How Transit-Oriented Development Can Transform Community Placemaking BY J. KELLY GILLMAN, ASLA, AICP Three specific kinds of human activities contribute to a vibrant, engaging urban realm. Essential activities are part of everyday life: working, shopping, going to school. Voluntary activities are those that draw people to linger in a place: eating at a restaurant, sitting at a café, attending a game or other event. Intentional activities are when people come to a place simply because they know that is where the people are. “Placemaking” is the art of creating a space where all three types of activities are happening simultaneously. People are attracted to places where other people are, so there must first be a reason for people to be — and stay — in those places. Historically, a sense of “place” emerged naturally. Services were often grouped in the center of the community to accommodate pedestrian access. It made sense for key transit stations to also be located at the community center. Often, other public spaces, retail markets and religious destinations were found in proximity. The grouping of these services in one space tended to create a unique character and identifiable sense of place. Today, we face new challenges in creating places with the same kind of character. Before the heavy use of automobiles, many places were built around a transit station. Today, communities are again turning to the transit station as one of many built components that can help create a sense of place. Once your community’s name shows up as a dot on a transit map, there is a greater opportunity to draw attention to residents, businesses, and visitors. Thinking Beyond the Station Today’s services are often distributed across a city, making it more challenging to establish the same sense of “place.” Despite changes in planning over the years, people still want to have places they can identify with. Communities still want a central square where people can gather. Transit stations, even local commuter stations with few amenities, can be a key component in the placemaking process. However, simply adding a station to a community cannot, by itself, create a place. A place is made when there is a critical mass of amenities to support the gathering of people. Along the S-Line in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood, simple streetcar stations have been constructed. They include shade structures, ticket vending and informational signage. Enhancing the experience is the addition of a regional trail, enhanced landscaping along the corridor and public plazas at key nodes. Based on feedback from the neighborhood before design began, the aggregated amenities along the S-Line together have established the place as a destination. The transit stations have prompted hundreds of millions of dollars in private development along the corridor, many interacting directly with the corridor’s open space. How to Design a Standardized Transit Station to Fit a Neighborhood The Utah Transit Authority has established a set of safety guidelines, station platform and shade structure design guidelines, as well as branding and signage guidelines for the bus, light rail, streetcar and commuter rail transit systems. 16 REFLEXION
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