Downtowns and Waterfronts

d o w n t o w n s a n d wat e r f r on t s

urban design associates

urban design associates

downtowns and waterfronts

Introduction Downtown Norfolk norfolk | virginia

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West Don Lands toronto | ontario | canada

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Cincinnati Riverfront cincinnati | ohio

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South Lake Union seattle | washington

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Asheville’s Pack Square asheville | north carolina

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Pensacola Historic District pensacola | florida

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City Center Master Plan Update birmingham | alabama

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Downtown Nashua nashua | new hampshire

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Hampton Downtown hampton | virginia

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Salinas Revitalization salinas | california

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North Shore pittsburgh | pennsylvania

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Virginia Beach Form Based Code virginia beach | virginia

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Downtown Boca Raton Master Plan Update boca raton | florida

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Historic Mills District minneapolis | minnesota

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Kittanning Riverfront Park kittanning | pennsylvania

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Alexander Street Corridor yonkers | new york

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Al Fallah tripoli | libya

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Introduction

Urban Design Associates has developed implementation-oriented Master Plans, Urban Designs, and Design Guidelines for Downtowns and Waterfronts that have served to revitalize the economy of cities and regions throughout the United States and internationally. Our participatory process engages city political and business leadership, as well as the general public, in the creative process of design.

Dynamic three-dimensional graphics used throughout the process help build the support and consensus needed to implement the concepts of the plan.

Downtowns as Destinations As a result of post World War II suburban expansion, Downtowns gradually lost their role as the unique business and retail centers of their regions. Over the past 30 years, Downtowns are finding renewed life as both the civic and cultural core of regions and as 24-hour-living centers with residential, cultural, entertainment, retail, business, civic, and educational uses. To be successful, these centers must be conceived as destinations themselves, rather than as a collection of destination uses. This calls for a pedestrian-friendly, active public realm with sufficient diversity of activity and sense of order to serve as an attraction for the region.

The UDA Process UDA’s working method is to build on the inherited strengths of each city and create an environment that is unique because it is anchored in that particular place. The images produced in the course of the planning process are often used by our client cities as promotional material to attract new businesses. In this way, the Master Plan builds a ‘bandwagon’ of support for downtown. Our emphasis on the public realm results in a continuous pedestrian-scale environment which can be cultivated as a desirable destination in and of itself.

The plans create a framework of public open space and streets which connect and serve a variety of development parcels. Design guidelines are prepared for each parcel, but the potential uses are not limited to one type. In this way, it is possible to respond to changing market conditions. In some cases, a single site might be appropriate for four or five different types of development.

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Downtowns and Economic Development Cities are often in competition with each other as they attempt to attract new economic development. The most sought after types of businesses are increasingly those in the ‘knowledge industry.’ Finding a city which offers the quality and character of environment in which ‘knowledge workers’ prefer to live is an important consideration for companies as they choose a location. Downtowns and Waterfront Districts can provide such vital environments if properly planned and designed.

Downtown Norfolk provides a good example of this process. There, the UDA team began the planning process on the day on which the last of the Downtown department stores closed. The Downtown retail area was nearly abandoned.

Within ten years, as a result of the master planning process and implementation, Downtown Norfolk was once again thriving. A community college, a major retail center, new office buildings, and a substantial amount of downtown housing had been developed in the Downtown area. Retail sales volume for the city grew from $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in one year and continues to expand. The Downtown has become such an attraction that the cruise industry has chosen to establish a homeport on the waterfront within a five-minute walk of the retail district. That has resulted in further increases in retail business. The revitalization of Downtown Norfolk exemplifies the way in which UDA’s emphasis on the character and quality of the public realm can promote even greater than anticipated levels of successful economic development.

Recent examples of UDA’s work on Downtown and Waterfront development and revitalization projects can be found on the pages that follow.

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Downtown Norfolk norfolk | virginia

primary client

City of Norfolk year completed

1980 – Present reference

The Honorable Paul Fraim City of Norfolk City Hall Building 810 Union Street, Suite 1109 Norfolk, VA 23510 (757)664-4679 paul.fraim@norfolk.gov

Urban Design Associates has served as urban design consultant for the City of Norfolk since 1989 when we developed the Downtown 2000 Master Plan. Initial interventions like the Tidewater Community College downtown campus and the Granby Street improvements catalyzed an entire revitalization of Norfolk’s city center. We have since updated this plan twice and continue to inform drastic transformations to the downtown fabric including entertainment, retail, urban residential, true mixed-use (instead of multi-use), and civic interventions. All of our plans continue to create framework for development in which individual projects, coordinated with public investment, rebuild the Downtown as a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week center for the region.

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West Don Lands toronto | ontario | canada

primary client

Waterfront Toronto year completed

2005 reference

John Campbell President & CEO Waterfront Toronto 20 Bay Street, Suite 1310 Toronto, ON M5J 2N8 Canada (416)214-1344 jcampbell@waterfrontoronto.ca

The West Don Lands, located in the southeast corner of Downtown, is envisioned as a new mixed-use precinct with an emphasis on urban living. The master plan was developed in a public process to understand the opportunities in the precinct. The project will inherit many of the unique qualities and characteristics of the precincts and neighbourhoods surrounding it, yet it will be distinguished by a major new park on the Don River. This park is designed with flood control devices and is a critical component of the restoration of the Don River and the creation of a major continuous greenway for the City.

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Cincinnati Riverfront cincinnati | ohio

primary client

City of Cincinnati, Ohio year completed

1998 reference

Roxanne Qualls 400 Pike Street #509 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 404-7263 roxanne.qualls@gmail.com

Urban Design Associates, prepared a plan for the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County to locate two new sports stadiums, to generate maximum economic benefit for the downtown and to revitalize the central Ohio River riverfront. During a charrette and a series of public forums, urban design principles were developed to guide future redevelopment and growth. The design creates a new riverfront park and includes the National Underground Railroad Museum, a mixed-use district (now under construction), a transit center, and a restructured ­downsized urban highway. The riverfront (now complete) is restored as the “front door” of the city, once again a hub of activity and a place that connects people to the urban environment.

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South Lake Union seattle | washington

Vulcan, Inc. year completed

2005 reference

Sharon Coleman Real Estate Development Vulcan, Inc. 505 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98104 (206)342-2149 sharonc@vulcan.com

Urban Design Associates prepared a master plan and design guidelines for Vulcan, Inc. (the investment company of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft) which has assembled nearly 50 acres of land north of downtown Seattle in the South Lake Union neighborhood. The project is an ongoing revitalization of the district, with new development of 9 million square feet of new and rehabilitated commercial and residential property and a strong emphasis on creating a biotech and biomedical research cluster. New developments include the University of Washington medical research campus, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google and ZymoGenetics. These have joined the renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center already located in South Lake Union.

South Lake Union has earned national recognition as a successful revitalization of an urban district.

Flickr Attribution: ChasRedmond

primary client

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Asheville’s Pack Square asheville | north carolina

primary client

Pack Square Conservancy year completed

2002 – 2010 reference

Karen Tessier, President Market Connections, Inc. 82 Patton Avenue, Suite 710 Asheville, NC 28801 (858)254-9737 ktessier@mktconnections.com

In 2002, Urban Design Associates prepared an urban design plan for the redesign of Pack Square in the City of Asheville. The Square had been all but dismantled over the years to accommodate traffic and was under threat by state highway plans to further erode the space. Working collaboratively with LaQuatra Bonci Associates, UDA developed a consensus plan to restore the square and create a new festival event park as a great lawn adjacent to the historic city hall and county buildings. The Square restores the identity of Asheville’s unique character as a center for the arts, a vibrant urban street life and a celebration of the great outdoors. Park elements manage sustainable water conservation and strorm water treatment as an integral part of the park infrastructure.

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Pensacola Historic District pensacola | florida

primary client

City of Pensacola, Florida year completed

2004 reference

Thomas Bonfield, City Manager City of Pensacola 180 Governmental Center P.O. Box 12910 Pensacola, FL 32521 (850)435-1625 tbonfield@ci.pensacola.fl.us

The Pensacola Historic District and the collection of historic buildings owned by the University of West Florida are extraordinary assets for the City of Pensacola and the Region. The Master Plan provides a means of coordinating private and public investment to capitalize on those assets to increase the Region’s economic and tax base, as well as the quality of life for residents of the Historic District, the City, and the Region. The Plan was developed in a public process, engaging hundreds of people, to create a vision for the future that has broad consensus and support. The plan recommended revisions to local streets to better connect the neighborhood to the bayfront and local parks.

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City Center Master Plan Update birmingham | alabama

primary client

City of Birmingham, AL year completed

2005 reference

Michael Calvert Operation New Birmingham 505 20th Street North, Suite 150 Birmingham, AL 35203 (205)324-8797 calvert2bellsouth.net

Urban Design Associates prepared the City Center Master Plan Update for the City of Birmingham. The public participation planning process identified four areas in the City Center for concentrated urban design attention (shown in the drawing to the right): Civil Rights District; Midtown and Theater District (spanning the Railroad Reservation); Loft/Design District (spanning the Railroad Reservation); and the Civic Center/Cultural District. The Master Plan also accommodates the expansion of the University of Alabama Birmingham and the UAB Medical Center. Several key initiatives were identified to reconnect the city with improved public open space, modifications to streets and highways, and redevelopment strategies.

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Downtown Nashua nashua | new hampshire

primary client

City of Nashua, New Hampshire year completed

2003 reference

Katherine E. Hersh Community Development Director City of Nashua City Hall 229 Main Street, P.O. Box 2019 Nashua, NH 03061-2019 (603)589-3075p HershK@ci.nashua.nh.us

Nashua’s history is its greatest amenity; it imbues the City with authenticity, character, and strength. Its history is also its greatest teacher; teaching us powerful lessons about the importance of urban design. The Nashua Master Plan strives to recognize and leverage these strengths while incorporating the needs and demands of a globally competitive 21st century city; assuring its health, vitality, and sustainability for generations to come.

The Plan recommends improving upon and creating a series of frameworks that connect different parts of Downtown to be implemented over 10 years.

Upon completion, approximately 500 new residential units, and 500,000 new square feet of commercial/retail/office and institutional space will be added to Downtown Nashua.

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Hampton Downtown hampton | virginia

primary client

City of Hampton, Virginia year completed

2005 reference

Terry O’Neill Planning Director City of Hampton 1 Franklin Street, Suite 603 Hampton, VA 23669 (757)727-6460 toneill@hampton.gov

The planning process produced a consensus vision for a vibrant mixed-use downtown connected to the waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods that is balanced by preservation of the City’s heritage. Improvements and enhancements to key Downtown gateways were identified as one of the important topics to be addressed by the plan. The Master Plan recommends a new pattern of interconnected streets and public open space that builds on existing amenities and provides an effective framework for development. The framework creates a series of attractive development parcels which, due to the quality of their “address,” offer strong marketing advantages. Strategies for reconnecting the downtown to the waterfront are some of the key recommendations in the plan.

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Salinas Revitalization salinas | california

primary client

Salinas Renaissance Partners, LLC year completed

2009 reference

Dave Mora City Manager City of Salinas Office of the City Manager 200 Lincoln Avenue Salinas, CA 93901 davidm@ci.salinas.ca.us

The vision for Downtown Salinas is to lead the region in urban life by providing working, living, shopping, and recreational opportunities in an attractive, inviting, and compact downtown. Residents are eager to see the Central Business District become a much better version of what it is today – more ethnic restaurants, specialty local retail, entertainment venues, transit, lofts and other urban living opportunities, and cultural anchors. To bring that vision to life, Salinas Renaissance Partners in a public/private partnership with the City of Salinas and the Redevelopment Agency is proposing a conceptual plan for revitalizing Downtown Salinas. These fundamental concerns revolve around safety and security; the need for traffic-calming and pedestrian enhancements; the desire for attractive public open and green spaces in the downtown; and a mechanism for addressing governance-related issues that may deter investment in downtown (re)development.

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North Shore pittsburgh | pennsylvania

primary client

City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, PIttsburgh Pirates, Carnegie Institute year completed

1999 reference

Arthur J. Rooney II, President Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc. 3400 South Water Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (412)432-7809 lowed@steelers.nfl.com

Urban Design Associates prepared a master plan for the North Shore, an area of downtown Pittsburgh that was the site designated for two new major league stadiums for the Steelers and the Pirates and related economic development.

Implemented features of the North Shore Master Plan include: a new urban street grid; two stadiums; two parking garages; a Marriott Hotel; new headquarters buildings for Del Monte Foods and Equitable Resources; and a $30 million riverfront park. Future phases include light rail stations, an amphitheater, retail uses, and multi-family housing.

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Virginia Beach Form Based Code virginia beach†|†virginia

primary client

City of Virginia Beach year completed

2010 reference

Stephen Herbert Chief Development Office City of Virginia Beach Office of the City Manager Municipal Center - Building 1 2401 Courthouse Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9001 (757)385-4242 sherbert@vbgov.com

The City of Virginia Beach has long struggled with a dysfunctional zoning code for their historic beachfront. UDA (with the assistance of Code Studio and Landmark Design) was commissioned to prepare a new form based code to encourage mixed-use, transit oriented development and the creation of more beautiful public spaces. Currently in progress, this code will replace the current zoning district regulations with new illustrated standards that will liberate development potential and encourage redevelopment of this unique coastal community.

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Downtown Boca Raton Master Plan Update boca raton | florida

primary client

City of Boca Raton, FL year completed

2008 reference

George Brown, Deputy City Manager City Hall 201 West Palmetto Park Road Boca Raton, FL 33432-3730 (561)393-7940 gbrown@ci.boca-raton.fl.us

The goal of this project was to create a unique new identity for Downtown Boca Raton as a mixed-use district, re-establishing its prominence as a key regional civic, cultural, and specialized retail center offering a full complement of residential accommodations and recreational amenities. Working collaboratively with the Community Redevelopment Authority, Urban Design Associates developed strategies for growth and revitalization of the district. Key among these strategies are enhancements that strengthen the connection between Downtown and the waterfront, recommended modifications to architectural design guidelines and significant improvements to the quality of the public space.

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Historic Mills District minneapolis†|†minnesota

primary client

Minneapolis Community Development Agency year completed

2001 reference

Ann Calvert Minneapolis Community Development Agency 105 Fifth Avenue South Crown Roller Mill, Suite 600 Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612)673-5023 ann.calvert@mcda.org

Urban Design Associates (UDA) was commissioned for the preparation of a master plan and development guidelines for the Historic Mills District on the north edge of downtown Minneapolis on the Mississippi River. The City had been historically cut off from the river by the now abandoned flour mills and grain elevators which drove the nineteenth century economy. With that industry gone, the opportunity arose for the Minneapolis Community Development Agency to redevelop the mostly vacant district for residential and mixed use. UDA conducted a planning process that included public forums and a design charrette.

Implemented features of the Historic Mills Master Plan include: new condominium buildings; two historic mill buildings converted to residential with retail in the ground floor; a new hotel; an indoor skating rink in an historic train shed; Mill Ruins Park and Museum; and the new Tyrone Guthrie Theater.

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Kittanning Riverfront Park kittanning | pennsylvania

primary client

Armstrong County Borough of Kittaning year completed

1998

Completed in June of 1998, Kittanning’s Riverfront Park is the first phase of UDA’s Master Plan for the revitalization of downtown. The park is designed as a key component of an economic development strategy for the historic downtown core. A continuous pedestrian pathway encircles the downtown and connects all of the visitor attractions to the city’s commercial and historic neighborhoods. The Park’s amenities include an amphitheater for outdoor performances and events, open-air pavilions, launching and docking facilities for pleasure craft, and moorings for large excursion and dinner fleets.

Riverfront Park has stimulated tourism and resulted in commercial vitalization, recreational improvements including a visitors center, and venues for outdoor festivals and performances.

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Alexander Street Corridor yonkers†|†new york

project type

Mixed-Use Infill primary client

City of Yonkers year completed

2009 reference

Sharon L. Ebert Deputy Commissioner Planning and Development City of Yonkers 87 Nepperhan Avenue Suite 311 Yonkers, NY 10701 (914)377-6651

The redevelopment plan provides new waterfront access, expanded park space, and venues for public events. UDA was selected to refine the plan and prepare sustainable design guidelines for the redevelopment area. The process began with a place making exercise to define the concentrations of uses, character of public spaces and the range of architecture. The streets and parks were designed to accommodate a range of uses and activities for residents and visitors. Guidelines for the design of public space provide standards for each development team to follow as they implement projects. The highly illustrated document prepared by UDA provides a clear vision and promotional tool for the city as they work with developers, designers, and officials to build the district.

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Al Fallah tripoli | libya

primary client

DCK Worldwide year completed

2009 reference

Enzo M. Zoratto c/o Sandra L. Ginosky DCK Worldwide P. O. Box 10896 Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0896 (412) 370-4977 emzoratto@dickcorp.com

Al Fallah is a new neighborhood in Tripoli, Libya located on a brownfield site in the downtown area. DCK/UDA was invited to prepare a vision for implementing a portion of the neighborhood according to guidelines established by the Housing and Infrastructure Board. The vision proposes a high density residential neighborhood with commercial uses organized along a new boulevard that follows the ancient Asswani Road that leads from the port to the interior of the African continent. The vision plan includes housing for a projected population of 10,000 people and includes schools, parks, a mosque and light rail transit. The neighborhoods are composed of five building designs, arranged to achieve visual variety, a mix of units, and economy of construction. This vision was prepared to propose an alternative to low cost projects built by foreign companies consisting of repeating high rise housing blocks that are not suitable for Libyan families.

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