Charlotte Public Space Plan

Public Space Plan

Charlotte, NC

September 2015

Table of Contents

Pages

INTRODUCTION

Plan Purpose

Goals & Objectives

How to Use this Plan

Road Map: Project Timeline

1-7 3 4-5 6 7

APPROACH, METHODOLOGY & KEY FINDINGS

9-39

Site Analysis & Research: Opportunities & Challenges Assessment

11-15

Favorite Places Workshops

17-32

Key Findings

24-32

Charlotte Quality Criteria

33

Public Space, Public Life Survey

35-39

Survey Methods

ANALYSIS, FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS: NEIGHBORHOOD CASE STUDIES

38-39

41-141

Uptown

Plaza Midwood

71-93

West End

95-117

South End

119-141

WAY FORWARD & NEXT STEPS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

45-69

143-149 151 Gehl Studio

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INTRODUCTION

Plan Purpose Goals & Objectives How to Use this Plan Road Map: Project Timeline Gehl Studio — Introduction

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Plan Purpose 3

The purpose of this plan is to understand what makes Charlotte great and what its residents aspire to, and to develop actionable steps and recommendations to make Charlotte better.

Additionally, this plan creates opportunities to leverage current planning efforts and identifies where new public space ideas can be tested in Charlotte. This document establishes a framework for what to look for and how to evaluate future design briefs and plans. It aims to ensure streets and open spaces are holistically integrated into citywide planning and design efforts.

Gehl Studio — Introduction

Goals 4

01 Make Charlotte’s vision for a more walkable, livable Center City more action-oriented.

02 Inspire action to create livelier streets and well-connected neighborhoods with international best practice experience.

03 Engender greater civic and public support for future investment in the public realm.

Gehl Studio — Introduction

Objectives 01 Observe How People Move & Use Charlotte’s Spaces

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Identify the main challenges and opportunities to create livelier streets and better connected neighborhoods.

Create baseline Public Space, Public Life Survey data to use for ongoing evaluation of how Charlotte’s streets accommodate walking, biking, or spending time in public space.

02 Measure, Test, Refine Outline guiding principles to consider when evaluating future design proposals.

Create a strategic framework and iterative process for how this vision can be incrementally tested, measured, and implemented at key pilot project locations.

03 Engage & Support Civic Participation Create opportunities for the public to experience and participate in the iterative design process involved with re-purposing streets and spaces.

Gehl Studio — Introduction

How to Use this Plan 6

The Charlotte Public Space Plan captures what Gehl Studio heard from Charlotteans and what was observed in Center City’s public spaces. Based on this, the plan recommends strategies to improve public space and public life.

This plan includes a discussion of existing conditions, opportunities and challenges in Center City, and an outline of the qualities stakeholders think make public spaces inviting.

Case studies were developed for four core neighborhoods: Uptown, Plaza Midwood, West End, and South End. Each provides data and analysis to illustrate how public life and space are functioning, where the challenge and opportunity areas are, and how pilot designs can be evaluated.

Each neighborhood case study includes strategies and recommendations that can be used to foster discussion, engage stakeholders, and highlight spaces and programs that could be piloted in a next phase.

Gehl Studio — Introduction

Road Map: Project Timeline The plan outlines a broader process where city staff can begin to take a more peoplefirst approach in designing Charlotte’s public spaces.

This plan highlights a series of potential project opportunities the city and stakeholders can implement. It is hoped that city staff will measure the success and impact of pilot projects to inform future design as well as long-range planning efforts.

Public Space, Public Life Survey Favorite Places Workshops

CONSULTANT LEAD

Fall ‘14

Present findings Public space plan

Winter ‘15

Identify acitvitation opportunities

Spring ‘15

Summer ‘15

Implement pilot projects

Fall ‘15

CITY LEAD Measure activities

Tie to long range planning City procedures

Public hearing / workshop Refine pilot projects Gehl Studio — Introduction

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APPROACH, METHODOLOGY & KEY FINDINGS Site Analysis & Research Favorite Places Workshops Charlotte Quality Criteria Public Space, Public Life Survey Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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Site Analysis & Research

Opportunities & Challenges Assessment

Site Analysis & Research 12

The use of public space was initially measured on a typical fall day. This analysis and research was done to get a sense of how streets and spaces perform for Charlotteans.

During this research period, Gehl strove to answer: What are the existing street and public space conditions in Charlotte?

To understand this, Gehl Studio: • Observed people out and about and met with key stakeholders • Walked, biked, drove, and took public transit to experience Charlotte’s streets • Identified opportunities to enhance public life and challenges to overcome in order to realize the potential of the city

All images from on-site workshop and site visits to understand the city.

Gehl Studio spoke to stakeholder groups and held formal and informal workshops with residents to understand connections between places and neighborhoods.

Clockwise from upper left: the Favorite Places Workshop, a surveyor, public life in Charlotte, the Public Space Public Life Survey training, and Gehl Studio riding bike share and the light rail.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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Opportunities Assessment 14

01 Walkable Urban DNA Uptown’s street grid was designed before the automobile became the primary mode of transportation. Human scale features are present throughout the area, evident by trees, wide sidewalks, ground level activity at certain store fronts, and pedestrian oriented signage.

Many of Charlotte’s neighborhoods are within three miles of each other, and with the right changes to the urban environment, people can be invited to move between places on foot, bike, or transit.

02 Concentrations of Culture & Activity The wealth of Uptown destinations creates opportunities to leverage existing visitors to these places and thereby activate the streets. Currently though, most cultural offerings and activities remain indoors.

A lot of energy and love has been put into a few places, mostly along Tryon Street, and there is an opportunity to expand this energy to more places.

03 Active & Engaged Community Stewards People in Charlotte have pride for their city, and there is a range of civic leaders working to improve connectivity, preserve historic areas, and enhance the public realm in many neighborhoods.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

Challenges Assessment 15

01 Poor Connections Walkability and bikeability between neighborhoods is hindered by vehicle traffic, low quality lighting and paving conditions, and lack of active streetscapes.

A poor micro-climate and a lack of activity along the ground level can make places feel further away than they are. For example, the McColl Center for Art & Innovation on North Tryon is only three blocks from Trade and Tryon, the heart of the city, but the un-inviting streetscape that leads one there contributes to a perception of distance.

02 Underused Spaces Places that are only one block from Tryon Street are ignored or considered ‘work-horse’ streets intended to move traffic in and out of the city center.

Surface parking lots and multi-story garages dominate the streetscape, especially along North Tryon and on parallel streets, such as Church and College.

03 New Development Does Little to Activate the Public Realm New development turns its back to the street, evident by a lack of ground floor programming or entrances that do not front the street. These new developments are examples of how the street isn’t considered a place to spend time.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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Favorite Places Workshops Understanding What Quality Public Space Means to Charlotteans

A Tool to Understand What People Love Starting with Quality

This section describes how Gehl Studio identified what ‘quality’ means to people in Charlotte.

The standard Gehl Quality Criteria is used to spark conversation. It is organized into three broad core categories: protection, comfort, and delight. Favorite Places Workshops then help identify locally important qualities.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

Protection

The Gehl Quality Criteria Location: + = YES # = IN-BETWEEN - = NO

Protection Against Vehicular Traffic

Protection Against Crime & Violence

Protection Against Unpleasant Sensory Experiences

Invitations for Walking

Invitations for Standing & Staying

Invitations for Sitting

Invitations for Seeing

Invitations for Hearing & Talking

Invitations for Play & Recreation

Dimensioned at a Human Scale

Positive Aspects of Climate

Aesthetic Quality

Comfort

Gehl Studio focuses on creating mutually beneficial relationships between people’s quality of life and their built environment.

Gehl studies how people’s senses, movements, interests, and behaviors are influenced by the scale and quality of place.

The Gehl approach starts with this to ensure design is guided by qualities that make a place welcoming and comfortable from the user’s experience.

Delight

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Public Space Quality Criteria

Gehl Architects

#favoriteplaceCTL We know your chicken, A sample of images used tofavorite provoke conversations about favorite places and the qualities that

make public space inviting.

but what’s your favorite place in Charlotte?

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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Favorite Places Workshops 20

When one is asked to think of great public spaces, a few archetypal spaces come to mind: Central Park, Las Ramblas, Piazza Navona. These are dramatic, great places, but they are relevant to their contexts: large, old, and dense cities. What do these spaces look like in smaller and medium size cities, which cover larger land area and have street patterns from the 20th century? Where do people currently feel invited or enjoy spending time?

What qualities are missing from these places? From a busy street corner to the parking lot of a fast food joint, cities of all sizes have public spaces loved or well-used by residents.

Favorite Places Workshops are designed to understand the qualities that make these lesser-known places thrive and to understand why other public spaces in Charlotte might not be performing to their greatest potential. By asking people to share what places they love and what leads them to have a great experience there, we collected feedback that could be applied to developing design principles and guidelines.

Favorite Places Workshops were held at Byron’s South End in October 2014 and February 2015 during two evening workshops in addition to four informal workshops at Common Market, 7th Street Public Market, the Charlotte Transportation Center, and NoDa Brewing Company.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

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Workshops at various locations created an opportunity for ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ conversations with Charlotte stakeholders. Participants at the evening workshops (formal) represented city agencies and civic organizations.

Participants at the on-site workshops (informal) were Noda Brewing Charlotteans going about their daily routines, and not Company typically engaged in urban planning and design issues.

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More than 200 opinions were collected at the workshops, with about 80 generated from the formal workshops and 120 from people Gehl staff spoke to at various sites.

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Byron’s South End Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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Workshop Activities 22

1 Favorite Images & Places 1a. What inspirational images do people love?

At four workshops across the city and during one evening workshop Gehl presented people with 30 inspirational images from around the world and asked them to identify their favorite - based on gut reaction.

1b. What are people’s favorite places in Charlotte and why?

To create a public space plan that reflects Charlotte’s identity and characteristics, Gehl wanted to understand where people love to go and spend time, and why. At the same workshops, Charlotteans were asked to map their favorite places. This provided a way to understand Charlotte’s assets and activity hubs, and guide future thinking.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

2 Qualities of Favorite Places

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What is it about places that make Charlotteans feel invited to spend time there?

To design from a people-first perspective, one has to understand what people care about and how they want to experience a place. Following activities in 1a and 1b, workshop participants were asked to elaborate on the qualities within the images and their favorite places that they respond to, and why they chose those.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

Key Findings 24

Favorite Attributes The themes below help identify the qualities that exist in people’s favorite places. There was no dominant attribute that rose above the others in the Favorite Place discussion, but rather a series of inter-related themes emerged. The findings here are a composite from all workshops.

Fun, playful, unique, cool Good food & drinks, varied

Most frequently mentioned attributes: • Fun, Playful, Unique, Cool (14%) • Good Food & Drinks (14%) • • • • • • • •

Meeting Places, Social, Active (11%) Walkable, Connected, Accessible (11%) Open Space, Large, Intimate (9%) History, Nostalgia, Charm (8%) Great Views (6.5%) Family & Kid Friendly (6.5%) Relaxing Places, Quiet, Low Key (6.5%) Greenery & Water (6.5%)

• People Watching (6.5%) • Clean, Safe, Affordable / Free (3%) Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

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14%

8 11% 6

9% 8%

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Many of the attributes mentioned in relation to the Favorite Places were also mentioned in relation to the Favorite Images, though a few differences emerged.

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Meeting, gathering, hang-out places, social, active

During the ‘Favorite Image’ activity, participants prioritized greenery, sun, and gathering places more than fun, playful, or entertainment places.

Most frequently mentioned attributes: • Green, Water, Sun, Shade, Scents (18%) • Gathering Space, Hang Out, Communal Feel (18%) • • • • • • • •

Activation of Underused Space, Existing Edges (14%) Activity, Active Recreation, Play (10%) Family & Kid Friendly (8%) Relaxing, Peaceful, Quiet, Resting (7.5%) Outdoor Eatery, Open Market, Walkable Retail (7%) Unexpected, Fun, Playful, Creative (6.5%) Walkable, Bike Friendly, Low Car Volume, Parking (6.5%) Art and Culture, Public, Engaging (5%)

• Ample Seating, Hang Out, Talk, Watch (4%) • People Watching (3.5%)

50 18%

40 14% 30

10% 9% 8%

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7.5% 7%

6.5% 5% 4%

3.5%

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0 Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

Favorite Places 26

Respondents’ Favorite Places were largely concentrated in Uptown, particularly in the south part of the area, but places outside the I-277 loop are also represented.

10% Cultural & Entertainment Institutions

10%

48% 48% Parks & Green Spaces 44% Food & Drink Places

44%

hornets nest park

university boardwalk

whitewater centre

NODA jcsu

growlers pour house

vbgb beer hall

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amelie’s birdsong brewery

elmwood cemetery

UPTOWN

frazier park

discovery place bb&t ballpark

bryant park

romare bearden park levine center for the arts

7th st market

6st. pocket park hooligans latta arcade

mcgill rose garden

imagionon

dean and deluca amelie’s the green on tryon

great aunt stella center dairy queen

marshall park vivace

WILMORE

soul gastrolounge

independence park

little sugar creek greenway

the common market

metropolitan (target) latta park

lake wylie daniel stowe botanical garden

atherton mill

triple c brewing company good bottle co.

This map sums up the outcome of the Favorite Places Workshops.

Responses were organized into the categories indicated below.

The size of the dot indicates the number of times the location was mentioned. The map illustrates clustering and opportunities to improve connections between places and build on what people already love.

Park Culture and Entertainment

freedom park

Shopping, Dining and Nightlife Street, Shops, Dining - walkable Street + Rail Trail - green Rail Trail extension wing haven greenway

Neighborhood

park rd. shopping mall rockhill

ballantyne corporate park montford drive

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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The following pages display the most frequently mentioned Favorite Places and the attributes described in relation to each.

Intimate Human-scale Green space Water feature

Historical buildings

People watching Family-friendly Great Uptown views

Romare Bearden Park Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

Latta Arcade / Brevard Court

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Spacious Space for relaxing

Connected Walkable

Places for picnics

Activities all year

Freedom Park

Family-friendly Good for kids

Rail Trail Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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History Nostalgia Variety

Unique feel

Playful Public art Places to relax

Good food Meeting people Safe Comfortable Walkable

Plaza Midwood Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

The Green

Lively Cool lighting Great beer & coffee Food Truck Friday

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Connects parks & Uptown

Accessible Clean

Light rail proximity Walkable Not as congested as Uptown

Camden Road, Common Market

Little Sugar Creek Greenway Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

The Qualities Charlotteans Want 32

Based on the citizen assessment, Gehl grouped by category the most frequently mentioned qualities that Charlotteans are looking for in their public spaces.

Intimate open space

Active meeting places, social

Greenery & water

Great views!

Green, Water, Sun, Shade, Scents Unexpected, fun, playful, creative!

Walkable, bikefriendly, low car volume, parking

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

Nostalgia, charm, history

Peoplewatching

Good food & drinks

Fun, unique, cool, playful!

Walkable, connected, accessible

Affordable

Arts & culture!

Public & engaging

Active recreation play!

Activate underused space & edges Outdoor eatery, open market, walkable retail

Family & kidfriendly

Relaxing places, quiet, low key

Gathering space, hang out, communal feel

Spontaneous Relaxing, peaceful, quiet, resting

Ample Seating

Charlotte Quality Criteria From the synthesis of all workshop findings, a locally generated Charlotte Quality Criteria emerged. The criteria can be used to assess existing and new places. It provides a standard for which new projects, plans, and policies can be evaluated, thereby serving

as an accountability tool residents can use to measure civic investment quality. The Charlotte Quality Criteria is based on a combination of the most frequently mentioned attributes during the Favorite Places Workshops.

Social Space

Mixed Use

Connected

Micro-Climate

Space for meetings, recreation & being with others

Places to shop, eat, attend events, or be outside

Accessible, walkable, bikeable, few cars & parking

Greenery, water, sun, shade & scents

Peaceful

Local Identity

Active Edges

Family-Friendly

Restful, quiet, low-key & relaxing

Presence of history, nostalgia & charm

Activity, use of open space & sense of intimacy

Kid-friendly, safe, clean & affordable

Comfort

Cultural Offering

Spontaneous

Opportunities to sit, talk, hang out & look

Art & culture available to the public

Playful, unique, cool, fun & unexpected

People-Watching Ability to observe & be seen

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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Public Space, Public Life Survey

Survey Methods

Public Space, Public Life Survey (PSPL) 36

The first week in November 2014, Gehl Studio and Charlotte Center City Partners led Charlotte’s first PSPL at six locations across Center City.

The PSPL is a tool used to collect people-oriented data.

The goal is to document existing human behavior and use this information to inform the planning and design process, creating strategies to make places more livable, walkable, and inviting for all.

The PSPL helps answer questions that arise at the beginning of the planning process, such as: • How do people use the streets in their city or neighborhood?

• What types of activities do people engage in?

This data can be used to inform the design and planning process by observing and documenting how streets and spaces are used, by whom, and when. The survey provides a way to collect quantifiable data that can show how balanced or unbalanced sidewalks, streets, or plazas are in terms of the range of activity, users, and distribution of space.

We can use it to guide our examination of specific spaces in order to answer questions such as: • Is the amount of sidewalk space for pedestrians proportionate to the volume of pedestrians using that sidewalk?

• How does this compare to vehicle space and volume?

• What is the demographic mix?

• Why are there more men than women socializing, but more women walking?

• What barriers might be inhibiting walking or socializing on the street?

• Why are there no children or seniors spending time in a large open space? Or cycling?

• How are certain modes of transportation prioritized over others in terms of how space is distributed?

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

Following a training session at the 7th Street Public Market, 30 volunteers helped collect ethnographic data about how people use Charlotte’s streets and spaces over two days.

The survey was structured to involve residents in the planning process and to create people-first data that city leaders can use to benchmark against in the future.

Survey locations were chosen based on previous site analysis and research, stakeholder feedback, the opportunity to leverage with other Charlotte planning efforts, such as the Rail Trail, and ability to provide comparison data across neighborhoods.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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Survey Methods 38

The people-first data and on-site analysis conducted are categorized into Public Life and Public Space.

Public Life The Public Life section focused on answering the ‘Where, What, and Who’ of people’s use of public places.

Where: Surveys were conducted on South Tryon, Trade and Tryon, North Tryon, Plaza Midwood, West End, and South End. Each of the six survey locations had two to three sub-locations.

What: Surveyors worked in four-hour shifts to count people walking, biking, and doing stationary activities (such as sitting or standing).

Who: Surveyors documented the approximate age and gender of people moving at certain locations.

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key FIndings

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Public Space Using the Gehl 12 Quality Criteria simultaneous to the Public Life survey, Gehl Studio evaluated the physical quality of the survey locations.

This was achieved by measuring the activity level of ground floor spaces, the presence of parking and unused space, and street furniture that contributes to human scale conditions, such as trees and lighting.

Specifically, public space surveys assessed: Scale: How do streets and buildings work together to create a human scale atmosphere?

Ground Floors: How engaging are the ground floors?

Do they help to make a walk interesting?

Unused Space: Where is there underused space, and how might this space be activated to make the public realm more appealing?

Trees: Where are trees and how do they help protect against the elements, such as sun and wind?

Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

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ANALYSIS, FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS: NEIGHBORHOOD CASE STUDIES

Uptown Plaza Midwood West End South End Gehl Studio - Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations

Survey Locations 42

Four neighborhoods in Charlotte were chosen as case study areas for the Public Space Public Life survey.

The areas vary by typology, local qualities, and amount of life in their public spaces. The variety represented was chosen in order to get a broad perspective of public space and public life in Charlotte.

1 Uptown

3 West End

Uptown refers to the area inside the I-277 highway loop and consists of four distinct neighborhoods. The area has many different types of areas, such as the cultural hub along South Tryon Street, the central business district centered around the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and the less activated but developing North Tryon area. The historic heart of the city, Uptown serves as a walkable square-mile urban core for Charlotte.

Located one mile west of Uptown, West End is a largely residential neighborhood that is home to Johnson C. Smith University, a private, historically African-American university. Its streets and intersections are wide and dominated by automobile traffic.

Despite its proximity to Uptown, walking or biking from the West End does not currently seem like a viable option.

2 Plaza Midwood

4 South End

Two miles east of Uptown is Plaza Midwood, a historic streetcar suburb with independent retail, entertainment venues, streetscapes that have recently been improved with new street trees, traffic calming measures, and benches. Relatively quiet during the week, Plaza Midwood is busiest on weekends when many people come for entertainment and dining options.

Continue down South Tryon Street from Uptown or take the light rail a few stops from the 7th Street Public Market, and you arrive in South End. A former industrial area south of Uptown, South End has become a transit-oriented neighborhood due to the arrival of the Blue Line in 2007. Many design-based businesses and firms call this area home, and the presence of galleries and informal events like Food Truck Friday contribute to its artsy reputation.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations

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West End

Uptown

Plaza Midwood

South End

Gehl Studio - Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations

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Uptown

Key Findings Goals & Success Criteria Strategies & Recommendations

Overview of Uptown Public Life Key words mentioned at the workshops for the Uptown Area were: ‘People watching,’ ‘Bustling,’ and ‘Cultural Center.’

Pedestrian volumes are high, but they’re concentrated into a few peak times: during rush hour and lunchtime.

Uptown has by far the highest pedestrian volumes surveyed.

Tryon and 5th Streets had the highest rate of pedestrian activity on the weekday: 10,788.

Evening and weekend peaks suggest people choose to stay in Uptown after work and show potential for greater use of the area.

On the weekend, Trade and Tryon was the busiest, with 13,002 pedestrians.

The lunchtime peak traffic accounts for approximately 15% of the total daily activity.

The second peak is at 6pm, accounting for approximately 13% of activity.

Evening pedestrian activity is much higher than in the morning and after lunch time.

Pedestrian Movement Throughout the Day Trade & Tryon Street 2000

weekday weekend

1600

1200

800

400 number of people

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Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

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Uptown pedestrian volumes were the highest surveyed and are similar to business districts in other mediumsized US cities.

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Pedestrian Movement Average / Hour Comparison to Downtown Denver, CO

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899

weekend 800

Tryon at 6th 600

Denver, CO Downtown

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254 number of people

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Survey Sites

51 TRYON AT 6th BEATTIES FORD 16th BETWEEN UPTOWN WEST END CHAMPA & STOUT

place Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

Evaluating Uptown 48

The resident-led and Charlotte-specific quality criteria provides a standard for which new projects, plans, and policies can be evaluated.

It provides an accountability tool for citizens to ensure that quality is provided through civic investments.

Gehl Studio used the Charlotte Quality Criteria to evaluate Uptown and rated the neighborhood in general as ‘Ok’ with a few ‘Good’ scores and only a single score in the ‘Poor’ category.

This assessment of Uptown was displayed at a public workshop to get citizen feedback on the Gehl evaluation. The assessment was approved by the community group.

The quality criteria contains 12 categories and is rated using 3 values:

Good

Ok

Social Space

Mixed Use

Connected

Micro-Climate

Peaceful

Local Identity

Active Edges

Family Friendly

People Watching

Comfort

Cultural Offering

Spontaneous

Poor

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

Key Findings: Uptown The key takeaways for Uptown - based on on-site observations, the PSPL Survey, Favorite Places Workshops, and stakeholder discussions - are as follows:

1 The Whole is Less Than the Sum of Its Parts

Uptown is compact, walkable, leafy, and home to endless cultural, sports, and business opportunities, yet these features alone don’t quite create a great city. The sum of these parts should be greater than the whole, but it’s not. All the love (investment) is along Tryon between Stonewall and 6th and along Trade from Church to Brevard - but the quality of side streets, and therefore the network - is lacking.

2 Expensive Does Not Equal Quality

People are in Uptown and investment has been made to sidewalk quality, but the programming of space is under-developed. High quality materials alone don’t make people want to stay. Spaces aren’t ‘sticky.’

3 A Typical Business District with a Twist

Monday through Friday, especially from 8am to 5pm, the area is male dominated. Yet children, families, and a more even distribution of users spend time in many of the same areas on the weekend.

4 A Tale of Two Uptowns: Tryon Street

Central Tryon Street is the busiest, with activity levels decreasing to the north and south.

5 Great Museums, but Where is the Culture?

There is an incredible density of cultural institutions, but they are mostly insular and inward looking.

Grand lobbies and cultural functions inside don’t invite people to spend time or linger Uptown.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

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1 The Whole is Less Than the Sum of Its Parts 50

Concentrated Activities Tryon Street exhibits visible signs of investment and care along the street, with fine paving, expensive materials, and healthy trees. While Tryon is just one of Uptown’s streets, it’s where most of the activity occurs, especially between 6th and Stonewall streets. Other areas of Uptown would benefit from similar investment and programming.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

Pedestrian activity on Tryon Street is up to

4 times higher than on the surrounding streets

Under-performing Fine Grain

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“There is more to walking than walking.” - Jan Gehl Ground floor frontages, sensory experiences, and overlapping activities contribute to a welcoming pedestrian environment. While Tryon Street displays many of these qualities, other centrally located Uptown streets do not - and it shows.

A weekday hourly average of 750 pedestrians indicates a higher quality pedestrian environment on Tryon Street compared to other Charlotte streets, where pedestrian numbers were closer to 100.

In comparison, Church Street - which runs parallel to Tryon Street - had only 308 pedestrians / hour.

Church Street, parallel and one block east of Tryon Street, has less than half the pedestrian movement compared to South Tryon by the Levine Center for the Arts. The streetscape is dominated by closed-off frontages and parking, lack of curbside parking, little protection for pedestrians from moving traffic, and few street trees compared to central Tryon Street. It does not invite people to walk or spend time there.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

2 Expensive Does Not Equal Quality 52

Public Places aren’t Sticky A lot of people move through Uptown, but they don’t spend time there. There is a lot of space, but little activity beyond people walking.

Why aren’t places with great materials sticky? Why are few people stopping? This signifies untapped potential to activate and invite people to stay in Uptown longer.

Ratio of People Spending Time vs Passing By Weekday Comparison

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to

Spending Time

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Tryon by Levine Center for the Arts Peak at 11am = 30 people spending time vs.

672 passing by (pedestrian peak hour at 12pm = 1,782)

In comparison:

1 Spending Time

to

2 Passing By

Fishermans’ Wharf San Francisco Peak = 1,600 people spending time vs.

3,300 passing by

* ‘spending time vs passing by’ calculations are based on comparisons of peak hour stationary activity (people spending time) and pedestrian activity counts for the same hour.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

Romare Bearden Park - The Exception The majority of the Favorite Places identified in Uptown were in the southern part and centered around Romare Bearden Park, Latta Arcade, and the cultural institutions.

Romare Bearden Park was described at the workshops as: ‘Family friendly’ ‘Having great Uptown views’ ‘Great green space’ ‘New water feature’

53

Very sticky!

For every 7 people passing by 1 person is spending time

A lot of space

Ratio of People Spending Time vs Passing By Weekday, Romare Bearden Park

1 Spending Time

to

7 Passing By

Romare Bearden Park at Church Street Peak at 3pm = 21 people spending time vs.

156 passing by on Church St (pedestrian peak hour at 1pm = 378)

3,735 ft2/person

Weekday peak hour = 65 people spending time Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

3 A Typical Business District With a Twist 54

Business During the Week Weekday During the weekday in Uptown almost half (48%) of the people in the area were men between the ages of 30 - 64.

Weekend In contrast, weekend age and gender counts are more mixed, with a 50:50 balance in gender. Children under the age of 14 account for 12% of people.

Weekday:

48%

Weekday:

men ages 30 - 64

Twice

as many men as women between ages 15-64

*According to United States Census Bureau: 7.1% of the Charlotte population in 2013 was children under age 5 25% under age 18 8.5% over age 65 51.7% women

48%

26%

This suggests monofunctional business activities during the week 9%

7%

8%

0.5% 0.7% 0-6

7-14

15-30

Age & Gender Distribution Weekday total Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

30-64

+65

More Balanced on the Weekend Weekend: Balance in age & gender

50% men 50% women

55

This suggests that Uptown has qualities and attractions that support other user groups.

28% 25%

Weekend: 14%

7.5%

16%

under age 6

7.5% 5%

4.5%

0-6

7-14

15-30

30-64

+65

Age & Gender Distribution Weekend total Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

4 A Tale of Two Uptowns: Tryon Street The well-defined streetscape on central Tryon gets more and more diffused the further north or south one travels. On Tryon between 4th and 7th Streets, greenery and trees create a human scale and pleasant sensory experience. This is harder to find as one travels north.

North Tryon near 9th Street

Walking rates along North Tryon are 50-75% less than 1423 along central and South Tryon.

Tryon near Trade

weekday 800

1013

1005

1000

1000

899

weekend 692

600 463

491

400

South Tryon near the Levine Center for the Arts

314

230 200 number of people

56

S. TRYON ST AT LEVINE

TRYON ST AT TRADE ST

TRYON ST AT 6th

TRYON ST AT 9th

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

place WALNUT ST. BY RITTENHOUSE SQ.

57

Pedestrian activity on central Tryon Street is up to

3 times higher than on North & South Tryon Street

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

5 Great Museums, but Where is the Culture?

58

Uptown was frequently described as a ‘Cultural Center’.

Its many cultural institutions and venues for music and performance attract 2.7 million visitors annually. But this high number of visitors is not visible in the public spaces outside the buildings’ doors.

Many of the institutions have public artwork outside, but people are not active in the public spaces. Sparse entrances also contribute to a lack of everyday street life and activity.

Annually

2.7 million

people visit arts and cultural institutions in Charlotte’s Uptown area

Public space around cultural centers is not inviting

What would invite these culture seekers to spend time in Uptown’s spaces?

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

59

Discovery Place is very popular with more than

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art alone has

700,000

visitors in 2014

50,000

visitors annually

Exception to the rule: activities outside in the public realm Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

Goals & Success Criteria 60

Based on the analysis, the following opportunities exist to activate and improve Uptown’s public space network.

These can be thought of as goals and complementary success criteria, which can help build political will toward a shared vision and can be measured with both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Goals

Success Criteria

Leverage existing Uptown destinations by adding programs to invite a broader public to already popular destinations.

More people of all ages, genders, and demographics spending time Uptown and more activity in the public realm

Create better connections between destinations by enhancing the fine grain. Make streets more pedestrian friendly, with shade, places to sit and rest, and more active edges (such as with small shops). ‘Spread the wealth’ beyond Trade and Tryon streets.

More people walking, decreased perceptions of distance between Uptown places, more active uses at the ground level, and greater investments for the quality of the street network beyond Trade and Tryon

Create high quality wayfinding, signs, trees, and opportunities for active storefronts that build on Uptown’s identity and character and contribute to a more human scale Uptown.

More walking and biking between destinations, improved ease in getting around - for locals and visitors - and more people at existing destinations

Activate under-programmed and under-utilized spaces, by creating active edges at large parking lots or offering cultural programming with museums and art centers.

Opportunities to be playful, activities in public spaces, and more people of different ages participating in the activities, especially along North Tryon Street

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

‘More for all’ - a more active and vibrant Uptown with a high quality pedestrian environment connecting popular destinations - existing and new An Uptown with small and large public spaces containing a mix of activities and programs that invite all Charlotteans to spend time in their downtown throughout the day, week, and year to enjoy arts and culture in public spaces

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

61

Strategies & Recommendations 62

The following pages highlight four strategies to build upon opportunities in Uptown. These strategies are illustrated as an outreach tool to discuss with stakeholders and constituents in hopes of aligning interests and efforts with other complementary projects and evoking discussion about public life in Charlotte.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

1 Leverage Existing Destinations

63

2 Connect Destinations

3 Activate Under-programmed & Under-used Space

4 Increase Connectivity & Activity

Strategies Combined

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

1 Leverage Existing Destinations McColl Center for Art and Innovation

64

Charlotte Ballet

future 9th st station

7th st imaginon

ctc knight theater bechtler

time warner cable arena

Uptown is full of individually successful and attractive destinations. What might inspire them to bring their cultural offerings outside to activate the public realm?

station

Destinations - public spaces harvey gantt center

convention center

3rd convention center

Future public spaces Destinations - indoor Building edges

stonewall

Light rail stations 0.5 miles

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

2 Connect Destinations McColl Center for Art and Innovation

nc music factory 0.6miles pinewood/elmwood cemetery west end /five points 1 mile

amtrak station 1 mile noda 2 miles

Charlotte Ballet

By creating a hierarchy of streets and connections, these disparate parts can be integrated to create a more connected, vibrant, and inviting Uptown experience. future 9th st station

7th st imaginon

ctc knight theater bechtler

unc charlotte first ward elementary school plaza midwood 1.2 miles

time warner cable arena

station

Main connection Extending main connection

harvey gantt center

convention center

3rd convention center

charlotte mecklenburg government center

Fine grain connections 2 marshall park sugar creek greenway

south end camden rd 0.6 miles

stonewall

Fine grain connections 1

Fine grain connections 3 Direct connections between destinations 0.5 miles Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

65

3 Activate Under-programmed & Under-used Space 66

Creating space alone won’t ensure a high-quality Uptown. Integrating programs - from daily attractions to weekly events or seasonal festivals - can unlock the potential of Uptown’s cultural and recreational destinations, making them more accessible to a diverse cross-section of Charlotteans.

McColl Center for Art and Innovation Charlotte Ballet

future 9th st station

7th st imaginon

ctc knight theater bechtler

harvey gantt center

convention center

station

3rd convention center

time warner cable arena

Activate existing public space Activate under-utilized space Add program to existing destinations Add program - new destinations

stonewall

New active edges 0.5 miles

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

4 Increase Connectivity & Activity nc music factory 0.6miles pinewood/elmwood cemetery west end /five points 1 mile

McColl Center for Art and Innovation

amtrak station 1 mile noda 2 miles

Charlotte Ballet

future 9th st station

7th st imaginon

ctc knight theater bechtler

harvey gantt center

convention center

time warner cable arena

station

3rd convention center

stonewall

By combining these strategies, a public space and public life framework plan for Uptown emerges.

The red circles represent opportunity areas:

charlotte mecklenburg government center

marshall park sugar creek greenway south end camden rd 0.6 miles

unc charlotte first ward elementary school plaza midwood 1.2 miles

1. Places that already attract people, and could become even more inviting with additional programming.

2. Areas of interest for new activity nodes in relation to other destinations or along active streets that connect to new transportation nodes.

0.5 miles

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

67

Strategies Combined nc music factory 0.6miles

68

McColl Center for Art and Innovation

pinewood/elmwood cemetery west end /five points 1 mile

3

Charlotte Ballet

amtrak station 1 mile noda 2 miles

3 2

3 3

1

3 1

3 3

1

2

2

3

2

3

3

3

3

2

imaginon

ctc knight theater

3

bechtler

2

3

2

harvey gantt center

3 time warner cable arena

2

2 convention center

3rd convention center

charlotte mecklenburg government center 2

marshall park sugar creek greenway south end camden rd 0.6 miles

unc charlotte first ward elementary school plaza midwood 1.2 miles

station

1

2

7th st

2

2

1

3

3

3

3

future 9th st station

3

The potential of this public space and public life network can be tested through a series of temporary or semi-permanent test projects initiated either by the city, organizations like Charlotte city Center Partners, or by individual residents.

stonewall

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

0.5 miles

First Steps Toward ‘More For All’ 1 Leverage Existing Destinations How might existing destinations become even more active? by adding programs and activities to invite a broader user group or installing artistic and playful elements that relate to history, cultural institutions, and other functions in Uptown; by adding play elements in The Green, more seating at Settlers Cemetery, and by activating existing kiosk and ‘pop up’ food stalls in Romare Bearden Park.

3 Activate Under-programmed and Un-used Space How might under-utilized and under-programmed spaces, small and large, be activated, and which should be prioritized?

Layer activities and incorporate active cultural elements... by activating existing small and large under-utilized and mono-functional public spaces, such as corporate lunch spot plazas or library squares through adding playful elements, seating, or ‘pop up’ functions; by activating edges along parking lots with temporary exhibition space, information, and other programming.

2 Connect Destinations How might connections between destinations be improved? How might they relate and interact with each other as places to walk or bike between?

Upgrade existing streets and fine grain connections... by improving the pedestrian environment with quality paving, lighting, street trees, wayfinding, and active ground floor functions relating to the street; by activating edges, blank walls, and parking garage walls with art, greenery, or small functions on corners, such as a kiosk or flower shop;

4 Increase Connectivity and Activity How might the cultural offerings in Uptown become more visible and active in public space?

Leverage existing indoor programs and functions to create more activity in public spaces and enhance the area’s identity as a cultural center... by using cultural programming as an activating, connecting layer; by activating spaces near cultural institutions with playful, interactive and artistic elements that invite active use every day and during events.

by adding small scale experiences along the way.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Uptown

69

70

71

Plaza Midwood

Key Findings Goals & Success Criteria Strategies & Recommendations

Overview of Plaza Midwood Public Life Higher rates of pedestrian activity than in all other surveyed areas - except Uptown - indicate that Plaza Midwood has a high quality pedestrian environment.

Despite this, walking rates are low.

Peak pedestrian hours account for between 15 – 20% of total daily movement. Unlike in other areas surveyed, the movement is dispersed over the entire day.

Stationary Activity Throughout the Day Gordon Street & Central Avenue; Commonwealth Avenue between The Plaza & Pecan Avenue

Weekend pedestrian activity is almost

double the weekday counts

Invitations exist to spend time after work and midday on weekends.

Pedestrian Movement Throughout the Day Central Avenue 400

40 weekday

Peak 3pm

weekday

Peak 2pm

weekend

30

Peak 7pm

weekend

300

200

20

Peak 5pm

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

19

20

hour

number of people

100

10

number of people

72

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

hour

73

central ave

4.5 times lower

Pedestrian Movement Average / Hour Comparison to Downtown San José, CA

than at Tryon & Trade streets

1005

1000 weekday

899

weekend

800

commonwealth ave

ave

600

pec an

480 369

400

San José, CA

254 200 number of people

thomas ave

Average weekday pedestrian activity is

114

CENTRAL AVE PLAZA MIDWOOD

75

137

123

CAMDEN RD SOUTH END

51 TRYON AT 6th UPTOWN

BEATTIES FORD WEST END

PASEO DE SAN ANTONIO

place

Survey Sites Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

Evaluating Plaza Midwood 74

The resident-led and Charlotte-specific quality criteria provides a standard for which new projects, plans, and policies can be evaluated.

It provides an accountability tool for citizens to ensure that quality is provided through civic investments.

Gehl Studio used the Charlotte Quality Criteria to evaluate Plaza Midwood and rated the neighborhood in general as ‘Ok’ with a few categories scoring ‘Good.’ None of the categories scored a ‘Poor’, indicating that this neighborhood is perceived as one with a lot of local qualities.

This assessment of Plaza Midwood was displayed at a public workshop to get citizen feedback on the Gehl evaluation. The assessment was approved by the community group.

The quality criteria contains 12 categories and is rated using 3 values:

Good

Ok

Social Space

Mixed Use

Connected

Micro-Climate

Peaceful

Local Identity

Active Edges

Family Friendly

People Watching

Comfort

Cultural Offering

Spontaneous

Poor

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

Key Findings: Plaza Midwood The key takeaways for Plaza Midwood - based on on-site observations, the PSPL Survey, Favorite Places workshops, and stakeholder discussions - are as follows:

1 A Charlotte Place Investments in the Plaza Midwood walking environment and local character have helped create a very Charlotte place. Yet the use is not very intense or dense. There is a great base to build upon, and space to invite more people without making the neighborhood feel too crowded.

2 Mono-functional Public Spaces While the neighborhood is attractive, it offers mostly mono-functional, café-oriented invitations for public life. There is an opportunity to connect existing destinations and to layer and weave a varied and diverse program into the existing urban fabric.

3 Attractive to a Certain Demographic The types of destinations in Plaza Midwood seem to appeal mostly to young adults and adults, with few children or elderly people spending time there.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

75

1 A Charlotte Place 76

A Sense of Place Plaza Midwood has many distinct features: old-timey signs, custom-designed crosswalks, small scale shops, and locally-run bars and restaurants. One can eat dinner, shop for records, or do yoga, all within a hundred feet of each other.

Workshop participants described Plaza Midwood as a place with:

Good food Meeting people

Unique feel

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

A Pleasant Walking Experience

77

A person walks with an average speed of 3 mph and needs 1 stimuli / 4 seconds or 8 - 10 entrances / 325 feet to perceive the environment as high quality.

Other qualities that contribute are: • Spacious sidewalks • Even paving • Shade / sun • Greenery

Central Avenue buildings provide a good walking experience, with active ground floor functions, human-scale buildings, and wide sidewalks.

11 doors within 240 feet on Central Avenue

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

2 Mono-functional Public Spaces 78

Public life equals the number of people multiplied by the time spent in a place. Despite the low number of people in total, spaces and destinations in Plaza Midtwood are very ‘sticky’.

Ratio of People Spending Time vs Passing By

1

to

Spending Time

High ‘stickyness’ signifies that a place holds qualities that make people want to spend time and not just pass through.

1

7.5 Passing By

to

Spending Time

3.5 Passing By

Weekday Peak at 7pm = 29 people spending time vs.

222 passing by (pedestrian peak hour at 5pm = ) Weekend Peak at 2pm = 43 people spending time vs.

702 passing by (pedestrian peak hour at 12 = 900)

In comparison

1 Spending Time

to

2 Passing By

Fishermans’ Wharf San Francisco, CA Peak = 1,600 people spending time vs.

3,300 passing by

* ‘spending time vs passing’ by calculations are based on peak hour stationary activity (people spending time) and the pedestrian activity counts for the same hour (pedestrian activity total for the hour for both the count on Gordon Street and on Commonwealth Avenue).

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

Stationary Activity Total % distribution by type

79

3% 3% Commercial Commercial 3% 3% Activity Activity 12% 12% Movable Movable Standing Standing Seating Seating 4% 4% Secondary Secondary Seating Seating

9% 9% Cultural Cultural Activity 4% 4% Activity Commercial Commercial Activity Activity

Weekday Weekday

78% 78% CafeCafe Seating Seating

16% 16% Standing Standing 1% 1% Bench Bench Seating Seating

Weekend Weekend

78%

of people spending time in the area are seated at cafés

69% 69% CafeCafe Seating Seating

1% 1% Secondary Secondary Seating Seating

Few nonprivate seating options exist

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

3 Attractive to a Certain Demographic 80

50%

between ages 15-30 & 35% between ages 30 - 64

Only

4%

under age 15 & 9% over age 65

Age & Gender Distribution Weekend Total

27%

12

25%

25%

10

8

6

11% 9%

4

2

0

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

2%

2%

0-6

7-14

15-30

30-64

+65

81

Few children and teens indicate there is a lack of activities serving this demographic.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

Goals & Success Criteria 82

The following opportunities exist to activate and improve Plaza Midwood’s public space network. These opportunities can be thought of as goals with corresponding success criteria, which help build political will toward a shared vision that can be measured through both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Goals

Success Criteria

Invite more walking and staying between neighborhood functions by providing an active, fine grain pedestrian network that connects across areas and activates underused space

More people walking in the area, more activated open spaces, and more activities for a wider range of age groups

Activate new and exisiting connections with small scale activities and places to stop, both along and away from the streets

More people of different ages spending time in Plaza Midwood, and more active edges off the main streets; Less underused space

Activate blank walls and inactive edges to expand on existing fine grain network

More opportunity for spontaneous, playful activities that build on local identity and character

Invite more users by layering activities (programming) of varying timeframes and scales that are decided upon via community outreach and conversations

Improved senses of safety, community, and character; Increased sense of stewardship for the neighorhood by a variety of stakeholders

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

Build on existing neighborhood qualities: walkable, varied, nostalgic, historic, and unique feel to create ‘more for all.’ Mix with other activities of varying scale, inviting a broader demographic into the area; add places to bring your dog, sit and meet, play ping-pong, or shop at a Plaza Midwood pop-up market An even more lively, connected, and vibrant Plaza Midwood

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

83

Strategies & Recommendations 84

The following pages highlight three strategies to build upon opportunities in Plaza Midwood. These strategies are illustrated as an outreach tool to discuss with stakeholders and constituents in hopes of aligning interests and efforts with other complementary projects and evoking discussion about public life in Charlotte.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

1 Create a Fine Grain Network

85

2 Activate Edges

3 Layer Programs in Time & Space

Strategies Combined

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

1 Create a Fine Grain Network Invite more walking between neighborhood amenities by providing a fine grain pedestrian network that activates underused space between the buildings, connecting to and from destinations and arrival points.

86

strip mall 2000ft2

• Delineate pedestrian space with safe crossings and clearly marked wayfinding devices • Host activities along the pedestrian links

3800ft2

strip mall

3300ft2

McClintock Rd

• Create places to sit • Respond to the micro-climate, such as adding shade structures to protect from the sun 1000ft2

1500ft2

New pedestrian connections Sidewalk extension across side street Upgraded connections shops etc.

100 ft.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

200 ft.

300 ft.

Examples of Fine Grain 87

2 Activate Edges Activate blank walls and inactive edges by adding activity nodes and inviting people to walk and stay in the area more.

88

Active edges can be many things: • Green walls 2000ft2

• Art and light • Rows of plantings • Furniture

3800ft2

3300ft2

• New ground floor functions in existing structures or in temporary ones, such as shipping containers

1000ft2 1500ft2

New pedestrian connections and public spaces Active edges

100 ft.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

200 ft.

300 ft.

Examples of Active Edges 89

3 Layer Programs in Time & Space 90

1 Create a neighborhood park, inviting people to spend time under the existing tree canopy... from space for 6 vehicles to space for people. The full area is equal to half of the Tryon Street Pocket Park.

3

2 Host ‘Pop-Up’ Plaza, events, markets,

urban beach, outdoor venue...start with part of the marked area - potential for growth; the full area is approximately 7,500 sq ft, equal to 1.5 Tryon Street Pocket Park.

2000ft2

3

3 Install public seating and places for resting,

1

meeting, and people watching...activate existing small green areas and utilize shaded spots under existing large tree canopies.

5 3800ft2

4 Create a pocket park at the Penguin Diner

3300ft2

with small scale street sports, seating, and shade... activate the old diner with a new program or bring diners outside; area is approximately 1,000 sq ft, equal to 7 parking spaces.

2 3

5 Invite a ‘Street Art Alley’ - art and music

1000ft2 1500ft2

events that ‘leave something behind’... relate to Snug Harbor and other venues in the area.

4 6

6 Create the Commonwealth Parklet with

3

public seating, small scale activity like foosball, ping pong e.g.... relate to Diamond Restaurant; convert 3 street parking spaces into a seating and activity spot for up to 20 people.

New public spaces focus areas for new programming Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

100 ft.

200 ft.

300 ft.

Examples of Layered Programs 91

Strategies Combined 92

3 1

2000ft2

3

1

2 1 2

2

1

3800ft2

1

2

3300ft2

3 2

1

1500ft2

1

1

2 1 1000ft2

1 2

3

2

3

1

3

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

100 ft.

200 ft.

300 ft.

First Steps Toward ‘More for All’ – Build on Existing Character 1 Create a Fine Grain Network - How might connections to and from entry and departure points be improved?

3

Upgrade fine grain connections, alleys, and ‘backsides’, and improve access to public transport, parking lots, and to the rest of the neighborhood...

‘Layer’ Programs in Time and Space - How might new programs be added to already functioning spaces, and new public spaces be created?

Layer activities to invite a broader user group to spend time in the area...

by upgrading alleys and ‘backside’ connections with clearly defined walkways, experiences along the way, wayfinding, seating, and lighting.

by leveraging existing qualities, such as shade from large trees and social life in private establishments, with new public seating and ‘that little something extra’ which can invite people to spend more time, such as ping pong, foosball, a dog run, play elements, or small pocket parks and parklets;

2 Activate Edges - How might blank walls and inactive edges become active, and how might new edges be created to define walkways and public spaces?

by creating a space for activities and events that require a larger area, but compliment the existing functions in the area, such as a ‘pop up’ marketplace or outdoor venue for art and music.

Activate new fine grain connections and create a higher quality experience walking and spending time in the area... by activating existing walls with art, lighting, and greenery; by activating unused ground floors with new functions;

+

How might we build on the existing qualities that people love in the area?

Leverage qualities that makes Plaza Midwood a beloved place: variety, unique feel, sense of history, and nostalgia... by using existing elements that give the area identity, such as old signs and paving patterns used at crosswalks.

by creating new edges with seating, trees, ‘pop-up’ shops, or outdoor eateries.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — Plaza Midwood

93

94

95

West End

Key Findings Goals & Success Criteria Strategies & Recommendations

Overview of West End Public Life The only favorite place mentioned in the West End was Johnson C Smith University (JCSU), though no attributes were mentioned.

Very little activity

Weekday:

There is a low rate of pedestrian activity compared to other neighborhoods surveyed.* Weekend pedestrian volumes were the lowest surveyed.

58%

after 6pm

of pedestrians in the area are ages 15-30

58% of people moving through the area are between the ages of 15 - 30.

Little activity after 4pm and on weekends indicates the area doesn’t function as a full neighborhood place.

Stationary activity does not reflect student life - does this mean all student life is on campus?

80% of activity in the area is people standing and waiting for public transportation. *Compared to the highest pedestrian activity count at Trade and Tryon. Weekday average = 533. Weekend average = 1084 (event midday).

Pedestrian Movement Throughout the Day Beatties Ford Road 400 weekday weekend

300

200

100 number of people

96

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

hour

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

1,300

students;

50%

97

live on campus

Pedestrian Movement Average / Hour Comparison to Philadelphia UCD

tties

ford

rd

A high percentage of young people - a user group that walks, bikes, and uses public transportation - live and study here. But low pedestrian counts indicate that these modes are not well supported.

bea

1429

1005

1000 weekday

t es rad wt

899

weekend

800

600 493 400 254 number of people

200 114

CENTRAL AVE PLAZA MIDWOOD

75

137

123

CAMDEN RD SOUTH END

TRYON AT 6th UPTOWN

Philadelphia, PA University City 51 District

place BEATTIES FORD MARKET ST BY WEST END NORTH 30th ST

Survey Sites

martin st

Evaluating West End 98

The resident-led and Charlotte specific quality criteria provides a standard for which new projects, plans, and policies can be evaluated.

It provides an accountability tool for citizens to ensure that quality is provided through civic investments.

Gehl Studio used the Charlotte specific Quality Criteria to evaluate the West End and rated the

neighborhood in general as a mix of ‘Ok’ and ‘Poor’. None of the categories scored a ‘Good’ in West End, pointing out a high need for change.

This assessment of West End was displayed at a public workshop to get citizen feedback on the Gehl evaluation. The assessment was approved by the community group.

The quality criteria contains 12 categories and is rated using 3 values:

Social Space

Mixed Use

Connected

Micro-Climate

Peaceful

Local Identity

Active Edges

Family Friendly

People Watching

Comfort

Cultural Offering

Spontaneous

Good

Ok

Poor

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

Key Findings: West End The key takeaways for West End - based on on-site observations, the PSPL Survey, Favorite Places workshops, and stakeholder discussions - are as follows:

1 Low Quality Transit Stops Riding transit should be a high quality experience from door-to-door. But the bus stops in West End are poorly located, disconnected from buildings, and fail to create an informative, enjoyable portion of one’s journey.

2 Challenging Pedestrian Environment Pedestrian desire lines across streets and between destinations are not supported.

Streets are not places - they’re large scale roads, fitted for high speed vehicular traffic, and do not accommodate walking.

3 Disconnected & Underutilized Public Spaces Small spaces are pleasant, shady and utilized, but they are disconnected from neighboring buildings and from each other and do not provide seating.

4 Lack of University & Neighborhood Synergy A better relationship between the public realm and Johnson C. Smith University could provide students with a livelier and more integrated experience with their daily routines. The campus could be a better utilized asset for the wider community.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

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1 Low Quality Transit Stops The majority of the activity in the area is people standing and waiting for public transportation.

80%

Otherwise, there are few people spending time: weekday average = 24 people/hour.

of the activity in the area was people standing & waiting for public transport

Stationary Activity Throughout the Day Beatties Ford Road

Stationary activity, Weekday total, % distribution by type

Peak 3pm

40 weekday

18% Cafe Seating*

weekend

30

50% Standing

3% Secondary Seating

20

1% Bench Seating

10 number of people

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Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

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19

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28% Waiting Transport

Weekday

Aside from necessary activites, like riding the bus, people don’t choose to spend time in public space.

There are also few invitations to do so, Com with little seating 4% Ac or programming Cafe Seating* available.

17%

Secondary Seating * Café seating was on campus grounds - inside 2% Bench the fence.

Seating

Weekday average activity, 13% people spending time Waiting in the area, was 23 people / Transport hour.

101

Poor waiting experience:

bus stops without seats or shelter are common

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

2 Challenging Pedestrian Environment 102

Beatties Ford Road is a main artery for vehicles.

Road surfaces with inactive edges invite vehicles to travel at high speeds and make the road a barrier to pedestrians.

There are few places to cross the street safely and the overpass only connects campus grounds.

Desire lines demonstrate where people take short cuts - jaywalking and squeezing through the school fence - to reach their destinations more directly.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

No midblock crossings

Desire lines between the school and neighborhood are not supported

103

While crosswalks exist, the 5 Points intersection turning radii are designed for high speeds and heavy traffic, signaling motorists to drive fast.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

3 Disconnected & Underutilized Public Spaces 104

Pedestrians have been considered at this interesction, and it shows through the new red brick sidewalk pavings and tree plantings near the convenience store. The Campus has invested in a gateway entrance facing the 5 Points intersection as well, with a grand archway and steps. These places could be leveraged to encourage more activity.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

Investment has been made to the public realm - what would encourage more activity?

105

How could existing paving be used to connect more people and places in the area?

Street closure for whom? Few pedestrians and unclear connections to the neighborhood

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

4 Lack of University & Neighborhood Synergy 106

There seems to be a lack of connection between the campus, activities on campus, and the neighborhood.

At the 5 Points intersection there are no functions facing the streets, and the University is fenced off and drawn back from the street.

Despite ample green space, there are no invitations to spend time in public space or that facilitate interaction between neighborhood and campus activities.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

Few active neighborhood functions & meeting places that invite people to spend time

Fencing along the perimenter makes the campus appear closed off & difficult to enter

107

Few open entrances to the university campus

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

Goals & Success Criteria 108

The following recommendations can help activate and improve West End’s public space network. These can be thought of as goals with corresponding success criteria that help build political will toward a shared vision which can be measured through both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Goals

Success Criteria

Create a better waiting and last leg of the trip experience for public transit users by adding seating and shade at bus stops, and understanding walking patterns to and from stops

More people using public transport, greater user satisfaction and more street and sidewalk designs that reflect people’s travel patterns

Enhance neighborhood identity with small-scale investments in the public realm, such as swings as seating at bus stops or programming in existing green spaces

A stronger sense of place and a visible neighborhood identity

Narrow arterial roads, making them more pedestrian friendly by adding medians, mid-block crossings, and curb extensions, and supporting desire lines

Less vehicle crashes and dangerous traffic situations.

More people walking and biking, therefore encouraging livelier streets. An improved feeling of safety

Create small stay and meeting places with seating, shade, play elements and quality lighting

More people spending time in public space over a longer period of time throughout the day

Create connections between JCSU green spaces and the neighborhood

More people spending time - especially after commuting hours - enjoying existing amenities, and easier access for all

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

First steps toward more people-oriented West End public spaces with pedestrian friendly streets, a high quality commuter experience and places to sit, meet and spend time in the neighborhood

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

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Strategies & Recommendations 110

The following pages highlight four strategies to build upon opportunities in West End. These strategies are illustrated as an outreach tool to discuss with stakeholders and constituents in hopes of aligning interests and efforts with other complementary projects and evoking dialogue and discussion about public life in Charlotte.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

1 Upgrade the Transit Waiting Experience

2 Improve Connections to Prioritize Pedestrians

3 Activate Existing Pleasant Locations

4 Support Neighborhood & JCSU Connections

Strategies Combined

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

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1 Upgrade the Transit Waiting Experience Bus stops should be designed to JAMES B. DUKE for riders create a quality experience HALL-LIBRARY waiting to board as well as those disembarking. This experience can be improved by upgrading the bus stops with comfortable areas to wait as well as more direct connections to destinations, such as the University.

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2 Improve Connections to Prioritize Pedestrians Support pedestrian desire lines by creating connections and crosswalks at the locations that create the most direct and convenient access to getting to and from one’s destination, such as from the bus stop to the campus.

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Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

3 Activate Existing Pleasant Locations There are pockets of greenery and traffic calming around the 5 Points intersection.

This should be accentuated and made more inviting for people to spend time.

They could also serve as an identifying gateway into the neighborhood.

MEC H FARM ANICS & ERS BAN K

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Activate existing green areas Activate entrance areas

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martin street GAS

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Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

100 ft.

200 ft.

300 ft.

4 Support Neighborhood & JCSU Connections JCSU is a beloved institution and natural facilitator of public life given the many students who study at the campus regularly.

The campus also has ample green space. More opportunities for interaction could enhance public life across the entire intersection.

MEC H FARM ANICS & ERS BAN K GO L BO WIR DEN OS ELE T M SS OB ILE

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Open up JCSU park Community activity square, events, farmers market, etc.

Extended community activity square, larger events

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200 ft.

300 ft.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

Strategies Combined When all of these strategies are combined, the intersection can become a place where people want to spend more time, and also a place that feels connected to major 2 cultural institutions and like a gateway to the neighborhood.

JAMES B. DUKE HAHAL LL L-L - LIB IBRRA ARYRY

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MEC H FARM ANICS & ERS BAN K

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martin street

GAS

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BOOST MOBILE CHICKEN KING

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

100 ft.

200 ft.

300 ft.

First Steps Toward ‘A People Oriented Neighborhood’ 1 Upgrade the Transit Waiting Experience How might we improve the walk and experience between bus stops and transit riders’ final destinations? by adding: seating, shade, shelter, lighting, or information (neighborhood maps, signs, transit schedules). This could enhance the neighborhood identity and create fun, unexpected experiences, such as with swings as seating or interactive elements like the sound of water (which acts as white noise to drown out traffic noise).

2 Improve Connections to Prioritize Pedestrians Where might we upgrade connections, create new crossings, and use behavior to inform design? by adding a mid-block crossing near bus stops and informal access to JCSU’s campus that supports desire lines; by improving the large intersection with curb extensions and a median. ‘Road diet’ features can be used to add greenery that can direct water runoff or help reduce traffic speeds; by considering bike lanes that re-balance the road.

3 Activate Existing Pleasant Locations How might existing and pleasant locations be more intentionally programmed?

Concentrate activities - corners and intersections are natural gateways and meeting places... activate existing small and large green areas and utilize shaded spots under existing tree canopies to create new meeting places by adding seating, small scale activities, and play elements that invite different user groups to spend more time in the area.

4 Support Neighborhood and JCSU Connections How might a better relationship between the university and the surrounding neighborhood be created?

Consider opening JCSU park to the public and activating the parking lot by C Store on weekends and with events... open up and add programs to existing entrance areas, such as with seating, shade, or other features. host weekend and afternoon / evening events that add activity and functions that support the entire neighborhood, such as a farmers market.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — West End

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South End

Key Findings Goals & Success Criteria Strategies & Recommendations

Overview of South End Public Life There is little difference between weekday and weekend activity levels, but peak hours vary.

South Tryon near Camden Road had the lowest pedestrian peak hour count of all sites with 42 on the weekday and 36 on the weekend.

Extreme changes in pedestrian activity indicate that Camden Road is a ‘go-to’ place at very specific times of day - not an ‘everyday’, all day place.

Peak movement is at lunch and dinner time. There’s very little pedestrian traffic outside of these hours.

The peak hours have between 20-40% of the total daily movement. The weekday peak hour on Camden Road is at 7pm compared to 12pm on the weekend. On East Boulevard the weekday peak hour is at 6pm compared to 1pm on the weekend.

Peak hours are partially due to the area’s destinations: Common Market, Prices’ Chicken Coop, breweries, and galleries.

Pedestrian Movement Throughout the Day Camden Road 400

Peak 12pm

weekday weekend

300

Peak 7pm

200

100 number of people

120

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

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hour

Average weekday pedestrian activity is

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12 times lower

t ns

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ark

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Number of pedestrians suggests few incentives to walk.

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Pedestrian Movement Average / Hour Comparison to Seattle, WA - South Downtown

av e

1005

1000

weekday

899

weekend 800

Seattle, WA South Downtown

400

330 262

254 number of people

200 114

CENTRAL AVE PLAZA MIDWOOD

75

137

123

CAMDEN RD SOUTH END

51 TRYON AT 6th UPTOWN

place BEATTIES FORD 1st AVE BY WEST END SOUTH JACKSON ST

Survey Sites

av e

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st on

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ng

ut

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Evaluating South End 122

The resident-led and Charlotte specific quality criteria provides a standard for which new projects, plans, and policies can be evaluated.

It provides an accountability tool for citizens to ensure that quality is provided through civic investments.

Gehl Studio used the Charlotte-specific Quality Criteria to evaluate South End and rated the

neighborhood in general as ‘Ok’ with a few categories scoring high, ‘Good’. Only one category scored a ‘Poor’ indicating that South End in general is perceived as a well-functioning neighborhood with some local qualities.

This assessment of South End was displayed at a public workshop to get citizen feedback on the Gehl evaluation. The assessment was approved by the community group.

The quality criteria contains 12 categories and is rated using 3 values:

Good

Social Space

Mixed Use

Connected

Micro-Climate

Peaceful

Local Identity

Active Edges

Family Friendly

People Watching

Comfort

Cultural Offering

Spontaneous

Ok

Poor

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

Key Findings: South End The key takeaways for South End - based on on-site observations, the PSPL Survey, Favorite Places workshops, and stakeholder discussions - are as follows:

1 Disjointed Character Part of this lack of identity stems from the disjointed character of the neighborhood. Light rail connects South End to Uptown to the north and other neighborhoods to the south, but poorly designed intersections inhibit east/west connectivity.

2 Interesting Spaces The opportunity to access space and the ease of access from Uptown make South End a perfect location for parties, special events, and out of the ordinary activities and gatherings.

3 Few Sticky Places Everyday life and activity is concentrated at the Common Market, which is a great destination, but doesn’t fully address the non-commercial public space needs of the neighborhood.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

123

1 Disjointed Character 124

Access to and from Blue Line stations and across the tracks at intersections, for both people walking and biking, is a challenge. This change leads the local neighborhood connection to feel far apart, even across an intersection.

The area is walkable in terms of size and a few wellfunctioning streets with quality sidewalks and ground floor activities, such as on East Park Ave, between Camden Road and South Boulevard.

Key words mentioned at the workshops:

Not as congested as Uptown

Light rail proximity

Walkable

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

Access to and from the Rail Trail and light rail stations is low quality and limited

125

Great infrastructure, but intersections are complex and not pedestrian friendly

Getting to and from the Rail Trail is challenging

Crossing the street can be confusing

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

2 Interesting Spaces 126

Key words mentioned at the workshops:

Food Truck Friday Great beer, coffee Lively Cool lighting

Event calendar - February 2015 Wednesday 4th

6:30pm Common Market Wine Tasting

Thursday 5th

6:30pm Common Market Beer Tasting

Friday 6th

5pm Food Truck Friday

Saturday 7th

6pm Voodoo Grass Light Rail Crawl

Thursday 12th

5:30pm Green Drinks Meet Up at The Liberty

Friday 13th

5pm Food Truck Friday

Friday 20th

5pm Food Truck Friday

Saturday 21st

4pm Brewery Tours @ Triple C Brewing Co

Friday 27th

5pm Food Truck Friday

6pm Gallery Crawl

Source: http://www.historicsouthend.com/events/

Great for events, not everyday use

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

9 out of 28 days have events Thursday-Saturday, with 1 exception

Outside peak hours, there is very little activity in the area.

Compared to Plaza Midwood, 50% less people spend time in South End

127

People go to South End for very specific purposes. This can be leveraged to create more everyday activity over more hours of the day.

Stationary Activity Throughout the Day 40

Peak 5pm

weekday weekend

30

Peak 2pm

20

number of people

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hour Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

3 Few Sticky Places 128

The Rail Trail is a great civic amenity and provides new opportunities for biking, jogging, and walking to and from a destination - for people alone and families with small kids. But it lacks small-scale ‘stay spaces’ and inviting places to sit, play with kids, or meet a friend.

The open lot on Camden Road provides a great space for Food Truck Friday, but aside from this evening event, it is typically un-used and off limits.

Only 6 stops from Uptown - CTC to East / West Blvd

12 minute walk*; 4 minute bike ride

*Average walking speed = 3mph Distance from Camden Rd by South Tryon to Tryon & Stonewall St. = 0.6 miles (about 20 minutes)

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

Common Market is the exception to this rule. The little activity observed outside of Common Market was related to outdoor seating at Phat Burrito and to people standing along building edges and waiting for transportation.

8%

1.5%

Physical Commercial Activity 1.5% Activity

Movable Seating

5%

1.5%

67%

Cafe Seating

During peak weekday activity,

82%

16% Waiting for Transportation Standing

Weekday

129

of people are using the Common Market courtyard

Secondary Seating

People stick around when there are invitations and place to spend time.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

Goals & Success Criteria 130

The following opportunities exist to activate and improve South End’s public space network, and to create a more visible and readable identity for locals and visitors. These can be thought of as goals with corresponding success criteria that help build political will toward a shared vision that can be measured through both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Goals

Success Criteria

Create better walking and biking connections across the light rail line and minimize the barrier that it creates

More people walking, both to and from the Blue Line and within the neighborhood

Upgrade small scale connections to and from the Blue Line and Rail Trail and define pedestrian priority areas

Improved access, more people of all ages walking and biking to use the Blue Line or Rail Trail, with an increased sense of safety

Create wayfinding elements, such as with pavement markings or lights, that improve connections and decrease perceptions of distance from Uptown, and make South End more visible to people who don’t live there

More people walking and biking within the neighborhood and to and from Uptown, and increased sense of neighborhood identity and character

Activate and create ‘staying’ areas along the Rail Trail

New activities and increased stationary activity along the Rail Trail, that includes a wide range of people

Leverage existing character and qualities by concentrating new activities near where people currently are, such as at Common Market

More people spending time in non-commercial spaces and people engaging in activities for a mix of ages ‘more for all’

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

A well-connected, more active, and pedestrianfriendly local community with a strong identity rooted in history and in the present A more lively and active neighborhood both every day and during events

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

131

Strategies & Recommendations 132

The following pages highlight four strategies to build upon opportunities in South End. These strategies are illustrated as an outreach tool to discuss with stakeholders and constituents in hopes of aligning interests and efforts with other complementary projects and evoking dialogue and discussion about public life in Charlotte.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

1 Connect Across the Tracks

133

2 Tie Rail Trail to the Neighborhood

3 Concentrate & Build on Existing Qualities

4 Expand out from Activity Hubs

Strategies Combined

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

1 Connect Across the Tracks Connections between Uptown and South End are clear, but moving east / west is less intuitive. The intersections are there, but the invitations are not. Opportunities exist to build on the great new infrastructure in the area by improving where it meets neighborhood streets, especially at key east / west crossings.

134

Upgrade existing connections New pedestrian (cyclist) connection 500 ft.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

2 Tie Rail Trail to the Neighborhood The Rail Trail is a neighborhood asset and a favorite place. Once one is on it, moving feels easy and safe, but wayfinding into the neighborhood is lacking.

Rail Trail Upgrade Rail Trail connection 500 ft.

New / upgrade connections to neighborhood

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

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3 Concentrate & Build on Existing Qualities South End embodies a strong neighborhood identity and has great places for socializing. The public life at these locations can be supported by building on the existing public spaces and enhancing their qualities, such as greenery and intimate spaces.

136

CM

New activity nodes in relation to existing activities and functions

500 ft.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

4 Expand out from Activity Hubs South End is home to lots of events and social spaces, from Common Market to Food Truck Friday. This level of activity can be extended to more places across the neighborhood during more hours of the day as a way to connect and activate streets beyond special events.

CM

Focus area

500 ft.

Fine grain connections to and from new activity nodes and to the surrounding neighborhoods

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

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Strategies Combined 138

2

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Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

First Steps Toward ‘An Everyday & Event-Friendly Neighborhood’ 1 Connect Across the Tracks - What might improve the quality and safety of east-west connections? by improving and simplifying intersections for pedestrians and cyclists, such as with corner extensions that calms turning traffic and clearly marked pedestrian and cyclist priority areas; by avoiding level changes, small steps, shrubbery, and blockades in the path of travel.

2 Tie Rail Trail to the Neighborhood - The Rail Trail is an important public space in South End. How might it better connect into the neighborhood? by upgrading and adding more connections to and from the Rail Trail, and by turning areas perceived as ‘backsides’ into proper connections with clear marking of paths and pedestrian and cyclist areas; by enhancing wayfinding and lighting.

3 Concentrate and Build on Existing Qualities South End has great parties - how might these events help to activate the area’s public spaces every day? by concentrating activities around popular destinations and nodes that can help further connect the Rail Trail and light rail stations to the neighborhood; by adding public seating, greenery, art in the public space, and overall visualizing the neighborhood identity.

4 Expand Out From Activity Hubs - How might the liveliness concentrated around Camden Road and East Park Avenue expand further into the neighborhood?

Leverage physical proximity as a way to improve connections... by improving intersections, adding crossings in key places, and enhancing or adding sidewalks; by adding wayfinding, lighting, and other clear markings of walkways that connect existing and new neighborhood assets and residential areas.

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

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Camden Road: An Example of What’s Possible 140

From Hidden, Mono-functional Activity...

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

...To an Active Street with Public Seating & Wayfinding

Bike parking

Signs & street furniture mark a node, direct to the Blue Line station & Rail Trail

Common Market entrance is accentuated & extended Public seating with shade, lights & greenery

Paint on asphalt defines public space zone & marks entrance area to Common Market

Gehl Studio — Analysis, FIndings & Recommendations — South End

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142

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Way Forward & Next Steps Opportunities for Better Public Spaces Pilot Projects as Tools for Change Gehl Studio — Approach, Methodology & Key Findings

Opportunities for Better Public Spaces 144

Charlotte has great neighborhoods with unique, strong identities and no shortage of ‘favorite’ places around the city. Many of these neighborhoods are within three miles of each other, but the lack of walkable and bikeable connections and a lack of active streetscapes between them make them feel much farther apart than they are.

A series of pilot demonstration projects can be developed with civic partners and evaluated by the city using the Charlotte Quality Criteria and other people-first metrics. This would create opportunities for Charlotteans to experience their streets as public spaces and new mobility choices between neighborhoods and favorite places.

Charlotteans want more ways to move around their city and use their public spaces.

Additionally, the city is investing in the public realm via the Blue Line expansion and the Rail Trail.

An example of how these pilots could be developed and tested is outlined on the following pages.

Moving forward, there are great opportunities to leverage the work the city and core stakeholders are leading to enhance connectivity between neighborhoods that are favorite places. But what do these opportunities look like? How can the public request and demonstrate support for greater investment in the public realm?

Gehl Studio — Way Forward & Next Steps

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Gehl Studio — Ways Forward & Next Steps

Pilot Projects as Tools for Change 146

Measure, Test, Refine Overview One approach to implementing this plan’s recommendations is to use temporary test projects - pilots - as the means towards longterm change. Pilots vary in scale, time frame, and typology, but in all cases they are a way to test new solutions at a 1:1 scale. At this scale, the public is able to physically test potential projects and engage in the process of changing the city towards their needs and desires.

The content, time frame, and level of investment for a pilot varies depending on the project goals and success criteria. To ensure a high level of project success, materials and furnishings should be chosen according to the project’s lifespan and required maintenance throughout the test period. A pilot project with broken furniture and worn off paint can easily have the opposite of the intended effect and attract negative attention.

Gehl Studio — Way Forward & Next Steps

Methods Pilot projects have proven to be strong tools for decision making, as they directly show how changes to the public realm affect city life.

Pilots should be deployed in areas where public life has been measured and baseline information has been gathered. After implementing a pilot project, public life data can measured again against the baseline to understand its impact.

The findings from this analysis inform how the pilot should be refined for a second iteration, a more permanent installation, or a similar pilot project on another site. In this context, data collection should happen before and after the pilot implementation.

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Pilot Project Process

1 / Measure

1 / Measure

Collect baseline public life information

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2 / Test

2 / Test

Do before and after tests

3 / Refine

3 / Refine

Re-imagine the design, based on evaluation of tests

International example SĂŁo Paulo Pilot

US example The Porch, Philadelphia

Gehl Studio — Ways Forward & Next Steps

Pilot Project Types: Varying levels of City and Civic Investment 148

The opposing diagram describes five different types of pilot project interventions, from shortto long-term, from ‘City Facilitated and User Generated’ to ‘City Led and Designed’. Each has benefits and challenges, but what they share is a prioritization of people first.

All the project types require a level of city and citizen engagement that varies from facilitation to leading design and implementation. Despite the simplicity of some of the pilot types, they all require elaborate pre-implementation planning.

City Facilitated / User Generated A big win with user generated pilot projects is direct citizen involvement, which can help ensure a stronger sense of ownership. This model requires an engaged community that can help with implementation and maintenance. For project types such as the Prototyping Festival and Open Streets interventions, the longterm impact is less transparent. Gehl Studio is currently researching and measuring the success of events like these.

Gehl Studio — Way Forward & Next Steps

City Led / City Designed Some changes require that the city play a bigger role. For example, changes to infrastructure, traffic patterns, and street closures for events need to be studied, designed and carried out in a proper manner to prevent unsafe situations.

The city can also take the lead on implementing new spaces and activities in an area. In both cases, keeping the public informed is important and passive and active civic engagement in the project should be encouraged.

No matter the type of project - whether city facilitated or city led - the pilot can serve as a platform for citizen engagement and a more democratic approach to public space design.

Investment / Permanence

Ap pl y

City Facilitated / User Generated

City Led / City Designed

In ve st

En ga ge

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Prototyping Festival

Open Streets

Parklet Program

NYC Plaza Program

Our Charlotte

10 - 50 user-created interactive prototype interventions in public space

Street closed to vehicles & open for active leisure & recreation

Parking spaces to people spaces

Re-purpose & redesign road bed as public space

City identifies opportunities to quickly implement test projects

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Civic engagement 1:1 Short term & intense Encouraged to think differently about the city’s streets & squares

Requirements • Award money • City permits • Active citizenry Involves • Shop owners • Artist, organizations, public Benefits • Quick wins • Experimental nature • Test new ideas Challenges • Long term impact unknown • Targeted involvement • Usability, audience

Re-imagine Streets 3 - 12 Sundays

Requirements • Police / fire sanctioned • Active citizens Involves • DOT • Transportation advocates • Numerous private stakeholders Benefits • Quick wins • High visibility • Can support citywide initiatives Challenges • Targeted involvement

Requirements • Private funds • Parklet manual • Design approval • Public outreach Involves • Community organizations • Local businesses • DOT Benefits • Open to all • Simple & memorable • Applicable in a variety of contexts • Fosters community involvement, ownership & stewardship • Small scale but scalable Challenges • Usually business-oriented • Space perceived as private • Little diversity in program • Formalized & restricted

City pays Community groups apply

Identify quick wins

Requirements • City funds • Design / furnishing palette • Public outreach

Requirements • Open dialogue & public outreach • Open process • Local stakeholder buy-in • City staff guidance

Involves • Community groups • Local businesses • DOT

Involves • City • Carefully selected partners • All citizens can test

Benefits • Community engagement • Recognizable • Targeted

Benefits • PSP synergy • Leads to permanant change • Showcase City’s priority

Challenges • Requires community capacity to maintain & operate • Daily management • Only organizations can apply • Formalized & restricted

Challenges • Questions of ownership • Needs public engagement • Daily management

Gehl Studio — Ways Forward & Next Steps

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Prepared by Gehl Studio

For Charlotte Center City Partners

Jeff Risom, Project Director Julia D Day, Project Manager Sofie Kvist, Project Designer Karin Brodin, Designer

Cheryl Myers, Project Director Klint Mullis, Project Manager Sherrill Hampton, Consultant Branyn Calegar, Planning Intern Chandler Wrenn, Planning Intern Michelle Ye, Planning Intern

Gehl Studio

Acknowledgements This work would not have been possible without the generous support of Susan Patterson and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. We also thank our client, Charlotte Center City Partners, and partners at the Charlotte Departments of Planning and Transportation for their dedication and vision. Thank you for working so closely with us to develop this Public Space Plan for Charlotte.

This work is also made possible by the numerous volunteers who helped to collect people-first data on Charlotte’s streets, sidewalks and public spaces. Thank you for your generous time committment.

Gehl Studio

Volunteers Ashley Bonawitz Alex Borisenko Scott Curry Peter Dalpe Elizabeth Frere Sandra Gremenski Sherrill Hampton David Harrison Shannon Hughes John Kinley Ben Miller Keihly Moore Tracy Newsome Linda Patterson Susan Patterson Beth Poovey Nicole Storey Catherine Stutts Mandy Vari David Walters Eric Zaverl Ariadne Zitsos Maryann Zitsos

Gehl Studio

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gehlarchitects.com

charlottecentercity.org