Roundabout, or what art's about?

If you've passed through the Duke Park neighborhood in the last couple of years, you've doubtlessly encountered the small traffic circle (AKA roundabout or rotary to those of us who've spent time in the northeast) at the intersection of Markham and Glendale.

This traffic circle, intended as a traffic calming method, has taken on an entirely different life as a space for impromptu public art installations, making it one of the truly coolest places to walk or drive past in the Bull City.  A good record of these installations can be found over at Christa Wessel's blog; Joe Vilas has some captured as well.

Now, this all worked because the traffic circle at Markham and Glendale was pretty modest in design and construction -- a small, slightly raised patch of asphault, meant only as a temporary design, that proved a blank canvas for guerrilla art installations. At last Monday's City Council meeting, funding was approved for the permanent traffic circle construction, to include landscaping (akin to the circles in place on Watts St. and elsewhere in Durham.)

Great to see ongoing commitment from the City to traffic calming in car-crazed neighborhoods. In this case, I'm also hoping the neighborhood can work with the City on what any landscaping or design looks like to preserve, even in some small way, the pure whimsy that has taken over the traffic circle in recent memory.

What better way  to slow traffic, after all, than to get drivers pressing the breaks to get a better look at an ever-changing art installation?

Comments

[barry]

no one from the neighborhood was informed by the city about the contract. i saw it tacked onto an article that John Schelp was forwarding to a number of listservs about the sidewalk along Hillandale between Club and NC 147 that was finally (after 6 years) approved.

There's been some discussion on the Duke Park list about the future of the circle.

I don't think it's functionality as a blank canvas is going to be in any way diminished by the permanent circle.

Now if only whoever kidnapped purple man would bring him back . . .

[Bull City Rising]

Hey Barry -- thanks for the update. I hope it won't disappear as a 'tabula rasa' for art. Looking at some of the other circles that have a bit more flora to them inspires worry, but glad the neighborhood's got an eye on this (well, once finding out about it, second-hand!)