I was thinking recently about underrated elements that make for a pleasant streetscape for me to walk through, and I decided I should give some love to some things I experienced in Lincoln, Nebraska--a city I've given some attitude in the past, and which deserves probably better than I usually give it.
So here are some things that Lincoln does that other cities could learn from to improve their streetscapes.
1. Let Us Dispose of Trash
Look, I am not downplaying that there are sometimes good historical reasons why some cities don't like to have public trash cans.
But frankly, being able to throw something away without going inside a business (especially without paying them money) and without hanging onto a piece of trash forever is a deeply underrated benefit.
Extra points for having a recycling bin too!
2. Let Us Sit Down
I'm less sympathetic to the reason that a lot of cities don't have a lot of benches than I am to the reasons they might not have trash cans.
Let people sit down.
Heck, let them lie down.
It's basic as heck, but a solid, uninterrupted bench is a blessing.
Double points for co-locating them with the above trash cans!
3. Let Us Avoid the Sun
A good shelter is worth a lot on a hot day--and also on a cold, rainy or snowy one.
Again, bus shelters might seem very basic, but Davenport rarely has them, so I can't exactly cast stones. And Lincoln generally does pretty well with cover--there are covered walkways in the Haymarket and lots of similar examples sprinkled throughout the city of covered spaces in public.
These may all seem very simple--but they're not present in all cities, and I want to shout out Lincoln for doing a good job with them, especially but not solely on the University of Nebraska campus. And sure, it helps to have a major university build some of that infrastructure for you. But plenty of places have universities that don't help, or don't build on what the university does, and I think Lincoln does a good job with these elements--at least compared to the QCA.
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