UDA - Six Decades of Urban Design

For 60 years, Urban Design Associates (UDA) has embraced urban design and architecture as a form of democracy in action. Since our inception, we have empowered citizens, businesses, institutions, and local leaders to actively participate in the evolution of their neighborhoods, towns, and cities. This collaborative process fosters an exchange of aspirations, concerns, perspectives, and wisdom, creating a foundation for developing urban plans that are meaningful and responsive.

The 1960s, the decade of our founding, were turbulent times for American cities. Deep social divides and tense racial conflicts dominated the political and physical transformations of urban communities, leading to concerns about the future viability of cities as places where diverse groups could live creative, productive, safe, and fulfilling lives.

It was against this backdrop that co-founders David Lewis and Ray Gindroz established UDA in 1964. They understood that the sweeping demolition of urban neighborhoods and the displacement of residents would not result in safer or more desirable cities. They recognized that many traditional downtowns across the nation were being destroyed to make way for highways that prioritized suburban transportation over urban integrity.

From the very beginning, UDA has focused on understanding and engaging with communities to restore livability and foster connections among people — socially, physically, and perceptually. We appreciate the remarkable qualities inherent in each place we work, which stem from past decisions about vision, physical environment, cultural change, leadership, commercial patterns, and development. Each place is unique and distinct.

Reflecting on our 60 years of practice informs our ongoing evolution as we address the challenges and opportunities facing cities today and in the future. It is exciting to witness a new cycle of change, as the next generation returns to urban environments to seek lives that are connected, diverse, and creative. This shift has inspired us to rethink many conventional assumptions and approaches in our designs and work.

The stories featured in the following pages illustrate UDA’s innovative approach to problem-solving and our commitment to addressing emerging challenges.

Questioning

1964–1974 UDA formed in the 1960s during a time of social unrest due to racial injustice and the Vietnam War. Many American cities faced riots, leading architects and urban planners to reinvent cities with top-down planning.

Emerging from the urban design program at Carnegie Institute of Technology’s (now Carnegie Mellon University), UDA questioned standard practices in urban planning. The firm focused on innovative ideas over technical details and was willing to use design to address social and economic challenges. The founders prioritized engaging with the community, asking questions, and exploring ideas before starting any design work.

LEARNING

1974–1984 The 1970s ushered in an eclectic range of projects in diverse places, each serving as a valuable learning experience for our design team. UDA viewed the city as a living laboratory from which numerous lessons could be extracted. UDA transitioned away from architectural commissions, continuing to define the profession of urban design, testing new concepts. As the UDA team studied historic districts, documented architectural patterns, and conceived public spaces as urban rooms, fundamental urban design principles began to take shape. Recognizing the wealth of knowledge in American downtowns and neighborhoods, UDA approached the design of single-family neighborhoods — often dismissed as generic “ticky-tacky boxes”— as an opportunity to exemplify American urbanism. UDA pioneered these insights through its inaugural neighborhood designs.

Connecting

1984–1994 UDA’s practice expanded to include a diverse range of urban design and architectural projects. The team designed buildings that functioned as miniature cities, organized along internal streets that connected building activities. Faced with large, abandoned areas in Norfolk, Richmond, and Pittsburgh, UDA studied the architecture and landscapes of nearby admired neighborhoods to document local patterns. The UDA team recognized that building neighborhoods was a collaborative effort that would benefit from shared goals and design standards. UDA reintroduced pattern books as essential resources for developers, builders, and homeowners. With visionary leadership, Norfolk became a key client, and the city served as a dynamic laboratory for urban design that continues to evolve today.

Building

1994–2004 The demand for UDA’s expertise in urban design has evolved from focusing on individual buildings to encompassing entire urban areas. This shift led UDA to specialize in the design of neighborhoods and urban districts. The HOPE VI program, aimed at transforming housing projects into cohesive neighborhoods, provided UDA with a platform to integrate public participation into community-scale urban design. As a result, distinctive mixed-income neighborhoods emerged in cities like Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Norfolk, Louisville, and Wheeling. As cities invested in downtowns and restored connections to their waterfronts, foundational urban planning principles were applied to large-scale projects in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, and Minneapolis, yielding remarkable transformations.

Exploring

2004–2014 Throughout its history, UDA has actively engaged in teaching others how to effectively design and build cities, both nationally and internationally. In the United States, UDA implemented citywide strategic planning to prepare Virginia Beach, Hampton, and Yonkers for rapid transit and denser, mixed-use development.

The UDA team developed innovative housing solutions for several military bases across the country, enhancing the quality of life for our service members. This experience exposed our team to diverse cultures, regulations, and unique traditions. UDA earned an international reputation for city-building, with our planning methods and publications serving as essential teaching tools in universities and setting standards for the expanding field of urban design.

Adapting

2014–2024 As we entered our sixth decade, the nation was emerging from the Great Recession. In this recovery phase, city and regional leaders recognized the importance of reinforcing urban cores as vibrant, equitable, and diverse centers that provide opportunities and choices. UDA immersed itself in projects across North America, tackling housing shortages, equity issues, mobility challenges, unrestricted growth, and the effects of climate change and natural disasters. Throughout this decade, the UDA team evolved with enhanced leadership, improved engagement tools, innovative illustration techniques, and new strategies designed to assist clients and their partners in implementing projects that foster positive change and create more sustainable cities.

featured stories 1

Just Imagine SWLA: A 50-Year Resilience Master Plan | Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, Louisiana

2

Paradise Long-Term Recovery Plan | Paradise, California

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Daybreak Pattern Books | Daybreak, Utah

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Water Street District Vision Plan | Tampa, Florida

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Downtown Daybreak | Daybreak, Utah

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MidCity District Master Plan and Design Guidelines | Huntsville, Alabama

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Reimagining Main Street | Riverhead, New York

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Strong Neighborhood of Play | Rochester, New York

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Choice Neighborhoods Initiative | Various locations across U.S.

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Utah Homebuilders | Daybreak, Utah

Southwest Louisiana

Funders and regional leaders knew something had to be done. The Community Foundation SWLA hired UDA to develop a 50-year Resilience Plan for two parishes, encompassing 3,030 square miles and 210,000 people. The invitation was to “Just Imagine” a brighter future. Throughout this process, the team listened to Halfway between Houston and New Orleans 7,300 ideas. Visions emerged for 11 catalies Southwest Louisiana. To the outside lytic projects that could be implemented world, it’s known as the liquified natural over ten years — from a 23-mile bluegas capital of the world, or not well green loop to revitalizing downtowns and known at all. To the people who live enhancing coastal resilience. there, it’s beloved for its friendly neighbors, Ready for change, project champions bestunning natural waterways, and rich gan implementing immediately. In the Louisiana culture, music, and cuisine. first year, there were groundbreakings

Imagining a More Resilient Future for a Coastal Region

In 2020 and 2021, Southwest Louisiana was devastated by four major disasters.

Hurricane Laura, one of the strongest storms to make landfall in state history, wreaked havoc with its damaging winds.

Then came Hurricane Delta, Winter Storm Uri, severe tornadoes, and extensive flooding. Lake Charles became known as “the country’s most weatherbattered city.”

and ribbon-cuttings. Partners secured a $40 million federal grant for mixed-income housing. A public bond passed with overwhelming support to fund eight catalytic projects. The region is collaborating with FEMA, the National Park Service, HUD, and the State of Louisiana to ensure it adapts and thrives, moving toward a more environmentally, socially, and economically resilient future.

Paradise, California

Rebuilding and Adapting a Town

Mayor Jody Jones promised to rebuild, a commitment echoed by residents. This led to the pressing question, “How do we restore our town and make it more resistant to wildfires?” The answer lay in developing a tailored rebuilding strategy for Paradise. UDA was engaged by the Town Board to listen to residents, identify priorities, recommend ideas for hardening, and create the Long-Term Recovery Plan.

The Town of Paradise was incorporated in 1979, evolving from nearly two centuries of informal development in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Its heritage is rooted in prospecting, logging, agriculture, and eventually the City of Chico’s rising cost of living. As orchards transformed into neighborhoods, the wildland-urban interface enveloped the town.

The plan provided the community with a One resident said, “It was like camping blueprint for rebuilding. Today, Paradise every day.” And then one day the Camp is the fastest-growing community in CalFire struck. Tragically, eighty-five resi- ifornia, boasting some of the country’s dents lost their lives and virtually the en- strictest building codes. Although the tire town was burned to the ground, last chapter is yet to be written, both formarking the worst wildfire in California mer and new residents are returning to history in terms of loss of life and prop- “find the Town of Paradise to be all its name implies.” erty damage.

Daybreak, Utah

Shaping an Exemplary New Community

nition. When UDA arrived, the local home builders were eager for guidance. The UDA team joined them in Salt Lake City, toured the historic districts, coordinated with builders, and assisted the development team in coalescing a vision for a new Envisioned as a new community of direction. UDA’s first Pattern Book gave 60,000 people, Daybreak was conceived the builders a clear vision and instrucas a remarkable new city. Despite con- tions on how to build great architecture, cern from production builders, the Day- streets, and neighborhoods. After five break leadership team aimed to capture Pattern Books, Daybreak has become a the imagination of what a new community great city. could be. The local builders were skepti- In the early 2020s, Daybreak was recogcal, saying: “This will never work.” De- nized as the nation’s fifth best-selling spite the best efforts of the development community, gaining national attention for team, when the first homes came out of design. Daybreak’s fifteen neighborhoods the ground, the development team real- are visited by regional city councils, planized they had a problem: The architecture ning commissions, and national developers was unremarkable. looking to learn how to build memorable Daybreak leadership called the UDA cities on a broad scale. Daybreak has team for help in shaping more enchanting been recognized as one of the nation’s neighborhoods worthy of national recog- most innovative new communities.

Tampa, Florida

Putting the Waterfront on Water Street

SPP approached UDA to help design this urban entertainment district, create a memorable home for the Lightning, and make downtown Tampa a must-see destination. The UDA team positioned itself as the user — tracking the walk between the arena and cultural institutions, considering what one would see, hear, and experience along the way. Restaurants, cafes, parks, seating, and shade were choreographed. Parks and open space would frame future development blocks and support dense new development along Water Street.

Tampa is the 17th largest metro area in the U.S. The region’s heart is downtown Tampa, home to multiple world-class attractions such as the Florida Aquarium, Riverwalk, Glazer Children’s Museum, Straz Center Stage, Hixon Waterfront Park, and more. The largest venue is Amalie Arena, which has a seating capacity of over 20,000. Holding the city center back was the lack of vibrancy that comes Today, the Water Street Tampa developfrom stitching these uses together. ment is fully underway. Sparkman Wharf Jeff Vinik, the owner of the Tampa Bay was the first project of many out of the Lightning, envisioned a dynamic mixed- ground, with an integrated mix of office use district as a catalyst to energize and spirited retail. Downtown is now known downtown. His development company, for its vibrant nightlife, family-friendly Strategic Property Partners (SPP), acquired entertainment, beautiful waterfront, and key sites surrounding the arena and parks — a world-class place on the Garrison Channel waterfront. charted a path forward.

Daybreak, Utah

Planning a New Downtown Since the introduction of the Interstate Highway System, America has shifted its focus away from building urban downtowns. Instead, we have prioritized expanding our existing cities with automobile-oriented sprawl. While these areas are characterized by intense development, they often lack the remarkable experiences found in walkable downtowns.

The Daybreak Development team envisioned a downtown area that would be equal in size to Salt Lake City’s center, directly connected by three transit stops.

Echoing classic cities, residents would have the option to board a streetcar and

travel to another downtown area. Their goal was to create delightful opportunities that would inspire growth and investment, resulting in a beautiful place for future generations to enjoy.

UDA collaborated with the Larry H. Miller Company (LHM) and their consultants to design the urban experience. And like all cities, this was a team effort. UDA assisted in developing the shape of the urban environment, including office, residential, and retail districts, all connected by a strong pedestrian network. The centerpiece is a new minor league baseball stadium anchoring the green network of parks and trails. With over 5,000 homes, 450,000 square feet of retail, millions of square feet of office space, parks, and trails, Daybreak’s downtown will deliver urban life and demonstrate the value of downtowns in today’s development landscape.

residents coveted. They identified a defunct shopping mall site as the preferred location, and RCP purchased the property. UDA was selected to reimagine the 68 acres as MidCity, a new mixed-use walkable urban center. UDA developed the master plan, designed concept architecture, and prioritized placemaking to ensure a timeless place. The resulting Huntsville has been a high-tech hub for buildout reflects influences from the aerospace, defense, and advanced manarea’s early industrial and agricultural ufacturing innovation since the 1950s. In production economy. recent decades, it has evolved into one of the fastest-growing domestic employ- As a corollary to the successful physical ment hubs for highly skilled workers. environment, RCP is integrating robust Most of these jobs are in suburban office education/training facilities and proparks that circle the city. Workers new to grams centered on music production, Huntsville have long wanted more excite- music and film technology, culinary sciment and a place to socialize — a vibrant ence, and hospitality. urban life. Local leadership acknowledged Huntsville residents have responded to that this missing element negatively im- MidCity with enthusiasm. Construction pacted recruiting. continues to advance at a breathtaking

Huntsville, Alabama

A new Urban Center for Huntsville

The City of Huntsville and RCP Companies (RCP) saw this weakness as an opportunity and formed a public-private partnership to create the destination

pace. The current most popular attraction is the 8,000-capacity Orion Theater, which opened in 2022 with national fanfare as the top outdoor venue in the country.

Riverhead, New York

Reimagining Main Street

Street and the Peconic River with a sea level rise mitigation strategy. The recommendations encouraged the town to acquire vacant buildings to create a central gathering space and public plaza.

The next phase involved creating a Central Riverfront Activation Plan that solidified this vision. Since then, the town has secured over $35 million in State and Federal grants, along with private donations, to bring the vision to life. These funds are being used to construct a town square, civic plaza, adaptive playground, amphitheater, parking garage, and improved streetscapes. Additionally, private developers have proposed various mixed-use In 2019, a developer constructed the buildings, including a hotel, condominilargest building on Main Street, sparking ums, and retail uses, all clustered around criticism among locals. The fallout trigthe square. gered a series of events aimed at reimagining the central riverfront. The Town Today, the town is actively working to Board commissioned UDA to engage implement this vision while seeking with residents and develop prescriptive additional grant funding for further design guidelines, which also included amenities and enhanced sea level rise planning a connection between Main mitigation efforts.

Like many American towns, the Town of Riverhead had a much-loved historic Main Street that needed a refresh. Pockets of vacant buildings, aging streetscapes, and a disconnect with the adjacent waterfront stood out as weaknesses in a place with high potential. Residents longed for a vibrant connection between Main Street and the tidal Peconic River.

Rochester, New York

Healing a City Neighborhood Decades ago, a Kodak heiress generously donated her home and toy collection, which became the Strong Museum of Play (Strong). As the museum flourished, it outgrew its original location and was relocated to just inside the Rochester Inner Loop. The new site, however, was pinned against an elevated expressway.

Every day, Rochester residents longed for the expressway to be demolished and downtown Rochester to be reconnected to adjacent historic neighborhoods. And then, one day, the city announced the Inner Loop East Transformation Project, reclaiming about six acres of land by replacing the expressway with an urban street. This initiative prompted the city to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for infill development proposals.

In response, Strong assembled a team consisting of Konar Properties, Indus Hospitality, CJS Architects, and UDA as the master planning and design lead.

The team’s plan called for transforming the isolated museum into the “Neighborhood of Play.” The vision utilized the reclaimed inner loop sites and surface parking lots for infill development that would stitch downtown and the Park Avenue neighborhood back together. Elements of the plan included a new hotel, a main street, a public plaza, apartments, restaurants, retail, a parking garage, and pedestrian and bike facilities, along with a major museum expansion featuring a new entry hall, restaurant, museum store, and the World Video Hall of Fame.

The development team won the RFP and Strong was subsequently awarded $20 million to support its expansion.

By 2023, the Neighborhood of Play was completed. It is now regarded as a model for cities that have been damaged by freeways.

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative

Transforming Neighborhoods from Disinvestment to Choice

launched, offering a more holistic framework for neighborhood transformation.

UDA’s process of Listening, Testing, and Deciding empowered residents trapped in downward economic spirals. UDA helped to bring cities, housing authorities, developers, non-profits, and residents together to develop shared visions. Soon after, funding to implement followed. New In the 1930s, the U.S. government devel- mixed-income homes came out of the oped the first public housing. Segregated ground and families started to succeed in from the onset, public housing eventual- ways they hadn’t experienced before. ly had the devastating consequence of UDA has helped 14 communities across concentrating poverty and perpetuating the country win $30 to $50 million HUD disinvestment and racial segregation CNI Implementation Grants and five within neighborhoods. communities develop Transformation HOPE VI represented the first evolution toward transforming public housing from projects back into neighborhoods and homes. While it succeeded in building more dignified housing, it fell short in addressing issues of neighborhood investment and supporting residents’ economic, health, and educational potential. In 2010, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI)

Plans through CNI Planning Grants.

UDA’s efforts have helped to deliver over $4 billion in investments for neighborhoods and families. Seeing this has confirmed what we know to be true — design is a powerful tool for transforming the built environment and altering the economic trajectories of neighborhoods and individuals.

© Craig Thompson

Daybreak, Utah

Transforming when UDA began working with their team. Even though a change of this Homebuilders into magnitude substantially impacts nearly Neighborhood-Builders every aspect of their business, these builders were willing to try.

Over 1.5 million new homes are permitted each year. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, only 2% are designed by architects. Based on these statistics, few people benefit from life in a thoughtfully designed home and community. Through engaging homebuilders since the 1990s, UDA has been focused on addressing these issues and expanding access to high-quality design of new communities.

The first work emerged in the new community of Daybreak under the guidance of UDA’s Pattern Books. UDA’s designs instilled the timeless characteristics of quality neighborhood architecture: simple massing, improved proportions, and the addition of livable elements such as porches and terraces. As sales and popularity increased, the builders thirsted to offer more high-density types and create their own new urban communities, earning them local and national recognition.

In Utah, “We have to take you back to the airport” was how Destination Homes responded to UDA’s promise to design high-density townhomes and apartments. Another local builder, Sego Homes, may have felt something similar

Through planning and architecture with these two builders and others, UDA has designed over 4,800 homes for nearly 15,000 people in Utah alone, consistent with UDA’s mission to design high-quality urban environments.

Looking Forward

2024– Cities are continually evolving, and UDA is evolving with them. As we look ahead to the next decade, we will focus our efforts on building consensus and developing solutions to the most pressing challenges facing urban areas.

Each city, town, and village faces its own unique set of obstacles as they grow and change. As committed problem solvers dedicated to improving the human condition, we are here to help.

Our mission as urban designers is to honor the individuality and authenticity of place. We realize that every city and every neighborhood has its character and its sense of what it inherits.

It also has a sense of how it wants its future to evolve.

David Lewis

Images read top left to bottom right

1964–1974 David Lewis, FAIA Mack Community Center, Ann Arbor, MI Democracy and Design in Action Gananda, NY Great High Schools, Pittsburgh, PA Great High Schools, Pittsburgh, PA Human Resources Center, Pontiac, MI Mack Community Center, Ann Arbor, MI

1994–2004 Ray Gindroz, FAIA Broadway Overlook, Baltimore, MD North Shore, Pittsburgh, PA Baxter, Fort Mill, SC University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA East Garrison, Monterey County, CA Cincinnati Riverfront, Cincinnati, OH

1974–1984 Queensgate II Town Center, Cincinnati, OH Village of Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA “Wall Street District,” Pittsburgh, PA “Wall Street District,” Pittsburgh, PA The Oakland Plan, Pittsburgh, PA The Oakland Plan, Pittsburgh, PA Confluences, UDA Anniversary York Design Guidelines, York, PA

2004–2014 Ellon, AB, Scotland South of Broadway, Nashville, TN New Moscow Federal District, Moscow, Russia Ludhiana Township, Punjab, India South Lake Union, Seattle, WA West Don Lands, Toronto, Canada Storrs Town Center, Storrs, CT

1984–1994 Middle Towne Arch, Norfolk, VA Celebration Pattern Book, Celebration, FL Crawford Square, Pittsburgh, PA Middle Towne Arch, Norfolk, VA Diggs Town, Norfolk, VA Jewish Community Center, Pittsburgh, PA Cary Street, Richmond, VA

2014–2024 Pearson Ranch, Austin, TX Cypress Village, Vancouver, Canada

IMAGE INDEX

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all UDA alumni whose work and contributions have led to the development of many important ideas, projects, and initiatives over the years.

We are also grateful to our clients who collaborate with us daily to create outstanding spaces that energize the cities where people live, work, learn, and play. It is indeed an honor to be a part of your efforts.

UDA recognizes and appreciates the contributions of both current and former team members, as well as collaborators, who have worked on 60 years of transformative projects.

1964–2024

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