Naples 5th Avenue South

5th Avenue South

5th Avenue South in Naples Florida (specifically, the approximately five blocks between 8th and 3rd Streets) is an intriguing experiment in New Urbanist, pedestrian oriented design in an overwhelmingly auto-focused region. In 1994 Andre Duany and his firm DPZ were commissioned by Naples to conduct a charrette to formulate a master plan for the Avenue. At the time 5th Avenue's predominantly one story, strip mall style storefronts were largely vacant and had little identity. DPZ created an overlay district with very specific regulations for redevelopment which emphasized density, mixed use, landscaping, and building frontage. Since that time 5th Avenue South has changed dramatically and offers some insight into the benefits and challenges of implementing New Urbanist plans.

DPZ Redevelopment Area (Yellow) and Public Parking Structures (Red)

5th Avenue Post-Modern Architecture

From 8th through 3rd Street 5th Avenue is made up mostly of two to three-story, mixed use buildings, typically with commercial first floors that directly abut the sidewalk with set-back residential apartments above. Almost all of these buildings were built after the master plan was adopted and they fully embrace, for good and for bad, the post-modern Floridian architecture of the 1990's. Perhaps owing to the city's name the new buildings, in addition to red tile roofs, have been generously seasoned with concrete replicas of Italianate colonnades, balustrades, window treatments and urns. Their stucco exteriors range from plain white to pastel pinks, yellows and oranges.

Details

The biggest exception to this overall pattern are the older one-story commercial buildings on the Avenue's north side between East and West Lake Drives. Retaining the Avenue's pre-DPZ template, these buildings, which are mostly restaurants, nevertheless have incorporated themselves into the new streetscaping by converting their front, strip mall style parking into patios for dining. While not exactly in line with the original DPZ vision I can't help but love this adaptive re-use which is a wonderful example of how designs hostile towards pedestrian comfort can be adapted to fit into a more walkable context.

Parking-to-Patios Adaptation

The street's landscaping is another item worth mentioning. Along the length described above there is a consistent five to six foot bank of plantings between the sidewalk and the street. The planting are generally well maintained with dozens of tall, spindly coconut palms lining either side. The Avenue also has some nifty branding with custom "5th Avenue" streetlights and two large painted 5th Avenue street treatments at either end of the development. Besides these features there is a great deal of variety in pavement treatments, ranging from brick crosswalks to storefront designs employing brick, colored concrete and stone, the appearance of which seem to be at the discretion of the building's owner.

Sidewalk Plantings

Pavement Treatments

Many of these elements are classic New Urbanist design: relatively dense, mixed-use buildings with very little setback from the sidewalk oriented unambiguously towards the main street. The addition of awnings, plantings, and removal of driveways are all intended to make the pedestrian comfortable by removing barriers for exploration and blurring the line between sidewalk and store. The targeted development area is also contained within a 10 minute zone, the widely accepted limit on how far pedestrians are willing to walk.

5th Avenue South Cross Section at E. Lake Dr. (looking east)

New Urbanist 5th Avenue may be, but transit oriented it is not, and the street is supported by a number of significant secondary features. In addition to on-street, mid-block and traditional blacktop parking the development is further enabled by two enormous public parking structures on either side of 8th Street. These parking amenities are linked to the main Avenue by side streets as well as a series of well executed pedestrian walkways.

Pedestrian Walkways

While 5th Avenue is not particularly notable architecturally there are at least a few points of interest. Sugden Community Theatre at 7th Street is one of the Avenue's better post-modern buildings, if only because it eschews it's neighbor's garish colors and faux-italian sensibilities. The plaza in front of the theater is also well executed; flanked by two restaurants and planted with shade trees instead of spindly palms.

Sugden Community Theatre

The second point of interest is actually just a block west at 6th Street. 6th Street's planting strips and median have also been planted with shade trees that have matured to the point that their branches overlap one another over the roadways, creating a wonderful tunnel effect and actually puts me in mind of Uptown New Orleans. The intersection is also home to the 5th Avenue Coffee Company which is housed in a charming one-story 1950's modernist building. The shop has only a minor setback from the sidewalk, allowing it accommodate outdoor seating, hold the corner and more-or-less line up with the frontage of its neighbors. While nothing extraordinary it is nevertheless a nice vestige of the street's pre-1990's appearance. The development area is also proximate to Cambier Park, which has been well developed and has a number of recreational amenities.

6th Street and 5th Avenue Coffee Company

The final feature is actually at the end of 5th Avenue three blocks past the DPZ development, and that is the public access point for Naples Beach. The access point (one of many) is little more than a few parking spots and a short boardwalk from the cul-de-sac to the sand, but the idea of easy public access to arguably the City's greatest single asset, it's Gulf Coast beach, is a real triumph of public-minded planing.

Public Beach Access

Physically speaking 5th Avenue is well executed, its architectural aspirations non-withstanding. Rather, the street's main failings lye in its disconnection from the rest of the city and its amenities, which are primarily tourist-oriented. Blessed with an abundance of cafes and restaurants 5th Avenue nevertheless has no pharmacies, no groceries, or really any locally oriented, daily use operations besides banks. This makes the Avenue an attractive place to visit, but not the kind of walkable, complete neighborhood development it was intended to be. Setting aside the lack of daily amenities the Avenue's walkability also remains an island of pedestrian oriented design in a city that simply is not. Throughout the rest of Naples sidewalks are inconsistent at best and way-finding between other centers of activity like 3rd Street South, public beach access points, the City Dock or Naples Pier can be challenging.

In 2004 DPZ did a 10 year check-up analysis of the project, and since that time the street has continued to fill in and develop, however the same concerns about locally oriented amenities were also cited in that report as a major shortcoming. Ultimately it seems that when implementing New Urbanist projects in car oriented communities (a trend that occupy a great deal of American planning in the coming years) changes to zoning and form based codes can have a major impact on physical development, but the complete neighborhoods the developments are intended to create remain far more elusive.

Naples Historic District and Third Street South

Naples Historic District and Third Street South

I recently had the good fortune to spend my Thanksgiving break in Naples, Florida, and in-between eating Turkey and spending time on the beach I had the opportunity to explore two of the city's more interesting districts: 5th Avenue South (which I will discuss in a future post) and the subject of today's post: the Naples Historic District and Third Street South.

Aerial View

The Naples Historic District (yellow), which is a U.S. Historic District, is located in southwest Naples. It is bounded by 9th Avenue to the north, Third Street South to the east, 13th Avenue South to the south, and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. The district contains 66 historic buildings and is located in the Old Naples neighborhood. Third Street South runs north-south through the city from Central Avenue to 18th Avenue South, however the area we are concerned with are the four blocks between 11th and 14th Avenues South, which comprise the Third Street South Shopping District(red).

Third Street South

Naples is an intensely car oriented city. Inner-city transit is essentially non-existent, sidewalks are rare in many of the city's residential neighborhoods, and while areas like 5th Avenue South and Third Street South are internally walkable, they are surrounded by large swaths of less hospitable development. Furthermore, while these areas do boast a number of tourist-oriented amenities, day-to-day needs, such as pharmacies and grocery stores, are relegated to the city's car oriented districts.

Note the extensive pavers and plantings

That said, Third Street South, while certainly a small area relatively speaking, does boast a number of positive urban qualities. The street is wonderfully landscaped, planters, both public and private, abound and the street is lined by a generous number of trees. These elements are complimented by some very well designed streetlights, signs, and paving schemes. Indeed, the pedestrian design of the street overall is quite well done: all of the buildings feature activated facades oriented towards Third Street with parking located in the back. The largest of these lots also plays host to a regular and popular Farmer's Market. There are two small, well-appointed plazas located along the route, and there are a number of restaurants with outdoor seating, giving the street a lively feel. That said, as noted before, while Third Street South is itself quite walkable, it is more or less disconnected from the rest of the city unless you have a car.

The Naples Historic District

The Naples Historic District abuts and incorporates portions of Third Street South, however the district's overall feel is quite different. The district is primarily residential, and while the businesses along Third Street South have relatively shallow setbacks and are located along pedestrian oriented sidewalks, the homes in the historic district are set far back on their lots and sidewalks are fairly rare.

Note the crimp metal roofs, a common feature throughout the district

While the area isn't exactly walkable, it is not without its charms. The district has a number of truly wonderful turn-of-the-century buildings that run the gambit from very large mansions to smaller, modest cottages. While broken up by the occasional grotesque post-modern neo-Italian nightmare the district's homes share a number of features including crimp metal roofs, clapboard wooden siding, large porches and pastel color schemes that give the area a more-or-less cohesive feel. The entire district is also very well landscaped with extensive private gardens that can be seen from the street.

Note the large porches and muted, pastel color palette

In an area that is so intensely private it is surprising to note that perhaps it's greatest feature is actually its most public: the beach. The City of Naples abuts ten continuous miles of public beach along the Gulf of Mexico which can easily be accessed by public paths connected to modest end-of-street parking lots located at the western termini of the city's avenues. The most prominent of these end-of-avenue features would be the Naples Pier, a 1000ft long fishing pier located in the historic district that was first built in 1888.

Naples presents an interesting case study in planning. On the one hand, its tourist districts, like Third Street South and 5th Avenue South, are in many ways standout examples of pedestrian oriented design, yet the city remains essentially un-walkable overall. The Naples Historic District and Third Street South embody this dichotomy. The lack of walkability in the district is particularly inexcusable as the neighborhood's distinct, historic architecture provides a ready-made attraction that could link the already popular Third Street South to the city's fantastic beaches. This lack of connectivity is most egregious along 12th Avenue South, the street that terminates into Naples Pier. 12th Avenue South abruptly ends at Third Street South only to resume one block over. 

Present Condition

While the street could not be continued without demolishing an existing building, there is no reason why there couldn't be some sort of pedestrian path linking these two points together. As it currently stands, the portion of 12th Avenue South west of Third Street South is linked to the shopping district only by a small uninviting driveway between two buildings that spills out into a large nondescript parking lot. Some sort of clear connection would go a long way towards linking two major attractions that feel very separate despite only being three blocks apart. Indeed, during my first sojourn through the neighborhood I completely missed not only the Pier, but Palm Cottage (the oldest house in Naples), also located along this disconnected portion 12th Avenue  South.

Larger Historic District Homes

This is not to imply that the historic district is some kind of dead zone. There are some sidewalk connections to the beach and there are regular educational tours conducted by the Naples Historical Society, however, with a little more effort the city could not only turn the district into an even greater asset, but also work towards providing a much-needed connection between the already successful 5th Avenue South and Third Street South shopping districts.

SoHo/Broome Street

SoHo

Wandering through SoHo today, it is difficult to imagine the neighborhood which, in the early 20th century, was the site of so many fires it earned the nickname "Hell's Hundred Acres." The district today is, of course, one of the most expensive and desirable neighborhoods in all of New York, home to expensive retail and upscale galleries, a far cry from the blighted slum that was slated to be the future site of the Lower Manhattan Expressway (LOWMEX) back in the early 60's.

The battle for what would become SoHo and the defeat of LOMEX was, in many ways, the end of an era. The fight over LOMEX would be Robert Moses and Jane Jacob's final public battle before he was removed from power and she permanently decamped for Toronto. The creation of the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District in the early 1970's was also an early victory for the nascent historic preservation movement. While few today would defend Moses' plan to push an expressway through Lower Manhattan, SoHo is nonetheless a case study in the cost of historic preservation. SoHo's iconic cast-irons, once home to a range of people and enterprises are now the exclusive domain of the wealthy and elite, and while the neighborhood is undeniably beautiful and quintessentially New York, the Parisian-like attention to preservation can make the area feel more like a specimen under a cloche than a living thing.

SoHo Cast-Irons

Physically SoHo is made up primarily of five-plus story buildings, with storefronts at street level and apartments above, many of which sport stone and cast-iron stoops. The sidewalks are wide and, in stark contrast to neighboring Chinatown and Little Italy, almost completely devoid of carts, stalls, or vestibules of any kind. Trees are very rare (hardly an anomaly given that this is Lower Manhattan). Walking East from Sixth Avenue the neighborhood remains fairly uniform in density until it's Eastern boundary at Broadway where the buildings assume an all-together larger scale. The majority of SoHo's cast-irons can be found along Greene and Mercer streets, which run North-South from Houston to Canal through the district's center.

SoHo Streetscapes

Also of note is the district's many Romanesque buildings, most of which are contemporaneous with its cast-iron structures.

Note the rounded arches

To close out this entry I want to focus on one street in particular: Broome Street.

Broome Street

Broome Street has some very nice buildings, however, it is especially significant because it was slated to be the path for the Lower Manhattan Expressway, and consequently would have been completely obliterated had the project gone forward. Broome runs all the way from SoHo to the Lower Eastside by way of Little Italy, where it is home to the San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel (formerly the Church of the Most Holy Crucifix).

San Lorenzo Ruiz

While this modest romanesque church is architecturally unremarkable it is nonetheless significant as it was one of the major planning/rally points for the battle against LOMEX. Father Gerard La Mountain, who became the Church's pastor in 1960, was an significant figure in campaign against the expressway and was instrumental in persuading Jane Jacobs to join the fight. Following the defeat of LOMAX the two planted a tree out in front of the church, which stands to this day.