The votes are in and Tulsa has defeated Milwaukee in Streetsblog's inaugural tournament to recognize the worst parking crater in America. Fear not, though, Tulsans, some solutions have already been proposed to help address your dubious distinction.
"The final match was a total blowout," reports Angie Schmitt, "with Tulsa stomping Milwaukee in our poll, 483 to 124. In the end, no other downtown could compare to the parking devastation on the south side of Tulsa. And so we award Tulsa Streetsblog’s first 'Golden Crater' award."
"But the point of this contest isn’t just to single out Tulsa — it’s to help provoke change," writes Schmitt. "In that spirit we wanted to share a redevelopment plan for this area submitted by Tulsa native Kevin Adams, who completed the project while working toward a master’s degree in urban planning at Clemson University in 2010. His plan [PDF] involves redeveloping the south side of Tulsa’s downtown as a reimagined 'Cathedral Square,' a name sometimes given to the area in recognition of its beautiful historic churches."
Read the full story: In a Landslide, Tulsa Wins the Parking Madness “Golden Crater” Award
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Just two months ago, Tulsa was given the ignominious title of having the country's most parking-scarred downtown by Streetsblog readers. Apparently the recognition has jolted the city into action, as a ban on new surface lots was recently extended.
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The March Madness bug has bitten the staff of Streetsblog. Based on nominations submitted by readers, the website has organized a Parking Madness tournament to determine the "ugliest parking scar draining the life from [an American] downtown."
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