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STRATEGIES AND IDEAS

DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENT

Design-related recovery efforts might focus attention on district maintenance, customer-friendly parking, and comfortable pedestrian-focused spaces and special features.

Go hyper-clean!

We’re not sure that’s a real term, but you get the point. Work with local government to plan and clearly define responsibilities for district maintenance and cleanliness, being mindful of special measures that may be required.
Work to publicize and clearly illustrate special efforts being taken with the public’s health, safety and comfort in mind.
Consider and discuss the possible need for dedicated or additional staff assigned to district maintenance and cleanliness.

Experiment with Road Diets.

Road diets might be considered to create more room for pedestrians, outdoor seating, dedicated and expanded bike lanes, etc. Treatments to accomplish this, in the short term, may be more temporary in nature and borrow on placemaking tactics.
Experimenting with road diet options now will help address immediate concerns, but it could also provide inspiration and direction for longer-term pedestrian-focused and prioritized street and streetscape improvements.
Longer term, street events could also be more frequent and desired. People are learning they can live without cars for a day so, for example, the idea of closing a district’s main street on Sunday from 11 to 5 and filling the street with people (appropriately social distanced in the near term) may be more appealing.

Rethink access and amenities.

Consider possibilities and the potential benefits of alleyway and parking lot reconfigurations to accommodate backdoor and window pickups, drive-thru pickups, alternate pedestrian passageways, public seating areas, etc.
This may be an important consideration for maintaining or offering alternatives for curbside pickup services that have become popular during the pandemic crisis.

Increase directional signage.

Assess and act on the possible need for additional signage to direct visitors to parking areas and pedestrian passages, especially if parking is removed from streets to accommodate a comfortable pedestrian flow, outdoor seating areas, etc.

Promote customer-friendly parking practices.

A sincere effort to welcome back customers suggests that priority for parking — the most convenient parking — should be focused on the customer.
- Work with businesses to promote and implement customer-friendly parking policies, and to identify parking areas and spaces most appropriate to accommodate the needs of district business owners and employees.
- Consider including a commitment to practice and promote customer-first parking practices as part of the good housekeeping and “good business neighbor pledge” ideas discussed in the Organization and Public Relations section.
- Examine or review opportunities for shared parking arrangements to accommodate the district’s different users and uses during different times of the day as a means of maximizing utilization of the existing parking supply.

Install public hand-washing stations.

The installation of publicly-accessible hand-washing or sanitization stations in sidewalk areas, pocket parks or other highly visible spaces could go far in promoting good hygiene and enhancing visitors’ comfort level.
- Portable hand-washing stations are typically available from the same vendors who supply porta-potties for events.
- In some cases, It might even be possible to retrofit public drinking fountains already installed, or to adapt installations to fire hydrants or other existing water supplies.

Add color.

Pursue opportunities to add color to the streetscape. Street banners, colorful “open” flags at storefront entrances, outdoor art installations (in partnership with local non-profit artist and arts-based partners), and flower donor programs are just a few examples of ways to add color and a heightened sense of vibrancy to the district.

Experiment.

This extraordinary time we’re living in offers few tried-and-true answers or proven solutions, yet it also opens the door to experimentation. Tactical urbanism, placemaking and community spaces could play an even more critical role in recovery and community building efforts. Use the time to experiment and try new things, new treatments, new features and new ways to enhance and engage visitors as part of an immersive environment.