Tear It Down, Says Speck

Speck also found a lot of promise in the city, ranging from the flocks of students that fill the streets each day to the series of historic canals.

"If you are looking to transform your city, the most obvious way to turn your historic canal network into an urban network," he said, suggesting that the city try to purchase the canals from the various entities that own them and use them as a centerpiece of the downtown the way they are used on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas or in Providence, R.I."