Knowledge Center
Planning, Design and Infrastructure
The urban place manager emphasizes efforts on the built environment because of the significant impacts they have on the quality of life and one’s authentic experience of a place. Every place is different; therefore, place management strategies should respond to a myriad of place-based identifiers including, the place’s specific scale, status, culture, climate, community vision, goals, and mission, keeping at the forefront considerations of sustainability and resilience.
Through numerous approaches, such as land and real estate development, zoning and land-use, streetscape improvements, transit-oriented development, multi-modal connections, sustainable infrastructure, attainable housing initiatives and historic preservation among others, place managers enhance the quality of life for all stakeholders of a place.
Garment District Urban Garden on Broadway
The Garment District Alliance, a business improvement district in midtown Manhattan, transformed Broadway into the Garment District Urban Garden. In partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation, this seasonal placemaking program was built around closing two blocks on Broadway from 36th to 37th Streets and 39th to 40th Streets for twelve weeks. The increased public space featured an array of amenities and activities for New Yorkers and visitors alike.
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Rosslyn Streetscape Elements Master Plan
As part of its mission, the Rosslyn Business Improvement Corporation (RBIC) has undertaken a multi-year project to enliven the pedestrian sidewalks of Rosslyn’s commercial core, establish urban identity at the street level and reinforcing the architectural character. Through a toolkit of custom designed streetscape furnishings,” elements”, RBIC is “tying” together the district, block by block, providing a consistent standard between the sidewalk experience and the
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Connect Downtown
Connect Downtown is an initiative led by the City of Des Moines, Urban Land Institute Iowa and the Greater Des Moines Partnership to investigate opportunities to make getting around downtown Des Moines safer, more comfortable and more convenient. The Connect Downtown project began with a survey of existing conditions in downtown including: traffic counts, bicycle usage, pedestrian traffic, ease of crossing at intersections, sidewalk widths, sidewalk connectivity, bicycle facilities, and more.
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Downtown Greenway and Park Connector
For decades, two of the major parks and greenway segments in Downtown Huntsville were disconnected due to historically poor urban design and planning. This prevented downtown users from realizing the health, recreational, and multi-modal transportation benefits of an inter-connected downtown greenway network. One of the most unfortunate parts of the disconnection was that the segments contained affordable housing, senior housing, and newly developed urban lofts on each side.
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Elkhart River District Implementation Plan
The City of Elkhart has begun building a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood on 105 acres of underutilized land next to its downtown. Civic leaders believe the River District can ease a housing shortage, address a worker shortage, and attract knowledge workers and entrepreneurs who will diversify its economy. The 2017 district master plan called for as much as 1,000 units of housing; stores; bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets; an aquatics/fitness/healthcare center; and a network of open spaces.
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The 360 Plan
In partnership with the City of Dallas, Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) developed The 360 Plan, a five-year comprehensive and strategic plan for a clear, cohesive vision for downtown’s future. To achieve this vision, Downtown Dallas 360 set forth specific, implementable actions that support Downtown’s long-term vibrancy and success, including transit, streets, public spaces, urban design, housing, and parking.
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The Square on 21st Street
Downtown Denver has long recognized the lack of park space in the Ballpark and Arapahoe Square districts of downtown. As the residential population of Downtown continues to rise so is the demand on the little existing open space. This pop-up park asked the question, “What if we repurposed and rethought our shared public realm in a way that provides new quality outdoor green space growing downtown for our residents to play outdoors?”
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Vision Cedar Rapids Downtown Framework Plan
In 2007, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance commissioned the first Vision Cedar Rapids Downtown Framework Plan to mold a clear, unified vision for downtown, which directly informed the planning efforts in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 flood event. With the framework for flood recovery in place, the plan was updated in 2017 to launch to an even bigger and broader plan for the future.
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Golden Triangle Neighborhood Plan
The Golden Triangle Neighborhood Plan, unanimously adopted in 2014, outlined a vision, goals, plan framework, and implementation strategies for the eclectic district’s evolution and continued improvement. The Neighborhood Plan set forth a comprehensive, holistic approach, weaving together a nuanced set of strategies that collectively fostered an eclectic, creative, connected, and livable Golden Triangle.
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Northeast False Creek Plan
The Northeast False Creek Plan is an innovative and comprehensive plan to replace the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts (2.6 km of elevated freeway infrastructure) with a new mixed-use waterfront community. As a result of intensive collaboration between the landowners, senior levels of government and the community over an 18-month planning process, a 20-year plan for the buildout of Northeast False Creek was adopted by Vancouver City Council on February 13, 2018.
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