Why do Designers Continue to get Convention Centers Wrong?

As cities across America continue to pour public funds into limited use venues in their downtowns, American Dirt looks at why such venues, and convention centers in particular, refuse to engage with their surrounding streets or neighborhood.

1 minute read

July 27, 2012, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


With a focus on the Greater Columbus Convention Center, originally designed by Peter Eisenmann in 1993 and expanded six
years later, American Dirt probes why the designs for "big ticket items" such as arenas, stadia, and performance halls continue to
ignore their context at a time when "street-level engagement for large projects in
city centers should, by this point, seem like a foregone conclusion."

While acknowledging the economic development benefits such facilities can bring, the author is alarmed by "an escalating tendency to
push these hulks right into the heart of the city, with practically no other
street-level storefronts, offices, or visual stimuli."

"Nothing this article explores is novel within the world of
urban design," notes the author, "but it warrants extra consideration because, even as many cities
are catching on to strong street-level engagement with other publicly funded
ventures, they continue to get convention centers wrong." 

"Civic leaders across the country learned
a lesson from the relative isolation of Chicago's McCormick Place, but it's the
wrong lesson.  Rather than taking a
cue that its isolated position estranged it from the hotels and the attractions
of downtown Chicago, other cities have imitated its hulking architecture while
displacing the buildings that originally helped a central business district
become a locus of all kinds of activity.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012 in American Dirt

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

1 hour ago - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

2 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

3 hours ago - Cities Today

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA