placemaking in madisonville,...

PLACEMAKING in MADISONVILLE, KY

October 2016 PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Placemaking in the North EndPLACEMAKING IN MADISONVILLE, KY

FINAL REPORT

Prepared for

Prepared by

The City of Madisonville

INTRODUCTION

The decline in recent years of federal and state investment in American cities, alongside increased competition among cities worldwide, has forced local authorities across the country to explore new approaches to resource development in support of public life. With a shift in industry away from coal mining, there is a further need in many states to seek opportunities to foster a thriving local economy. In Madisonville, a new restaurant tax was recently implemented in order to generate municipal revenue for investment in the public realm. The influx of revenue provides Madisonville with a unique opportunity to reimagine its public spaces, enhance its image, improve its physical appearance, and expand its experiential offerings to residents and visitors alike.

In order to move forward, the City of Madisonville invited Project for Public Spaces (PPS) to lead three days of public workshops and stakeholder focus groups in order to identify and recommend potential physical improvements as well as increased programming

opportunities. In August 2016, together with residents and stakeholders, PPS and the City of Madisonville explored how Madisonville can become a more dynamic and vibrant place, where residents take pride and tourists feel welcome.

The recommendations proposed in this document address Madisonville’s unique context, both socially and geographically. The city’s charm and potential come hand in hand with a number of challenges, including the recent decline in employment offered by the coal mining industry; loss of young professionals and families to larger and more attractive cities; and a high dependency on the private automobile. In order to attract and retain residents, to encourage tourism, to support local economy, and to create more walkable neighborhoods in Madisonville, we have developed a multifaceted approach combining physical and capital improvements, expanded programming, and civic engagement.

PLACEMKAING IN MADISONVILLE 6

WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE? 8

BENEFITS OF A GREAT PLACE 10

DEVELOPING A VISION FOR MADISONVILLE 13

METHODOLOGY 14

VISION & GOALS 16

POWER OF 10 IN MADISONVILLE 19

A LIGHTER, QUICKER, CHEAPER APPROACH 22

RECOMMENDATIONS 25

NEXT STEPS 52

APPENDIX 55

PLACE GAME FORM 56

ABOUT PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES 58

6 Placemaking in Madisonville

PLACEMAKING IN MADISONVILLEThe City of Madisonville has exhibited a clear understanding of the differentiation between creating a “design” and creating a “place”. Indeed, Placemaking is, above all, a collaborative process based on the belief that places are beyond their physical attributes. It is not enough to develop planning and design elements to improve or create a public space; rather, one must move beyond the tangible into the realm of experience in order to create a great place. Working with people in communities, and ensuring that civic participation begins in the earliest stages and continuous throughout a project in meaningful ways, is what distinguishes the Placemaking process from traditional planning and development approaches. With professional guidance from PPS, the City of Madisonville has shown its committment to develop and implement a comprehensive Placemaking process that will engage its residents, build community capacity, and encourage a unique sense of place throughout the city.

The success of a neighborhood, main street, or district can never be determined solely by its attractive homes, expensive shops or even by its wealth of cultural and recreational offerings. Many people seek the intangible qualities that they have experienced in the civic life of great towns: a sense of place, social vitality, interconnectedness, a sense of belonging, dynamic activities and a quality of life that is hard to define or plan for. People want to work, study, shop, visit, live, play and gather in places that are pleasant, attractive, and safe, but also stimulating, convivial, and exciting.

Many design and planning projects refer to public spaces as merely aesthetic objects, and rush to propose design solutions rather than multifaceted ones. Resulting places are often monotonous, predictable, and lack life and character: park users find there is little to do in the park so they don’t return; plazas sit devoid of people and attractions; on many commercial streets, retail is hidden behind slick facades that enhance the architecture instead of the shops inside. In contrast, the Placemaking approach starts from the basic premise that successful public spaces are lively and distinctive places where the many functions of community life take place, and where people feel ownership, connectedness, and true common ground. In short, good public spaces are places where people want to be, sometimes despite poor aesthetic, and thus can have tremendous positive social, economic, educational and cultural impacts.

Every city deserves vibrant destinations—its parks, squares and streets should feel comfortable and offer a plethora of things to do; storefronts should contribute to a lively atmosphere in addition to providing goods and services needed in the community; education and cultural institutions should contribute to the place’s unique identity and nurture the public realm instead of hiding behind closed doors, opaque windows and blank walls. Equally important is how all these community destinations connect and interplay, how they support and complement each other rather than struggling in isolation.

Walkability and active transportation are an important part of creating a great street and a vibrant community.

Placemaking in Madisonville 7

PLACE-LED / COMMUNITY-BASED

PROCESS

When a street can be easily accessed by walking, biking, and transit, it attracts a wider variety of people to it than if it is only within reach of those with a car. And when a street is designed to be amenable to everyone, including those with special needs – like wheelchair or stroller accessibility, for example – it becomes a place that welcomes vulnerable populations in our communities and attracts new visitors and demographics.

Throughout PPS’ visit to Madisonville, community members and organizational representatives shed light on Madisonville’s existing vibrant destinations as well as the more challenging spaces that may require intervention. Together, participants proposed development opportunities for Madisonville’s destinations and the connections between them.


WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE?

Sociability

A sociable place is one where people want to go to meet friends and interact with a wide range of people who are different from themselves. This at the very heart of what makes a great place.

Access and LinkagesYou can judge the accessibility of a place by its connections to its surroundings, both visual and physical. A successful public space is easy to get to and get through; it is visible both from a distance and up close. The edges of a space connect to the surrounding streets, which themselves should be vital and interesting. The space should be linked to the rest of the city through pedestrian, cycle, and transit routes.

Uses and Activities

Activities are the basic building blocks of a place. Having something to do for people of all ages gives people a reason to come to a place again and again. When there is nothing to do, a space will be empty and that generally means that something is wrong.

Comfort and ImageComfort includes perceptions about safety, cleanliness, and the availability of places to sit. Image refers to how inviting the space is, and whether it maintains a distinct identity in line with the surrounding neighborhood.

Placemaking is a collaborative process that engages people in creating and sustaining the public destinations at the heart of their community – the places where we play, shop, eat, gather, interact, and build the social ties that hold a community together. Placemaking is the discipline of creating great places that a wide variety of people will use and enjoy throughout the day, the week and the year.

In its 40 years studying what makes public spaces work, PPS has found that four key attributes are key to the success of any place.

THE BENEFITS OF GREAT PLACES

Places nurture and define community identity through greater community organization, a better sense of dedication and volunteerism, perpetuation of integrity and values, and a common vision.

Places benefit cities economically by encouraging small-scale entrepreneurship, local ownership, more desirable jobs, greater talent retention, higher real estate values, and greater tax revenue.

Places promote a greater sense of comfort because they are visually pleasing, generally stimulating, environmentally friendly, and promote a sense of belonging.

Places promote health by encouraging increased physical activity, access to fresh food, greater security and social inclusion as well as enhanced environmental factors.

Places create improved accessibility by being more walkable, safer for pedestrians, compatible with public transit, less reliant on cars and parking, more efficient in terms of time and money, and offering better connections between uses.

Places foster frequent and meaningful contact between people through improved sociability, cultural exposure and interaction, exchange and preservation of information, and reduction of race and class barriers.

THE BENEFITS OF GREAT PLACESPlacemaking is often the most effective way of helping communities rise above isolated issues to forge a more compelling, integrated vision. Focusing on creating great places is perhaps the best way to create great communities.


DEVELOPING A VISION FOR MADISONVILLE


A successful Placemaking process always begins with research. PPS believes the community is the expert; we actively seek and consult with community members—including those who might not otherwise participate in an improvement effort—engaging with them where they live, work, and congregate. Through Placemaking workshops, facilitated public forums, and other meetings and partnerships, we tap into local knowledge and citizen expertise to identify issues, cultivate ideas, and make decisions about improvements to the public realm, ensuring that every decision made addresses the issues and needs of the local community. Using this multifaceted approach, we aim to empower people to enhance the places where they live and work, while building a sense of community.

The three-day program that PPS developed for Madisonville this August incorporated community visioning, a design charrette, focus groups, and training. The goals of the visit were to engage with community members, partners, and agencies, and to cultivate the founding content that would inform the recommendations included in the upcoming sections of this document.

August 29th: Site Tour and Training for City & County Staff

PPS staff were greeted in Madisonville by Mayor David Jackson, Councilmember Mark Lee, and City staff members, Leslie Curneal and Lynette Lewis. During a two-hour tour, PPS staff were introduced to downtown Madisonville’s public spaces, business activity, municipal initiatives, and recent and planned improvements and programs. Throughout the tour, PPS and City staff discussed principles and techniques to foster greater walkability and activity throughout Madisonville’s streets and public spaces.

Following the tour, PPS led a training session for a select group of City and County staff. The purpose of the session was to encourage cross-sector communication and collaboration in developing an overarching strategy for local initiatives. Councilmembers, City planners, the Tourism Advisory Board, and representatives of various other government and civic organizations were brought together to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities in Madisonville. Together, participants explored new ideas to strengthen local business activity, attract tourism, and

improve the daily lives of residents. The session prompted a constructive discourse about developing a shared approach to civil service that incorporates various considerations– such as transportation, public health, social services, tourism, and local business initiatives–into a comprehensive strategy to make Madisonville the best it can be.

August 30th: Stakeholder Meetings and Power of Ten Workshop

Over the course of the three days, PPS held several meetings with focus groups, with various city stakeholders, to gain a deeper understanding of the context, challenges, and opportunities in Madisonville. While public workshops and cross-sector communication are key in developing a shared vision and a network of cooperation, it is crucial to also understand different perspectives from different agencies and organizations that have a hand in shaping the public realm. By exploring defined topics in such affinity groups helps to specify the challenges that may hinder different agencies and

METHODOLOGY


stakeholders from moving forward, to shape the different roles of various moving parts, to understand how each organization will contribute and commit to a shared vision, and to build a detailed course of action that incorporates the unique skills, resources, and needs of each of these groups.

Each focus group convened in Madisonville related to the city from a specific angle; representatives from select organizations were invited to partake in discussing the issues relating to their own fields and professional expertise. The meetings included:

Department Heads from the City of Madisonville

The Tourism Advisory Committee

Civic Interest Groups

Educational and Sports Groups

Arts and Culture Groups

Restaurant and Business Owners

August 31st: Place Game Workshop & LQC Charrette

The experience of looking at these spaces can actually be fun as well as educational—especially if structured to involve teams of people in a creative way.

The Place Game Workshop (August 31, 2016) provided an opportunity for a wide range of community members to actively participate in evaluating and brainstorming ideas for public spaces along the downtown corridor. The discussion focused specifically on the corridor connecting the gateway to the downtown; participants were encouraged to envision downtown Madisonville as a place to spend several hours, or even most of a day. After an overview presentation from PPS on what makes a great public place, participants divided into five groups, walked to one of five areas of the corridor, and worked in small groups using PPS’ Place Game tool to discuss and evaluate the site’s current strengths and weaknesses, and brainstorm Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper (LQC) ideas for making the site a more active and engaging public space. The small groups reported back to the entire group at the close of the workshop session.


The outcome of these meetings was a number of goals and strategies identified as key to the success of Madisonville as a local and regional destination:

Expand the scope of municipal services in order to better cater to diverse constituencies including minorities, students, and youth.

Address drug and alcohol abuse challenges by developing a more integrated social service program.

Celebrate and educate the public about Madisonville’s history through creative public space interventions.

Brand the City, develop and promote its identity (e. g. “The Best Town on Earth”.)

Pursue an economic development strategy and attract entrepreneurs by utilizing arts, culture, and food as driving forces.

Encourage walking and bicycling by enhancing the pedestrian experience and connecting destinations within the public realm.

Encourage physical activity and community-building through sports and fitness by offering outdoor facilities for self-programming games and classes.

Build on areas with an existing concentration of energy and connect great destinations through continuous storefronts, active ground floors that spill out onto the sidewalk, expanded programming, wayfinding, landscaping, lighting and other design features.

Experiment and test temporary ideas to provide flexible opportunities both for everyday experiences and special seasonal events.

Consider hiring a Placemaking Manager to coordinate the initiative.

Make changes to policy that align with the grander vision, such as developing a more accessible permitting process for community-led events, or allowing spontaneous and economic activities (i.e. food trucks) to occur in public spaces.

Enhance the regional potential by connecting and coordinating with adjacent cities such as Evansville, Owensboro and Clarksville.

VISION & GOALS


Middlebury, Akron, OH

EXISTING AND POTENTIAL DESTINATION IN DOWNTOWN MADISONVILLE

EXISTING DESTINATIONS

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS

LIBRARY

BALLARD CONVENTION CENTER

FARMERS

MARKET

ART PARK

SUGG STREET

INNOVATION STATION

RR STREET PARKING LOT

FIRST UNITED BANK PLAZA

ART

PARK TRAFFIC ISLAND

ARCH STREET

W. CENTER STREET

RESTAURANTS


IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES POWER OF 10 IN MADISONVILLE

The public workshop on the evening of Tuesday, August 30th, brought together 40 local residents to participate in a series of Power of Ten and Connectivity mapping exercises. Following a presentation about Placemaking principles and inspiring and relevant case studies, participants were divided into groups to evaluate different areas of the city’s downtown, to address connectivity, and to identify and assess assets and opportunities throughout Madisonville.

A great place must offer a variety of things to do for a variety of people, resulting in a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. A park is good; a park with a fountain, a playground, and a popcorn vendor is better. A library or a school across the street is better still, and even more so if the library features storytelling hours for children and exhibits on local history in the park across the street. If there’s a sidewalk café nearby, a bus stop, a bike trail, and an ice cream parlor, this is what most people would consider a great place.

PPS calls this concept the Power of Ten (indebted to the classic short film, “Powers of 10,” by Charles and Ray Eames), but there’s no reason to get fixated on a particular number;

“Ten” simply refers to the ultimate goals of variety and choice. When we talk about the “Power of Ten,” we always think of how this variety can be achieved at different scales, whether we are referring to a multitude of things to do in one place, a number of great places in a given neighborhood, or several great neighborhoods within a city. To build our communities around places, it is not enough to have one single use dominate a particular place—we need a diverse array of activities for the variety of people who make up our communities. It is not enough to have just one great place in a neighborhood—we need a number of them to create a truly lively district. It is not enough to have one great neighborhood in a city—we need to provide people all over the city with close-to-home opportunities to benefit from and take pleasure in public life.

If there were ten places in and around Madisonville’s downtown corridor with ten or more things to do in each place, there would be a critical mass of great, interconnected places. If the City of Madisonville could boast ten great destinations, every resident would have access to outstanding public spaces

within walking distance of their own homes, and quality of life would be enhanced by the power of communities coming together. If the entire County linked its towns and cities together, with major public spaces and multi-use destinations placing each city on the map in a unique way, the County would become exemplary of a new paradigm for regional development, sweeping away the destructive pattern of more highways, big box stores, and disconnected subdivisions.

In order pursue the Power of Ten on all scales in Madisonville, workshop participants mapped destinations throughout the city according to three categories: great destinations were mapped with green dots, challenging places were mapped in red, and places of opportunity were mapped with yellow. As mentioned in previous sections, a great place does not exist in a vacuum; access and linkages are extremely important elements. For this reason, participants also brainstormed possibilities for enhancing the connectivity between the destinations they identified, by mapping out their walking routes based on their own memories and experiences.

POWER OF 10+

HOW CITIES TRANSFORM THROUGH PLACEMAKING


The discussion that ensued addressed how existing good destinations can become even greater, which underperforming places can be transformed, and how to improve connectivity and walkability. This approach – creating a number of active, interconnected nodes – is the basis for establishing Madisonville as a livable city, and as a destination in and of itself. It is important to note that the ideas generated in this session marked the beginning of a process, and the tools used can and should be used in relation areas beyond those that were addressed in this session.

The groups addressed general areas, marking the various places within them as well as the quality of connectivity between them. These areas included:

• Madisonville’s Gateway Entrance: Arch & Center Streets between the I-69 and Main St.

• Sugg St. and its Downtown Vicinity

• The Ballard Convention Center and Fairgrounds

• North Main St.

• City Park and Grapevine Lake Park

Most opportunities that arose could be implemented without large capital investment. A very simple example would be to hang all-weather string lights from building

to building along Sugg Street, emphasizing the human-scale of the street and indicating its vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environment. This strategy has been used very effectively in numerous destinations, most notably in Larimer Square in Denver, CO.

Many of the challenges identified during these exercises related to walkability, and noted a dire need for improved sidewalks and pedestrian environments, such as along Center Street and North Main Streets.

The key findings from these exercises, which relate to general themes throughout the city as well as site-specific conditions, are infused into our recommendations section.

Larimer Square, Denver


A ‘LIGHTER, QUICKER, CHEAPER’ APPROACH

The LQC approach is based on taking incremental steps, using low-cost experiments, and tapping into local talents. These smaller-scale projects are being implemented worldwide in a variety of environments, including on streets, squares, waterfronts, and even parking lots. As cities struggle to do more with less, and people everywhere long for places of meaning and beauty, we have to find fast, creative, beneficial ways to capitalize on local ingenuity and transform public spaces, some of which are underperforming and even hostile environments, into treasured community places. Many of the best, most authentic and enduring destinations in a city, the places that keep locals and tourists coming back again and again and that generate local employment opportunities were born out of a series of incremental, locally-based improvements. One by one, these interventions built places that were more than the sum of their parts.

While the Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper approach may not apply to every situation, it can be a creative, locally-powered alternative to capital-heavy, top-down planning, especially when sufficient resources are not available,

and when large-scale projects need to undergo long and tedious approval processes. ‘Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper’ projects:

» Provide an efficient, creative, hyper-local way to leverage a town’s assets.

» Transform underused spaces into exciting laboratories that citizens can start using right away and see evidence that change can happen.

» Represent an “action planning process” that builds a shared understanding of a place that goes far beyond the short term changes that are made.

» Leverage local partnerships that have greater involvement by a community and results in more authentic places.

» Encourage an iterative approach and an opportunity to experiment, assess, and evolve a community’s vision before launching into major construction and a long term process.

» Employ a place-by-place strategy that, over time, can transform an entire city. With community buy-in, the LQC approach can be implemented

across multiple scales to transform underperforming spaces throughout an entire city.

» Create jobs and incubate local entrepreneurs.

The public workshop that PPS convened with the City of Madisonville on August 31st focused on LQC ideas for several key sites along the corridor:

Site 1 –Arch and Center Gateway

Site 2 - Library

Site 3 - Art Park

Site 4- Arch Street to Library

Site 5- Ballard Center/Farmers Market Grounds

The corridor was chosen as the focus street for this workshop due to its prominence as a gateway into Madisonville and the presence of many important destinations along it, including the farmers’ market, Convention Center, and Library. There are other opportunities for LQC improvements in downtown, as well, which could be explored


in future workshops and/or through pop-up outreach methods.

The small groups reported back to each other at the close of the workshop session. The full results of the Place Game can be found in the Appendix, but the overall findings can be synthesized into the following themes:

Improving the attractiveness of the overall space

Providing more seating and shade for users

Minimizing the presence and/or impact of vehicles

Increasing programming and activities for all users, with a special emphasis on children/families

RECOMMENDATIONS


Based on our site tour of Madisonville, stakeholder meetings and the Place Game Workshop we have developed the following recommendations for the improvement of the public realm in Madisonville.

ONGOING COMMUNITY OUTREACH

As Madisonville moves forward with its work to further activate its downtown, there are several techniques the City and its partners can use to engage local residents and stakeholders. Placemaking is more than just good urban design; great public places are the result of a collaborative community process. It is centered around observing, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work, and play in a particular space in order to understand their needs and aspirations for that space and for their community as a whole. With this knowledge, we can come together to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolve quickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale Lighter Quicker Cheaper improvements that bring immediate benefits both to the spaces themselves and the people who use them, then building towards longer

term, more permanent changes to a place.Supplementing traditional public meetings with other engagement techniques that ‘go to where the people are’ is important to reaching a diverse cross-section of local residents and stakeholders. It is often difficult for families to attend evening meetings; therefore, taking the Placemaking exercises or surveys to them, at schools, churches, events or public spaces, can yield significant results.

In order to understand and serve the needs of various community groups, such as minorities, students, and youth, these groups must first be identified and engaged. Organizations such as elementary and high schools, college outreach, the YMCA, and social services can provide a platform for engagement with community members.

PLACE GOVERNANCE

In order for the City to reach its potential as a destination city, it needs proper management and stewardship. A working group with balanced representation of local stakeholders, community members, and town officials should be established to provide ongoing oversight for the life of the space.

Many existing and potential conflicts can

be diminished if key players can establish a collaborative management strategy for the space through regular conversations about shared goals.

Versions of this group have already successfully negotiated a good strategy for beautifying the City and creating opportunities for artistic expression. There is so much more that an established working group can accomplish, especially if the group embraces a spirit of trying out new ideas and learning from them (see the Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper section above).

More collaborative decision making, not dominated by any single interest or entity.

Ongoing cultivation of a shared vision for the place

Ongoing outreach to all demographics through a well informed community engagement process that will not only build social capacity but catalyze a shared and inclusive approach to community development

In addition to this working group, ongoing programming partnerships should be pursued. Local artists can help to develop community oriented content through narrative storytelling, theater, murals, film and other media.


Youth can then be encouraged to engage with these artists, highlighting their own talent, creativity and passion, thus building a sense of empowerment among them. Furthermore, this will provide them with activities that will connect them with their city, giving them a reason to stay in town on the weekends.

Madsionville’s regional hospital also has immense potential to become a long term partner, as it may have resources to contribute to a community wide health assessment in order to more clearly understand the full range of health challenges facing residents. The institution can also support community health efforts including exercise classes, the farmers market, and promotion of active and healthy lifestyles.

Other partners identified during the Placemaking Workshops included KYDOT, civic groups, volunteers, landscapers, boy/girl scout groups, inmates, schools, churchesyouth groups, The Public Library, The Womens Club and local businesses.

CONNECTIVITY & WALKABILITY

The consensus within the field of transportation is that having more people use non-motorized transportation is critical to sustainability, economic development, and good public health.

Encouraging people to walk or bike – to take advantage of active forms of transportation – is essential to finding solutions for some of the biggest challenges of our time. But while recognizing the importance of walking and biking is one matter, actually getting more people to walk and bike is another.

The first step in promoting walking and biking is to identify the factors that influence people’s decisions to bike, walk, take transit, and/or drive. In Madisonville, residents and stakeholders pointed out that the streets of Madisonville in general need to be enhanced in order to improve pedestrian activity throughout the city. Walking and biking are not yet inherent to daily life in Madisonville, as the streets have been designed to facilitate vehicular traffic flow. In order to develop a pedestrian culture, infrastructure must be designed in a pedestrian-friendly way.

An obvious intervention is the installation of sidewalks where they do not yet exist.

However, the existence of sidewalks alone does not imply that walking will become the choice mode of transportation, just as bike lanes alone will not lead to more people riding bikes. The general experience of walking and biking needs to be improved.

Elements of a great public space, described earlier, are thus applied to streets, as well. That is, when it comes to street life, it seems the presence of people depends on whether the street provides access to the destinations where people want to be, whether or not the street is a comfortable and legible place to be, and also whether there are other people around.

For this reason, in planning for more walkable streets, the City of Madisonville must first and foremost consider which places and neighborhoods need to be connected to one another. Then, the comfort of the connectors can be improved with improved sidewalks, landscaping and beautification, as well as street elements than enhance the feeling of safety, such as lighting, signage, and traffic calming measures. Streets with an active edge such as in Madisonville’s downtown, have a great advantage as they naturally attract more people than streets with large setbacks.

In Madisonville, there are two key areas that would have the greatest impact on overall walkability and connectivity.


Oversized parking lots separate commercial buildings

from streets, sidewalks do not connect to buildings,

pedestrians discouraged from walking to adjacent

businesses.

Streetscape improvements invite pedestrians to public street.

Private development is encouraged to build to the street.

Density and location of buildings support public transit and

walkable streets, new development continues to build to the street

and public/private park improvements create a valuable amenity.


The Gateway The main gateway to the city welcomes all those exiting the I-69 onto East Center Street. Design elements and traffic configurations from the gateway to Main Street and back contribute to a vehicle-oriented environment. The gateway should incorporate welcoming features such as vibrant signage and highly visible features along E. Center St. It is strongly recommended to take advantage of street widths, removing or narrowing traffic lanes in order to expand sidewalks and incorporate bicycle lanes, which will improve the pedestrian experience as well as the driver’s enjoyment when entering the city. Along the street, landscaping elements such as trees, flower beds, and even bioswales can contribute to a pleasant aesthetic as well as ecological benefits such as stormwater management and increased biodiversity. With an ecological focus, it may be possible to leverage further county, state, federal, or grant funding to invest in the public realm. All of these elements – landscaping, signage, traffic reconfiguration, and reimagining the street edge – will have an enormous positive impact on the city’s image, local pride, and improved walkability.

“The Mad Mile”

Main streets are the backbones of small American cities. While its prime role is often to be an efficient corridor for vehicle traffic, the main street is increasingly returning to its original role as the core of community and social life. Madisonville’s Main Street is over three miles long, and is lined with sidewalks with the exception of one section between Island Ford Rd. and W Railroad St. The entire stretch has enormous potential to become a cultural trail, with walking and biking, connecting the city’s outermost neighborhoods to the downtown and linking all destinations from North to South. There is also great potential for North Main St., from Island Ford Rd. to the railroad overpass, to become a secondary northern gateway to the city.

Currently, it takes approximately 15 minutes to drive from north to south Madisonville. By enhancing the overall experience and image of Main Street, drivers will be encouraged to slow down and enjoy the city and the downtown, and an enjoyable pedestrian experience will be available to all residents and visitors. We recommend starting with temporary medians in sections of the center lane. Experiment with various street typologies along the street, depending on the current number of lanes, traffic intensity,

and other existing conditions. Explore site-specific solutions along the corridor, while maintaining a uniform experience from north to south.

The long-term vision for Main Street might be to create a boulevard with biking, walking, and lush landscaping, in order to transform the backbone of Madisonville to support healthy lifestyles and strong community connections.


N

1 - ARCH ST./CENTER ST. GATEWAY2 - LIBRARY3 - ART PARK4 - ARCH STREET5 - FARMERS MARKET AND BALLARD CONVENTION CENTER GROUNDS

1

2

3

4

5


The following are Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper ideas for the five sites visited during the Place Game Workshop and Charrette.

SITE INTERVENTIONS


U.S. BANK

Traffic Island

1

shade seating area

crosswalks

horticultural display

“Welcome to Madisonville” signage and focal feature

horticultural display


1 - TRAFFIC ISLAND

SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Add signage and wayfinding highlighting key destinations in town

2. Clean the area and provide landscaping treatment; colorful horticultural displays, planters

3. Provide opportunities for residents or local businesses to sponsor improvements, maintain plantings

4. Improve pedestrian crossings

5. Provide a cluster of shade seating along U.S. Bank edge

6. Paint the curbs

LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS

7. Convert Center Street back to a 2 -way street; Rightsize Arch Street to one traffic lane

8. Provide a welcome feature/focal point

9. Add a bike lane along Arch Street

10. Provide midblock crossings; Paint crosswalks and consider raised crosswalks

11. Add wayfinding and a city map with local destinations

Example of a traffic island redesigned to be pedestrian friendly


Horticulture and landscaping

to soften the streetscape!

Special crosswalk treatment

can encourage pedestrians to

walk and cars to slow down


Inspiration images

Program family oriented activities

at the beach Provide identity signage on the levee

that also doubles as public art

Welcome signage or an

iconic gateway marker can

announce the arrival into a

unique place


LIBRARY

Public Library

seating area, table

games

Reading Room

event space; play area

exhibit space

mural crosswalk

programming signage


2 - PUBLIC LIBRARY


1. Provide tables and chairs with umbrellas

2. Provide signage of current/upcoming programming/events

3. Improve exterior - uplight, paint, colorful flowers, planters)

4. Provide a greater variety of seating

5. Provide games – board games, lawn games, chess, etc.

6. Add public art

7. Provide activities/ play area for kids

8. Provide crosswalks on Center Street to Library entrance


9. Create an outdoor reading room

10. Provide an electronic sign for activities and rental

11. Add more trees and foliage

12. Consider permanently moving parking from around the Library to onstreet

13. Consider use of alley for events

14. Create better access from Arch Street.


Surface murals and painted games

could add to the farmers market

and help define a creative place

with multiple uses and programs

Add a community bulletin

board and wayfinding

signs to promote local

events and businesses


Large planters can delineate the shared street from the right of way

Program outdoor fitness

classes

Set up equipment

for lawn games


Art Park

FARMERS MARKET

colorful landscaping

and

outdoor reading

area under shade sails

crosswalk

picnic area


3 - ART PARK


1. Add umbrellas with seating

2. Add a gazebo or reading station

3. Create a picnic area

4. Provide food carts on market days

5. Provide signage about art installation

6. Provide seasonally decorated trash cans

7. Provide a painted crosswalk

8. Exhibit youth art

9. Add a bike rack or bike parking


10. Provide a permanent water feature

11. Provide a bus stop with a seating


Add colorful play/seating

structures

Temporary art exhibits

Interactive

public art

Games

Interactive sculp-

tures welcome play

and curiosity


Inspiration images

Colorful and playful

seating!

Lawn chairs invite passersby

to sit and relax and engage

with the art installation


Arch Street

FARMERS MARKET

crosswalk

unify streetscape; add benches and

wayfinding signage/sidewalk art to

enhance pedestrian experience

programmed market events

bike lane

extend streetscape improvements to

Daves Street and provide a walking route to Library


4 - ARCH STREET


1. Provide seating along the street

2. Provide directional signage - brick, stamped concrete, etc. to lead pedestrians to the Library

3. Add a crosswalk across from farmers market

4. Provide seating at the Art Park and Little Free Library

5. Use the market space for more programming and events in the evenings and on the weekends

6. Upgrade facades through a revolving loan fund; improve signage; encourage outdoor displays by businesses


7. Initiate a town wide wayfinding program

8. Expand on what has already been completed with hanging flower baskets, planters along sidewalks, street pole banners and birdhouse libraries.

9. Add pedestrian scaled lighting

10. Enhance pedestrian access to Library from Daves Street


Large planters next

to benches create

comfortable seating

opportunities


Building facade

and sidewalk

improvements can

create a more visually

interesting pedestrian

environment

Wayfinding signage into

town can orient visitors and

highlight local assets


Farmers Market & Ballard Convention Center Grounds

practice fields

temporary volleyball

play area with misting

station

moveable tables & chairs on

market days

practice fields

seasonal event space

performance area

basketball courts

info/wayfinding panels


4 - FARMERS MARKET & BALLARD CONVENTION CENTER GROUNDS

CONVENTION CENTER GROUNDS

1. Program seasonal events (winter wonderland w/pop up ice rink, Halloween/ fall fest,

2. Square dancing in the barn

3. Track field around the arena

4. Sports fields for team practice; football, soccer, volley ball

5. Outdoor movies with themed activities

6. Half court basketball in the parking lot; stripe the asphalt

7. Practice fields – volleyball

8. Provide Seating/benches, tables, umbrellas

9. Misting station

10. Walking path

11. Monthly arena events

12. Childrens events

13. Kite flying, scavenger hunt, kidpalooza

14. Regular tractor pulls, Demolition derby events

15. Horse riding

FARMERS MARKET

1. Electricity for fans and lights

2. Seating, tables, umbrellas

3. Shade

4. Trash cans

5. Portable restrooms

6. Directional signage to site

7. Overhead fans

8. Walking trail/path from street

9. Extend season

10. Vendor activates with social media promotion

11. Playground

12. Childrens activities

13. Pop up survey station

14. Add prepared food vendors

15. Exercise classes

16. Temporary volleyball

17. Day long events on Market Day


Use the pavilion for dances.

concerts, and community

programming


NEXT STEPS

1. Organize Regular Meetings with Strategic Partners for Outreach and Engagement … including representatives from the YMCA, elementary and high schools, social services, and outreach organizations.

2. Develop Additional Partnerships for Content-Based Programs … such as the hospital for public health programs, and the arts and culture community for community-led public art initiatives.

3. Hold Additional Community Visioning Sessions … with a focus on community life and identity in Madisonville.\

4. Develop Additional Materials for Community Engagement … such as voting boards, input stations, and online surveys to be deployed in public spaces and online.

5. Select the First Site for LQC Intervention … such as the public library, an easy and straightforward spot to start.

6. Perform a Transportation Study … to set the groundwork for traffic reconfiguration and walkability improvements, such as wayfinding, crosswalks, and more.

7. Identify Vacant City-Owned Buildings ... and repurpose them for community-initiated activities, as spaces for artists-in-residence, or classrooms for community-oriented courses.

8. Establish the Madisonville Placemaking Committee … comprised of local residents, businesses, and representatives from various organizations.

9. Develop a Placemaking Action Plan … based on previous and continued engagement.

10. Perform a Policy Analysis Study … identifying policies that may hinder or pose challenges for Placemaking initiatives, in order to work towards a long-term systematic facilitation of Placemaking projects.

The Placemaking process engaged the City of Madisonville’s staff, residents and stakeholders and elicited a very positive and enthusiastic response from them. To move these recommendations forward, we suggest that the City of Madisonville take the following concrete steps:


A PLACEMAKING EVENT

A special event — such as a market or fair, a sidewalk sale, or a concert or dance performance — can be held to demonstrate how a particular space can be activated in a new way, and the people who attend can be asked for additional ideas. Sometimes a street or a portion of a street is temporarily closed to vehicles (e.g. Better Block) to demonstrate how it can be activated with an event and the public can actively participate in activities (e.g. painting a mural, planting flowers, etc.) to improve the space. This could be appropriate for a weekend festival on Sugg Street.

INTERCEPT SURVEY

This is a brief survey that asks people on thestreet or in a public space what they wouldlike to improve at a site. The surveyor cangather demographic information from therespondent, as well as information about whatthey do currently (e.g. where they work, shopor dine) and what additional uses, events, amenities, traffic improvements, or shops and eateries they would like to see. Such surveys can be a useful way of generating some initial ideas for a pop-up workshop station, or in gathering details about challenges or opportunities in an area.

POP-UP WORKSHOP STATIONS

These stations usually include images that display potential new activities and amenities or improvements for a site, which people can vote for with sticky dots or nominate their own ideas. These are usually conducted on site, but they are most effective at events, markets or festivals that attract a diverse cross-section of the community. They can also be set up at schools or libraries where families will likely be. Madisonville could use such boards to get feedback on ideas for Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper improvements for multiple sites.


APPENDIX


APPENDIX

PLACE GAME FORM


ABOUT PPSOUR APPROACH

Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Our pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs.

OUR HISTORY

PPS was founded in 1975 to expand on the work of William (Holly) Whyte, author of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. We have since completed projects in more than 3000 communities in 43 countries and all 50 U.S. states and are the premier center for best practices, information and resources on Placemaking. More than 1000 people worldwide are members of our Placemaking Leadership Council.

Project for Public Spaces is made up of a highly experienced and cross-disciplinary staff trained in environmental design, architecture, urban planning, urban geography, environmental psychology, landscape architecture, arts administration, and information management.

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