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Cases and Further Reading
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Civic and Cultural Amenities
Civic and cultural amenities are the facilities that are provided by government for the use of residents of the community. These include sports stadia, parks, recreational centers, courthouses, conference centers, and museums. Civic and cultural amenities are important to a community because they make a city vibrant and lively, and thus contribute to a community’s quality of life. Because these amenities are shared by all, they bring residents of the community together and hence promote shared experiences and thus community cohesion.
The Christina Cultural Arts Center in downtown Wilmington, DE enriches the downtown experience and brings people to the downtown.
The Civic Center in downtown Holland, MI.
The Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA was built in 1873 and underwent significant renovation in 2002.
City Hall in Santa Barbara is located in the downtown and next to De La Guerra Plaza. Its location provides convenient access to residents and contributes to the mix of uses found in the city’s downtown.
The Delaware History Museum, located at 504 Market Street, provides visitors with exhibits of the history of the state.
This neoclassical revival-style brick building is the seat of Henderson County government. It was built by Richard Sharp Smith in 1905.
The Chico Museum located at 2nd and Salem Street in downtown Chico, CA.
Community Gathering Space
There are several venues where residents in a community can gather. These include bars, coffee shops, churches, shopping malls, and sports stadia to name but a few. Each of these places has its role to play in a community. However, the enumerated venues are all intentional places, that is, they have a purpose. Stadiums are places to watch an athletic game, coffee shops are venues to grab a cup of coffee or eat, and churches are religious gathering places. Most important to the functioning of a community are public spaces such as plazas and community parks. The location and design of these places can enhance the civic functions of a community by providing residents with a place to commune with each other or to simply relax.
Harbor Park is a 2.6 acre recreational area along the Connecticut River. Several community events are held here and spill out into the downtown.
Rodney Square is a gathering place for downtown workers and for social events in downtown Wilmington, DE.
Union Park (South Green) in downtown Middletown, CT is where the city's festivities are held, bringing people to the downtown who also patronize shops and other venues.
Historic Preservation
A community’s uniqueness is captured through its historic artifacts whether these are in tangible products such as architecture, sculpture, battlefields, or intangibles such as festivals and performing arts. Cities that preserve their history stand to benefit by passing this heritage on to future generations but also have an asset that can attract tourists from outside, curious to learn about the heritage of the community.
The Bell Tower at the El Presidio de Santa Barbara. The bells were believed to have been cast in 1781 and 1792 in Zacatecas, Mexico.
The Bidwell mansion is a three-story Victorian-style architecture that was the home of John and Annie Bidwell from 1868 to 1918. It is now a museum.
One of the major landmarks in Santa Barbara, CA is the historic courthouse built in 1926.
This nondescript building in downtown Ripon is considered the birthplace of the Republican Party.
Mixed-Use Development
A mix of land uses is important in ensuring around-the-clock activity and preventing dead spaces at certain times during the day. In downtowns it is particularly important to balance the daytime and nighttime population by increasing residential uses that complement retail and office uses. Appropriate infill development, upper-floor condominiums and rentals, and night-time entertainment venues can support a primarily retail downtown district to ensure this healthy balance of uses.
The former Sears building in downtown Wilmington is now the Shipley Lofts, a residential place for artists.
The former gym of the E. E. Fell Middle School in Holland, MI has been sold to Evergreen Commons and now houses several social service agencies.
The former E. E. Fell Junior High School that has been converted into an elderly living facility.
The Inn at Middletown, CT is a converted National Guard Armory that is now a downtown hotel.
Public Art
Public art includes monuments, gateways, murals, and sculptures. It helps to animate public space and makes the downtown more interesting and vibrant. Public art can also be used to convey messages. As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Thus public art can be used to convey messages that celebrate the community and bring residents together. Such messages may include hope, unity, acceptance, etc.
A statue of Rodney created by James Kelly stands in Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington, DE.
This slate, erected by the Thomas Jefferson Center for Free Speech, is located along the downtown mall in Charlottesville, VA.
Streets, Alleys, and Sidewalks
Streets, alleys, and sidewalks are the arteries and veins through which circulates the downtown’s living blood of pedestrians, automobiles, and other vessels. The number, size, layout, and quality can constrain or enhance the health of the downtown.
Several plaques along Center Street provide snapshot histories of the settlement of Middletown, CT.
Several plaques along Center Street provide snapshot histories of the settlement of Middletown, CT. This one is about the Civil War era.
Scene of William P. Spear Plaza at night in downtown Middletown, CT.
Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington, DE.
Urban Design and Placemaking
A good urban form is one that provides a cohesive visual linkage between the various elements of the built environment. Thus each building’s architecture is such that it doesn’t stand in radical opposition to the other. The length of city blocks, the building materials, width of streets and sidewalks, height of buildings, landscaping, all add to the visual quality and perception of a neighborhood.
A wider view of Union Square – notice the gazebo, benches, garbage receptacles and mature trees that add to the quality of the park.
The water fountain at William P. Spear Plaza provides a soothing effect on downtown patrons.
This bicycle rack along a sidewalk in Fort Collins supports another means of getting around the downtown other than by motorized transportation.
