HomeMy WebLinkAboutIntro and exec summaryIOWA CITY DOWNTOWN AND PEDESTRIAN MALL
STREETSCAPE PLAN UPDATE
MASTER PLAN REPORT FEBRUARY 2014
REVIEW COPY
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FEBRUARY 2014
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4
introduction
master plan study area
master plan goals + objectives
EXISTING CONDITIONS 9
site assessment
utility analysis
STAKEHOLDER INPUT 21
introduction
steering committee
stakeholder meetings
public meetings
mindmixer
event monitoring
sustainability workshop
STREETSCAPE COMPONENTS 33
wayfinding + identity
lighting + electrical
sustainability
transportation enhancements
landscape + plant material
materials + kit of parts
public art
STREETSCAPE PLANNING 65
street hierarchy diagram
street vision plans
PEDESTRIAN MALL PLANNING 105
introduction
ped mall goals + objectives
blackhawk mini-park
secondary destinations
planning framework
POLICY 139
introduction
sidewalk café policy
signage policy
purple meters
maintenance
IMPLEMENTATION 147
introduction
quick start projects
project area cost summary
phasing strategy
project improvement framework
prioritization
funding sources
APPENDICES
[ under separate cover ]
site assessment report
utility analyses
event monitoring
public input summaries
policy research
cost opinions
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
STEERING COMMITTEE
Geoff Fruin City of Iowa City, Assistant to the City Manager
Wendy Ford City of Iowa City, Economic Development Coordinator
Rick Fosse City of Iowa City, Director of Public Works
Mike Moran City of Iowa City, Director of Parks and Recreation
Jim Throgmorton City of Iowa City, City Councilman
Nancy Bird Iowa City Downtown District, Executive Director
Bill Nusser Iowa City Downtown District, Business Owner
Jim Mondanaro Iowa City Downtown District, Business Owner
Shane Schemmel Summer of the Arts, Associate Executive Director
Bob Brooks University of Iowa, Assoc. Director of Landscape Services
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE . CITY OF IOWA CITY
Kris Ackerson Assistant Transportation Planner
Chris O’Brien Director of Transportation Services
Ron Knoche City Engineer
Guy Irvin Electronics Technician / Traffic Engineer
Sheri Thomas Senior Maintenance Worker - Central Business District
Terry Robinson Superintendent of Parks and Forestry
Mark Rummel Assoc. Director of Transportation Services
David Schwindt Police Officer
Jorey Bailey Police Officer
PLANNING TEAM
Genus Landscape Architects
studioINSITE
Conservation Design Forum
MMS Consultants
KCL Engineering
ArtHOUSE Design
MindMixer
Contact
For more information on this plan update, contact :
Geoff Fruin
Assistant to the City Manager |City of Iowa City
319.356.5013
Geoff-Fruin@iowa-city.org
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SECTION 1
Executive Summary
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INTRODUCTION
Much has been written about the eclecticism and vibran-
cy of downtown Iowa City, a dynamic destination for the
community and the region with a rich mix of retail, unique
dining, nationally recognized special events and festivals,
a distinctive public art program, and inspired entertain-
ment venues. At its heart, the iconic Pedestrian Mall has
long been recognized and celebrated as a place where
people of all ages and demographics come together.
The Study Area for this plan extends from Bloomington
Street on the north to Burlington Street on the south, and
from Gilbert Street on the east to Clinton Street on the
west. The streetscapes and public spaces throughout the
study area developed at different times and under inde-
pendent plans. As a result, the condition and character
of the streetscapes vary considerably. And, as a simple
byproduct of time, some of the public spaces and street-
scape amenities are showing visible signs of deterioration.
The intent of the current study is to prepare an updated
master plan that will focus on the components necessary
for a successful, contemporary streetscape that reflects
the evolving social, cultural, and commercial needs of the
community. The resultant master plan report, The Iowa City
Downtown and Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan Update,
builds on existing strengths and provides key recommen-
dations that will refresh and unify the downtown core and
the Pedestrian Mall.
The Plan seeks to balance the needs of varied user groups
and reflects the understanding that streets play a multifac-
eted role. ‘Good streets’ have meaning for people, are
accessible to all, are well maintained, and are engaging;
they are an important part of everyday life in the public
realm. If fully and thoughtfully realized, this Plan will bring a
number of benefits to downtown Iowa City.
BENEFITS TO DOWNTOWN IOWA CITYDistinctive and unified streetscape design: A consistent
palette of unique & quality streetscape components [ light
fixtures, seating, litter receptacles, bike racks, planters ] will
create a cohesive downtown identity.
An updated and inspired wayfinding and identity frame-work: New gateways and wayfinding kiosks will improve
legibility of the City and provide a means of orientation for
visitors and guests.
Improved pedestrian safety, comfort, and accessibility:
Enhanced crosswalks, bump-outs, and pedestrian refuge
islands along select streets will improve downtown’s walk-
ability. New paving, seating, and pedestrian scale lighting
will improve the sense of safety and facilitate use.
New and improved public gathering spaces: The Plan cre-
ates a series of secondary destinations across the study
area that will appeal to the range of user groups.
Enhanced bicycle accommodations: Sheltered bicycle
parking and designated bicycle lanes will support and fur-
ther Iowa City as a bicycle-friendly community.
A contemporary and sustainable lighting framework: A
multi-layered lighting framework consisting of pedestri-
an and roadway lights, architectural lighting, enhanced
storefront lighting, identity lighting, and illuminated wayfin-
ding elements will create a unique downtown identity and
encourage night time use.
Replacement of aging infrastructure: The existing sanitary
sewer, potable water, gas, fiber, and storm sewer systems
were analyzed to guide future infrastructure improve-
ments.
Green infrastructure strategies: An energy efficient LED
lighting system, recycling stations, solar panels at bicycle
shelters, enhanced transportation choices, sustainable
education and outreach opportunities, and permeable
pavement systems and bioretention planting areas at se-
lect areas will demonstrate the City’s commitment to sus-
tainability.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY| INTRODUCTION
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THE ORGANIZATION OF THE PLAN The Iowa City Downtown and Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan Update consists of the following sections. An expla-nation of each section and its contents are noted below to assist users in finding content.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXISTING CONDITIONS
STAKEHOLDER INPUT
STREETSCAPE COMPONENTS
STREETSCAPE PLANNING
PEDESTRIAN MALL PLANNING
POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION
APPENDICES
The Study Area for the Iowa City Downtown and Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan Update comprises sixteen blocks, or approximately 65 acres.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY| INTRODUCTION
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Section 1 gives a brief introduction to the project, high-lights the organization of the plan, and concludes with master plan goals and objectives,
2 EXISTING CONDITIONSSection 2 of the plan summarizes the site assessment process which included a combination of field analysis, stakeholder engagement, and review of information and mapping provided by the City of Iowa City. As part of this process, the existing wayfinding and identity elements, sidewalk cafes, context, accessibility, architectural pat-terns and streetscape components were reviewed. In an effort to better understand the existing infrastructure, a utility analysis examined the sanitary sewer, storm sew-er, and water supply within the Study Area and consid-ered projected demand for these utilities into the future. The utility analyses included consultations with local utility companies and interviews with key representatives from the City. The information gathered during the site assess-ment phase informed key recommendations for each of the streets and the pedestrian mall.
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3 STAKEHOLDER INPUT
Within Section 3, the Iowa City Downtown and Pedestrian
Mall Streetscape Plan Update reflects the dedicated par-
ticipation and input of the project steering and technical
committee and an invested public. The steering and tech-
nical committee was composed of City of Iowa City lead-
ers, local business leaders, and representatives from the
Iowa City Downtown District, Summer of the Arts (SOTA),
and the University of Iowa. To ensure the resulting plan
reflects the needs of the larger community, the Plan was
developed with significant public input. Three public in-
put meetings took place over the course of a nine- month
planning process [ full project duration ] and over four
hundred persons participated in the meetings. Addition-
ally, throughout the entire master plan process, the public
was able to submit ideas online via the project website,
inspiredowntownic.com, resulting in an additional 435 par-
ticipants along the way.
4 STREETSCAPE COMPONENTS
This section promotes a strong ensemble of high-quality
materials, amenities and furnishings that reinforce a unique
and positive downtown image. The proposed palette of
materials will give downtown a consistent character and
quality. While certain components, such as benches or
trash receptacles, will be applied consistently throughout
the study area, others, such as limestone light pole bas-
es or banners, may be recommended only along select
streets to better distinguish a specific street role or function.
Taken as a whole, the components ensure a consistent vo-
cabulary for the downtown and Pedestrian Mall. The sec-
tion addresses the following components.
wayfinding + identity
lighting + electrical
sustainability
transportation enhancements
landscape + plant material
materials + kit of parts
public art
5 STREETSCAPE PLANNING
Providing an overview of each street and the key im-
provement recommendations that were identified for it,
this section offers design narrative, street vision plans, ren-
derings, and sections within the plan to outline how and
where these recommendations should be implemented.
Key planning recommendations for each street were cat-
egorized per the following.
Transportation Enhancements address how and
where to improve vehicular, bicyclist, and pedestrian
movement.
Lighting opportunities identify and locate the type of
light(s) proposed for each street.
Sustainable Enhancements identify opportunities for
green infrastructure strategies such as bioretention
planting areas, infill trees, recycling stations, and per-
meable pavement systems.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY| INTRODUCTION
Wayfinding and Identity elements create gateways
and inform use along select streets.
Utility recommendations address aging infrastructure
and the undergrounding of any existing overhead util-
ity lines.
Other improvements such as vegetation, seating, and
paving improvements are identified.
6 PEDESTRIAN MALL PLANNING
The Pedestrian Mall is a truly unique asset that sets Iowa
City apart from other cities. Its long-term success can be
attributed to the mix of uses including successful restau-
rants, new residential properties, entertainment venues,
and its adjacency to the University of Iowa. Across the US,
there is renewed interested in pedestrian-only spaces.
With nearly forty years having passed since the opening
of the Pedestrian Mall and the most recent improvements
taking place in 1999, the Pedestrian Mall needs a ‘selec-
tive editing’ of components to continue to attract and
support unique businesses, to fulfill the evolving needs
of diverse user groups, and to address years of deferred
maintenance.
Material presented in this section illustrates an analysis
framework for existing conditions, recommendations for
a new layer of secondary destination spaces across the
Pedestrian Mall and overall planning suggestions to re-in-
vigorate and update the Pedestrian Mall.
7 POLICY
With a focus of re-aligning City policy with streetscape
and pedestrian mall planning goals, Section 7 describes
the City’s current sidewalk café and signage policy, the
purple meter program, and maintenance-related issues
and requirements.
8 IMPLEMENTATION
In order to move the planning from vision to reality, the
master plan report concludes with the identification and
prioritization of recommended projects, as well as a cost
summary for improvements associated with each street
and the pedestrian mall. The prioritization of projects in-
cludes phasing recommendations for quick start [ sudden
impact or critical maintenance / safety projects ], short
term [ 1-3 year ] and long term projects [ 5-15 year ] to
assist the City of Iowa City in fiscal planning and deci-
sion-making for the next 10-15 years.
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Copies of the full site assessment report, utility analysis, the
Iowa Arts Festival summary, a record of the public input
from the three public meetings, sidewalk café policy re-
search from similar cities, and cost opinions are provided
under separate cover.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | MASTER PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
• Celebrate the history and culture of Iowa City.
• Create a memorable public space at Black Hawk Mini
Park.
• Improve the children’s play area and the ‘Weather
Dance’ fountain stage space.
• Create a focal point and Ped Mall gateway at
Dubuque and Washington.
• Improve festival and public event opportunities.
• Improve bicycle connectivity and bicycle parking ac-
commodations.
• Improve the pedestrian experience, especially along
Burlington and Gilbert.
• Improve connectivity between the Northside Market-
place, the core of Downtown, the Iowa River, and the
Riverfront Crossings.
• Reinforce the public artwork program.
• Enhance the tree planting program.
• Identify good elements of the existing streetscape.
• Enhance the walkability of Downtown.
• Enhance the opportunities for families including the
play area at the Library.
• Evaluate the adequacy & condition of existing utilities.
• Assess current and future needs per the 2012 Master
Plan Yield Analysis.
• Make recommendations on utility improvements.
• Improve the special event infrastructure.
• Explore & incorporate green infrastructure strategies.
• Promote the use of sustainable and low maintenance
materials.
• Improve recycling opportunities.
• Incorporate art and technology into the streetscape
that celebrates the University’s many resources.
• Create a subtle yet unified streetscape expression that
promotes the physical and visual engagement of the
University with the Downtown.
• Develop a Gateway element as an entry feature to
the University and to the City.
• Create a lighting framework that informs use and en-
hances wayfinding.
• Incorporate creative architectural lighting at historic
buildings, public art projects and other notable loca-
tions.
• Create opportunities for year-round and seasonal
lighting.
• Create a sense of arrival at key points throughout the
study area.
• Create a gateway into the Ped Mall at Washington
and Dubuque.
• Improve transportation/parking-related signage to as-
sist visitors.
ENHANCE THE PUBLIC REALM
BUILD ON EXISTING STRENGTHS
ADDRESS AGING INFRASTRUCTURE
ENHANCE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP & BECOME A ‘GREEN’ DOWNTOWN
STRENGTHEN ‘TOWN AND GOWN’ IMAGE
DEVELOP A MULTI-LAYERED, FLEXIBLE LIGHTING FRAMEWORK
ENHANCE THE WAYFINDING NETWORK