Visualizing Community Design

A first draft of ideas for study districts

February 2, 2007 - After more than two days of listening to citizen concerns and hopes, the PlaceMakers design team posted designs in progress for a public "pin-up" Friday night. Sketches for potential site plans in six districts under study addressed issues city leaders and residents have brought to the on-going charrette.

An enthusiastic crowd of some 100 people - many of whom attended multiple meetings since Wednesday night's opening presentation - watched and listened as planners explained their thinking. Earlier in the day, PlaceMakers retail consultant Rod Stevens helped set a cautionary context for design work. His analysis of population trends and retail capacity pointed to slow growth and perhaps overbuilding of retail.

Stevens' cautionary perspective suggested a need for thoughtful, comprehensive approaches to not only planning and zoning but also to economic development. Read more about Stevens' analysis here.

Also factored in was the Friday morning meeting between PlaceMakers' traffic advisor, DeWayne Carver, and Lawrence public works, transportation, fire and rescue personnel, where Carver discussed the connections between the design of infrastructure, service delivery and resident quality of life. For more information on that meeting, click here.

The pin-up is a mid-point ritual for charrettes. Work in progress - warts and all - is taken directly from designers' drawing boards and taped up for an informal critique. The designers get the benefit of direct feedback from locals. Residents get a feel for the direction planners are taking ideas and can help the team make course corrections.

Local citizens were quick with thumbs-up and thumbs-down responses. Here's a quick rundown on PlaceMakers' ideas and citizen comments:

Downtown
The psychological heart of Lawrence has the sort of DNA worth replicating in new neighborhoods and infill. So architect Victor Deupi simply sketched up a streetscape for Massachusetts Street that mimicked current building types to fill in the "missing teeth" that are now vacant spaces.

Comments:

"I like showing how to integrate a grocery store downtown and keep a human-friendly streetscape."

"Do what is necessary to maintain downtown as the central business district."

"We must hold to the alley and street grids to retain the historical pattern, walkability and accessibility advantages."

"Our Farmers Market moved to a larger space (within downtown) last year. It has been very successful. Could we also support an open-air stage, covering the booths and tables with shed roofs, including local service groups for fundraisers? No money, but cohesion and goodwill."

South of Wakarusa
Parcel owners in the district told PlaceMakers they prefer keeping larger parcels intact and preserving current agricultural uses and open space. So team planner Bill Dennis designed larger green spaces, wildlife corridor connections and a flexible plan that allowed for homes on larger lots, gradual intensification of development, and perhaps a rural hamlet in the future.

Comments:

"I like the connection from residences to green space. These homes will sell fast."

"Please include recommendations regarding approach to By-Pass issue. The long term impact of 33rd Street route vs. 42nd Street (and sprawl effect) should be brought up."

West of K10
To preserve existing open space, planner Geoff Dyer drew compact neighborhoods separated by wide expanses of green areas.

Comments:

"Show residential footprints in some varying transect/density areas so people can get a feel for quantity of residences and intended intensity."

"Good placement of local commercial, but I generally hate seeing the lake area get built up."

25th and Iowa
Planner Howard Blackson suggested an alternative to the standard suburban approach by introducing block structure, bringing buildings closer to the street, and putting parking in the rear.

Comments:

"Nice blend of residences and parks."

"Will have to enforce sidewalk maintenance/shoveling on west side of Iowa so pedestrians can walk other places."

"Great connectivity improvement."

"I cannot see wholesale building demolitions being practical."

23rd and Louisiana
Geoff Dyer, PlaceMakers planner, did a series of studies tightening up the block structure and making better use of public open space.

Comments:

"Excellent long term solution to both aesthetic and transportation issues."

"Adding green space - yes! Ease the eyes."

"Cannot support wholesale building demolitions."

"Like the buildings fronting the street and the design with the interior green space (rather than on Louisiana Street)."

19th and Haskell Commercial Strip
Planner Howard Blackson compared the conventional development allowed under the current zoning regulations with the mixed-use, more compact neighborhoods enabled by the SmartCode.

Comments:

"I really like the idea of adding housing with incentives for some affordable units."

"This space needs help. The surrounding, lively neighborhood needs a grocery (not huge) to buy healthy foods."

"Like housing across from historic property. Can residents use green space on East side, or is it private? More amenities would be good here - especially groceries."

"Housing is great but commercial does not fit neighborhood - too urban."

"This area would support a higher mix of small retail/office/apartment mix rather than dense retail."

"Seems too dense. Market values would not support this much density. Do not like so much commercial facing 19th."