Fixing Up Public Spaces On The Cheap

Photo credit: http://indiecrafts.craftgossip.com/2010/09/17/international-parking-day/

The renovation of large public spaces requires the investment of financial and human resources that may not be possible in all communities or justified for all public spaces. However, the “lighter, quicker and cheaper” approach advocated by the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is an affordable way to start bringing life back to neglected public spaces, with a great example being “The Porch” outside of Philadelphia’s train station.

The strategic placement of some free, moveable seating, where people can gather to chat, play a game of cards, eat lunch or people watch, may be a good starting point.

This might not strike you as an intellectual bombshell,” William H. Whyte liked to say, “but people like to sit where there are places for them to sit.”

Buy a few affordable tables and chairs and maybe an umbrella or two at the local hardware store, and give some thought to the caveats listed by PPS in its “A Primer on Seating.” Locate seating within view of the action, but out of the way of the flow of pedestrian traffic; cluster it near amenities that attract people and activity; provide a choice of seating options; and know how to minimize vandalism. Do all of this with the goal of creating a socially comfortable space that facilitates spontaneous social interactions and activities.

Do you want to test this idea and bring some creativity to your Main Street at the same time? Sept. 21 is PARK(ing) Day, an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and everyday folks transform metered parking spots into temporary public spaces. “The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated and to improve the quality of urban human habitat, at least until the meter runs out! Check out the PARK(ing) Day website. It could be a fun event for your Main Street.

Can your Main Street Pass the Walkability Popsicle Test?

In his recent blog post, What Pictures Can Teach Us About Walkability, Kaid Benfield suggests that we can use some very simple techniques to determine how well our downtown is doing.  Benfield’s emphasis is on sustainable communities, which, he argues, are perhaps best described as communities that are walkable. Benfield asks, “is [the community] safe, comfortable, and enjoyable to walk in? Does it have an abundance of places to walk to and from? Is it human-scaled?” Benfield continues, “If the answer is yes, chances are that it also has many of the characteristics that smart growth and urbanist planners strive to achieve: density, mixed uses, connectivity, appropriate traffic management, street frontages, opportunity for physical activity and so on.”

Sounds like a lot of the design goals of the Main Street program, doesn’t it? Best of all, Benfield suggests that we can easily test the walkability of our downtowns with simple measures like the popsicle test (can a child easily and safely go out to buy a popsicle and return home before it melts?), the Halloween test (can children easily and safely trick-or-treat?) or the tourist test (is this a place where the landscape and community create an interesting, inviting space to explore and spend time?).   

Benfield’s blog post uses pictures from great walkable cities from around the world to allow the reader to mentally apply the popsicle, Halloween or tourist tests. His photos include shots from the streets and sidewalks of Geneva, Paris, Berlin, New York City, New Orleans, Ashville and Lynchburg. Lynchburg?! That’s right, the very walkable Lynchburg. And, if you didn’t see Benfield’s photoessay on Lynchburg published in May 2011, check out his blog post Will This Historic Downtown Recover?   

South Boston paints its empty store fronts

Empty store fronts are a drag on Main Street. They break up the flow of the Main Street commercial district, and studies show that they discourage shoppers from exploring downtown. But, what can be done? Well, how about turning empty store fronts into canvases for local artists? Check out this video to see the artistic creativity now on display in South Boston’s empty storefronts. And, watch the Destination Downtown South Boston website for more information about the fire hydrants painted like local historic figures that was mentioned in the video.

Small City Placemaking Conference and Festival to happen in Roanoke

Cityworks (X)po, a conference and festival about creating energetic places in small cities, will take place in Roanoke on October 27-30.

The event, spearheaded by entrepreneur and placemaker Ed Walker, will highlight best practices in creating, governing and participating in a vibrant cultural life in small cities. Some of the nationally-recognized speakers and performers include James Howard Kunstler, Kennedy Smith and Theaster Gates.

Register online, or email info@CityWorksXpo.com for student discounts.

Sustainable Main Street resources available

Main Street efforts are already bringing together economic, social and environmental goals in pursuit of fostering quality in their communities. To push it a step futher, 70 participants gathered in Staunton in July for two days of conversation on and the examination of sustainability models in Virginia.

Speakers included Andrea Dono of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and sustainability leaders from across the commonwealth. 

If you were unable to make it to the workshop, you can catch up on the conversation by downloading the training archives available now at www.dhcd.virginia.gov/mainstreet.

Downtown Improvement Grants Awarded

Five Designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) Communities have been awarded 2011 Downtown Improvment Grants.  This year, VMS communities served by CSX Transportation rail lines were eligible for a match of up to $5,000 from the corporation, pushing the awards from $2,500 to a total of $7,500. 

Waynesboro and Winchester will receive CSX Transportation VMS Downtown Improvement Grants. Communities receiving VMS Downtown Improvement Grants are Berryville, Blackstone and Marion. The discrete projects must be completed by December of this year and were selected due to their capacity for impact, the level of volunteer involvement and the degree to which they leverage additional resources.  The following projects were selected from among the 17 submitted:

Waynesboro:  A downtown riverside observation deck along a key section of the South River will strengthen the connection between the community, the district, regional outdoor recreation and quality of life strategies. Several river access facilities and greenway trail resources intersect at the site.  ($7,500)

Winchester:  A flexible staging platform will be developed and purchased as part of a coordinated events strategy for Old Town Winchester. The professional staging system will create an enhanced audience experience at community events and performances.  ($7,500)

Berryville:  A downtown design improvements project furthers recommendations by the Virginia Main Street architect to engage property owners in simple district improvements. Grant products will include planters, a door improvement contest and a wayfinding kiosk. ($2,500)

Blackstone:  A historical markers project engages property owners, local historians and the Town in identifying and communicating the stories of the historical assets that shape this historic commercial district. ($2,500)

Marion:  A largely volunteer based “Big Surprise” façade improvement program will dramatically improve the appearances of three buildings, two of which are owned by local nonprofits. In a quick burst of activity, old facades will be removed, with basic improvements begun over the weekend.  ($2,500)

Heartwood opens doors as regional gateway

Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is now open.  The facility welcomes visitors to the region and connects lifelong residents with the artisans and musicians that surround them in the 19-county region of Southwest Virginia.

Perched on a knoll adjacent to I-81 on the campus of Abingdon’s Virginia Highlands Community College, the unique structure, by Roanoke’s Spectrum Design, should attract curious out-of-state drivers. But it’s much more than a convenient place to take a break from behind the wheel. It is the centerpiece of a regional downtown revitalization strategy coordinated by the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission.

The wood- and light-filled exhibition and performance space includes a retail gallery, a restaurant, a coffee and wine bar and lots of technological and personal assistance available for planning a trip around the region. Video stories of artisans, musicians and communities introduce visitors to the people and places of Southwest Virginia. And that’s just a taste of the place. For a full experience, Heartwood encourages personal explorations into the communities and their historic downtowns that make Southwest Virginia truly ”Authentic, Distinctive, Alive.”

Designated Virginia Main Street Communities of  Abingdon, Marion and Radford are participating in the regional cultural heritage strategy. DHCD Commercial District Affiliates in the region are: Bluefield, Bristol, Floyd, Galax, Gate City, Haysi, Hillsville, Honaker, Independence, Jonesville, Pearisburg, Pennington Gap, Pound, Pulaski, Richlands, Saltville, St. Paul, Stuart, Tazewell and Wise.

Online Registration Now Open for Sustainability Toolkit

Sustainability is more than a code word for environmental stewardship. Going well beyond the “greening” of individual buildings and recycling, it’s a comprehensive strategy that can foster vibrancy in a community today while ensuring that resources are available for tomorrow’s needs. 

But just how can communities care for their corner of the world and its people while creating an environment that’s good for business?  Sustainable Main Street, the 2011 Virginia Main Street Toolkit, is designed to help communities focus the Main Street Four Point Approach® on exactly that question.  

Join the state’s engaged network of downtown revitalization professionals and volunteers for this fast-paced, interactive look at successfully-balanced community development practices in downtown Staunton, a thriving community that’s serious about sustainability.

Read the full agenda, or register online here.  Book your room at the Stonewall Jackson by June 27 to get the block room rate.

Virginia Main Street Summer Toolkit:  Sustainable Main Street
July 20-21, 2011
Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center
24 South Market Street
Staunton, Virginia

Hosted by Virginia Main Street and the Staunton Downtown Development Association, (SDDA), the Virginia Main Street Summer Toolkit is an advanced and targeted training session designed to get beyond the basics and provide anyone working to better their community with outcome-oriented revitalization knowledge.  Toolkits provide a balanced mix of expert presentations, panel discussions and group work sessions to ensure that every attendee goes home with fresh ideas and a plan for what’s next.

“Downtown spruce-up” webinar available online

Kathy Frazier of Frazier Associates loads her presentations with lots of great pictures, and her shots of simple tips to make your downtown look its best really brought her May 2011 webinar to life.  If you or your design committee missed “The Downtown Spring Spruce-Up,”  don’t worry, you can catch it in reruns. Watch the full webinar here.

If you want to go back to the individual slides from the presentation or share them with others in your community, please download the PDF from the Virginia Main Street training archive.

Staunton rallies for the Sears Hill Bridge

The creative spirit of the Downtown Staunton community is driving a playful public engagement strategy around the restoration of the Sears Hill Bridge. The pedestrian bridge, which had linked the Sears Hill neighborhood and Downtown Staunton for more than 100 years, was condemned in January 2010.

Restoration of the bridge will cost about $200,000, and the community is pulling together to make it happen. In a collaborative strategy led by the Staunton Downtown Development Association (SDDA), Friends of the Sears Hill Bridge, and The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, residents can lend their talents and give their dollars through a short film competition and an art window installation.

A key element of the public awareness project involved Flying Warthog Films, a micro-enterprise recently funded through the Staunton Creative Community Fund. The team worked with volunteers to produce a short narrative film conceived by SDDA Exeutive Director Julie Markowitz. Watch the film here:

 

Read more about the effort  in the Augusta Free Press. For more information on the complete project or to donate, visit www.stauntondowntown.org or join the Facebook Cause here.