Streetscape Design: Downtown Cincinnati

STREETSCAPE DESIGN: RACE STREET DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI

JULIA GLENN | SUMMER 2019

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

IMPRESSIONS Illustrating New & Pre-Existing Impressions Impression mapping can often take on an more abstract style due to the varying personal experiences and perspectives of the author.

Common elements of impression maps are significant landmarks, favorite or least favorite places, past one-time experiences, stereotypes, and routines.

My impression map of Downtown Cincinnati certainly follows an abstract and spontaneous style with common elements like my regular bus routes through downtown to get to work, simple visuals I see on my walk to bus stops, where I go out for my favorite date nights, where I’ve been to fun public events, as well as my uninformed impressions about the areas I have never spent much time visiting.

THE PURE AND WISE AND EQUAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAWS FORM THE FIRST END AND BLESSING OF SOCIAL UNION

IMP RE SS ION S

by :J

ul

ia

Gl

en

n

$

$

RUN RUN RUN

$

$

$

This map displays my personal experiences and train-of-thought of Downtown Cincinnati. Each symbol and text piece has a certain significance to my life, work, and/or study in Cincinnati.

2

June 2019

Race Street

Downtown Cincinnati

IMAGEABILITY

IM AG EA BIL IT Y

Mapping Within a Five-Element Structure Imageability mapping is best done and understood by using the five Kevin Lynch elements: landmarks, nodes, edges, paths, and districts. While these elements are mostly selfexplanatory, there is also room for interpretation per the author.

High Traffic Road Medium Traffic Road Low Traffic Road Alley My Path Landmark Node by :J

ul

ia

Soft Edge Gl

en

n

Sharp Edge *District

0

*darker shade indicates higher volume activity

N 0.2 Miles

This map shows these elements through my perspective and opinions, similar to the impression mapping, yet using a more technical symbology. I obviously ended up with a concentration of elements in the center of downtown, to no surprise, but was also left with large blank areas where I do not have experience or knowledge to place any elements besides pathways.

This map utilizes the five Kevin Lynch elements of imageability to represent how I perceive the spatial location and distribution of these features.

0 0.2 0.4 Mile s

ÂŻ

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

3

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

PA RK ING

THEMATIC Visualizing Selected Topic

Visible Parking Lot or Garage

Another great way to become familiar with an area of study is to select a “theme” or special topic for mapping. Once again, up for interpretation and abstraction, thematic maps try to convey the data or information through spatial and visual cues.

MA NIA 0

by :J

ul

ia

Gl

en

n

N 0.2 Miles

This abstract map seeks to express to the viewer the high surface area dedicated to parking lots and see-through garages.

4

June 2019

The theme I chose to map was something that stood out to me when visiting the site in-person, as well as virtually analyzing the site, visible parking. Because I’m not in favor of visible parking (surface lots and see-through garages), I wanted to visualize just how much there is in our study area. The unique characteristic of this map is that the white blocks representing parking are accurate size, to-scale, however they are all relocated towards the center of downtown, where I found is the least parkingconcentrated area. This representation shows viewers the collective mass of visible parking that is distributed throughout the downtown.

Race Street

Downtown Cincinnati

SHOW TIME SHOW TIME

IMPRESSIONS Expressing Opinions through Photography Going along with the first few spatial impressions of the study area, there are photographs too. It is very typical in a study to document a site visit with pictures. With the ease of modern technology, one can choose to snap pictures of anything and everything, or of just the elements that stand out to the photographer.

home base home base

To wrap up first impressions, we selected five of the photographs taken on our site visit to then tag with a witty, self-explanatory title. The photographs I chose ended up being a mix of positive, negative, and neutral opinions, and behind each titled photograph, there is a personal explanation.

Hi dd e n G em s

THIS RY STO

PRIORITIES ELSEWHERE Above are five selected photographs taken on the first site visit that are curated with an intentionally short and witty caption.

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

5

Race Street GO BIG OR GO HOME

Street Design Guidelines

STAR

VING

ARTIS T

IMPRESSIONS

TE XT U RE

Expressing Opinions through Photography

ies

nit rtu

po

op

TE X TU R E

ies

nit

rtu

po

op

funky Rothschild Law?

opportunities

opportunities

PROMENADE

OLD to NEW vague

funky Rothschild Law?

Above are ten selected photographs taken on the site visits that are curated with an intentionally short and witty captions.

ague

PROMENADE

6

June 2019

Once impressions had already been reviewed, we moved on to site analysis. We began mapping more technical features and evaluating our initial findings, so when we selected a new ten site photographs, we had a slightly different perspective because of the new information learned.

The titles of my ten photographs are reflecting my changed opinion as I began to better understand what elements make up the streets, who moves through them, and who stops to use the street.

OLD to NEW

vague

While this selection of titled photographs is following the same prompt as the previous page, they were created at a slightly different time in the design process.

Race Street

Downtown Cincinnati Public Transit Analysis

Cincinnati Downtown/Central Business District by: Julia Glenn

CENTRAL PLUM

ELM

RACE

VINE

WALNUT

MAIN

TECHNICAL TOPIC ANALYSIS

SYCAMORE

Mapping Technical Systems for Analysis

CENTRAL COURT 9TH

8TH

7TH

Moving on from site impressions and opinionation, it was time to analyze the study area of its varying urban elements using more technical representation.

6TH

5TH

4TH

3RD

Express Routes - Walking Distance Analysis

Everyday Routes - Walking Distance Analysis

16 Routes

Mon-Fri, Sat-Sun, & Holidays anywhere from 5am-1am Approx. 115 Bus Stops 24 Bus Shelters, excluding Govt Sq

22 Routes Mon-Fri only Anywhere from 1-10 departure times in the AM & PM Only 17 Bus Stops

The technical topic I chose was public transportation in Downtown Cincinnati. I chose this topic not only because I utilize this resource, but also because I am truly interested and motivated in learning more about it and how to improve the system for the general public.

By overlaying the two systems (buses and streetcar), the various routes (express and daily), as well as the stops/stations, I was able to understand the regional and local workings of the system and how a user could or could not interact with it. I analyzed the pattern of sheltered bus stops, and concluded by finding no pattern. I analyzed the limited streetcar route and hypothesized which audiences it serves. And I analyzed the difference between express and daily bus routes and how the timing can be convenient for all, or extremely limiting for others. This technical element was crucial to analyze before designing the streets of Downtown.

This map displays the current database of public transportation including the streetcar and the bus system with their respective stops/stations.

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

7

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

GIS INVENTORY Manual Recording & Database Creation of Streetscape Elements An informative and essential step in our process was the inventory of streetscape elements. This inventory process should not be handled lightly, because when manually recording the thousands upon thousands of elements on a street, the preparation of how data collection would happen was a make-it-or-break-it decision. Fortunately, because of the method I used while walking my assigned study street (Race St), I was able to easily transfer my manual records into a GIS geodatabase for further calculation and technical representation like shown below.

8

June 2019

Race Street

LEGEND

Downtown Cincinnati

0

520 ft

*the following symbology of Ground Floor Transparency are combined with the Ground Level Uses above

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

9

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

EXISTING CONDITIONS EVALUATION Analysis & Evaluation of Existing Streetscape Elements Throughway

CONDITION SCALE:

from 3rd to Central Pkwy by: Julia Glenn

Natural Advantage

Throughway

‘Ideal Formula’

Promising

Car-Friendly

3

INFRASTRUCTURE

2

BEAUTIFICATION

1

FRONTAGE

Car-Friendly

Condition Analysis of Race Street

3RD

4TH

5TH

6TH

7TH

8TH

9TH

COURT

CENTRAL

These corridor maps display the evaluated conditions of the current streetscape based on frontage, beautification, and infrastructural elements (on Race St within the downtown study area).

1 10

June 2019

2

3

Race Street

Downtown Cincinnati

EXISTING CONDITIONS EVALUATION Analysis & Evaluation of Existing Streetscape Elements

4TH-5TH STREET BLOCK

Car-Friendly

Throughway

BEAUTIFICATION

FRONTAGE

• CONSTRUCTION noise, blockage, staring workers • Saks 5th Ave intersting-shaped facade • Limited window displays • Half of block for valet • 4 car entries within 60 feet

1

1

FRONTAGE

• Large• car entry Large carways entry ways • Corner parkingparking lots lots • Corner • LOW•transparency walls walls LOW transparency • Solid•brick concrete material Solid&brick & concrete material • Stained/dirty facades • Stained/dirty facades • Only•1Only office1 besides parkingparking office besides

BEAUTIFICATION

3RD-4TH STREET BLOCK

The following seven graphics help breakdown the previous page’s existing conditions analysis. By taking it block-by-block with additional qualitative notes, the viewer can better digest the information of frontage, beautification, and infrastructural conditions.

• Beginning of trees • Private planters from expensive establishments

INFRASTRUCTURE

INFRASTRUCTURE

2

2

• ZERO amenities • Feels like a dark, dirty corridor

• 5th & Race intersection PRIORITY • New, tall street lights • Traffic light for mid-block crosswalk • Skywalk useful?

3

3

• Well worn from vehicle/highway traffic • Crosswalk visibility unsafe • Parking utilities only

5TH-6TH STREET BLOCK

6TH-8TH STREET BLOCKS Throughway

• Heavily tree-planteed, but young so not well-shaded • Privately provided benches for restaurant waits • Rational pattern of tree-planter-tree-planter...

• Could use more wayfinding, art, or seating

FRONTAGE

1

• Mixed use between retail & residential • Retail fronts are poorly maintained and always pushing SALE signs • Large and utilized display windows by Shilito Pl • Secluded and covered patio on corner of 8th • Corner parking lot is fenced and greened, so feels like it belongs and is guarded

• 5th & Race intersection PRIORITY • New, tall street lights • NO traffic light for mid-block crosswalk • 1 lone parking meter?

• No stand out utilities

INFRASTRUCTURE

2

• Poorly-shaded until right before 8th St where it is very heavily shaded with older trees • Mostly private planters • NO seating • Corner parking lot is well-concealed with green

• 7th & Race intersection well-trafficked by car • Low visibility crosswalks, unsafe • Mix into older, shorter street lights • NO traffic light for mid-block crosswalk • Sidewalk corners cracked

3

INFRASTRUCTURE

3

BEAUTIFICATION

• Large, expansive windows for eye-contact (both interactive and awkward) • 2 Private, fenced patios • Mixed use ground level (restuarant, gallery, office, nightclub, parking) • Long wall of no entrances • Vacancies of previous small businesses across from brand new thriving restuarants

2

BEAUTIFICATION

1

FRONTAGE

‘Ideal Formula’

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

11

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

EXISTING CONDITIONS EVALUATION Analysis & Evaluation of Existing Streetscape Elements 8TH-9TH STREET BLOCK

9TH-COURT STREET BLOCK

INFRASTRUCTURE

3

• 8th & Race intersection • 8th & PRIORITY Race intersection PRIORITY • New, tall street lights • New, tall street lights • Lots of traffic lights for double • Lots of trafficcrosswalks, lights for double crosswalks, but also allows forbut driver extra alsoconfusion allows forand driver confusion and extra pedestrian cautionpedestrian caution • No stand out utilities • No stand out utilities • Achieves adequate street parking without • Achieves adequate street parking without bothering pedestrian or over-crowding bothering pedestrian or over-crowding

COURT-CENTRAL STREET BLOCK

• Corner parking lot diagonal from corner parking lot diagonal from corner parking • No pedestrian interest in ground level use • Solid brick & concrete material • 2 unknown buildings, no signage or clues • Not making the drive down Central Pkwy appealing

• ZERO amenities besides trash cans • ZERO trees, high sun exposure

3

INFRASTRUCTURE

2

BEAUTIFICATION

1

FRONTAGE

Car-Friendly

12

June 2019

• Both older, shorter & new, tall street lights and traffic lights • Double crosswalk, long distance • Feels like light industrial due to lack of activity and identity • Feels like headed the wrong way b/c of the huge street crossing ahead

FRONTAGE

1 BEAUTIFICATION

• Mixed use, multi-story • Medium window transparency • Narrow facades • NON ACCESSIBLE entries • Corner parking lot unpleasant • Better-hidden parking lot mid-block • Extruding private patio

• Lacking seating, however stairs and brick wall are flexible for seating • ZERO trees, high sun exposure • NO interactive elements

2

2

• Piatt/Garfield park HEAVILY tree-lined • Piatt/Garfield park HEAVILY tree-lined • Pleasant fountain pass by, also flexible • to Pleasant fountain to pass by, also flexible structure for seating structure for seating • Private picnic table with stocked ad box, • Private picnic table with stocked ad box, encouraging group gathering and functionality encouraging group gathering and functionality • Private planters • Private planters

Promising

INFRASTRUCTURE

BEAUTIFICATION

1

FRONTAGE

• Well-shaded / heavily-covered facades • Viewscape through Piatt/Garfield Park very pleasant • Corner parking lot does not compliment the park • Long, solid brick/concrete wall across from narrow, clustered shop/office fronts • NON-ACCESSIBLE entries

3

Natural Advantage

• Older traffic lights hanging off wires, safety hazard?

• Achieves decent parking, but feels very visible • Well-spaced street lights for being shorter

Race Street

Downtown Cincinnati

SPECIAL TOPIC CASE STUDY Precedent Study of Green Infrastructure Summary:

Dutch Kills Green - New York City, NY - Completed in 2011

Where the Queensboro bridge comes to an end in Queens, NYC, there are two elevated tracks running three subway lines and high-volume roads below, all surrounding a concrete parking lot. This area was known for traffic congestion, pedestrian disorientation and safety issues. By complex collaboration across agencies and departments, a team of designers, architects, and engineers implemented a plan with a budget of $45 million to provide transit access, improve pedestrian experience, serve environmental benefits, and meet strict regulatory requirements.

The final implementation is a 8-block-long greenway connecting this site to a riverfront park. Aside from the 12-lane traffic realignment and addition of new crosswalks and 2-lane protected bike lanes, features in this site include 65,000 sq ft of plantings, 63 native species, artist-designed permeable pavers, reused demolition material, historical/educational structures, and seating to accommodate 150 persons. Metrics of success include the prevention of 20.2 million gallons of stormwater entering the city’s combined sewer overflow system, saving 786,500 gallons and $3,500 in annual irrigation costs, sequesters 1,079 lbs of carbon, increased bicycle traffic by 12% with an average of 3,416 cyclists daily, reduces average ambient noise by 23%, and market value of surrounding properties increased 37% between 2006-2013. This case study is relevant and applicable to Cincinnati’s downtown because of the high number of concrete surface lots and the problematic CSO system. Using this case study, there is potential to green and humanize downtown surface lots while also using sustainable practices to reduce stress on city-wide stormwater and sewer management.

Source: Thoren, Roxi, and Andrew Louw. “Dutch Kills Green.” Landscape Performance Series. Landscape Architecture Foundation, 2013. https://doi.org/10.31353/cs0610 Keywords: Sustainability, Walkability, Multi-Modal Transportation, Flexibility, Public Space, Pedestrian Safety, Traffic Calming, Complete Streets, Recreation

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

13

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

CITY BLOCK CASE STUDY

Portland, OR

Comparison Study of Downtown Street Patterns To further understand the makeup and design of our study area in Downtown Cincinnati, every student researched and mapped the streets of similar downtowns across the globe.

It was important to ensure the consistency of maps produced by each student so that all are shown at the same scale and cropped to a square mile. Once this has been done, we can put the maps side-by-side for direct comparison.

0

This exercise was beneficial to visually find the differences in street block sizes, shapes, patterns, and designs between other urban cores and Cincinnati. With my chosen city, Portland, OR, the main difference was the extreme geometric consistency with the block sizes and shapes being all squares about 200’ x 200’. Most other cities end up with variations in their block shapes, but not Portland, and one could judge Portland as a very successful and progressive urban city.

0.1 0.2 0.4 Miles

This square-mile map shows the street block patterns of Downtown Portland, OR.

14

June 2019

Race Street

Downtown Cincinnati

PROPOSED SECTIONS Redesigning Streetscape Profiles After the impressions, analysis, and precedent studies have been completed, it is time for design proposals.

I am beginning by showing the sectionals to highlight the basic streetscape changes and additions I proposed in various spots along Race Street. By centering the three sections, one can notice the varying widths of the public right away and therefore the capacity to place certain pedestrian amenities.

For example, the top section shows sidewalks that are partially sheltered, allowing space for public seating, as well as green infrastructure.

The bottom section shows a much larger public plaza featuring plenty of amenities by reclaiming space from a high-end retail valet loop.

24 ft

1 inch

0

Above are three different sections cut through Race St in Downtown Cincinnati showing proposed modifications and additions to the streetscape.

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

15

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

TRANSFORMATION PLAN Overview Corridor Design Changes This map shows the length of Race Street with proposed changes and additions to the streetscape. Due to the larger scale, only some details are shown including trees, lighting, bike lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks, special pavement, and recommended land use changes. Viewing the entire street corridor from this scale allows the viewer to get an overall sense of where amenities are focused and where major changes are taking place.

16

June 2019

Race Street

180 ft

LEGEND

Downtown Cincinnati

1 inch

Change in Land Use Added Public Space Added Green Infrastructure Bike Lane

Street Trees

Parking Lot Building

Street Lighting

Raised Brick Pavement

0

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

17

Race Street

Street Design Guidelines

FOCUS AREA PLAN Detailing Priority Streetscapes To take the corridor transformation map to a bit more detailed level and show specific design interventions on the streetscape, my assigned focus area falls between 9th St and Central Pkwy.

Besides the trees, lighting, bike lanes, and traffic lanes shown in the corridor-wide map, now highlighted is the greened-up alleyway connecting the neighboring K-12 school to Court St, as well as the two proposed pedestrian plazas that are made up of partially-reclaimed parking lots. These interventions are all utilizing existing space and environmental resources to better prioritize the pedestrian experience rather than vehicular traffic. By implementing unique pavement and green infrastructure elements in pedestrian realm, the space is automatically brightened and indicating a special use. Within my pedestrian plazas, I made sure to include basic amenities such as tables, benches, unique lighting, shade devices, and space for flexible programming such as food trucks or mobile resource vans.

1 inch

The clip above shows the assigned focus area on Race St between 9th St & Central Pkwy. The smaller scale allows for more design details to show such as the proposed plazas and human-scale amenities.

18

June 2019

100 ft

0

Race Street

Downtown Cincinnati

FOCUS AREA PLAN Opening Connection to Existing Resources

Detailing Priority Streetscapes

Green Infrastructure Buffer

To further illustrate the proposed interventions, a 3D rendering can give the viewer a better understanding of the street-level perspective and human-scale features.

HumanScale Utilities Surplus Blank Walls for Living Walls & Public Art

Reclaimed Parking for Pedestrian Amenities Flexible Programming Space

This image shows the proposed partial reclamation of a surface parking lot to be turned into a pedestrian plaza. This all takes place within an alley off of Race St between 9th and Court St. The alley provides a unique, cozy atmosphere, which will be complimented by the string lighting for a more welcoming ambiance.

The small patio/plaza is proposed to connect to the existing neighboring playground which is currently walled off. The alley parking lot is also proposed to be occasionally borrowed for flexible programming such as food trucks or mobile resource delivery.

This intervention is significant because of its use of Downtown Cincinnati’s “hidden gems” (alleyways) and because of its unique tuckedaway yet warm and welcoming atmosphere.

School of Planning, DAAP, University of Cincinnati

19