Since late fall I’ve been struggling with exploring possibilities in regard to defining next steps for The Heart of Roanoke. Should it be a formal organization as defined by IRS codes? Should I continue it under my existing professional corporation? How can we engage more input from the community and design professionals? These remain questions for which I am seeking input.
When I began this adventure several months ago, my vision was that I would go through the urban design procedures that I have throughout my career in an open forum. It would be an Urban Design Lab online. Finally, during this period of “cabin fever”, I’ve realized that I have needed to get back on my original track. After months of data collection, photo comments, walking photo tours & model building; the next step is Seeking Opportunities.
The process of seeking opportunities includes spotlighting underutilized areas of downtown; disconnected circulation patterns; and infrastructure shortcomings, including utilities, streetscaping and aesthetic detractions. The following step will include proposing, critiquing, and evaluating proposed solutions to each of the spotlighted areas or problems, incrementally, yet, maintaining focus and impact on adjacent areas.
I’ll begin posting descriptions of each of the spotlighted areas, identifying problems and issues that would benefit by correction. We’ll be seeking comments from everyone focused on those identified problem areas.
I very often like to describe Community Design & Planning to gardening. Both do best with an initial plan that considers circulation, orientation to the sun, compatible planting & uses, tilling, cultivating, weeding, tending. Both are organisms that need continuing attention.
During this current stage of our adventure, we are spotlighting problem areas in our garden that need attention to allow the garden to flourish. We’ll begin on the North side of Downtown and follow with the rest of Downtown.
Repost of Jim Bier comment from February 12, 2010
ReplyDeleteHi Eldon,
I remember a Charrette process decades ago for Roanoke City planning. That seemed very positive, and it included some face-to-face (f2f) time and and iterative process. I'd really like to see some sponsorship or buy-in from City for this commuunity development process - else it seems we encounter the 'nih' - not invented here negative response whenever government is eventually needed to help implement ideas. I also think an iterative process with on-line component and f2f components."