What if? Part 5: The Case for Connectivity
October 7, 2023 · Jonathan R. Card
This is the fifth and final part of our series about emerging opportunities in downtown San Antonio. Read the fourth part here.
As autumn approaches, I anticipate my visit to the Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention in Fort Worth. This is the third time I've attended the convention in this city, each time sparking curiosity about how Fort Worth innovatively transforms its urban core, integrating industrial zones, and suburban neighborhoods.
On a past return, I shared an intriguing revelation with a local friend: Fort Worth was ambitiously realigning Interstate 30 south of its downtown. The intention? To enhance urban connectivity and reincorporate the landmark Texas & Pacific complex into the downtown core. I ventured a thought that as city infrastructures age, perhaps it would be pragmatic to bury, or even relocate, these structures. My friend scoffed, deeming it a distant dream.
“I Think I could Live Here”
Yet, I'm reminded of our conversation each time I witness cities championing pedestrian-centric developments. Last year, during a stroll in Dallas from the American Airlines Center to the AT&T Discovery Center, I marveled at Klyde Warren Park. Underneath this bustling public space–where I've witnessed Easter services and art fairs–lies a freeway, a revelation that astounded my daughter, evoking her admission, "I think I could live here."
North Texas is not alone in this ambition. Cities worldwide have planned it, built it, and have been enjoying transformed freeways for years. Austin is not far behind, with help from TXDoT.
Elevated Urban Landscape
Envision San Antonio's potential transformation: A fixed transportation loop, public parking utilities, modern workforce housing, and an expansive sports and entertainment hub. The finishing touch? Two pedestrian land bridges extending from Hemisfair to the series of pocket parks lining Cherry Street. Our city has already achieved this at Hardberger Park, stitching native landscape over the busy Wurzbach Parkway.
San Antonio’s Tobin Land Bridge at Hardberger Park
An elevated urban landscape could seamlessly connect Hemisfair, the proposed Missions Ballpark, the Alamodome, Spurs Arena, and near eastside neighborhoods, making the presence of once-dividing freeways and trains tracks virtually unnoticeable. This land bridge also acts as a downtown gateway for those approaching by car.
Card and Company proposal for how to hide a freeway
It's heartening to learn San Antonio aspires to tap into the $4 billion federal fund aimed at mending communities previously split by transport infrastructure. The scramble for these funds will undoubtedly be fierce, necessitating a compelling vision for our center city.
I resonate deeply with local developer Weston Urban's ethos of “building cities our future generations would be proud to inhabit.” While I understand some of my children might venture out of state for their pursuits, I hold an unwavering optimism that our city's evolution will make a return hard to resist.
Card and Company proposal for what downtown San Antonio could be