Ordinance 2921-06 - Laserfiche WebLink

CHAPTER 6 As I tell city and regional leaders around the country, the key to success today lies in developing a world-class people climate.... By this / mean a general strategy aimed at attracting and retaining people—especially, but not limited to, creative people. This entails remaining open to diversity and actively working to cultivate it, and investing in the lifestyle amenities that people really want and use often, as opposed to using financial incentives to attract companies, build professional sports stadiums or develop retail complexes. The benefits of this kind of strategy are obvious. Whereas companies— or sports teams for that matter—that get financial incentives can pull up and leave at virtually a moment's notice, investments in amenities like urban parks, for example, last for generations. Other amenities—like bike lanes or off-road trails for running, cycling, rollerblading or just walking your dog— benefit a wide swath of the population. Richard Florida: The Rise of the Creative Class M, Open Space and Other Public Amenities Summary Adequate parks and open space are essential to a successful downtown for they serve a wide variety of human needs including passive recreation such as resting, eating lunch, or meeting a friend, active recreation such as children's play, dog exercise, and court sports, celebrations, public events, festivals and performances, a setting for art and other amenities, and simply providing sunlight, air greenery and visual relief from a dense urban setting. While in most American cities, streets and sidewalks provide for some of these functions, there is still the need for dedicated, multi-purpose open space. Analysis of local needs in downtown Everett identified the following emerging needs. Although some types of spaces are not immediately necessary, they will become increasingly essential as downtown Everett evolves toward its vision. • Neighborhood oriented public open space for residents, particularly in the Grand/Rucker/Hoyt Avenues vicinity. • Small public or private seating areas integrated into adjacent business activities • A focal park or open space that is identified as the center of town and that can be used for celebrations, festivals, performances and other civic events. • Open space enhancements to civic facilities to increase their use and attractiveness. • Better connections to recreational and open space opportunities outside downtown. The recommendations below address these five needs. In addition the following three considerations are especially critical in planning and designing successful downtown parks and open space. Mix of park uses: Parks should not be designed as single purpose spaces. The greater the mix of compatible uses, the more active and vibrant the park and the more the park will be used during all times of the day and seasons of the year. MAKERS architecture and urban design 0509_ rpt_draft.doc - 6/29/06