Public Spaces: Charleston, by Nicholas Hannah

PUBLIC SPACES CHARLESTON

CHARL ESTON

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY AND THE BEAUTIFUL

WHAT MAKES CHARLESTON.... CHARLESTON?

Dock Street Theatre is the first theatre in America, where it first opened in 1749. It has gone through a lot, most likely burnign down in The Great Fire in 1740, and was renovated many times over with millions on millions of dollars to keep the show going. While it resides in the French Quarter along many other hisotrical buildings, one can’t help but feel like more care was show for this building than the surrounding urban fabric.

As one of the crown jewels of the southeast, Charleston is known for many things. It’s hospitality, coastal cuisine, and tourist attractions. Many people travel from different corners of the Earth to dive into a place that seamlessly calls upon a time period of a generations past.

However, when we begin to look under the veil of pastel colors and palmetto trees, something begins to feel slightly off. There seems to be a lot to offer here, but it feels like it

intentionally misses the mark for the sake of reputation.

Allow me to explain.

When walking one of the most popular streets in the southeast, you run into problems like small sidewalks, zero bikelanes, surrounded by either historic buildings older than anyone alive today.

The priorities lie in the preservation of the image people get when they hear “Charleston”

Dock Street Theatre, 1972 Dock Street Theatre, 2023

3. The good, the bad, and the ugly and the beautiful

7. Bikes over Bentley’s

9. Interwoven by Nature

For some places in Charleseton, not much has changed except for the latest iteration of the 1970’s Ford car. and FedEx delivery trucks. Look closer and you will notice the manhole covers indicating an updated drainage system that would only help for a time since Charleston has been known to flood downtown on numerous occasions. Even with King Street being a topographical high-point on the penninsula, it still has it’s issues.

It’s not all bad. There’s even some new trees and your typical average Charleston height building.This particular view of Northern King Street is one of the least busiest areas of that strip and does well to feel a lot less than, say, Marion Square. This particular area has a beauty to it that feels harmonious. The sidewalks aren’t terribly small, the streets doesn’t feel crowded even though there’s vehicles, and trees bring it all together. Maintaining the historic feel and color pallette of this space makes sense.

BIKES OVER BENTLEY’S

One oppurtunity that Charleseton seems to miss in place keeping things "how they are" is it's lack of bike lanes. Charleston is one of the moset beautiful cities in America, with lots of tourists coming from many corners of the Earth. They come here because of what Charleston puts out; a quaint town fixed in a 19-20th Century aesthetic period. To be able to walk outside near shops and see horse carriage tours, street vendors, boutiques and sweet grass roses and baskets is something people yearn for as a change of pace of life.

Somethign that would tie it all together would be the ability to travel around these historic blocks on bikes. But here's where Charleston misses the mark.

A town driven on getting around on foot or carriage still relies heavily on cars more than anything. Or rarther, it chooses to stay in that lane and not implement bike lanes. If you've ever driven along the penninsula's streets, you'll notice how crowded and hectic it can feel at times. Impatient drivers at intersections honking their horns while blasting exhaust everywhere, people trying to parallel park in the middle of the road, and struggling to find parking elsewhere too.

Trying to navigate this on a bike can feel like an extreme sport, and it almost feels like the only reason for not tackling this issue with a simple solution like bike lanes is because of not wanting to possibly slow down the money. If people cant drive down here, what will it mean for their businesses? Or the important people with deep pockets who come in Mercedes vans to spend their money? The question here is who is Charleston really built for? The highest bidder or is it for people who wish to explore in more ways than one.

INTERWOVEN BY NATURE

The urban fabric is one of the most integral parts that make Charleston, or any city, feel as cohesive. Urban fabric refers to things like sidewalks and bike lanes, but it also includes all the vegetation that breathes fresh air into the overall experience. It's important that we tie up this tour of what makes Charleston...Charleston by highlighting the natural beauty it holds.