Oakland Avenue: a mini-case study for a more walkable city?

So, while back in St. Louis, I saw that a median was being installed from the 4900 to 5100 blocks of Oakland Avenue in the Kings Oak neighborhood.

Thanks to a completely on-the-ball 17th Ward website, there's more information for those of us outside the ward (and the city).

With institutions such as St. Louis University High School, the St. Louis Science Center, and the severed sliver of Forest Park south of Highway 40, this is a smart choice. This will slow down the traffic on Oakland and beautify the street all at once. That makes for happier pedestrians. One of the best parts? SLUH and the SLSC are helping foot part of the bill!

I will say that median-makers in this city need to stop by Reber Place in Southwest Garden, or Lewis Place in north city, or Federer/Holly Hills in the Holly Hills neighborhood, or Sublette in the Kingshighway Hills/Northampton neighborhood. They need to take notes. These wide, spacious medians are also not too full and not overly landscaped. They shade the street with their tree canopies and encourage residents to take advantage of the space.

If it were up to me, these medians would be actual usable spaces--perfect trails for walking yourself, walking a dog, plopping down for a picnic or a book (watch the dog doo-doo, though!), or starting an unoffical community garden.

The one going up on Oakland is a good start, but, from the early looks of it, it won't meet the standards I have listed above. Of course, the ones I mentioned are all residential streets with the exception of Sublette, which has some commercial/institutional uses. Even so, medians need to be wider in this city and follow that residential precedent to provide maximum utility and community benefit.

Despite all of that, I am happy to see Oakland's makeover. Let's hope there will be more throughout the city.