An active committed citizenry
Have a plan
Save downtown first
Save the past
Return to the water or other natural assets
Never forget the natural environment
Create a 24-hour city
Encourage transit
Make the downtown pedestrian friendly
Risk taking political leadership
The public sector goes first
Establish public-private partnerships
The government establishes rules
Find ways to bridge bureaucratic obstacles
Planning is about change:
Preventing undesirable change and
Encouraging desirable change
Great Streets (walkable and bike-able)
Great Retail (street oriented)
Great Public Space (centrally located)
Great Transit (regional/local)
Government services
Professional employment
Housing
Cultural facilities
Entertainment and restaurants
Capitalizes on the natural setting
Defined edges
Clean and safe
City Center Land Ownership
Since streets often occupy up to 40% of the downtown land area, they play an important role in the financial health of an urban area. Pedestrian friendly streets create places where people want to meet, shop, and stroll.
What makes a street great?
Help make community
Are physically comfortable and safe
Are symbols of a community and its history
Can be remembered
Are joyful and utilitarian
Have magic
Are pedestrian friendly
What are pedestrian friendly streets?
An effective pedestrian/auto separation
Pedestrians are the top priority, not autos
Well defined edges along property lines
Pedestrian unfriendly uses are hidden
Well-designed paving, street furniture, weather protection and lighting
|
Considerations |
Good |
Fair |
Poor |
|
Sidewalk Width |
+12’ |
10/12’ |
-10’ |
|
Curb Radius |
-15’ |
15/25’ |
+25’ |
|
Curb Extension |
With landscape |
w/o landscape |
None |
|
Crosswalks |
-30’ |
30/45’ |
+45’ |
|
Trees & Landscaping |
Curbside |
Some |
None |
|
On-Street Parking |
Continuous |
Some |
None |
Consequence—Private investment is attracted.
Street Design Priorities
|
Method One |
Method Two |
|
1) Cars & Trucks |
1) Pedestrians |
|
2) Bicycles |
2) Cars & Trucks |
|
3) Pedestrians |
3) Bicycles |
Investors are attracted to pedestrian friendly streets.
Ground floor retail on both sides of the street
Side by side retail uses with no interruptions
Major retail development anchoring beginning and end of street
Street length approximately ¼ mile - 5 min. walk
Comfortable pedestrian environment - sidewalks, landscaping, and street furniture
On-street parking
Busy street – 8,000/20,000 cars/day (our traffic counts)
Open for business 18 hours/day, 7 days/week
Places for children
Public restrooms
Roll over the titles below to see graphs at left.
Where People Shop—What types of places are people visiting on a national average?
Retail Sales: A Measure of Success—National average sales per sq. ft.
Retail Rent: A Measure of Health—National average rent (dollars per sq. ft.) and what is considered a depressed retail district.
Downtown Retail Space: Local vs. Nationals—Sales per sq. ft.
Retail Space: Balancing Locals and Chains—At what point does a community lose its local identity?
Clearly, retail is the most difficult to get right, so it must be done very carefully.
Retail Recipe for Success
Centered on a retail street:
The right retail configuration
Attractive retail presentation
High quality pedestrian environment
Shopper friendly parking
Convenient auto access
In the center of the city
At a crossroads (retail/pedestrian/auto/transit)
Surrounded by buildings with active ground floor uses
A place for:
All ages
All seasons
All hours of the day
With large paved areas for holding public events
Simple and elegant design
Squares and plazas have been a central meeting point in cities for centuries. For example:
City Planning Ordinances of the Laws of the
In 1573 Philip II of
Open Space - Ordinance 112
The main plaza is to be the starting point for the town; if the town is situated on the seacoast it should be placed at the landing place of the port, but inland it should be at the center of the town. The plaza should be square or rectangular, in which case it should have at least one and a half its width for length inasmuch as this shape is best for fiestas in which horses are used and for any other fiestas that should be held.
|
Squares |
Parks |
|
1) In the center of the city 2) At a crossroads (retail/pedestrian/auto/transit) 3) Surrounded by buildings with active ground floor uses 4) A place for: - All ages - All seasons - All hours of the day - Civic events 5) Dominant material: - Paved ground surface |
1) Adjacent to the city center 2) A place for: - All ages - Recreation - Quiet contemplation 3) Dominant materials: - Grass - Trees |
A station within the city center
An understandable and logical circulation system
Frequent local service
Dependable service
Direct connections from the downtown to neighborhoods
Transfers minimized
Stations/stops in proximity to major attractors
A variety of modes (heavy rail, light rail, streetcar, bus)
What should an implementation strategy include?
Successful strategies must include six basic components:
|
• Action Items |
• Catalyst Project Locations |
|
• Action Priorities |
• Responsibilities |
|
• Investment Ratios |
• Schedule |
What are action items?
Catalyst projects (public and private) that have the potential to stimulate substantial private investment
Specific codes and development standards needed to implement the strategy
Design guidelines that shape development in terms of the community’s values
Why are action priorities necessary?
Not everything can happen at once. Available resources may be limited. The top half-dozen projects or actions that will produce quick results and stimulate development momentum need to be identified and funded.
What is an investment ratio and why is it important?
Strategic public investment can stimulate private development. Investment ratios are established by dividing the projected private investment by the estimated cost of the related public improvements. Investment ratios inform decision makers about implementation priorities. At a minimum, stimulated private investment should be six times the public investment.
How are catalyst projects located?
This is the most important and least understood component of an implementation strategy. Catalyst projects such as public open space and other amenities can only be located through the development of design concepts that illustrate public improvements, schematic building designs and descriptions of financial benefits.
“Urban design should be defined as the identification of public actions (catalyst projects) that will produce a sustained and widespread private market reaction.”
The
Who is responsible?
Ideally, one central coordinating agency is responsible for managing the implementation strategy and assigning responsibilities to the appropriate public agency or private organization.
What should a schedule include?
A revitalization strategy that does not produce quick results will fail. Momentum is everything. Actions that can be completed within the first 120 days need to be identified along with projects that will be completed within one- and three-year timeframes.
