Downtown

When I look at photos of Cincinnati in the early 20th-Century, I see a downtown that somehow looks larger, more vibrant and exhilarating than it does today. It looks European and more homogenous. How can this be, with so much “renewal” and “rebuilding” and “modernization”? Part of the answer may have to do with the sense of scale and ability to see the totality. Today we see pieces, parts of a puzzle. We like things slightly off-kilter and undefinable.

So much of Cincinnati’s architectural past has been torn down, especially the theaters. This seems to be true of many American cities. A rush to modernize or simple stupidity has trumped understanding of the value of treasuring important elements of our past and embracing them within the present. Many important buildings were saved of course but many were not. The present river front is a hideous mess: two enormous stadiums and an arena crammed tightly together with other buildings. Only the riverside park system is able to relieve this eyesore that could have been something truly remarkable. But in Cincinnati - to its credit -
the parks are the equal to those in any city anywhere.