FS-011 Legacy Space Contemporary Use 16th Street …...16th Street Mall and Skyline Park: Adapting...
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1 ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO 16th Street Mall and Skyline Park: Adapting legacy spaces for contemporary use Presenters Brian McCarter, FASLA, AICP, ZGF Architects, LLP Thomas Balsley, FASLA, Thomas Balsley Associates John Desmond, Downtown Denver Partnership Ryan Sotirakis, ASLA, Downtown Denver Partnership ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO Learning Objectives 1. Explore Denver’s premier public space the 16th Street Mall and learn about its development and transformation over the past 30 years as Downtown has matured. 2. Learn about and discuss how a finite right-of-way shares multiple pedestrian activities while carrying 50,000 passengers a day to their downtown destinations. 3. Learn about the role of landscape architecture in place-based economic development strategies and transportation infrastructure in a growing downtown. 4. Learn about the conflicts and challenges between contemporary public use and activation strategies, and these historic urban landscapes. ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO Downtown Denver Today • Urban Center for Rocky Mountain region, Colorado and the Metro SMSA • Employment, Retail, Residential, Government, Higher Education, Professional Sports, light manufacturing – stats and trends • Urban renaissance – urban living, recreation, corporate HQ’s, culture, enterprise, higher education • Blueprint Denver: areas of stability/areas of change; downtown is area of change • 2007 Downtown Area Plan Highlights: major goals, major assets, priorities for change • Place of 16 th Street in greater downtown: opportunities and constraints; changing role • Major infrastructure investments: DUS and Civic Center Station – re-focus the importance of 16 th Street Mall; capacity limits, Free MetroRide ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO Skyline Park: Legacy, Loss & Renewal Introduction Brief History • Urban renewal process • Replaced “historic” D&F building • Halprin inherited the park space masterplan by Hatami and Tanaka and Sasaki • Public process The Plan • Response to 70’s “cities and streets are dangerous” • Retail 100’ from street and no sidewalk • Metaphorical Rock Mountain “arroyo” • Intended as “sanctuary” from city life • Sunken from street, sightlines, and circulation • Not an example of Halprin’s “celebration of the city’s rambunctious vitality”
Transcript of FS-011 Legacy Space Contemporary Use 16th Street …...16th Street Mall and Skyline Park: Adapting...
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ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
16th Street Mall and Skyline Park: Adapting legacy spaces for contemporary use
PresentersBrian McCarter, FASLA, AICP, ZGF Architects, LLP
Thomas Balsley, FASLA, Thomas Balsley AssociatesJohn Desmond, Downtown Denver Partnership
Ryan Sotirakis, ASLA, Downtown Denver Partnership
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Learning Objectives1. Explore Denver’s premier public space the 16th Street Mall and
learn about its development and transformation over the past 30 years as Downtown has matured.
2. Learn about and discuss how a finite right-of-way shares multiple pedestrian activities while carrying 50,000 passengers a day to their downtown destinations.
3. Learn about the role of landscape architecture in place-based economic development strategies and transportation infrastructure in a growing downtown.
4. Learn about the conflicts and challenges between contemporary public use and activation strategies, and these historic urban landscapes.
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Downtown Denver Today• Urban Center for Rocky Mountain region,
Colorado and the Metro SMSA• Employment, Retail, Residential,
Government, Higher Education, Professional Sports, light manufacturing – stats and trends
• Urban renaissance – urban living, recreation, corporate HQ’s, culture, enterprise, higher education
• Blueprint Denver: areas of stability/areas of change; downtown is area of change
• 2007 Downtown Area Plan Highlights: major goals, major assets, priorities for change
• Place of 16th Street in greater downtown: opportunities and constraints; changing role
• Major infrastructure investments: DUS and Civic Center Station – re-focus the importance of 16th Street Mall; capacity limits, Free MetroRide
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Skyline Park: Legacy, Loss & RenewalIntroduction
Brief History• Urban renewal process• Replaced “historic” D&F building• Halprin inherited the park space masterplan
by Hatami and Tanaka and Sasaki• Public process
The Plan • Response to 70’s “cities and streets are
dangerous”• Retail 100’ from street and no sidewalk• Metaphorical Rock Mountain “arroyo”• Intended as “sanctuary” from city life• Sunken from street, sightlines, and
circulation• Not an example of Halprin’s “celebration of
the city’s rambunctious vitality”
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ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
The Park’s Decline• Quiet space fell from favor as
downtowns are revitalized• The 16th Street mall started
downtown revitalization• Retail edge failed• Sense of danger• Dependence on artificial
programming limited by inflexible spaces
The Forces of Change• At the nexus of emerging urban core
and LODO• Rising downtown political and real
estate interests• Outreach to Halprin for advice • Masterplans by Design Workshop
and Urban Strategies recommend redesign
Skyline Park: Legacy, Loss & Renewal
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Design Selection Process • National outreach• Field visits to short list firm’s
successful public spaces
“Redesign” Process• The rise of “Friends” and influence
on Design Committee• Halprin workshop• City decision to move forward• Negotiated final plan• Change called for transition from
“stage set” to “setting an urban stage”
Incomplete Vison• Missing centerpiece Denver Heritage
Fountain at corner of 16th St. Mall• Failed retail• Incomplete north block • Public art not installed on cultural
spine
Skyline Park: Legacy, Loss & RenewalBEFORE
AFTER
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Skyline Park: Legacy, Loss & Renewal
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
The 16th Street Mall
Denver - 1970’s: smog, sprawl, traffic, downtown disinvestment
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The 16th Street Mall
American pedestrian malls – retail focused
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
The 16th Street Mall
Larger cities: pedestrian/transit malls
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
SYMMETRICAL ‐MEDIAN
ASYMMETRICAL – NO MEDIANTransitway/Mall Concept
19’ 10’ 22’ 10’ 19’
19’ 26’ 35’
The 16th Street Mall
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Precedents: Bahnhofstrasse/Zurich, La Rambla - Barcelona
The 16th Street Mall
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The 16th Street Mall
3 Iconic elements: paving, trees, lightsASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Becomes the focal point for civic life in Downtown
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Unique design of every element; design for people to enjoy
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
But cities are organic; Denver had big plans for the future1985 2007
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Downtown becomes a 24/7, mixed use city center with 16th St as the heart
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
In a decade+, Denver becomes a multimodal city
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
DUS is a game changer on a national level; 16th Street is linked to region
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
16th Street ages, changes: physical deterioration, economic changes
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ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Local social issues reflect national social issues
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Shuttle frequency steadily increases, affects “staying” quality of public realm
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
1: REORGANIZED EXISTING MEDIAN – VENDOR SPACE
3 concepts emerge: 1 – renovate/reorganize the existing
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
1 – clear the clutter, promenade the median, enhance intersections
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ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
2: EVERYDAY
2 – convert to all asymmetrical section
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
2: FESTIVAL
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
2 – consolidate ped space; reprogram the 35’ sidewalk
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
3: EVERYDAY
3 – shift to a transit couplet with 16th/15th streets
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3: FESTIVAL
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
3 – major ped space; expand program; flexibility for events; multimodal
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
3 – a reason to improve 15th StreetASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
3,000+ respondents – evenly split
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ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Decision to renovate/reorganize, some re-programming
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
2010-2014: continued experiments in re-programming median space
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
6am – 6pm:Ped only promenade
6pm – 6am: Open to light traffic, parking, deliveries
Gate on a wheel
Stevens Avenue - Calgary
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Weekdays business hours: Bus priority
Early morning hours: Deliveries
Weekend evenings, special events: ped only, cross streets open to autos
Temporary barricades
Granville Street - Vancouver
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16th Street Mall – 2040?
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Copyright Materials
This presentation is protected by US and International Copyright laws. Reproduction,
distribution, display and use of the presentation without written permission of the speaker is
prohibited.
© The American Society of Landscape Architects
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Learning Objectives1. Explore Denver’s premier public space the 16th Street Mall and
learn about its development and transformation over the past 30 years as Downtown has matured.
2. Learn about and discuss how a finite right-of-way shares multiple pedestrian activities while carrying 50,000 passengers a day to their downtown destinations.
3. Learn about the role of landscape architecture in place-based economic development strategies and transportation infrastructure in a growing downtown.
4. Learn about the conflicts and challenges between contemporary public use and activation strategies, and these historic urban landscapes.
ASLA 2014 Annual Meeting and EXPO
Q & A
