008: Sinking City 111 / West Edge & Medical District
We hammered out another baker’s dozen, dodging scattered thunderstorms and navigating the byzantine maze of hospital half-streets and urban redevelopment in its sundry stages. This was not the most efficient of our runs (street mileage vs actual mileage), perhaps because of all the small, one way or disconnected streets that make up the larger medical district. It’s a street grid without much rhyme or reason.
This side of town is built largely on fill, atop pillars, over what was originally water, marsh and mud. It’s an area that doesn’t get much urban design love, which is odd given its important role in fostering and forwarding the health and wellness of our overall community. Few streets wear their wear well, and more than a few we made our way down showed significant signs of spending consistent periods of their lives underwater. We’re looking at you Fishburne & Hagood. Contrast this with the recent investment in residential, commercial and medical infrastructure and you feel as though you’re witnessing a battle of wills... or perhaps just a nod to the maxim: “if you build it, they will wade?”
Stats: The shortest segment of the Sinking City 111 tour, with total street mileage of 8.9 miles that netted 12.79 miles of actual running.
West Edge & Medical District street map
