Impossible-Heart-540 t1_j8q4yhw wrote on February 16, 2023 at 3:33 AM

Paolino has complained about them, and Paolino backed Smiley’s campaign. So unless they are overwhelmingly popular I don’t see the mayor jump starting this initiative (though I like them).

lightningbolt1987 t1_j8rx1yw wrote on February 16, 2023 at 2:59 PM

Joe Paolino is poison. He’s so ridiculously out of touch with basic, best-practice, urban planning and yet he is constantly barking at people, and with influence. He needs to go on a sabbatical, visit other successful cities, shit—do a fellowship somewhere, and learn a thing or two. This is not 1991 and we don’t live in Dallas.

Impossible-Heart-540 t1_j8s2x83 wrote on February 16, 2023 at 3:39 PM

Be that as it may, he is a major broker here, and has a sizable constituency - so I can see Smiley conceding in some areas like this.

He was Clinton’s ambassador to Malta so he gets out - of course at the time he remarked how proud he was to be at the site of where the allies met during WWII (that was Yalta).

lightningbolt1987 t1_j8s3ii5 wrote on February 16, 2023 at 3:43 PM

I’m just lamenting that he’s a power broker here. Great he lived in Malta in the 90’s. His views on cities in the year 2023 make him look petty, out of touch, and willfully ignorant. You’re right that smiley needs to listen to him, but hopefully Smiley has the wisdom to take what Paolino says with a grain of salt.

Impossible-Heart-540 t1_j8s7fv4 wrote on February 16, 2023 at 4:09 PM

Probably need to make how property values rise arguments to him.

Certainly he’s one who has benefitted enormously from the spending on the rivers and turning them from an asphalt expanse to a pedestrian friendly series of bridges.

OTOH, a tunnel under Kennedy plaza would likely have the same effect as the Rebello tunnel under Six corners in EP - and kill them.

His dad was wiser.🤷🏼‍♂️

lightningbolt1987 t1_j8s88i4 wrote on February 16, 2023 at 4:14 PM

Truth. He doesn’t get that bike lanes and the scooters actually make the city more desirable for young talent and start-up businesses and help his property values. But how on earth DOESN’T he get that? Kendall Square is one hour north. NYC is a short train ride away. Both have gone full blast with pedestrian infrastructure and have the most expensive real estate in the world…

lightningbolt1987 t1_j8wqubv wrote on February 17, 2023 at 2:34 PM

Also: he single handedly seems to have killed the Kennedy plaza pavilion project where a world class architect (Merge) was going to design a space for the dune brothers people on Kennedy plaza using federal money! Smiley killed it (“we aren’t doing anything in Kennedy plaza until Superman is finished”—dumb idea) because Paolino was so against it. Paolino doesn’t realize how much that would have helped his buildings’ value there by bringing more people to Kennedy plaza, because he’s a fool.