McGill Values Streetscape Design in Community Development
In the bustling heart of urban landscapes, streets serve as more than mere pathways for vehicular traffic. They are the lifelines of communities, weaving together the fabric of neighborhoods and fostering social interactions. As a civil engineering, land planning and recreation, and management consulting firm with a portfolio of over 30 downtown master plans and streetscape projects, McGill has witnessed the transformative power of strategic design interventions in these town centers. Well-designed streetscapes can have a profound impact on communities, and McGill is committed to making communities better.
Aspects of Streetscape Design
Streetscape design is about creating vibrant, functional, and inclusive spaces that cater to a community’s unique and diverse needs. Here are some streetscape design priorities that will enhance the overall vitality of urban settings:
- Prioritize pedestrian-friendly infrastructure: streetscapes should prioritize pedestrians, which looks like widening sidewalks, plazas, and road crossings. Making more space for pedestrians encourages foot traffic, which can support local businesses and foster a sense of community.
- Prioritize green spaces and urban ecology: integrating green infrastructure elements beautifies streetscapes and promotes environmental sustainability. Green spaces, like trees, rain gardens, and permeable pavements, mitigate the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and enhance the overall livability of neighborhoods.
- Prioritize multi-modal accessibility: designing streetscapes with dedicated lanes for cyclists, designated drop-off zones for ride-sharing services, and efficient public transportation stops promote multi-modal accessibility. Multi-modal accessibility reduces reliance on private cars and fosters a more equitable and inclusive transportation network.
- Prioritize placemaking and cultural identity: streetscape design can celebrate a community’s cultural heritage and identity through public art installations, historical markers, and themed landscaping, which can provide streetscapes with a sense of place and civic pride.
- Prioritize economic revitalization: Well-designed streetscapes have been shown to attract investments, stimulate economic activity, and increase property values because businesses thrive in pedestrian-friendly environments.
Communicating the Value of Streetscape Design
Communicating with residents, business owners, and visitors about the value of streetscape design is an important part of gathering support for these municipal projects. Each stakeholder has a unique interest in the project and perspective, and so McGill tailors its communication strategies, like timing, method, and interest area, to each specific audience. Here are some effective strategies for engaging all stakeholders:
- Create visual renderings and simulations: use 2D and 3D renderings, virtual reality simulations, or sketches to illustrate the proposed streetscape design. Illustrations create visuals for the potential impact and benefits of the project, which makes it tangible and relatable. McGill often uses visual preference surveys to garner feedback from the public on what they might envision for the future of their town’s streetscape.
- Meet people where they are: spend time on a main street and ask residents and visitors how they feel about the space as it is today. Even though the interaction may only last 30 seconds, you will get a real-time response to how they feel about the space. These conversations provide insight on everyday issues, potential pain points, and hopes for future growth.
- Host community workshops and charrettes: organize interactive workshops and design charrettes to gather input from stakeholders and involve them in the decision-making process. Those that are involved in the process are more likely to support the project as it comes to fruition.
- Feature case studies and success stories: highlight the positive outcomes of how well-designed streetscapes have revitalized neighborhoods, attracted businesses, and improved the quality of life for residents.
- Seek partnership and collaboration: forge partnerships with local community organizations, business associations, and municipal agencies to garner support and resources for streetscape projects and demonstrate a unified commitment to enhancing the community’s urban environment.
- Clearly communicate the benefits: clearly articulate the tangible benefits of streetscape design, like economic revitalization, improved walkability, enhanced public safety, and environmental sustainability. Quantifying these benefits with data and statistics strengthens the argument for investing in streetscape projects.
Every Community has a Unique Streetscape
McGill creates customized streetscape solutions for communities. Every community has different goals, economic backgrounds, physical layouts, and demographics, among other things. McGill approaches streetscape design projects with that in mind. Below are some examples of communities we have worked with on downtown revitalization. For each, our team spent time getting to know the community’s needs and goals, which resulted in a plan that accurately responded to and fixed their specific issues.
Downtown Statesville Streetscape, Phase 2, Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville’s downtown is home to many buildings that are over a century old, but the City of Statesville is a thriving community with access to modern restaurants, breweries, and businesses. The City wanted to modernize their downtown infrastructure, and McGill stepped in to help. After completing the first phase of a modernization, the City wanted to expand the project to improve other parts of downtown. In phase two, McGill created inviting public spaces, improved pedestrian access, and enhanced the City’s overall sense of place. The City’s downtown now has pocket parks, more outdoor dining areas, larger sidewalks, parallel parking spaces, green spaces, and streetlights that keep the area well-lit. This modernization project brought the City of Statesville millions of dollars in new private investments, new businesses, more building renovations, and net positive jobs. You can read more about how streetscape work transformed the City of Statesville here: Downtown Statesville Streetscape, Phase 2.
Haywood Street, Asheville, North Carolina
McGill breathes new life into downtown art, giving it the spotlight it deserves with our Haywood Street streetscape design. Haywood Street is a heavily trafficked road in downtown Asheville. The City of Asheville and various community associations determined Haywood Street was a major safety issue, and what started as a maintenance project became a renovation. The City of Asheville’s issue was the aging sidewalk and the water and sanitary sewer piping. To plan improvements of these items, McGill held meetings with focus groups to allow residents, businesses, and property owners to provide input on the street’s future. Their feedback resulted in the creation of more pedestrian areas and an extension to the stormwater system, which revitalized the street. At the end of the project, Haywood Street had wider, safer sidewalks, an improved stormwater system, and aesthetic enhancements that add beauty to the City’s downtown. You can read more about our work here: Haywood Street Streetscape Asheville.
Gather More Ideas at the NC Main Street Conference
McGill is attending the NC Main Street Conference, and we invite you to join us in embracing the transformative potential of streetscape design in shaping vibrant and resilient urban communities. Together, let’s reimagine our urban landscapes as inclusive, sustainable, and thriving spaces for generations to come. By championing the value of investing in revitalizing our streetscapes, we can create urban environments that are visually appealing, functional, resilient, and reflective of the unique identity of the community’s unique identity. Join us on this journey of urban revitalization together, one streetscape at a time.
