckets and lap lanes

On the next page are the renderings for the total replacement of all five outdoor city pools plus the addition of one Northwest pool in the Shadle Park neighborhood.  $28 million total.  An amazing upgrade to our neighborhoods.  Thanks to cyclingspokane for the tip.

• Prairie View Park-kids have it good these days [MetroSpokane]
• Spokane Parks and Recreation-Swimming Pools [Parks and Rec website]

Public Space gets a boost...trees

Downtown public space will be getting a much needed boost from a new street tree replacement grant program.  If you're a property owner downtown and within the boundaries identified above you'll qualify for a $500 grant to replace or plant trees in sites adjacent to your property.  In return you have to commit to installing a private irrigation, remove any existing tree and care for it for the next 25 years.  The goal is to replace or plant up to 50 street trees per year in the target area. 

Now we're talking.  If this goes well, we'd like to see it expanded to target some of our first-ring neighborhoods that have a significant 'tree-deficit'.

• Guerilla gardening hits the streets [MetroSpokane]
• Street Tree Grant and program flyer - pdf [City of Spokane]

Credit Union, Bike sharing, and Vancouver BC

Chances are you've never heard of Vancity.  They're a highly progressive credit union in Canada.  In fact they're the largest credit union in Canada, and they run their business with an eye on the triple-bottom line:  Financial, Social, and Environmental performance.

MetroSpokane Inbox: Spokane River Forum

Via the MetroSpokane inbox, a tipster dropped us line that The Spokane River Forum website is up and running.  It's a new organization to us, but we're waaaaaay impressed with their Mission:

The Spokane River Forum serves as a clearinghouse and information exchange for all things Spokane River.

Even more impressive is the event they're staging this Summer to raise awareness of the role the Spokane river plays in our lives:  A 120 mile journey from Lake Coeur d'Alene to the Upper Columbia River over two, three-day periods.  The first is June 13th - 15th and the second is June 20th - 23rd.  Registration closes on May 2nd for this event and we have a sense it'll fill up rapidly.  Oh, and while you're at it feel free to join the organization.

• Spokane River Forum [website]
• I love the Spokane River Raft and Paddle Expedition [pdf - map]

New street furniture downtown?

We spotted this sleek new garbage can downtown the other day and wondered if this is a little preview of other enhancements downtown.  It's an improvement over the 34 year old Expo '74 cans in capacity and they're probably a whole lot lighter.  Still, it's frustrating to not see any kind of recycling option for newspaper, plastic, or cans.  We can do better.  Other cities do.

• Innovative Vancouver, BC recycling can [flickr]
• Innovative recycling can - Amsterdam [fllickr]
• Chinese recycling can [flickr]
• More on garbage cans [MetroSpokane}