ESSEX STREET PEDESTRIAN MALL STUDY - MEETING 2 FEBRUARY 8, 2011Designing the Future Pedestrian MallFebruary 8, 2011
Welcome –Mayor Kimberley DriscollBackground for tonight’s discussion
The Big PictureTonight is the second in a series of meetings
Objectives for Tonight•Engage in the design process - Second Step•Provide a framework to think about ‘Great Urban Places’•Analyze Essex Street in relationship to ‘Great Urban Places’•Share your ideas for making the mall more of a ‘Great Urban Place’
Agenda for Tonight6:30Welcome, background, objectives, agenda and ground rules6:45Review of meeting #16:55Great Urban Places – and Essex Street in relationship to ‘Great Urban Places’7:30Your ideas: “What will make Essex Street more of a ‘Great Urban Place’?”7:50Summary and Next Steps8:00Adjourn
Last Month’s Meeting - Summary•Who was here - approximately 150 people attended•We received 99 feedback cardsHow you identified your location and connection to the mall
Last Month’s Meeting - Summary•What you liked about or liked to do on the pedestrian mall – card data
Last Month’s Meeting - Summary•What you liked about or liked to do on the pedestrian mall – flipchart themes-Flexibility– Great for festivals, performing arts, walking, people-watching-Sense of Community - Salem's ‘family room’-Character– Historic, charming, nice ambiance
Last Month’s Meeting - Summary•What would you change to make the pedestrian mall better – card data
Last Month’s Meeting - Summary•What you would change to make the pedestrian mall better – flipchart themes- A smoother surface and layout for walking- More flexibility (in usage and in access)- Improved cleanliness- More restaurants- Increased security, especially at night- Simplify and re-organize landscape strategies- Better signage throughout
Presentation: “Great Urban Places”Utile has given this question some thought and has three topics to present: •What makes a great urban place?•How does a great urban place work?•How does Essex Street compare?
What makes a great urban place?
How does a great urban place work?walkable and busy. . .Copenhagen, Denmark
How does a great urban place work?social and extroverted. . .Piazza del Campo, Siena, Italy: Daily activity
How does a great urban place work?flexible for public events and activities. . .Piazza del Campo, Siena, Italy: Biannual Palio di Siena horse races
How does a urban place work?retail spills onto the streets. . .Campo de Fiori, Rome, Italy: Daily market and cafes
How does a great urban place work?open to public leisure. . .Campo de Fiori, Rome, Italy: Evening meeting place and outdoor café culture
How does Essex Street compare?
Pedestrian Mall ComparisonHow do we compare to successful pedestrian malls?Successful North American Pedestrian Malls:Church Street (Burlington, VT), Main Street (Charlottesville, VA), 3rdStreet Promenade (Santa Monica, CA), Pearl Street (Boulder, CO)Success Factors Include:‘Critical mass’ (surrounding population density and institutional presence); A high degree of connectedness and openness to surrounding urban fabric; Low regional competition for urban public leisure space; Ground level retail occupancy and engagement with outdoor mall culture
Regional Drawone of many regional urban leisure spaces(in a 75 mi radius)
Block Lengthlow urban connectivity
Street Surface
Essex Street ObservationsHow does the pedestrian mall function now?
Restaurantslack of 24-hour activity
Seasonal Events on Essex Streetlittle seasonal diversity
Shared Streets: Flexible Urban SpaceNew Road, Brighton, England (Gehl Architects)
Shared Streets: Flexible Urban SpaceDuluth Avenue, Montreal, Canada
Shared Streets: Flexible Urban SpaceDuluth Avenue, Montreal, Canada
Shared Streets: Flexible Urban Space
Shared Streets: Flexible Urban SpaceWall Street, Asheville, NC
Surface Treatmentsway-finding, traffic calming and place-making
Essex Street Dimensions opportunities and constraints
Bollards: Strategies for flexibilityFinancial District Streetscapes, New York, NY (Rogers Marvel)
Bollards: Strategies for flexibilityProspect Park Proposal, Brooklyn, NY (Jordan Yamada and Peter Zaharatos)
Activity:Defining Essex Street as a “Great Urban Place”•What ideas about Great Urban Places resonated with you? •How might they apply to Essex Street?
Closing Comments –Mayor Driscoll