In a major American city, at an important urban intersection formerly occupied by a significant landmark church, a suburban style drugstore is currently under construction. After an exhaustive battle between the retailer and a coalition of preservationists and neighborhood advocates, the destruction of the church was allowed to proceed.
When complete, the drugstore will be a case study in how not to redevelop urban commercial district sites. Where the church was built to the sidewalk, the store sits behind a parking lot. Where the church defined the public realm, and was of sufficient height to be seen from some distance, the store is a typical one story, nearly windowless mashup of brick, foam trim, and badly proportioned pediments intended to mollify the community.
There was, however, no mechanism to prevent this inappropriate form of development. There was no agreed-upon urban design plan or civic vision to guide City decision-makers. Public opinion about the issue was divided, in part because the city's residents have not yet collectively decided how they want their city to look, work, and feel. With no vision to guide them, decisions are ad hoc and respond to the whims of each individual moment, or the winds of politics. Sound familiar?
By contrast, people in cities like Portland or Denver are remarkably united behind a clear idea of the characteristics, content, functions, and appearance of the city they want to inhabit. As a result, such cities are winning the competition to successfully attract talented, highly educated people, the businesses that employ them, and the resulting increases in real value and economic prosperity.
Characteristics of a Good Civic Vision
Cities, towns, and neighborhoods can derive their civic visions from the physical or conceptual characteristics that are part of the spirit of the place and give it meaning for its residents. They can include special topographical features like mountains or hills, bodies of water, a particular climate, a specific way of life, a cultural tradition, or a notable history. The best civic visions incorporate those concepts, but also stem from the people themselves knowing who they really are; the stories they tell about themselves, what they celebrate, what they stand for or represent, what they believe in and value. Expressing these ideas promotes a special sense of place. Often, people have an innate feeling for these ideas, but often can't really agree on how, or even whether, to communicate them through a consistent approach to physical design, function, and appearance of their community.
In some cities, a pervasive suspicion of and hostility toward "government" can represent a barrier toward achieving good public realm design through public action. To help overcome that barrier, the best vision plans are created within a transparent, open, public process that is intended to arrive at a consensus for what a city should be. They are based on shared community values, and meet the reality of the market. They are simultaneously created from both the top (government) down and the bottom (community) up. Most importantly, in order to be a plan and not a dream, civic visions must meet the realities of the marketplace. Only then can they be translated into public policy and subsequently implemented.
Good Design as Practical Economic Policy
Design is about how things work as well as how they look. Good design contributes to economic sustainability, even prosperity. Many cities struggle to balance the economic advantage of creating an appealing, attractive, hospitable city with the compulsion to do whatever is necessary to attract new business—any new business—at any cost. All too often, officials regard design to be an unaffordable, unnecessary luxury instead of the contribution to competitiveness and economic success that it really is.
Chicago’s Millennium Park, San Antonio’s River Walk, Toronto’s Dundas Square, and Denver’s 16th Street Mall all represent investments in the public realm that perfectly capture and communicate the spirit of their cities and the people within them. Those cities also all boast civic vision plans that guide decisions about the shape and quality of development large and small. They help those cities gain population, jobs, tourism, and the economic success that follows. They know that good civic design is not a luxury, it’s a practical investment.
Implementing the Vision
In the current economic climate, cities find their resources strained to the breaking point. Little money is available either for planning or implementation. However, because development is currently in a slow period, now is the best time to plan for whatever changes the future may bring. Some cities will grow, others contract. Having a civic vision will help them set a framework for responding to those changes.
To move the vision from plan to action, city leaders must be willing to formulate, adopt, and commit to a set of implementation policies and design guidelines backed by enforceable ordinances. They must seek new, creative ways to join with private interests to obtain financing, acquire property, and create market-driven projects that can incrementally grow over time in direct response to changes in market demand.
How We Can Help
Ray Brown Urban Design can help. We have more than thirty years of experience in helping cities, towns, and neighborhoods craft both inspiring civic visions and realistic strategies to implement them. Our services include: - Architectural and Urban Design Concepts
- Public Place Design including Streets, Parks, and Squares
- Vision Planning
- Participatory Design Workshops and Charrettes
- Performance and Form-based Zoning
- Development and Implementation Strategies including Recommended Policies
- Design Guidelines and Standards
We can assemble a team of specialists who will help you clarify, communicate, and successfully implement your vision. For more information, Contact Ray Brown Urban Design
