The Revitalist

The Toronto-based consultants, Urban Marketing Collaborative, hired to create a "branding and identity strategy" for Downtown Crossing are unveiling their proposal to local businesses and other stakeholders. The concept is a "robust pedestrian area" with Macy's as the anchor with a food market like the Harrods Food Hall in London, upscale shops, cafes with outdoor seating and a library/coffee shop. The plan will involve blocking the area to vehicular traffic, including potentially converting Bromfield Street to pedestrian use, and redesigning all the streetscaping (no curb stones, more green, pedestrian-friendly street furniture). It's a multi-million dollar project, of course, and it has the European flair that people love to day-dream about, but it is also going to be a long road to haul. Heaven knows that something needs to be done with Downtown Crossing. I love the idea of a strollable, window-shop-able plaza, but I have a hard time picturing hardy Bostonians in bicycle taxis.