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Idaho Smart Growth partnered with the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and the Ada County Association of Realtors® (ACAR) on Placemaking in Downtown in an effort to create a game plan around shared vision for what downtown Meridian could become. Participants included the Meridian Development Corporation, Arts and Culture Council, Downtown Business Association (DBA), business owners, library, food bank, Chamber of Commerce, COMPASS representatives, Valley Regional Transit Representatives, citizens & city staff.
During a two-day planning process, city staff was briefed on Placemaking; one on one interviews were conducted; and participants were led on a walkabout of the focus areas, engaged in a Placemapping exercise and conducted Place Audits. All of this led to the creation of an Action Plan.
Participants discussed their vision for downtown Meridian and the following was observed:
- City Hall Plaza is underutilized as a public space and is disconnected from the rest of downtown
- Downtown needs more places to sit and hang outside
- Need to bring more millennials downtown
- Downtown needs more night life
- Need more places to go downtown
- Need places to display art and culture
- Improve opportunities to show art
- Promote free Wi-Fi
- Bring the library back downtown
- Businesses are supportive of events as long as they don’t block access to their businesses
- Downtown has some strong assets, but they are spread out and disconnected from one another by parking lots, streets and other factor
Fourteen sites were identified for potential Lighter Quicker Cheaper (LQC) Placemaking activities. Each site analysis included a team leader, team players and potential activities. Here are a few of those sites and ideas as to what can be done at each of them.
City Hall Plaza
City Hall Plaza is an underutilized public space and is disconnected the rest of downtown. There are currently some programed activities here however it was felt by all the plaza should be used more.
- Downtown needs more places hang outside
- Need to find a way to bring millennials downtown
- Downtown needs more night life activities
Potential activities discussed included:
- Chairs, tables and umbrellas in the plaza
- Introduce food vendors
- Planters with flowers for color
- Periodic social events: Live After Five , book readings, open mikes, CableOne Movie Nights
Parking lot between City Hall and Main Street
The parking lot creates a visual and physical barrier between City Hall and the Plaza and the rest of downtown. Long-term plans are to move the parking behind City Hall. This plan proposes Lighter Quicker Cheaper (LQC) actions to tie City Hall and its plaza back to the activity on the street and invite people into the plaza.
Potential activities discussed included:
- Remove a handful of parking spaces at the corner of Main and Broadway to incorporate and utilize the small open space that faces out to downtown
- Create a public space to be programmed by MAC, Library, etc.
- Food truck with table, chairs and umbrellas
Parking lot and alley between Bank of Cascades, MDC buildings and Treasure Valley Children’s Theater
This property is public property and as such has significant potential for LQC activities. There has been some effort to create a public space in the alley next to the children’s theater.
Potential activities discussed included:
- Create public space to be programmed by MAC, Library, etc.
- Tie in Activity Nights programmed at City Hall Plaza
- Seating and tables
- Install Wi-Fi
- Food, coffee vendors (small scale—perhaps by existing local eateries)
- Fruit and vegetable stand
Generations Plaza
Generations Plaza is viewed by many as the center of downtown and the strongest place to connect with the DBA and downtown businesses. It already has some level of activity around the fountain during the summer months and a tree during the holiday season but, as at City Hall Plaza, there is little casual daily use.
- Programming by DBA, library, Children’s Theater to enhance daily use and activity
- Use the grassy side area as a natural little outdoor theater and place for story hours
- Create connection between Flatbread’s outdoor seating and activities on the plaza
- More seating and colorful umbrellas that can move around
- “Cover use” for the very large utility box: chalk painting, tic-tac-toe, magnetic word wall, painted-on board games
- Site needs more shade to be comfortable in the summer
- Lunch deliveries from nearby restaurants
To read about the rest of the sites, see the Action Plan for Lighter Quicker Cheaper approaches for the City of Meridian, Idaho.
So, do you think your downtown could benefit from a planning process to identify and analyze sites to come up with ideas to make downtown a destination and encourage more people to go there? If so, your Realtor® Association may want to apply for NAR’s Smart Growth grant to help with the planning process.
