Five Oaks

Defensible space debunked?

The NY Times has an article about Oscar Newman’s signature start in NYC and how it has fared over time. It’s not a real positive piece, and the comments are insightful. In the early 1970s, the architect and city planner Oscar Newman came forth with a book and theory called “Defensible Space,” which relied in Read More

College housing the Dayton way?

It’s not often that I quote myself in posts, but for this one, it seems appropriate- I wrote this back in January. I dedicated to F.B.- who didn’t make it out of the hospital, R.I.P. You are missed. Here is the excerpt: Rooming houses, the regulated and inspected type, aren’t that much different from hotels Read More

Whaley wishy washy on Julienne in Five Oaks.

There are buildings that shouldn’t be torn down. There are people who don’t understand that. When I look at pictures of Dayton from 1950, I realize that much of our decline started with “urban renewal” of the early 1960s. I also know that Europeans laugh at what we call old, when they routinely still use Read More

There is good PR, there is logic, and then reason: DPS on old school buildings

Dr. Stanic barely has given up the “interim” title, and already PR issues are at the forefront. First was the no-bid PR contract to a Cleveland firm that was responsible for sending him to Dayton in the first place. Now, he’s running into a showdown with historic preservationists. The problem with the highly charged preservation Read More