6. CONCLUSION

ȑ The recommendations we propose for the Village of West Greenville are focused on providing a framework to develop the Village as a vibrant art district grounded in the diverse and eclectic historical context. We structured this goal into four concepts and focused each on a specific resource and barrier to overcome. Conservation, Collaboration, Connectivity, and Character concepts result from the comprehensive analysis we primarily conducted. While working on the study, the main SWOTs we identified specified directions to guide the proposal and its actions so that the city of Greenville has a clear idea of how to apply recommendations.

ȑ The area’s historic character, community values, the potential for smart growth, and the risks of losing the authentic assets determined the recommendations to develop conservation and historic character guidelines, prohibit demolition of historic buildings, and establish a responsible administrative entity in control of revising and following those rules. Active and creative Village communities, various opinions, and the need to find common ground between the conflicting sides and perceptions for the Village’s future determined our recommendations to bolster collaboration. Assigning the Conservation Board representatives, uniting the creative actors under the Arts Foundation, improving the broader understanding of planning and administration, and finally empowering the communities to enhance the cityscape temporarily all aim to connect Village actors and stakeholders through collaboration and positive change. The connectivity concept is derived from the Village’s unique proximity to downtown, city gateways, and the pre- existing valuable resource of the walkable local attractions. The latter could be more effectively communicated with uniform wayfinding. These recommendations include larger and more local-scale improvements: connectivity of the pedestrian network, the annexation of the area by the city of Greenville, controlling the part of Pendleton street within the boundaries, and introducing an explicit and site-specific signage strategy. Finally, the character of the Village is the core of the last strategy, addressing the issues of underrepresentation and lack of clear and recognizable market strategy for the Village actors. The lack of affordable housing is a major nationwide threat which we recommend to begin addressing with community advocacy and gradually raising awareness. ȑ Implementing these strategies takes a long-term commitment to its goals and understanding the essential first steps. As such, the initial steps include assigning a city staff member responsible for helping facilitate the Village of West Greenville conservation district and board. This liaison will work with different teams on strategic concepts. However, this staffer will have most of the knowledge on the area and its stakeholders to facilitate better village collaboration around the shared goals. The city and the community are encouraged to collaborate and contribute to building frameworks for successful negotiation and decision-making within the Village. The indepth outreach and public engagement will require additional work from the city liaison and city planners to create clear and explicit stakeholder maps based on interviews, social surveys, and community meetings.

The resources and key actors identified on this stage include neighborhood associations, art and media not-for-profit organizations, private companies and entrepreneurs, locallyowned and creative businesses, and city and county authorities. They must be considered a holistic ecosystem for developing the Art District, especially important as its accelerators at the early stages. We recommend launching the process of shaping the Village organizations firsthand to drive the significant directions of Village improvement. This ecosystem will provide the basis and resources for a successful start. Several area neighborhood associations are essential partners in advocating for inclusivity - West Greenville Community Association and the neighborhood associations of Pickens county should be included along with the outreach. Art platforms and venues, including Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Flatiron Studios, and other galleries, will potentially serve as locations for temporary interventions and educational and creative events. Greenville Journal, Visit Greenville, Metropolitan Arts Council, and SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism portal

“Discover South Carolina” play an essential role in information and marketing needed to start communication and soft interventions towards the new image of the Village. Most are not-for-profit organizations, so the emerging Village Arts Foundation will learn from their experience and benefit from the partner network.

Furthermore, Mill Village Ministries, Village Launch, and Upstate Forever community programs can help support outreach and community educational sessions. Locally-owned businesses and art galleries - the Anchorage, miniature food and retail establishments along Pendleton street, and art galleries - are the core attractors and potential drivers of changes. These entities should all contribute to the temporary street improvements with tactical urbanism, brainstorm and provide ideas for the wayfinding strategy and maps, and accommodate small community meetings.

Actions needed from the city and the respective resources are either administrative (i.e. annexation, conservation district, NHRP overlay, and Pendleton street management), coordination such as facilitating the establishment of the responsible Village organizations and addressing the political issues and media, and community planning like the websites, tactical urbanism, and signage strategy. The short-term steps include community outreach with the media and above mentioned communities’ support. Building relationships will take time and can form along with inventorying and promoting the local groups and initiatives. Starting a discussion on the Village boundaries and feasible stages of annexation are also needed from the beginning.

The medium-term actions are facilitated by the assigned members of organizations in collaboration with the operating Village actors and with the support of raised State and Federal funding. In establishing and developing a uniform marketing strategy for a village, the first action needed from the city is assigning a Village Foundation representative responsible for launching web portals of the Arts Foundation and enhancing the Village website. This can be conducted with the support of the Greenville Journal, The Village Business Association, and further State and Federal grants to support the operation. Determining the brand is a longer-term process requiring the contribution of the artists and the conservation board to shape the collective vision. Holding tactical urbanism events frequently will allow the city to collect feedback on the brand vision from the public. This feedback from community events can be implemented in the wayfinding signage.

In the long-term, the city needs to support and facilitate establishing control for the development guidelines and continue pursuing annexation and transportation improvements. While the development guidelines and policies result from community and Conservation Board collaboration, the level of control in design and development guidelines needs to be supported by the city through ordinance amendments. Affordable housing advocacy is a long process requiring county and city-level incentives to agree on the optimal amount of affordable units in exchange for tax abatements or other development bonuses. Annexation in the area is another long-term process essential to bring the parts of the art district under a cohesive, united authority. We recommend aligning this process gradually. Planning the stages according to the establishment of the Conservation overlay will help protect the parcels at risk and the area’s character. Empowering the active community and creative scene will join forces in recognizing further streetscape improvements. Through methodical action and commitment, the Village can become an area of successful revitalization and smart-growth where all stakeholders have their voices heard and institutionalized.