Comprehensive,Legible,Cityscape,Plan,for,Downtown,Wilmington,

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2 Comprehensive,Legible,Cityscape,Plan,for,Downtown,Wilmington, Athesissubmittedtothe GraduateSchool OftheUniversityofCincinnati Inpartialfulfillmentofthe Requirementsforthedegreeof MasterofCommunityPlanning IntheSchoolofPlanning OftheCollegeofDesign,Architecture,ArtandPlanning By AngLi B.S.BeijingUniversityofTechnology June2012 CommitteeChair:VikasMehtaPh.D. CommitteeMember:XinhaoWangPh.D.

3 Abstract( ( This paper illustrates how to use the comprehensive legible cityscape plan to revitalize a smallcity.thestudyisinwilmington,ohio.inthepasttwodecades,especiallyinunited States,lotsofsmallcitiesarefacingchallenges,suchasabsorptionbymetropolitancities, declining population, loss of working lands, lack of job opportunities and inactive commercial.howtosolvetheseproblemsbecomesoneofthemostimportantchallenges for our society. By the methods of site research and analysis mapping, a comprehensive legiblecityscapeplanisdeveloped.thecomprehensivelegiblecityscapeplaninthisproject consistsof:retailstoresigndesign,creatingsenseofentrance,wayfindingsigns,creatingor redesigning open space, main intersection redesign, bike lane and detail design, factory redesignandwallprinting.thecomprehensivelegiblecityscapeplanwillmakethecityof Wilmingtonmorewalkable,livableandlegible.Moreover,itwillbringbackmoreresidents, attract more visitors and create more job opportunities. As a conclusion, the comprehensive plan makes the city more legible, and revitalizing a small city reduces pressureonlargecitiesandmakesabetterlivableplaceforlocalresidents. II

4 ( ( III

5 Table(of(Contents( ( 1Introduction...1 2TheProblem OverviewProblem WeaknessofDowntownAreaIdentityandIllegible JobOpportunityLoss LackofDiversityofJobsandStimulatingJobs MoreCommutersMovingAway TheNaturalEnvironmentnotasGoodasBefore SiteAnalysis:IndividualProblemMap SiteAnalysis PublicOpenSpace ParkingSpace FigureGround StreetEdges MainRoadforEntrance LandUse Signage LegibilityAnalysis SiteAnalysis:ComprehensiveProblemMap SWOTAnalysis SignageAnalysis...20 IV

6 2.3.3StreetViewEvaluation ComprehensiveSiteAnalysisMap Idea CityScaleIdeaMap DowntownScaleIdeaMap CaseStudy DowntownAustinWayfindingMasterPlan UrbanWayfindingPlanningandImplementationManual ResearchProcedures DesignandPlanning RetailStoreSignsDesign CreateSenseforEntrance WayfindingSigns CreateorRedesignOpenSpace MainIntersectionRedesign BikeLaneandDetailDesign FactoryRedesign WallPrinting SiteMap Bibliography...55 V

7 List(of(Figures( ( Figure1.WilmingtonLocationMap...2 Figure2.RelationshipBetweenDifferentAreas...3 Figure3.DowntownLocationMap...9 Figure4.PublicOpenSpace...10 Figure5.ParkingSpace...11 Figure6.FigureGround...12 Figure7.StreetEdges...13 Figure8.MainRoadforEntrance...14 Figure9.LandUse...15 Figure10.TrafficSignage...16 Figure11.LegibilityAnalysis...17 Figure12.SWOTAnalysis...20 Figure13.SignageAnalysis...21 Figure14.SignageHeightAnalysis...22 Figure15.SignageCategoryAnalysis...23 Figure16.StreetViewEvaluation\ Figure17.StreetViewEvaluation\ Figure18.StreetViewEvaluation\ Figure19.StreetViewEvaluation\ Figure20.StreetViewEvaluation\ZoomIn...29 Figure21.ComprehensiveSiteAnalysisMap...30 VI

8 Figure22.ComprehensiveSiteAnalysisMap\Detail Figure23.ComprehensiveSiteAnalysisMap\Detail Figure24.Cityscaleideamap...32 Figure25.Downtownscaleideamap...33 Figure26.WayfingdingMapforDowntownAustin,FormCityofAustin, Taxes...35 Figure27.SignageDesigninRockvilleTownCenter,MD,From:Signage Foundation...37 Figure28.StreetViewwithoutSignageDesign...41 Figure29.StreetViewwithSignageDesign...41 Figure30.ComparisonforEntranceDesign...43 Figure31.Wayfindingsigns...45 Figure32.OpenSpaceMap...47 Figure33.MainIntersectionMap...48 Figure34.BikeLaneMap...50 Figure35.BikeLaneDetailDesign...50 Figure36.FactoryRedesignExample...52 Figure37.ComparisonforWallPrinting...53 Figure38.SiteMap...54 VII

9 1Introduction Inlasttwodecades,manysmallcitiesarefacingchallenges,particularlytheabsorptionby the metropolitan cities, declining rural population, loss of working lands, lack of job opportunities and inactive commercial districts. Thus bringing back the working populationistheprimarysolutiontosolvetheproblemsfacingmanysmallcities. Those small towns with a current condition that is unable to attract more people, due to lackofattentiontoruraldevelopment,properpublicfacilitiesornecessarylivingcondition are neither good enough to satisfy local residents nor to satisfy newcomers. One of the most positive aspects for small cities is environmental quality. Fewer people, with fewer cars and more tree and natural environmentcoveragearethefeaturesthatcouldattract people who are looking for a quiet and better place to live. The second aspect is the convenient and easy city life style. Small cities usually have a tightrelationshipbetween residential,commercialandworkingplaces.forexampleinsmallcities,peoplecaneasily getfromoneplacetoanotherwithoutwastingtime.ofcourse,thelivingexpenseinasmall cityismuchcheaperthaninabigcity. In this thesis project, I will presenta comprehensive legible cityscape plan to revitalize a smallcitynamedwilmington,ohio. 1

10 TheCityofWilmingtonislocatedin Clinton County, Ohio, which is located between Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. According to the Ohio hometown locator in 2014 the population is 12,575 people with 5,905 housing units. The population has remained stable from 2010 to 2014.Figure1:WilmingtonLocationMap TheCityofWilmingtonwaspreviouslyknownfortheDHLAirPark,whichalmosthalfof thelocalresidentsworkedeitherdirectlyorindirectlyforcompany.butinmay2008,dhl announcedthattheywouldbemovingitsbusinessformwilmingtontocincinnatinorthern Kentucky International Airport. This became a turning point for City of Wilmington, because of the disappearance of more than 7,000 jobs, and the local business that dependedonthewilmingtonairparkweremostlikelyclosed,takingaserioustollonthe localeconomy. ThethirteenblocksofDowntownWilmingtonisahistoricandtraditionalcommercialarea. It contains some historic buildings, retail stores, service stores and restaurants. City of Wilmington has implemented the Main Street Program, which is designed to improve all aspectsofthedowntownarea,inordertoproduceafunplacetovisit. 2

11 IntheeastportionofWilmingtonthereisacommercialarea,whichincludessupermarkets, gasstations,retailstoresandfastfoodrestaurants.thisistheprimaryarearesidentsto shoplocally. Figure2:RelationshipBetweenDifferentAreas In my opinion, different cities have different characteristics.bigcitiesmay have more attraction, function, activity and so on, but small cities have their own advantage. In Wilmington,therearebeautifulhistoricbuildings,acommercialdistrict,andsoon.Sothe 3

12 problemscomeout.howtoletpeopleknowwilmingtonisbetter,howtomakepeoplefeel safe and comfortable in Downtown Wilmington, how to attract more people back Wilmington and how to create more jobs for local residents? Wilmington need to solve theseproblems, and my comprehensive legible cityscape plan is a way to solve these problemsthathelptorevitalizethecotyofwilmington. First, I want to discuss the components of the comprehensive legible cityscape plan and howtheplancanhelpthecity. The formation of a city needs a long time, and during theprocess of formation, the city should some exclusive urban characteristic and elements. Whether is a city livable or unlivable, depends on complex factors, that are not how we usually think of as the environment, transportation, economic and cultural. A livable city should be concerned about the relationship between these factors, as well as the communication between the peopleandthecity. BeforeIdothisproject,Ihavethefollowingquestionsinmymind:Whatistheculturalof thecity?whatistheoriginalecologicalmakeupofthecity?inordertohelpmeknowthe CityofWilmingtonwell,andallowmebepartofit. First,IneedtoknowwhatdothepeopleneedinthecityofWilmington,Ialsoneedtoknow whatkindofdowntowntheywillliketoseeandwhatkindofproblemsareinthecityof Wilmington,SomyopinionistousethecomprehensivelegiblecityscapeplantomakeCity 4

13 ofwilmingtonbecomemorelivable.thevisualstateofurbanpublicspacehasapotential impact on human behaviors and wecanbeginwith the existing condition, and then do some adjustment or reconstruction in visual design. A good visual design or legible cityscapeplanisthemostimportantcriteriaforalivablecity,whichisthemainpartthat mythesisiwillfocuson. Forexample,weknowsignageisoneofthemainpartsofvisualdesignorlegiblecityscape plan, and unordered signage will deeply affect the quality of people s daily life, bringing wild topeoplevisually.forlocalresidents,itwillreducethequalityofpeople slife.for the people that come from outside, it will create a bad perception of the city, as well as affecting the external perception. One cannot image what is a city looks like without signage. Signage is the most important factor in comprehensive legible cityscape plan,it willmakecityhaveabettervisualactivation,andbeabletohighlightculturaldifferences. Thatistheimportanceofthelegiblecityscapeplan.Ofcourse,thecomprehensivelegible cityscape plan will contain many other parts, such as: Wayfinding, Architectural Detail Design, Entrance Logo Design and so on. In my thesis, I will focus on all these parts in comprehensivelegiblecityscapeplanforthecityofwilmington. 5

14 2TheProblem 2.1OverviewProblems 2.1.1WeaknessofDowntownAreaIdentityandIllegible Downtownsarealwaysthefaceofanycity.Betterandactivedowntownswillgiveabetter impressionofthecity.unlikelargecities,commercial,recreational,andeverydaysupplies arealltogetherin the downtown. In most American small cities, everyday supplies are locatedoutside of downtown areas. Everyday supplies are always the major reason for people going out,and if the downtowns of small cities did not have the capacity provide everydaysupplies,therewillbelesspeoplevisitingthedowntownarea JobOpportunityLoss Jobsarealwaysthereasonforresidentstostayinoneplace.Providingenoughjobscan helpmaintainthelocalworkforcebygivingthemtheoptiontocommuteformhomeand work,whichhelpstomaintainthepopulationofsmallcities.inmostamericanregional cities,theyusuallycanprovidemorejobopportunitiesandbettersalaries.togetherwith theconvenienttransportationsystemandpublicfacilities,residentsfromnearbysmall citiesprefertoseekjobsinthosecitiesratherthanstayinginsmallcities LackofDiversityofJobsandStimulatingJobs ManyAmericansmallcitieshaveonlyonemajorindustryandmanylocalresidentsare workingforthisindustryorsomejobsrelatedtothisindustry.asanexampleof 6

15 Wilmington,whichwasacitywithmorethanonehalfoftheworkforceemployedbyDHL AirParkinthebeginningofthe21stcentury.AftertheshutdownofDHLAirPark,those peopleandtheirfamiliesarehaveexperiencedahardtimeforfamilyincome.asmallcity whichhasmorestimulatingjobsandmuchmoredifferenttypesofdominateindustryand willbemoreresilienttolossofjobs.inthisway,thecitycanovercomequicklyfromthis kindofdisaster MoreCommutersMovingAway Residentswhodidnothaveajobinasmallcitywillseekforjobsinthenearbylargercities whichmightprovidemorejobopportunities.atthebeginningofthisbehavior,the commutingtimefromhometoworkwillgrow.asimentionedbefore,thestrengthofthe smallcitylifeistheconvenienceofcommutingfromhometowork.ifthesmallcitycannot providetheconvenienceofcommuting,whydon'tpeoplejustmovingoutfromthesmaller city? 2.1.5TheNaturalEnvironmentnotasGoodasBefore Usuallydevelopmentofthesmallcitiesreliesonamajorindustry.Becausethecityneedsto meettheneedsofitsresidents,thisindustrymightdestroythelocalenvironment,for example,cuttingdowntreesforwarehousesandfactories.anotherproblemisthesocial environment.moreandmoretrucksandcarsneedtopassthroughthecitycentertoreach theirdestinations,andthiswouldcauseco2,noise,trafficandsafetyproblemstothe residentialareawithinthecitycenter. 7

16 Consideringtheseproblems,IbelievetheCityofWilmingtonneedstodosomechange.I willtrytosolvethiswithmythesistopic:comprehensivelegiblecityscapeplanfor DowntownWilmington.ThiswillbeusedtoDowntownWilmingtonfriendlierandmore walkable,alsoitmaycreatemorejobsforlocalpeople.thefinalgoalofmythesisisbring moreandmorepeoplebacktoworkingandlivinginasmallcitylikethecityofwilmington. 2.2SiteAnalysis:IndividualProblemMap Basedontheseproblems,Ithinkthemostimportantoneisthe Weaknessofdowntown areaidentityandillegible.atfirst,iwillanalyzetheweaknessinthedowntownareaof identityandillegibleinthecityofwilmingtonin9maps: 2.2.1SiteAnalysis Mystudyareaisthe13blocksinDowntownWilmington,the4mainblocksinthecenterof thedowntownarethemainofficeandcommercialarea,theother9blockssurroundingit areamixeduseareawhichincluderesidentialandcommercial.these13blocksconstitute thedowntownofwilmington. ThecityisservedbytheWilmingtonPublicLibraryofClintonCounty,andalsofeaturesa weatherforecastofficeofthenationalweatherservice,whichservesallofsouthwestern OhioandportionsofKentuckyandIndiana. 8

17 Figure3:DowntownLocationMap 2.2.2PublicOpenSpace Public open space is an important factor for a city. In the City of Wilmington, the public openspaceshouldinclude:setbacks,plazasandurbanparksandsoon. From the map we can see that the City of Wilmington has lots of public open space, but thereisalmostnobiggreenspaceinoraroundthedowntownarea.thatmeansthereisno areaforthelocalresidentsandvisitorswhentheywanttoenjoythesunshineandnaturein thedowntown.thereisalsolackofpublicspaceforeventsorplaygroundforchildren.that 9

18 meanspeoplecannotstayinthedowntownareaforalongtime.atthesametime,thatalso givesmetheanswerthatwhytherearefewpeoplethatwalkwithinthedowntownarea. Figure4:PublicOpenSpace 2.2.3ParkingSpace Thereareabout18parkinglotsinthedowntownarea. ThestreetparkingisfreeindowntownofWillington,mostofthemare2hourslimited,and othersare4hourslimited. 10

19 WhenIwalkedinDowntownofWilmington,Isawtherearenottoomanycarsonthestreet, andseveralcarsparkedinaparkinglot,whichcancontainabout30cars.soingeneral therearetoomanyvacancyparkinglotsinthedowntownarea,andsomeofthemcanbe usedforanotherfunction. Figure5:ParkingSpace 2.2.4FigureGround DowntownofWilmingtonhasdifferentkindsofarchitecturalstyle,somebuildinghavea verylonghistoryandstillinaverygoodcondition. 11

20 WecanclearlyknowwhereistheDowntownofWilmingtonisfromthemapwithouta boundary.thereisnottoomanychancetochangethebuildingshapeindowntownarea, almostallblocksarefullofbuildings. Figure6:FigureGround 2.2.5StreetEdges Thedifferentwidthoflinemeansdifferentlevelofwalkability. Thedifferentlevelofwalkbaseonthewidthandconditionofsidewalk,treecanopy,retail storeandsoon.therearesomanyfactorsthatcaninfluencethelevelofwalkability. 12

21 In Downtown Wilmington, especially in the 4 main blocks, the buildings are in good condition, the sidewalk are wide enough, and there are some places that you can site outsidetohavelaunchordinner.butitstillhassomeproblem,thetreecoverisnotgoodat all,thetreesaretoosmallandcannotprovideashadow.also,itistoosmallthatdoesn tlet you feel safe when walking on the street. Another thing is that some buildings need redesignorinfillsomedetailstomakeitmorecolorful.butinthegeneralthestreetsinthe fourmainblocksarewalkablestreet. Figure7:StreetEdges 13

22 2.2.6MainRoadforEntrance The City of Wilmington is about 6 miles from the Ic71. It is very convenient drive from Cincinnati,ColumbusandDayton. Thereare3roadclassesforentranceforDowntownWilmington.Thefirstoneisbothgood forwalkinganddriving,themainentrancethatconnectic71todowntownwilmingtonand alsohasagoodqualityofsidewalk.thesecondoneisgoodfordriving,directlyconnectic 71toDowntownWilmington.Thethirdoneisbetterconditionforawalkingentrance. Figure8:MainRoadforEntrance 14

23 2.2.7LandUse TheDowntownofWilmingtonismainlyforofficeandcommercial,whichshowsinred.So itisgoodifonewantstobuildthedowntownareaasamixeduseareathatlocalpeopleor visitors can stay here both daytime and nighttime. But there is a weakness that the light industrial area is at the east of downtown. These areas have bad street view, noise and traffic. Figure9:LandUse 15

24 2.2.8TrafficSignage In Downtown Wilmington, the quantity of signage is enough, but the quality is not good enough.moststreetsinthecityhaveaproblemwithsignagedesign.almostallsignagein DowntownWilmingtonisfortraffic,nothingfornavigation. InWilmingtonsomestreetarelackingsignage.Somythesiswillmainlyfocusonsignage designandawayfindingsystemindowntownwilmington.itshouldhaveagoodlegibility and wide letter proportions with proportions that have prominent ascenders to ensure a goodreadability. Figure10:TrafficSignage 16

25 2.2.9LegibilityAnalysis TheLegibilityanalysismaptellsuswhichstreethaveagoodstreetviewandwhichisthe main visual point in this area. To make a city more legible there should be continuity betweensalientelementsofthecity,andbetweenmainintegratorsandvisiblefieldsofthe landmarks,toformacoherentstructure. \\\\\ Figure11:LegibilityAnalysis 17

26 2.3Siteanalysis:ComprehensiveProblemMap After examining the individual problem map, I will have a better understanding of DowntownWilmington,Iamgoingtothenputtheseproblemstogethertodevelop,come withsomecomprehensiveproblemmaps SWOTAnalysis I identified six different areas for SWOT analysis: Downtown Wilmington, the industrial area,theresidentialarea,greenspace,thecommercialarea,andthewilmingtonairpark. Bycompletingthisanalysis,IcanhaveabetterunderstandingfortheCityofWilmington, andspecificallythroughthesowtanalysis,wecanlearnhowtouseeach,howcanmitigate weaknesses,howtoexploitopportunities,andhowtodefendagainstthreatsinwilmington. 1:DowntownWilmington S:Richarchitecturestyle,withalonghistoryandisingoodcondition W:Toomuchparkingspace,andlackofsignagedesign O:GoodforaComprehensiveLegibleCityscapePlan T:Nottoomanyhavechosentochangethebuildingshape 2:IndustrialArea S:Mostofbuildingsarevacant W:Badstreetview O:Closetodowntown,andeasytoredesign 18

27 T:Costlytorebuildthebuildings 3:ResidentialArea S:Niceneighborhood,buildingsareingoodcondition W:Maintrafficflowsacrosstheresidentialarea,andisnotwalkable O:WalkingdistancetoDowntownWilmington T:Outmigration,contributingtobuildingsthatareabandoned 4:GreenSpace S:ClosetoDowntownWilmington W:NoconnectionwithDowntownWilmington O:Easytovisitbyresidents T:Underutilized 5:CommercialArea S:Varietyofsupermarkets W:NotwalkabletoDowntownWilmington O:Buildabikelane T:Highspeedtrafficflow 6:WilmingtonAirPark S:OwnedbyClintonCounty,withgoodconstruction W:20milesdrivetoDowntownWilmington O:Builtasathemepark T:Almostabandoned 19

28 Figure12:SWOTAnalysis 2.3.2SignageAnalysis ThefirstsignageanalysismapisfordifferentlevelsofsignageinDowntownWilmington.I classify four different levels for it, which can show the current signage situation in DowntownWilmington. 1:Goodsignagedesign,canprovideenoughinformation,butnotasasystem. 20

29 2:Sufficientsignage,butnotcleartoseebecausesomesignsaretoosmallandsomesigns arenotobvious. 3:Notenoughsigns,andsomebuildingsdonothavesigns. 4:Onlyhavetrafficsigns,andnosignsforretailstoresorinformation Thesefourareashaveaproblemwithsignage,andneedtobeimproved. Figure13:SignageAnalysis Thesecondsignageanalysismapistoshowtheheightofsignageintwomainstreets.The bestsignagesystemshouldhavedifferentshapes,stylesandheights.also,shouldnotblock eachother,andcanbeconsiderasasystem. 21

30 Figure14showsthesignsattwomainstreetsinDowntownWilmington(MainStreetandN SouthStreet),wheremostlyallretailstoresandservicestoreslocate.Wecanclearlysee mostlyallofthesignsarewindowssignsandthequalityofsignsneedtobeimproved. Figure14:SignageHeightAnalysis The last analysis is for the evaluation for all signs in Downtown Wilmington; I classify 9 differentkindsofsigns,andshowthenumberofsignsinfigure15.agoodsignagesystem needstohavealldifferentkindsofsigns,butindowntownwilmington,itlacksadiversity ofsigns.thestorefrontwindowsignsisthemainpartofsignsindowntownwilmington.in my thesis, I will try to create all kinds of signs which are suitable for Downtown Wilmington, and not only for retail store signs, but it will also include wayfinding signs, 22

31 welcome signs, temporary signs and so on. The goal is to make Downtown Wilmington morelegibleandreadable. Figure15:SignageCategoryAnalysis Signage is to ensure that correct information can convey an important prerequisite. Scientificandrationalsignagemustbeconsideredasaholisticandcompletesystem.The signage system should be able to have some reasonable artistic elements, which will not onlyensurethatsignscanachievetheirbasicfunctions,butalsoincreasevisualappealand enhancedthecommunicationbetweenpeopleandcity. 23

32 There are two main weaknesses for the signage system in Downtown Wilmington: 1) no connection,andlackinganoverallplan.2)thedesignistoosimple,lackingrepresentation ofthecity scharacter. The signage system should have a new understanding; it should not be confined only to trafficsings.asignagesystemforacitythatisaverylargeinvolvesmanyareasofthecity. Itnotonlyallowsurbantraffictoflowinanorderlyfashion,butalsoforthenamecardfor thecity.itshoulddemonstratesocial,culturalvalueandareavalues.agoodsignagesystem should combine factors to create a never get lost city, so the city will become more humane,anditwillnarrowthedistancebetweenthepeopleandthecity StreetViewEvaluation ThestreetviewevaluationmapisthewaytoknowDowntownWilmingtonindetails.Each picturewastakenevery10feetoneachstreet,whichshowslotsofdetailsinformationin DowntownWilmington.Forinstance,thenumberoftrashcans?Sidewalkcondition?Tree canopydensity?thestreetviewevaluationmapprovidesanswerstothesequestions. I selected four main streets in Downtown Wilmington, and have provided an evaluation summaryforeachpicture.figure20showsthezoomedinmapforthemainintersection. 24

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37 Figure20:Street View Evaluation-Zoom In 2.3.4ComprehensiveSiteAnalysisMap The comprehensive site analysis map shows all the problems and current situation together,whichcombinesallofthefactorstogether. Themaphastwomainparts: 1: Current situation: landmark, parking lot, green space, industrial area, highest building andmainaccess. 2:Problems:nocrosswalk,openspacenotusedwell,nosenseofentrance,badconnection andnoconnection. Therearetwodetailedmapsshowingthefourmainblocks,thefirstoneisfortheproblems, andthelastoneisforthecurrentsituation.allthreemapsarethebasementforideaand design. 29

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39 Figure22:ComprehensiveSiteAnalysisMapcDetail1 Figure23:ComprehensiveSiteAnalysisMapcDetail2 31

40 3Ideas Afterreviewingtheanalysismap,therearetwoideamapsconsideringdifferentscalesthat act as a transition, before design and planning, this gives an overview of the City of Wilmington sneeds. 3.1CityScaleIdeaMap The city scale idea map shows how to connect each area, such as green space, airpark, DowntownWilmingtonandthecommercialarea.Inmyideamap,Iwanttousebikelaneto connect these areas. Another point is the multicfamily housing around Downtown Wilmington. Figure24:Cityscaleideamap 32

41 3.2DowntownScaleIdeaMap The downtown scale idea map reflects the problems put forth in The Problems section. AllthedesignsandplanningarethesolutionsfortheproblemswhichWilmingtonfacing. Theideasinclude:wayfindingsigns,wallprinting,welcomesigns,openspaceredesignand so on. The main goal of the ideas is to make Downtown Wilmington more diverse and legible. Figure25:Downtownscaleideamap 33

42 4CaseStudy My thesis is about how to redesign or enhance the identity of the city, creating a comprehensive legible cityscape in Downtown Wilmington that is compatible with its historiccharacter,andtodifferentiateexistingandemergingdistricts.thegoalofmythesis is to make Downtown Wilmington more walkable and improve the flow of activities. Wayfindingisthemainpartofthecityredesignplan.Thus,Ilookedintosomearticlesand projects that talk about city redesign plan and wayfinding systems. These articles and projectsprovidedabasistouseinmyoverallcityredesignplan. 4.1DowntownAustinWayfindingMasterPlan TheWayfindingMasterPlanoutlinespriorityprojects,initiativesandapproachesthatwill helptoestablishaphasingplanforbothshorttermandlongtermopportunities.phasingis based on the complexity of the system and the funding available. (Signage Foundation, 2013) Thewayfindingsystemwillestablishaunifyinggraphiclanguageacrossawidevarietyof communication elements in Downtown Austin. Further awareness of the system can be achieved by creating a memorable identity for the overall Downtown Austin Wayfinding system.thiswillestablishthewayfindingsystemasahelpfultoolthatpresentsaustinas anorganized,thoughtfulandwelcomingcity. (SignageFoundation,2013) 34

43 ProjectObjectives PromoteDowntownAustinasafriendly,wellcplanned,organizedandsafeenvironment Thedesignshallbeofitsplace Buildconsensusthroughpublicinput Seamlesslyintegrateavarietyofwayfindingtools Gatewaysshallconsiderlandscaping,lightingandpublicart Promotethe ParkcOnce philosophy Enhancepedestriantravelandaccessibility Supportmulticmodaltransportationandsustainableinitiatives Createapublicoutreachplanthatpromotesthewayfindingsystem DevelopaStrategicImplementationPlanandarealisticphasingsequence Identifyfundingsourcesandcreativestrategies Developaplanforlongctermmanagementandmaintenance(CityofAustin,Taxes,2013) Maps Figure26:WayfingdingMapforDowntownAustin,FormCityofAustin,Taxes 35

44 Conclusion: TherearesomanydifferencesbetweenDowntownAustinandDowntownWilmington,not only the size and population, but also they are in different area. Austin is a city that is growing, while Wilmington is facing population stagnancy with rising unemployment. Therearestilllearningopportunitiesfromthiscase.Theprocess,thegoalsandobjectives, themapforsignageandwayfindingareperfectexamples. 4.2:UrbanWayfindingPlanningandImplementationManual CaseStudy:RockvilleTownCenter,MD TheRockvilleTownCenterisamongtheleadingexamplesofapublic/privatepartnership for the development of a new mixedcuse transitcoriented development. Centered on the Rockville Town Square mixed use project, the Town Center contains a number of innovativewayfindingsystemapproaches. (SignageFoundation,2013) PlanningInnovation Wayfinding elements including signs, gateways, street furniture, public places and directorieswerepartoftheplanningprocessfromthebeginningofthesitedevelopment process. This allowed these elements to be part of larger streetscape projects, which allowedforfasterdevelopmentduetoearlyfinancingandprecexistingstakeholdergroups. (SignageFoundation,2013) 36

45 DesignInnovation Thelevelofintegrationofdesignelementswiththestreetscape,commercialbuildingsand parkingfacilitiesmadeforbothahighlycomplementarydesign(byselbertperkinsdesign), andamixofuniquefountainsandpublicspaces. (SignageFoundation,2013) OngoingDevelopment TheTownCenterplanismeanttobedevelopedoverdecades.Inrecentyears,alibrary, innovationcenterandapartmenthomeshavebeenadded.aseriesofguidelinesincluding wayfindingaspartofthelargerurbandesignhasmaintainedthecohesionoftheproject. (SignageFoundation,2013) Photos 1 Figure27:SignageDesigninRockvilleTownCenter,M,From:SignageFoundation 37

46 Conclusion ComparingRockvilleTownCenterandDowntownWilmington,wecanfindaverysimilar situation.botharesmallcitiesortownshipcenterswithjustafewblocksinthecbdarea, which means they probably do not have enough funding for the redesign plan or wayfindingsystem.inrockvilletowncenter,morethan70%oftheprojectwasdeveloped through private funding. Wilmington could follow suit, and they could develop a new wayfindingsystemwithprivatefunding. 38

47 5ResearchProcedures Researchmethodology ThemethodologythatIwilluseformythesisisdesignandevaluation.Iwilldothedesign firstbasedontheexistingconditionandanalysismap,andafterthatiwilldosomeanalysis workthatwillletusknowwhatthisprojectwillgivetothecity. InstrumentationandData 1:GIS:TheGISdatawillbecollectedfromwww.clintoncountyohgis.org' 2:TheanalysismapdatacamefromthefieldresearchintheCityofWilmington. 3:ThedatafrommeetingwithClintonCountyPlanningCommission. SpecificProcedures 1:Basedonanalysismap,identifystreetsneedingredesign 2:EstablishhowmanylocalresidentswillgotoDowntownWilmington 3:EstablishwhatkindofsignageisneededinDowntownWilmington 4:CreateacomprehensivelegiblecityscapeplanfortheCityofWilmington 39

48 6DesignandPlanning In this section, I will provide eight different solutions for problems that the City of Wilmington is facing. It includes: retail store sign design, creating a sense of entrance, wayfindingsigns,creatingorredesigningopenspace,mainintersectionredesign,bikelane anddetaildesign,factoryredesignandwallprinting. 6.1:RetailStoreSignsDesign Intoday surbanenvironment,especiallyinthecity scentralbusinessdistrict,ifthesignage system is not sufficiently systematic and standardized, it not only affects local people s dailylife,butalsoitwillgiveabadimpressionforvisitors.agoodsignagedesignforretail storesislikeanametagforacity. ForDowntownWilmington,Ipickedarepresentativestreettoredesign.Inthedesignpart, Imadesignsatdifferentheights,colorsandtextures.Texturesconsideredsurfacessuchas wood, stone, and metal. Meanwhile, the signage system will fully consider human visual comfort,suchasheightsetting,fontsizeandscaleofthemap. Figure28andfigure29comparethecurrentsituationandtheredesign: 40

49 Figure28:StreetViewwithoutSignageDesign Figure29:StreetViewwithSignageDesign 41

50 6.2CreateSenseofEntrance Anentrancetothecityisthefirstimpressionofthecity.Agoodentrancedesignisoneof themostimportantpartsforthelegiblecityscapeplan.itisthelinkofthecitytoconnect withtheoutside,andhasanimportantroleinthecommunicationbetweeninnerandouter city,intermsofmaterialenergyandinformationanditplaysanimportantroleinshaping the city s landscape. As a cultural and historical carrier, a good entrance design can increase the character and attraction of the city and bringing prosperity and vigor to the city. ForDowntownWilmington,Iusethemainentranceasthedesignexample(NSouthStreet). Theentranceischargedwiththemissiontoconveythecity scharacter,soinmydesign,i usethelogoofwilmingtoninwallprintingandawelcomesignwithwilmington sstyle.it maintains the continuity of the local historical context and transfers the local cultural information.ididtwodifferentdesignsusinglocalflavorandwilmington slogo. Thefigureshowsthecomparisonofthecurrentsituationandwhatislookslikeafterthe redesign: 42

51 Figure30:ComparisonforEntranceDesign 43

52 6.3WayfindingSigns Wayfindingsignsplacedthroughouteverycornerofthecityprovidesagreatconvenience forpeople sdailylife.itprovidesallkindsofinformationtohelppeoplebetterunderstand thecity.italsohelpstobuildaricher,deeperrelationshipbetweenthepeopleandcity.the wayfingdingsystemshouldtakethecityasawhole:anentireurbanenvironment,downto thebuilding,eachpartshouldhaveitsownwayfindingsystem,itshouldletlocalpeopleor visitorsfeelcomfortableindailylifeandintravelinginthecity. Baseonthedifferentfunctionsofthecity sareas,wecanconsiderfourdistinctparts: 1:Trafficwayfindingsystem:roads,districts,subways,busstationsandsoon. 2:Commercialwayfindingsystem:supermarkets,hotels,andrestaurants. 3:Publicinformationwayfindingsystem:government,hospital,andlibrary. 4:Attractionwayfindingsystem:openspace,recreationalareasandforest. In Downtown Wilmington, there are almost no wayfinding signs, and there is little attention given to it. In my design, I will implement a wayfinding system as an indispensablepartofthebuiltenvironmentandplanningofwilmington. Inthedesignpart,IcreateaseriesofwayfindingsignsfortheCityofWilmington. 44

53 45

54 6.4CreateorRedesignOpenSpace Openspacesareavitalpartofacity.Itisthepublicareafordailyactivities,anditisalsoan areathatshowsthelocalhistoryandculture.itisthemainpartofurbanplanningandofa legiblecityscapeplan. InDowntownWilmington,thereareonlytwoopenspacesintheDowntown:theyarethe lawn around the Court House and a narrow open space between two buildings. It is not enoughforpeople sdailyuse. In the design part,it will have more open space for local people and visitors. All open spaces in Downtown Wilmington are based on human scale and include many elements, suchas:opencairstructures,waterfeaturesandstreetfurniture.therearethreedifferent kindsofopenspaces: 1:Parkinglotredesign:Ingeneral,mostparkinglotsinDowntownWilmingtonarenotfully used,sothenumberofparkinglotwilldeclineinordertomakemoreareaforopenspace. The new parking lot will have more public utilities, such as street seats, fountains and increasedtreecanopy. 2: Open space redesign: The new open space will have more function and more detail design,suchassundaymarket,landmarkandsoon. 46

55 3:Vacantparcelredesign:Infigure31,itshowsanabandonedgasstationredesignedasa retail store building,insidetheparcelthereisaparkingspacethatcancontainsixcars. Thereisalsoasignthatshows parkinglotinside. Figure32:OpenSpaceMap 6.5MainIntersectionRedesign Ipickedthemainintersection(MainStreetandNSouthStreet)inDowntownWilmington for the redesign, which is the area with the most population flow. The intersection is the transferpoint,bothforpeopleandcars.inthedesignsection,iconsidertheentiresituation thatincludes: 47

56 1:Pedestrianfirst:Therearefourspeedbumpsintheintersectionandtwointhemiddleof thestreet.allofthemcanmakethetrafficflowinareducedspeedtomakepedestriansfeel safer. 2:Widersidewalksaroundintersections:Thebiggerintersectionscanmakethepedestrian walkingdistanceshorter,anditisalsobettermarkedforpassingdrivers. 3:Moretreecanopy:ThetreecanopyinDowntownWilmingtonislacking.Increasedtree canopyblockstrafficandpedestrians,makingpeoplefeelsaferwhentheyarewalking. 4:Streetseats:Thestreetseatallowspeopletostayonthestreets,anditcanbeconsidered as a microcsquare on the street. During the holidays, it can also be use as a temporary boothforsmallbusinesses. Figure33:MainIntersectionMap 48

57 6.6BikeLaneandDetailDesign Inthelasttwodecades,bicycleshavebecomemoreandmorepopularasuseexpandedinto more and more areas such as leisure, fitness, social interaction and cultural experience. Fromtheperspectiveofthecity,thebicycleisareflectionofaspiritualcivilizationandthe urban cityscapeacts as animportant window. Good and bad bicycle traffic environments reflect the city as peoplecoriented or not,and it becomes more and more important for people sdailylife. InCityofWilmington,thereisa TriccountyGreenbeltBicycletrail.However,thebicycle trailisdisconnected.peoplealwayshaveashorttrip,becausetheyfeelunsafewhenthey want to cross the street. On the other hand, a complete bike lane makes each area in Wilmingtonhaveabetterconnection. Inthedesignandplanningsection,basedonthecurrentsituation,Imakesomenewbike lanestoconnecttheexistingbikelanes,aswellasconnectotherareas,suchastheforestin thewest,wilmingtoncollege,thecommercialareasanddowntownwilmington. Inthepast,peoplewantingtotraveltotheseareashadtodosobycar.Whenthebikelane comes out, it will change people s life style and trip mode. For the detail design, it will include: bicycle logo light boxes, bicycle traffic signs, speed bumps for coming traffic and restareas.thesedesignswillmakepeoplefeelmuchsaferthaninpastwhentheytraveled bybicycle. 49

58 Figure34:BikeLaneMap Figure35:BikeLaneDetailDesign 50

59 6.7FactoryRedesign Today,alargenumberofoldindustrialbuildingsfacedwithnumerousproblems:someof themneedupdating;someofthemneedreconstructionorredesign.factoryredesignhas become one of the most important pieces in cityscape redesign, and we need to protect, developandreuseoldindustrialbuildings. The industrial area located in the east of Wilmington is very close to downtown. Some buildingsarealreadyabandoned,andsomeofthemareinverybadcondition.badstreet views have aterribleinfluence on cityscape. However, on the other hand, it is also an opportunity,becausethehighestbuildingforcityofwilmingtonislocatedintheindustrial area.ifwedomorearchitecturaldetaildesigntomakethebuildingsurfacemorecolorful ormoredetailed,itwillhaveahugedifferenceonstreetviews.theabandonedfactorywill alsobecomethemostfamousattractionforthecity. I used a Chinese case study as an example. In the design section, italsohaditshighest building;iaddedsomesurfacedesigntomakeitstandoutfromotherbuildingsmakingita landmarkforthatarea.thesamesituationappliesinwilmington,afterasurfaceredesign itwillbecomethelandmarkofthecity.otherbuildingscanbeusedasexhibitionbuildings, galleries, theme restaurants and so on. The new industrial area will become a new attractionforvisitors. Thefigure36showsthemodelasthesuggestionfortheWilmingtonindustrialarea redesign. 51

60 Figure36:FactoryRedesignExample 6.8WallPrinting InDowntownWilmington,somebuildingsareingoodcondition,butwithlessarchitectural details,sowallprintingisoneofthebestsolutionstogivebuildingsmoredesigndetails. WallprintingisalsoatraditioninWilmington;therearesomeverynicenewdrawingson buildingsinthelasttwoyears.wallprintingwillmakedowntownwilmingtonmorevivid andmoreartistic. Inmydesign,IhavetwodifferentstylesofdrawingfortheMunicipalCourtProbation.The firstoneislocalstyleprintingandanotherischineseprinting.bothofthemaresuitablefor thebuilding. 52

61 Figure37:ComparisonforWallPrinting 53

62 6.9SiteMap Thesitemapisacombinationoftheeightdesignandplanningsections.Alleightsections aresolutionsfortheproblems,whichthecityofwilmingtonisfacing.itshows: Figure38:SiteMap 54

63 Bibliography Bentley,I.(1987).Respinsive'Environments:'A'Manual'for'Desginers.Burlington: ArchitecturalPress. CityofAustin,Taxes.(2013).Downtown'Austin'Wayfinding'Master'Plan'.Retrievedfrom ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/npzd/austingo/final_wayfinding_masterplan.pdf Davies,L.(2000).Urban'Design'Compendium.London:ThehousingCorporation. DepartmentofNewYorkState.(2011).Municipal'Control'of'Signs.Retrievedfrom Fischer,E.(2000).'BuildingLivableCommunitiesforthe21stCentury.'PublicRoads. May/June,pp30c34. Metha,V.(2009).Tamoa'Urban'Design'Studio.Tampa:UniversityofSouthFlorida. Morrison,C.(2004).The'Rocks'Signage'Policy'Vilume'2:'Commercial'Signs.Retrievedfrom %20July04.pdf 55

64 Newsom,G.(2008).Better'Street'Plan.Retrievedfromhttp:// planning.org/ftp/betterstreets/proposals.htm NorthCentralRegionalCenterforRuralDevelopment.(1991).Visual'Merchandising'A' Guide'for'Small'Retailers.Retrievedfrom PortlandMainStreet.(2011).Portland'Main'Street'Design'Handbook.Retrievedfrom pdf.sflb.ashx SydneyHarbourForehoreAuthority.(2013).The'Rocks'Commercial'Signage.Retrieved fromhttp:// 8ABC3D8DA271B324.pdf SignageFoundation.(2013).Urban'Wayfinding'Planning'Implementation'Manual'. Retrievedfrom onmanualwebsite.pdf SoundTransit.(2004).SystemKwide'Signage'Design'Manual.Retrievedfrom 56

65 UniversityofNebraska.(2009).Wayfinding'and'Signage'Standards'Manual.Retrievedfrom UniversityofMinnesota.(2008).Belle'Plaine'Commercial'Boulevard'District'Guidelines. Retrievedfrom spp30c37.pdf 57