Ed Cone has twice posted about Greensboro’s proposed ‘Downtown Compatibility Manual,’ using each time using David Wharton’s lengthy photo essay as a reference point.

Dr. Wharton writes:

The overall picture I get from walking around downtown is that its anti-pedestrian character comes from two sources. One of them is the government. The unduly wide streets that encourage fast car traffic in most of the central business district, and the poorly-planned, pedestrian-unfriendly sidewalks, are a result of poor transportation planning over the past half-century. This can be fixed only by long-term, concerted attention and money from the City Council.

You’re probably well aware, loyal readers, that I’m troubled by any efforts at behavior modification on the part of government, and any efforts in particular by Greensboro’s City Council just plain scare the hell out of me.

While Wharton notes that the Rhino’s John Hammer “predictably and incoherently railed against” the proposed regulations, Hammer does accurately note that city government is responsible for two of the ugliest and least-user friendly buildings in downtown —–city hall and its “ugly sister,” the Guilford County Courthouse. Yes, those building were designed and built in the 1960s, but Wharton also cites poor government planning for flaws in the design of several more recent downtown developments, including Governor’s Court condominiums, the Bryan YMCA and Carolina Bank. With that in mind, I also have to wonder along with John Hammer what suddenly makes government such an expert on aesthetics.

This is going to be interesting, especially when the issue goes before the City Council.