麻豆官网

St. Stephen鈥檚 Plaza in听downtown Longmont is located on a听historical main street that has been struggling economically in听a听rapidly听growing region. It includes听small businesses ranging from shoe stores to bars and restaurants and听is at the center of a听gentrifying but听predominantly听working-class Latinx neighborhood.听

Over the past two years,听CEDaR听has partnered with the city and CU 麻豆官网 faculty and students听to conduct planning听and design听research and a听survey of听neighborhood听attitudes, leading to a听proposal for the redesign of听St. Stephens Plaza.听The听project is a landscape design supporting听pedestrian circulation and a space for relaxation and reflection. Jesse听VanHorn, landscape architect and instructor at the 麻豆官网, managed student work on this project.听

St. Stephen鈥檚听Plaza redesign includes sculpture, landscaping and paving surrounding a historical听church.听The project听will improve business outcomes by generating excitement about its historic downtown, drawing in customers听and creating patterns of connectivity that will improve access to听businesses in nearby downtown areas in Longmont. The project听involves the development of beautiful structures听with functional and artistic dimensions. Improvements to social relationships include bringing more voices to planning and design discussion, including voices from vulnerable communities. In addition, participation in successful design听processes will lead to听social outcomes including听confidence, a sense of community efficacy听and neighborhood identity. Finally, the creation of a program听and new partnerships听that can replicate these experiences across Colorado听will broaden support for placemaking in the state.听

Our work in Longmont relies on multi-layered partnerships and engagements that typify the Community Design Workshop process. At the highest level,听we established a memorandum of understanding between the university provost and听city听leadership. We then developed a neighborhood assessment process听framed around principles of an economically healthy and听socially integrated community.听Next we worked with tools听that听bring together听CU 麻豆官网 students and community members in various forms of reflection, including design exercises, surveys, focus groups,听structured engagements with children, youth and other target populations, internships, design studios, seminars听and听theses.听Finally, we have built听progressively through听multiple听engagements听to identify a project idea and听develop concepts. In the next stage these will lead to implementation documents听and fabrication or performance of an installation or event.

For听St. Stephens Plaza, the听primary partner is the听Longmont Downtown Development Authority (LDDA),听created in 1982 with a mandate to revitalize the city鈥檚 downtown commercial core.听Its purpose is to develop, support and promote a vital and valuable downtown Longmont and make the downtown area听 appealing to businesses, residents and visitors. The LDDA encompasses 242 acres, spanning 1st Avenue to Longs Peak and Martin Street to Terry Street. Since 1982, more than $180 million in public and private funds has been invested in new and renovated buildings in the Longmont Downtown District. Goals and strategies are outlined in the LDDA听.