Principles of Placemaking Guide
Principles of Placemaking Guide
Community Placemaking
and Making Places Special:
Professional Guide
By Steve Grabow
May 1, 2009
Version
Acknowledgements The project also benefited from the contributions of
several of the most prominent community design
organizations in Wisconsin. They have participated
The author acknowledges a long list of people in a 2006 “Placemaking Imagery Forum” and/or
and organizations who have contributed to this have provided other assistance. Each organization,
publication. In particular, I recognize the University the participating principles and their contact
of Wisconsin-Extension (UWEX) “Downtown Vitality information is provided in the Project Contributors
and Community Placemaking Team”. While the and Resources section.
membership of this team has varied, the leadership
of colleagues Chuck Law from the UWEX Local Appreciation is also extended to the many local
Government Center and Bill Ryan from the UWEX officials and citizens who have participated in
Center for Community Economic Development the extensive planning activities in Jefferson
(CCED) has been greatly appreciated. In addition, County and within the various public, nonprofit
the team’s Graphic Imagery Work Group made and business communities. The support from
major contributions to the project by planning a leaders and participants in the many formal and
Placemaking Forum and assisting in the selection informal initiatives related to community planning,
of a vast array of images for this project. This work community placemaking and community livability
group included the author and Sue Thering from is admired and greatly valued.
the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department
of Landscape Architecture and Dan Wilson A debt of gratitude is extended to Linda Woolridge
now Professor Emeritus. Other members of the from the UWEX Jefferson County Office, who
Placemaking Team included Matt Kures from the has provided continuously high quality program
UWEX CCED, Bill Rizzo from UWEX Dane County, support to this effort. Her administrative
Dale Mohr from UWEX Oconto County, Will proficiencies for this and countless other projects
Andresen from UWEX Iron County, Jim Resick from are sincerely appreciated.
UWEX Outagamie County, Tim Kane from UWEX
Ashland County, and Dan Kuzlik from UWEX Oneida
County. Interim State Program Director Tom Blewett
has also been, very supportive of this effort and has
expedited special funding resources.
Functional Area III: Preserved Natural and Cultural Resources and Environment........................13
Principle 10: Environmental Resources and Parks: Preserved and Consciously
Integrated into the Fabric of the Community.....................................................14
Principle 11: Preserved Farmland and Related Open Space....................................................15
Principle 12: Historic and Cultural Resources Consciously Preserved i
and Integrated Contemporary Settings.................................................................16
Functional Area I
Planners have sought to keep a clear visual Future development patterns that are more
distinction between town and country; the “green compact and contiguous to existing development
belt” planning concept is the most important policy make communities more sustainable. (Beatley,
for the urban fringe and to define the urban-rural 2000)
2 relationship. (Hauge, 2005)
4 Community Preference
Urban villages and town centers are beginning to
appear on urban infill sites and in redevelopment
areas including brownfield sites often to serve a
nearby workforce or residences. (Bohl, 2002)
Community Preference
Survey research indicates the need for more diverse
residential, retail, hotel and office formats. (Bohl,
2002)
Trends
Urban villages are “a blend of old-fashioned
neighborhood living and 21st century technology
and convenience.” (Bohl, 2002)
Large, turn of the century homes line a street in This neighborhood in Wauwatosa, WI with variation
Watertown in materials used to build homes
Principles of Community Placemaking &
Functional Area I: Effective and Functional Physical Configuration
Trends
The true neighborhood pattern has been lost in
the “uniform housing tracts” that have become the
neighborhood norm on the edges and recently
annexed areas of communities. (Barnett, 2007)
Middleton Hills, WI has higher density residential City of La Crosse’s land use plan calls for dense growth
development on the fringe of the community surrounded by greenspace on the urban fringe
Making Places Special: Professional Guide
Functional Area I: Effective and Functional Physical Configuration
Principle 7: A Mix of Housing Types and Households with Different Income Levels
Improvements in the community should benefit all The Common Bond Senior Residences in Watertown,
the residents at all income levels. WI offers a senior community near traditional homes
Economic Benefits
An adequate supply of housing for the residents
who are economically well off is very much in the
community’s economic interest, in particular, given
the importance of the service sector economy.
(Bunnell, 2002, adaptations by Grabow)
Functional Area II
User-Friendly and
Efficient Circulation
Interconnected networks of streets should be Many activities of daily living should occur within
designed to encourage walking, reduce the walking distance, allowing independence to those
number and length of automobile trips and who do not drive, especially the elderly and the
conserve energy. (Urban Design Associates, 2003) young. (Charter of the New Urbanism)
Transit Roadways
Value and Importance Value and Importance
Transit corridors, when properly planned and The street is the basic organizing feature for the
coordinated, can help organize metropolitan livable community. (Barnett, 2003, adaptations by
structure and revitalize urban centers. (Urban Grabow)
Design Associates, 2003)
Respect for Different Modes
In contemporary communities, development must
Mixed use formats based on traditional towns
adequately accommodate automobiles, but must
and villages have been embraced, in part, for
do so in ways that respect the pedestrian and the
their potential to create desirable, high-density
form of public space. (Urban Design Associates,
residential neighborhoods clustered around transit
2003) 11
stations - an arrangement that can, in turn, reinforce
transit ridership. (Bohl, 2002) Transportation Experience
Transit and Density It is not deemed enough that a road should serve
Appropriate building densities and land uses as a means of communication from one place to
should be within walking distance of transit stops, another, it is also desired that it should afford some
permitting public transit to become a viable dignity of approach to important places, and be a
alternative to the automobile. (Urban Design pleasant way for the passer-by. (Bohl, 2002)
Associates, 2003)
Sound Circulation System Design
Community Preference The circulation system for a community should be
Transit-oriented projects are striking a responsive make up of an interconnected network of streets
chord with homebuyers, many of whom are making and walkways that form a grid, which provides
home purchases based on little more than the multiple routes for cars, bikes and pedestrians to
promise of future transit service. (Bohl, 2002) move from one block to the next. (Bohl, 2002)
The Intermodal Station in Milwaukee, WI connects A wide variety of modes of transportation allow for
travelers through bus and train transportation smooth metropolitan movement
Making Places Special: Professional Guide
12
13
Principle 10: Environmental Resources and Parks: Preserved and Consciously Integrated
into the Fabric of the Community
Premier Farmland
Southern Wisconsin and Jefferson County have
been identified in a region considered as some
of the finest soils for farming in the Midwest, as
is a nationally significant area for food and fiber
production. (Lewis, 1996)
Principle 12: Historic and Cultural Resources Consciously Preserved and Integrated into
Contemporary Settings
16 Preservation Ethic
A new preservation ethic has evolved which
suggests that any old building should be saved
unless there are clear economic or design reasons
why it has to make room for new development.
(Barnett, 2003)
Contemporary Responses
New development should provide a
contemporary response which is subtle.
(Tibbalds, 1992)
17
Functional Area IV
Principle 13: Strong Local Character, Community Identity and a Sense of Place
Sense of place reflects our appreciation of the There must be a sufficiently dense concentration for
design elements, style, colors, textures, patterns, people, for whatever purposes they may be there.
odors and sounds of a given place. (Lewis, 1996) This includes dense concentrations in the case of
people who are there because of residence. (Jane
Stimulating Places Jacobs in Tibbalds, 1992)
18
Variety in the scale of the spaces we inhabit,
spatial diversity, stimulates our imaginations and A good environment and an attractive public realm
thus contributes to the quality of our lives. (Lewis, are not just created by professional specialists -
1996) architects, town planners, engineers, landscape
architects and so on - or even just by the patrons
Streets and squares should be safe, comfortable of those professionals. They are created and
and interesting to the pedestrian; properly maintained by the love and care of the people who
configured, they encourage walking and enable live and work in a town or city. (Tibbalds, 1992)
neighbors to know each other and to protect their
communities. (Urban Design Associates, 2003)
Harley Davidson has a strong presence in Miller Brewing Company continues the beer brewing
Milwaukee. tradition that Milwaukee is known for
Principles of Community Placemaking &
Functional Area IV: Enhanced Local Identity and Sense of Place
21
Functional Area V
Attributes to Instinctively
Draw Us to Places
Corridors as Connectors
Corridors are regional connectors of
neighborhoods and districts; they range from Signage in Lake Mills, WI guides vehicular traffic and
22 boulevards and rail lines to rivers and parkways. pedestrians to destinations within the city
(Urban Design Associates, 2003)
Street Connections
The street is the city’s major public forum and its
careful definition and design is a major element
of urban design; we need to reestablish the
importance of the street as a key component in
the urban fabric. (Tibbalds, 1992)
Transit Connections
Appropriate building densities and land uses Bike routes in Watertown, WI link to almost all areas of
should be within walking distance of transit stops, the city including the downtown
permitting public transit to become a viable
alternative to the automobile. (Urban Design
Associates, 2003)
Walking Connections
Many activities of daily living should occur within
walking distance, allowing independence to
those who do not drive especially the elderly and
young. (Urban Design Associates, 2003)
Bikes, trains, trams and buses all converge at the
Most blocks must be short; that is streets and
Heidelberg, Germany train station
opportunities to turn corners must be frequent.
(Jane Jacobs in Tibbalds, 1992)
Principles of Community Placemaking &
Functional Area V: Attributes to Instinctively Draw Us to Places
Principle 19: Many Choices and Many Things to Do with Sociable Settings
27
Barnett, Jonathan, “Smart Growth in a Changing World”. Planning: The Magazine of the American Planning
Association, March 2007: 29.
Beatley, Timothy. Green Urbanism: Learning from European Communities. Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2000.
Bohl, Charles C. Placemaking: Developing Town Centers, Main Streets, and Urban Villages. Washington D.C.:
ULI-Urban Land Institute, 2002.
Bunnell, Gene. Making Places Special: Stories of Real Places Made Better by Planning. Chicago: American
Planning Association Planners Press, 2002.
Carmona, Matthew. “Sustainable Urban Design”. In Layard, Antonia; Davoudi, Simin and Batty, Susan
(Editors). Planning for a Sustainable Future. London, Spon Press, 2001.
Costa, Fernando. “Comment: An Ambitious Movement and its Prospects for Success.” JAPA, Journal of the
American Planning Association, Autumn, 2005: 378-380.
Davoudi, Simin and Layard, Antionia. “Sustainable Development and Planning: An Overview.” In Layard,
Antonia; Davoudi, Simin and Batty, Susan (Editors). Planning for a Sustainable Future. London: Spon
31
Press, 2001
Downs, Anthony. “Smart Growth: Why We Discuss It More Than We Do It”. JAPA, Journal of the American
Planning Association, Autumn, 2005: 367-378.
Ewell, Maryo Gard; Warlum, Michael F. The Arts in the Small Community. Washington D.C.: Americans for the
Arts, 2006.
Ford, Larry R. America’s New Downtowns: Revitalization or Reinvention? Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins
University Press, 2003.
Garvin, Alexander; Berens, Gayle. Urban Parks and Open Space. Washington D.C.: ULI-Urban Land Institute,
1997.
Girling, Cynthia L.; Helphand, Kenneth I. Yard, Street, Park. New York: John Wiley & Sons
Godschalk, David R. “Land Use Planning Challenges: Coping with Conflicts in Visions of Sustainable
Development and Livable Communities. JAPA, Journal of the American Planning Association, Winter,
2004: 5-14
Grabow, Steven H. “An Introduction to Placemaking and Making Places Special”, 2003.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/jefferson/cnred/cnred.html
Grabow, Steven H. “Exploring the Visioning Process”, Governor’s Conference on Downtown Revitalization,
October 5, 2004. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/jefferson/cnred/cnred.html
Grabow, Steven H.; Hilliker, Mark; and Moskal, Joseph. Comprehensive Planning and Citizen Participation.
University of Wisconsin-Extension (G3810). Madison: Board of Regents of the University of
the University of Wisconsin, 2006.
Grabow, Steven H.; Thering, Susan; Wilson, Daniel. “Placemaking Imagery Forum”. Downtown Vitality and
Community Placemaking Team of the University of Wisconsin-Extension, February 1, 2006.
Hague, Cliff. “Identity, Sustainability and Settlement Patterns”. In Hague, Cliff and Jenkins, Paul (Editors).
Place Identity, Participation and Planning. London: Routledge, 2005.
Lewis, Jr., Philip H. Tomorrow By Design: A Regional Design Process for Sustainablity. New York: John Wiley &
Sons, 1996.
Nelessen, Anton Clarence. Visions for a New American Dream. Chicago: American Planning Association
Planners Press, 1994.
Sucher, David. City Comforts: How to Build an Urban Village. Seattle: City Comforts Press, 1995.
Smith, Kennedy; Joncas, Kate; Parish, Bill. Revitalizing Downtowns: The Professional’s Guide to the Main Street
Approach. Washington D.C.: National Main Street Center, National Trust for Historic Preservation,
1996.
Urban Design Associates; Ray Gindroz, Principal Author. Urban Design Handbook. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 2003.
Vierbicher and Associates, Madison. Gary Becker and David Marquardt. www.vierbicher.com
Another prominent community design firm who has reviewed and commented on the 19 principles
includes:
Administrative Support:
Linda Woolridge, UW-Extension Administrative Secretary
Author:
Steve Grabow, Professor
Community Development Educator
University of Wisconsin-Extension
Jefferson County Office
864 Collins Road, Jefferson, WI 53549
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (920) 674-7295
Website: www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/jefferson May 1, 2009
35
Appendix:
Comprehensive Practice Guide
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/jefferson/cnred/cnred.
Summary of How the Resource is htm
Used:
In summary, these resources have been widely used
and distributed in Jefferson County and with UWEX
PowerPoint Presentation
colleagues. (Downtown/Main Street Groups-2,
Towns-5, Villages-1, Cities-5, County-1, UWEX
The four PowerPoint slide show presentations
Colleagues-Southern District CNRED, Eastern District
include the 19 placemaking principles organized
CNRED, Land Use Team.)
over 5 functional components or themes areas.
Each principle also contains graphic images
intended to visually prompt a better understanding Status of Product or Output:
of the principle.
The project is still underway and is being
This presentation has been given many times continuously enhanced. The descriptions provided
in Jefferson County. It has been given to several are as of the date shown below.
downtown organizations to launch planning efforts.
It has been used to inform community groups and Prepared By: Steve Grabow, Professor and 37
planning commissions about to begin a planning or Community Development Educator, University of
visioning initiative. It has served as a way to “inform Wisconsin-Extension, Jefferson County Office, May
and inspire the vision” with a high standard of what 1, 2009.
a community or place could be. It has been adapted
as a “worksheet and prompt sheet” for a community
tour. It has been used as a tool to help assess the
quality of “community visioning work” (i.e. the
initial community vision was compared to the “19
principles” to evaluate the extent to which a quality
vision has been reached).