The “Urban Turban”
May 29th, 2007
The phrase “urban turban” is from this article in The Hook.
When I attended the open house for prospective graduate students at the University of Virginia two years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Satyendra Huja, the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Charlottesville for 25 years. Among his substantial accomplishments, he is responsible for removing vehicles from Main Street and creating the Downtown Mall – a pedestrian mall with restaurants, shops, offices, art galleries, and even an historic theater. Unlike several other initiatives in the United States during the 1970s to create pedestrian malls, Huja’s passion and perseverence prevailed and his plan did not fail. Today, the Downtown Mall is a vibrant and memorable place.
On our drive to the mountains for a camping trip with our friends last weekend, we stopped in Charlottesville for dinner and I visited the celebrated Downtown Mall for the first time. Hundreds of people were gathered around a concert venue to listen to live music. The brick-paved street was lined with artists and vendors. Families, children, and university students crowded the sidewalk cafes. I walked in awe, understanding the importance of the presence of people in public places and why outdoor shopping malls in suburban settings will not endure.
Satyendra Huja has been integral in establishing Charlottesville as the Best Place to live in the United States (as ranked in the book Cities Ranked and Rated by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander in 2004), and yet, I will remember him most fondly for the time that his kindness influenced my life most directly when he bought me a soda at the open house for prospective graduate students at UVA.
