Cathedral Square

[TheArtist]

All ya have to do is look at every other "Cathedral Square", Town Square, or similar place in a thousand other small towns to big cities all over the world. Its worked well for thousands of years, its a basic, assumed given that every city has.... except Tulsa.  

It seems really odd that we dont have one. I thought the planners of Tulsa back in its heyday admired and wanted to emulate the great cities of Europe. Yet no central square?

Usually the courthouse or main city building is opposite the main church. Where was the old courthouse in relation to the Cathedral here? Did we once have a square and it just got destroyed?

[joiei]

If you look at the old plat maps, there was not a central square or anything in the blocks.  I looked and wondered why myself.

[brother gracchi]

The old city hall building is located on 4th b/t boston and cincinnati, really on the SW corner of 4th and Cincinnati. No church near there, but there might have been prior to the parking garage across the street being erected north of the old city hall.

I like the idea of a church district. There is a need for more centrally focused green space around which to inspire development. While the majority of available old urban renewal property is on the East-NE side of downtown, much of the essential development needs to occur as close to the existing downtown infrastructure as possible.

Great forum. This is basically what I constantly think about and discuss with my friends.

[carltonplace]

Welcome aboard BG

[SXSW]

I think it's important for the development of downtown as a whole to "break it down" into smaller neighborhoods or districts.  We have done that with Brady, Greenwood, Blue Dome, and somewhat with the arena but the rest of downtown is lacking.  If you can create a focal point for a new district to develop, in this case a park/plaza in front of one of the most beautiful cathedrals in this region, then you have something to build around, so to speak.  Parks and plazas are good places to start.

Trying to develop "downtown" is a lot harder than trying to develop smaller, individual neighborhoods or districts.  Oklahoma City has had a lot of success with turning their downtown into districts that focus development while each "district" begins to develop in its own unique way.  That is the direction we should be heading, and Cathedral Square is a great place to start IMO.

[circassia]

That's a good idea. I wonder what ever happened to the whole "Mayo Place" idea. Is still in development since the Mayo Hotel is finally undergoing renovation?

There should be more/better parks/plazas downtown. They do need something in the Blue Dome/Brady area.

[TheArtist]

One of the great things about a Cathedral Square type place versus the usual downtown park or plaza, is that people like to go to a place with an intentional "view".  Its nice to have something wonderful to look out at. Having an open space in the middle of some boring buildings, even if it has a fountain in the middle, just doesn't quite do it.

Being able to be on one side of an open space, look out over a fountain and past that to something like a Cathedral, is very,,, fulfilling. Throw in people milling around that space, an outdoor cafe or two, people watching and chatting with friends, adds icing to the cake.  But the best public spaces, the ones that really work, are the ones that if nobody at all were there, you would still want to go there, would still enjoy being there, just relaxing and enjoying the view.  You sometimes almost wish you could be the only one, or couple, there enjoying that space. But its rare that nobody else is there because its so wonderful that people just constantly flock to it.  

That space right there is really the only place downtown that we could build such a place. Its the perfect spot... and its a tabula rasa.  

[SXSW]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

One of the great things about a Cathedral Square type place versus the usual downtown park or plaza, is that people like to go to a place with an intentional "view".  Its nice to have something wonderful to look out at. Having an open space in the middle of some boring buildings, even if it has a fountain in the middle, just doesn't quite do it.

Being able to be on one side of an open space, look out over a fountain and past that to something like a Cathedral, is very,,, fulfilling. Throw in people milling around that space, an outdoor cafe or two, people watching and chatting with friends, adds icing to the cake.  But the best public spaces, the ones that really work, are the ones that if nobody at all were there, you would still want to go there, would still enjoy being there, just relaxing and enjoying the view.  You sometimes almost wish you could be the only one, or couple, there enjoying that space. But its rare that nobody else is there because its so wonderful that people just constantly flock to it.  

That space right there is really the only place downtown that we could build such a place. Its the perfect spot... and its a tabula rasa.  

I could see many a senior photo and wedding/engagement pics being taken from such a park in front of Holy Family.  That cathedral is really beautiful but unfortunately all the best vantage points of it are either buildings or parking lots so not many can appreciate it.  It is, IMO, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in this region, maybe the entire South.  There is no reason it can't be a tourist attraction in itself like beautiful cathedrals are in other cities if a nice viewpoint, Cathedral Square, were in place with surrounding development.  Any restaurant/cafe that opens with that view and outdoor seating would do quite well IMO.