Imagine Waco Workshop Presentation, 10/26/09

Downtown Planning Workshop

Overview PresentationOctober 26-27, 2009

Tonight’s Agenda

1.

Welcome Remarks and Overview Presentation (5:30-6:00pm)

2.

Downtown Mapping Exercise (6:00-7:30pm)3.

Waterfront Exercise (7:30-8:00pm)

4.

Share Visions with the Group (8:00-8:30pm)

The Greater Downtown Waco Planning Process

•

Inclusive of diverse population

•

Include people of all ages

•

Include both small and large households

•

Built upon public input

Cities are competing to be great places to live & work

Open Spaces and ParksAmenities near work

Regional Demographics are Shifting

•

Americans are growing older•

Household sizes are growing smaller –

Majority of new households won’t have children

–

Two-parent families are on the decline

•

Some population segments are living in overcrowded housing

•

Single family homes are mostly owner-occupied but multi-family includes ownership across the board

People Turning 65 Annually (1996People Turning 65 Annually (1996--2025)2025)

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Y e a r

0

50 0

1 ,00 0

1 ,50 0

2 ,00 0

Thou

sand

sPe

ople

Tur

ning

65

in Y

ear

Growth in Households without ChildrenGrowth in Households without Children

Household TypeHousehold Type

ShareShareWith ChildrenWith Children

12%12%

Without ChildrenWithout Children

88%88%SingleSingle--PersonPerson

34%34%

SourceSource: Adapted and extrapolated by Chris Nelson from Martha Farnswort: Adapted and extrapolated by Chris Nelson from Martha Farnsworth Riche, h Riche, How Changes in the Nation's Age and Household Structure Will ResHow Changes in the Nation's Age and Household Structure Will Reshape Housing hape Housing Demand in the 21st CenturyDemand in the 21st Century, HUD (2003)., HUD (2003).

An Emerging American Vision

Regional Growth Comparison (1960-2007)

65% 65%59%

55% 53% 52%

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005-2007(ACS)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

City of WacoMcLennan CountyWaco as % of County

Waco’s regional share of growth

37%

22%

32%

9%

Married-couple familes

Other families

People living alone

Other nonfamily households

Waco has a wide range of household types

QUESTION DEFINITION

THE QUESTION:

What should the City of Waco be doing to spur investment and redevelopment over the next ten years?

THE APPROACH

1.Facilitate partnerships for implementation

2.Engage Baylor University

3.Anticipate market changes

THE DEVELOPMENT

1.

Start small and concentrate development

2.

Create an 18-hour environment with residential uses

3.

Use programmed events to activate the downtown area

THE DEVELOPMENT (continued)

4)Improve connectivity to the waterfront

•

Think about extending trail system from the Waterfront through the Downtown

•

Future development should draw activity toward the Riverfront.

AUSTIN’S 2ND

STREET DISTRICT IS A COMPELLING CASE

STUDY FOR DOWNTOWN WACO

TECHNOLOGY SQUARE AT GEORGIA TECH ALSO HOLDS SME LESSONS

•WHAT–

Four city blocks of new mixed-use–

A public-private partnership development

–

Major catalyst that spurred redevelopment

–

Consists of street level retail including (

–

Also houses a new School of Management

HIGH IMPACT DEVELOPMENTS AREN’T NECESSARILY LAND INTENSIVE

Austin’s 2nd Street Development overlaid on downtown Waco, shows how little land area is needed to create a high impact mixed-use development

= Size of Austin’s 2nd Street Development

Heritage Square

Hilton

THE WACO STUDY ARE IS QUITE LARGE STUDY AREA OVERLAYED ON DOWNTOWN AUSTIN

Waco, TX Austin, TX

Because Waco’s Land area is so large, the City must focus its initial efforts on a several key redevelopment nodes

Downtown Today: a few examples

Parks and WaterfrontParks and Waterfront

Characteristics of Successful Downtowns

•

Pedestrian Friendly•

Civic Center

•

Mix of Uses•

Central Gathering Place

•

Economic Driver–

Office Center

–

Specialty Retail–

Entertainment

–

Dining

PARKING LOT 1970PARKING LOT 1970

Pioneer Square 2009Pioneer Square 2009

Exclusive Parking vs. Shared

Shared Parking: The Park Once District

Winter Park, Florida

supporting alternative modes through urban design

Infill opportunities are all around us!

Building / Rebuilding Urban Neighborhoods

Example:Zupan’s grocery store in Portland, Oregon

Building / Rebuilding Urban Neighborhoods

Example:Zupan’s Grocery store in Portland, Oregon

The original redevelopment project in an up-and-coming neighborhood

Served as an anchor and catalyst for additional housing projects

Belmont Dairy: first phase

#1

Belmont Dairy: second phase

#1#2

Additional private investment

#1#2

#3

Building confidenceEach successive project added to the neighborhood--

phasing

helped the developers manage the risk over time

Subsequent development and revitalization has taken place throughout the neighborhood.

What makes people walk?

– Walkable Distances


– Practical Destinations


– Pleasant and interesting environment at a human scale

How does a place change?

Developing new ideas: the workshop exercise

•

Participants develop their own plan for Downtown Waco

We don’t arrive with a vision…

We work together to build a vision.

The Workshop Exercise

Workshop Process

•

Interactive Mapping Exercise•

Teams of 8-10 persons

•

Develop your vision of how you would like Greater Downtown Waco look in the future

•

Create a map that shows a desired ‘end state’ regardless of what steps are needed to get

there•

Share results with the group and look for common themes

Step 1: Introduce yourself!

Set goals for your table

Chipset Envelopes

4 Pens

Scissors

Basemap

Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the workshop materials

The Workshop MapThe Workshop Map

Aerial Base

Tax Parcel Boundaries

Road Names and Rail Lines

Parks and Open Space

Bike Paths and Riverwalk Paths

Streams and Floodways

Floodplains

Existing Land Use

Workshop Game Pieces

EmploymentResidentialMixed-Use

Each Chip represents 4 Acres of Land


Each Chip represents about one downtown block

=


Each chip also represents a certain amount of housing and jobs

=

20 households per acre3 jobs per acre

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

City Neighborhood

DowntownDowntown

74 hh / ac110 jobs / ac

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Downtown

HH Jobs

Main StreetMain Street


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Main Street

HH Jobs

Neighborhood CenterNeighborhood Center


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Neighborhood Center

HH Jobs

Arterial CommercialArterial Commercial


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Arterial Commercial

HH Jobs

RenovationRenovation


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Renovation

HH Jobs

Downtown ResidentialDowntown Residential


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Downtown Residential

HH Jobs

City NeighborhoodCity Neighborhood


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

City Neighborhood

HH Jobs

Residential NeighborhoodResidential Neighborhood


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Residential Neighborhood

HH Jobs

OfficeOffice


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Office

HH Jobs

Light IndustryLight Industry


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Light Industry

HH Jobs

020406080

100120

Downt

own

Downt

own

Reside

ntial

Main

Stre

et

Neighb

orho

od C

enter

Arteria

l Com

mercia

lLig

ht In

dustr

y

City N

eighb

orho

od

Reside

ntial

Neig

hbor

hood

Office

Renov

ation

Dwelling Units per Acre Jobs per Acre

Housing and Jobs by Chip Type


2nd 25,000 people1st 25,000 people

There are 2 packets There are 2 packets

Workshop ChipsetWorkshop Chipset

The chip sets represent ways of placing the growth that Waco is expecting in the coming decades

Chip Trading

•

Worksheet available at each table –

this will help you trade

=

=

Example Trade

Step 3: Review the map and your goals

Designate desired:

•

Open space, green corridors and conservation areas

•

Historic districts and other significant areas

Step 4: Decide where NOT to grow

Sample

Step 5: Experiment with Chip Arrangements

•

Cut out your chips and begin placing them in strategic locations –

but don’t stick them

down yet!

Bicycle & Pedestrian Networks

Transit

Roadways & Highways

Step 6: Draw transportation infrastructure

SampleEspecially in areas you expect to have new jobs or housing!

Once you have all

come to an agreement

on the vision, stick your

chips down

Step 7: Stick down your chips

Step 8: Name your map and choose a presenter

Step 9: Riverfront Design Exercise

•

How should the Greater Downtown area relate to the Brazos River?

•

What kind of activities and amenities should be on the riverfront?

•

Where should they go?

Riverfront Design Exercise

RiverfrontCHIPS

River Design Exercise

Successful Waterfront:Knoxville- Improved connectivity with neighboring downtown

- Public boat ramp

- Pedestrian Pier

- Riverside Park

- Townhouse/Condo Developments

Successful Waterfront:Louisville Waterfront Park

- Public gathering space

- Festival plaza

- Greenspace

- Flanks residential, office, and retail spaces

Successful Waterfront:Minneapolis Mills District

- Urban design element blends newresidential developments w/ existingindustrial shells

- Recreational/Commuter Bike Path

- Park: Mix of green space and historical industrial structures

Some Existing Uses

Some Potential Uses: Festivals & Events

Playgrounds

Fountains

Farmers Markets

Sports Fields or Garden Spaces

Chips for the Riverfront Exercise

Chips for the Riverfront Exercise

Step 10: Present Your Table’s Work

After the workshop, each table’s plan is analyzed and recorded…

Workshop ResultsWorkshop Results

Workshop ResultsWorkshop Results

Building a Scenario

Preparation of a Concept Plan with Implementation Preparation of a Concept Plan with Implementation StrategiesStrategies

Let the Workshop

Begin!

Let the Workshop

Begin!

Technology

Imagine Waco Workshop Presentation, 10/26/09