There are obviously roads connecting those points, but they’re unsatisfactory. Several key stretches have no sidewalks, and most feel too narrow for safety on a bicycle. So even a tourist at a nearby hotel (there are several west of MLK in the immediate area) or a nearby resident would probably end up driving even for the simplest of trips. Those without cars or licenses or simply not old enough to drive would be SOL.

There are lots of people who live in the immediate area, including residents of westside neighborhoods like Carver Heights and West Savannah, residents of SCAD dorms, and residents along MLK, like those in the Frogtown Lofts.

In other words, the connectivity on that side of town is terrible. And it’s terrible for cars in addition to cyclists and pedestrians, in large part because of the unfriendly traffic flow created by the I-16 flyover and the lack of parking in the MLK corridor.

I’ve discussed the flyover many times before. While that’s not a direct part of the problems addressed by the new “West Boundary Civic Vision Plan” — the so-called “canal district” — envisioned in the conceptual drawings of Sottile & Sottile, those eventual changes to the terminus of I-16 would complement this broader effort.

Christian and Amy Sottile are well known to many of you, I’m sure, either personally or through the fine work they’ve done in considering the urban fabric of Savannah. They get it.

The Sottiles see the great potential for culture and commerce on the western fringe of downtown. Their conceptual approach takes advantage of existing streets and historical assets.

It’s worth noting that thousands of trips are made daily and safely along the West Boundary Street corridor, even though our current infrastructure actively impedes many of those trips. With more connectivity, more beauty, and more civic pride, that area can become a real gem in relatively short order.

Of course, the Sottiles aren’t the only ones who see all that potential. Individual entrepreneurs, corporations, nonprofits, and SCAD have all been actively investing and expanding their presence west of MLK over the last decade, despite a crippling recession.

These images have already been published elsewhere, but I present them here since they give some good illustrations of the possibilities and development trends that I talk about in my City Talk column today: “Canal District” gives Savannah room to grow.

First, the full image of a large area envisioned by Sottile & Sottile (click for a pretty huge version), followed by three details from the map.

In the rendering of the intersection of Gwinnett and Stiles, you can see an image of the magnificent late 19th century waterworks. The building beyond that would be an imagined image of the front facade of either the new arena or adjacent building for parking, offices, etc.

Right now, the old trestle at Boundary Street and Louisville Road is not open to the public at all — but look at how beautifully it would serve connectivity throughout the area.

The arena is obviously a really expensive proposal, but much of the rest of this vision would be fairly straightforward to implement — and quite cheap compared to the cost of other major infrastructure improvements, like road building and repaving.

None of this would happen overnight, and I’d love to see a series of open house/workshop sessions for all the stakeholders in the area.

So much potential. So many possibilities.