Overtown Edges USF Master of Urban and Community Design by Ana M Cheng

Overtown Edges

A Research Master’s Project by Ana Cheng

Overtown Edges

Overtown Edges by Ana Maria Cheng Master of Urban and Community Design Project Chair: Professor Taryn Sabia University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design 2021

Overtown Edges

CONTENTS Introduction

Research

Case Studies

Design Framework

Site Analysis

Edges Timeline Existing Conditions Conceptual Diagram

30 40 46 72

Design Proposal

Edge Gateway Center

78 86 92

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INTRODUCTION Spatial segregation of colored families and communities throughout the 20th century is the result of discriminatory government policies at the federal, state and local levels. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 authorized the construction of the 41,000 interstate highway network of which state highway officials regarded to as an opportunity to eliminate the local slums. Due to this act and discriminatory agenda, highways began to be routed directly through the heart of prominent and thriving black neighborhoods. In 1956, the Florida State Road Department routed I-95 through the neighborhood of Overtown, this reduced a community of 40,000 African Americans to 8,000. A community once known as the most prosperous and largest colored neighborhood in South Florida, Overtown’s image before urban renewal consisted of a vivid center for living quarters, cuisine and entertainment. The memory and image of Historic Overtown now lives in the recollection of stories of residents and its surviving historic assets that stand to this day on NW 3rd Avenue and NW 2nd Avenue in Miami Dade County. When studying the historic neighborhood of Overtown through the lens of cultural preservation, there is a fundamental challenge: how to preserve existing structures and transform street space to fulfill a variety of neighborhood needs? The methodology seeks to understand, identify, maintain and interpret elements of Overtown’s historic urban landscape: land use patterns, urban spatial organization, perceptions and visual relationships, to transform its street space and create a toolkit that maintains Overtown’s cultural uniqueness safe. The historic streets toolkit’s foundation will be grounded in concepts and approaches that include asset mapping, addressing the needs of the community, preserving and reusing historic buildings and creative place making. The toolkit also seeks to create an illustrated guide of the goals and policies for the transformation of Overtown’s historic street spaces. These goals and policies will be divided into street design elements that strive for a street that is memorable, supports diverse public life, a vibrant place for commerce, safe and attractive.

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RESEARCH The research started with a series of books, articles and city toolkits that would guide the design process. Rothestein’s Color of law, briefly touches on the history of overtown and the linkage between highway construction and the removal of African Americans. The following annotated bibliography also presents a series of storymaps created by researchers at the University of Richmond, where they present a comprehensive and unified set of national and local data on the Urban Renewal program. Their mappings show how the Central Miami Project from 1962 to 1968, displaced an estimated 1,386 families of color, and how the overtown neighborhood was delineated and designated a residential blighted area in 1937 by the Home Owners Loan Corporation, with the lowest security letter grade of D. The corporation leaders created area descriptions and detailed the neighborhood’s quality of housing, rent values, and racial and ethnic identity. Journal articles detail the cultural history of the rise and fall of the Overtown neighborhood, as well as studies and reports that examine its historic buildings how these can be adaptively re-used for purposes that meet the needs of the neighborhood. More detailed storymaps and articles recount the details and stories of Overtown’s business, lost landmarks, community centers, schools, churches and murals. These also summarize how the community has tried to preserve and honor the history of Overtown and its once called “Little Broadway”, also called 2nd Avenue that housed lost historical landmarks and others that still stand today. Aside from the historical research and data, the research looks into toolkits and planning guides for cultural neighborhoods or historic districts. Land use patterns, urban spatial organization, visual relationships, social and cultural practices and values should all be identified and interpreted during the transformation or design process of the context. Through this, the image and identity of the city, neighborhood or district is preserved and enriched. Other toolkits, such as the Arts and Planning Toolkit, touched on strategies of arts and culture to make a community or neighborhood connected and vibrant and how tools and planning approaches should be grounded in concepts and approaches that include asset mapping and in place such as cultural districts, zoning regulations, public art and creative place making.

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Rothstein, R. (2018). The color of law: A forgotten history of how our government segregated America. New York: Liveright. Rothstein argues that the spatial segregation of colored families and communities is the product of racist government policies dating back to the early 20th century. At multiple scales, federal, state and local levels, government promoted discriminatory practices, one of them being the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. This federal act authorized the construction of the 41,000 interstate highway network of which American Association of State Highway Officials regarded to as an opportunity eliminate the local slums. Starting in 1938, “the linkage between highway construction and removal of African Americans was a frequent theme of those who stood to profit from a federal road-building program”. Highways began to be routed directly through prominent and thriving black neighborhoods that were the opposite of the so called slum image the government had designated them to be. In 1956, the Florida State Road Department routed I-95 through the now historic Overtown. Their goal was to “clear African Americans from an area adjacent to downtown”. An alternative route was proposed in order to save the neighborhood, this route would utilize an abandoned railway adjacent to Overtown. Instead, I-95 now runs through what used to be the heart of Overtown, it reduced a community of 40,000 African Americans to 8,000. Cebul, Brent, et al. Family displacement through urban renewal, 1950-1966, Digital scholarship lab. Retrieved from dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/renewal/#view=-56/186/1&viz=cartogram&city=miamifl&loc=14/25.7831/-80.2024&cityview=holc. Renewing Inequality presents “the most comprehensive and unified set of national and local data on the federal Urban Renewal program”. This new vantage point, maps the displacement of colored families from the national to the local scales. Most prominent were African American neighborhoods which were destroyed at disproportionate rates for the development of commercial, industrial cores or to make way for highways. This data showcases how Urban Renewal did more than just develop cities across the county, in fact it “changed who cities were made for” with the help of concrete corridors, highways, that cared through neighborhoods. In the “Central Miami Project” from 1962 to 1968, an estimated 1,386 families were displaced, all of color. The Central Miami Project delineated Overtown and was designated as a residential blighted area in need of Urban Renewal. Nelson, Robert, et al. Mapping inequality. Digital scholarship lab. Retrieved from dsl. richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=5/39.1/-94.58. This collection of data maps the redlining of America created by the agents of the federal government’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation between 1935 and 1940. In the conservative and “responsible” judgement, HOLC leaders created area descriptions and assigned grades that detailed the neighborhood’s quality of housing, rent values, racial and ethnic identity. In this mapping, one quickly encounters language and descriptions of “subversive”, “undesireable” and “lower grade”. The “infiltration of black people” in Birmingham and Oakland to “infiltration of Jews” in Los Angeles and Chicago were tools for redlining which led to government policies contributing to inequality. “Mapping Inequality brings one of the country’s most important archives to the public. HOLC’s documents contain a wealth of information about how government officials, lenders, and real estate interests surveyed and ensured the economic health of American cities.

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Connolly, N. (2006). Colored, Caribbean, and condemned: Miami’s Overtown district and the cultural expense of progress, 1940-1970. Caribbean studies, 34(1), 3-60. Retrieved May 25, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25613509 In this journal article, Conolly details a cultural history of the rise and fall of Miami Dade’s Overtown neighborhood. A community once known as the most prosperous and largest “Colored” neighborhood in South Florida, Overtown, eventually diminished by highway construction and urban renewal initiatives, was the victim of “more moderate forms of white supremacy in a post- “Jim Crow” nation. The once vivid black center for living quarters, cuisine and entertainment is now well preserved in the recollection of the residents who witnessed firsthand a thriving Overtown. Connolly utilizes recollections that go hand in hand with economic and sociological data, to uncover the “economic, racial and “American” confiscation” of Overtown. University of Miami office of civic and community engagement, et al. (2015). Housing and historic preservation in Overtown. Retrieved from https://civic.miami.edu/_assets/pdf/ housing-initiatives/housing-reports/Housing_and_Historic_Preservation_in_Overtown_ Report.0.1.pdf This report is the collection and result of work conducted in the spring of 2015 by the University of Miami’s School of Architecture and the Office of Civic and Community Engagement in efforts to study the fundamental challenge of preserving the character of the Overtown neighborhood: “how to preserve existing structures and uses that meet the needs of long-time neighborhood residents while encouraging development activity that re-invigorates the neighborhood?”. This report examines ways in which historic buildings can be adaptively re-used for purposes that meet the needs of the neighborhood. There is a site analysis survey as well as summaries of consultations with stakeholders and community partners. Esri. (n.d.). Historic overtown storymap tour. Retrieved from https://www.arcgis.com/ apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=63df6d1f906d4c54b2159ead4cc0dd19 This storymap details and located the history businesses, community centers, schools, churches and murals that still stand today in Overtown. Initially, the town was built to serve as a home for African-American railroad workers, over the decades this neighborhood developed into a hub for African-American culture, music and business. Considered a hot spot for famous poets, entertainers and performers by the 1950s. This map showcases community garders and historic buildings and centers that have been created and preserved to honor the history of Overtown. Northwest 2nd Avenue, once known as “Little Broadway” served as the home for Lyric Theatre, Mary Elizabeth Hotel, the Dorsey Hotel and the Harlem Square Club. Green, N. (2013). Legacies of Overtown. Retrieved from https://www.miamiherald.com/ latest-news/article1947109.html This article gives an insight into the lives and street life of Overtown before the construction of I-95. Residents who lived in the neighborhood before and during the building of the highway recall musicians marching down fifth place on a Friday night as well as the theaters and popular nightclubs lined up on Northwest 2nd Avenue. After I-95 families recall how they moved to different parts of Miami-Dade such as Richmond Heights,

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Brownsville, Allapattah, Liberty City and other parts of North Dade. Residents’ parents discuss how the families did not receive moving costs from the government and how the image of the neighborhood now lives in the residents who are now 70 and older. The article serves as tool to paint the image of Overtown. Rutherford, D. (2019). The glory of Greenwood. Tulsa World. Retrieved from https:// tulsaworld.com/archives/the-glory-of-greenwood/article_75801376-0fc8-5525-aeb33eb1d6bc1256.html This article discusses the glory of the Greenwood Commercial District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at its peak the district contained 242 black-owned and black-operated businesses within a 35- square block area in 1942. Tulsa’s Urban Renewal became known as “urban removal” to many in the community, its main characteristic being the construction of an expressway right through the core of the black commercial district, “like an arrow through the heart”. Urban Renewal bulldozers destroyed a significant part of the old Greenwood area, but what is important to highlight is how the community will not let Greenwood die. Its own people have kept reinventing it through the years of riots, fires and racist events. This is due to the tremendous pride the people have for this district. Graham, G. (2021). “Interstate 244: it took the heart out of Greenwood”. Tulsa World. Retrieved from https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/racemassacre/interstate-244-it-tookthe-heart-out-of-greenwood/article_f61d48f4-ba7a-11eb-8e0e-67790e03b317.html In 1967 the commercial district of Greenwood in Tulsa was experiencing an economic slump, many factors such as desegregation meant dollars were being spent outside of the district and across the city; urban developers bought properties for cheap without any rebuilding; and banks were redlined colored neighborhoods causing the denial for business and home loans. State leaders took the opportunity to call the Greenwood District’s economic downtown a “ghetto”, therefore the planning of interstate 244 was ideal in order to destroy the heart of the district. The construction of 244 made the economic struggle permanent. The noise and rumbling from the traffic on 244 makes the burden worse, and it creates a visual barrier between the district and the hillside. The community has looked into the benefits of removing or lowering the interstate, they see it as a “moral imperative” with psychological benefits, improving sound disruptions, as well as creating land for development. Navickiene, E. (2020). Context as a creative toolkit for architectural design: perspectives of management and sustainable development of urban heritage. Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. Retrieved from https://journals.vgtu.lt/index.php/CS/article/ view/11666 This journal discusses the importance of cultural landscape and its context, an interacting natural and man-made environment that is in constant change according to placespecific natural and cultural processes. Cultural landscape’s processual character accumulates meaning from imbedded experiences that need to be continued in architectural and urban design development of the site. From the perspective of protection and management of cultural landscape, the architectural and urban context is the environment that is perceived by “reading a story” of human experience and by which its physical form is saturated by social dimension: signs of beliefs, memories and behaviors. The author specifies the elements of historic urban landscape approach,

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covering both man-made and natural elements: “its land use patterns and urban spatial organization, perceptions and visual relationships, as well as all other elements of the urban structure. It also includes social and cultural practices and values and economic processes”. This approach provides more tools for the perception of the built environment, if all these elements are identified, maintained and interpreted during the transformation of the context, cultural uniqueness is safe. The image and identity of the city is enriched. Hawkes, A.; Sheridan, G. (2009). Rethinking the street space: toolkits and street design manuals. Planetizen. Retrieved from https://www.planetizen.com/node/40394 This article summarizes multiple street toolkits developed and published by cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. This overview of new street design manuals compares goals, policy priorities, design elements and implementation strategies. Such goals include: livability and place making, access and mobility, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, flexibility, context, balance, healthy environment and visual excellence. The article touches on how the vast majority of the manual utilize street typologies to categorize and design space, they are classify streets or sections of street based on the following: urban context, circulation operations and potential for greening. The most common factor between all manuals is the emphasis on flexibility and choice for design professionals. The manuals stand as guide for designers to arrive at solutions that reflect the needs of each place and satisfy the previously mentioned goals Hawkes, A., Sheridan, G. (2009). Rethinking the street space: why street design matters. Planetizen. Retrieved from https://www.planetizen.com/node/40394 This article, part of the rethinking the street space articles, summarizes the benefits of street deign and why it is difficult to come by. First, streets must fulfill a variety of functions which makes it tough to satisfy all users. Second, the role of street design has been left to the traffic engineer. Third, a wide variety of stakeholders need to be engaged, such as stormwater experts, bus rapid transit advocate, business improvement districts, etc. Fourth, the power to regulate the street space is distributed in a manner that makes communication and collaboration difficult. Interested parties, such as the Department of Transportation, Planning, Parking, Economic Development and Historic Preservation all have a stake in street design. Arts and Planning Toolkit. (n.d.). Why a toolkit on the arts for planners? WordPress. Retrieved from https://artsandplanning.mapc.org/ This toolkit offers and variety of tools and strategies to help planners advance arts and culture as both a catalyst for and an essential component of community development. The toolkit details how arts and culture are an essential element of what makes a community or neighborhood connected and vibrant. These two elements enriches the residents’ lives by providing experiences that help people engage with the past, present and future. The tools and planning approaches arts and culture planning is grounded in concepts and approaches that include asset mapping and community development. It is also grounded in place such as cultural districts and facilities, zoning regulations, public art and creative place making. Lastly, but most important, the toolkit prioritizes people through creative community engagement, cultural councils, socially-engaged practices and artist residencies.

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Congress for New Urbanism., Institute of Transpor`tation Engineers. (2017). Creating quality main streets. Retrieved from https://www.ite.org/ pub/?id=e1cfe011%2D2354%2Dd714%2D51db%2D1f73f4d6bbf9 This is a fact sheet on creating quality main streets from the Implementing ContextSensitive Design on Multimodal Corridors: A practitioner’s Handbook which illustrates best practices for the creation and implementation of walkable mixed-use streets. The fact sheet summarizes some universal characteristics of main streets such as their location in suburban, general urban and urban center contexts. They are usually short segments of arterial or collector streets, only a few blocks in length. The ideal main street is interconnected to system of local streets that serve the commercial center of town within short, walkable blocks. The fact sheet also covers issues such as balancing traffic through intersections, traveled ways and StreetSide design. Miami Dade County. (2016). Complete street design guidelines. Kimley-Horn. Retrieved from https://www.miamidade.gov/neatstreets/library/complete-streets-designguidelines.pdf The Miami Dade County Design Guidelines provides policy and design guidance to all parties involved in street design projects. The goal of the guidelines if to support the development of streets that are safe for all users, with consistency in policy and design across all street projects in the county. The guide identifies context-sensitive street elements and design features that can be applied consistent with federal and state best practices. The document is guided by five main principles: safety, health, modal equality, context sensitive and sustainability. The principle that stands out is the context sensitive element that seeks to align speeds and features with neighborhood character and uses opportunities to place make with street design. Lastly, the guide lists a variety of street typologies such as the historic and scenic street (HSS), which are streets that provide access to heritage sites, historic and cultural districts or are historic corridors. San Francisco. (2010). Better streets plan: policies and guidelines for the pedestrian realm. Retrieved from https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/archives/BetterStreets/ docs/Better-Streets-Plan_Final-Adopted-10-7-2010.pdf The Better Streets Plan is intended to serve as a blueprint for the future of San Francisco’s pedestrian environment, it describes a vision, creates design guidelines and identifies next steps to create a vibrant pedestrian realm. Major themes and ideas throughout the plan include: distinctive, unified streetscape design, space for public life, enhanced pedestrian safety, improved street ecology, universal design and accessibility, integrating pedestrians with transit, creative use of parking lanes, pedestrian-priority designs and extensive greening. The document’s context chapter describes existing conditions and policies relating to streets and the pedestrian environment. The goals and policies are divided into street design elements such as a street that is: memorable, supports diverse public life, vibrant places for commerce, safe, attractive, inviting and well-cared for, among other elements. The guide also detail streetscape elements typically found in sidewalks or curb extensions, these include: paving, lighting, urban forest, stormwater control measures, site furnishing, etc.

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City of Seattle. (n.d.). Seattle right-of-way improvements manual. Retrieved from https:// streetsillustrated.seattle.gov/sitemap/ This illustrated guide provides tools to help developers, designers, engineers, and community advocates reshape the right-of-way to meet the needs of the city. Although a general guide, it is useful in its content of design guidance and standards, and processes on how to design, build and manage within the right-of-way. The procedures and design standards were developed keeping in mind the critical balance among the following elements, safety, the preservation and maintenance of roadway infrastructure and utility services, context sensitive design and preserving the environment. Chapter two of the guide describes street types based on adjacent land uses and envisioned character of the street. City of San Antonio. (n.d.). Cultural districts grant program and toolkit. Department of arts and culture. Retrieved from https://www.getcreativesanantonio.com/Portals/3/ Files/Cultural%20Districts%20Tool%20Kit%20INT.pdf?ver=2020-03-16-105252-103 This guide defines cultural districts as special zones that harness the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community revitalization. The district should be unique to the character, community and resources available locally. These districts can become focal points for generating businesses, attracting tourists, stimulating cultural development and fostering civic pride. Goals of the toolkit include: encouraging business and job development, addressing specific needs of a community, establishing tourism destinations, preserving and reusing historic buildings, fostering local-cultural development and recognizing thriving creative hubs that attract artists and cultural enterprises to the community. The toolkit describes the requirement that a cultural district must been in order to be considered a destination: an inventory of all cultural and support assets must be conducted in order to showcase the robust offerings the district provides to visitors and residents.

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CASE STUDIES The following case studies seek to transform streets or areas that have cultural or historic value 1. PDX Loop 2. Al-Khan Street 3. Little Rock Creative Corridor

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PDX LOOP: A DESIGN COMPETITION TO CONNECT PORTLAND’S CENTRAL CITY INTRODUCTION

The proposal by Peter Bednar investigates the issues of how American cities have experienced significant problems related to loss of pedestrian-scaled environments characterized by sprawling urban fabrics. Portland’s bold steps in reversing this trend is manifested through implementation of alternative transportation and walkable urbanism, but these are unevenly distributed. The loop represents an opportunity to expand the system of well-designed walkable scaled urban fabric to parts of the city which are still underdeveloped.

WHAT & HOW Peter Bednar’s proposed PDX loop stitches the already well working districts, with those that still have yet to be more developed. The first design opportunity of the Loop is to provide incentives to develop immediately adjacent blocks, making the Loop an economic magnet for steering future development that eventually establishes a continuous six mile ring of dense, walkable and economically viable fabrics. The design proposal also investigates the opportunity for infill development. Portland can build on its long tradition of incentivizing quality urban development and repurposing underutilized land. Lastly, after new infill development is established and the Loop anchors itself as a complete development, the system can be further expanded to capture important neighborhoods, institutions and future developments beyond the city center.

DESIGN ELEMENTS 1

RIGHT-OF-WAY The loop sets preferences for pedestrian and cycling amenities, as well as mass transit over vehicle oriented infrastructure. The design utilizes the concept of Complete Streets to develop a street that operates to enable safe access for all users and aim to align investments on bike lines, sidewalks and art to create a sense of place. KIT-OF-PARTS MATRIX To visualize what can be done through the six mile Loop, the design utilizes a matrix of possible improvements, a kit-of-parts that illustrates a component-based design strategy for variety of contexts along the Loop.

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SHARED STREET AT SE 7TH, WASHINGTON AND SANDY BOULEVARD The proposal for these streets is based on the Dutch street typology called woonerf or “Living Street”. Currently the full width of the street is shared by vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, the site also lacks housing and small scale commercial establishments. Improvement of the streetscape through the use of the kit of parts, is likely going to spark future growth in the area and take advantage of the new infrastructure.

ARCADE AT ANKENY SQUARE The current site conditions of Ankeny Square are uninviting and visually unsafe. The design proposal for this square consists of adding one primary intervention, an arcade running along the perimeter of the square that accommodates both to existing trees and pavilion buildings. The arcade component will serves as a datum wall for variety of lights and oversized street name signage on each corner. Additionally, the kit of parts will provide a variety of seating options, new paving and wide crosswalks to create a sense of place.

PORCH AT SW GRANT Grant Street is an ordinary road connecting the already established districts to the north and the newly developing neighborhoods to the south. The design proposal narrows the driving lanes to 10 feet for the addition of bike lanes at each edge and a center green median. The key to the design is to highlight the existing international school as a local institutional anchor with the addition of classic townscaping elements such as a large porch, clock tower, and a great lawn.

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URBAN RENEWAL FOR TRADITIONAL COMMERCIAL STREETS AT THE HISTORICAL CENTERS OF CITIES

(Translation)

INTRODUCTION The research study clarifies the importance to conduct initial studies before renewing a commercial street at a historical center. This will uncover the reasons for their deterioration and then propose the most suitable method of dealing with the street in accordance with its historical value. Overall the authors suggest a methodology for the urban renewal for traditional Commercial Street at the center of cultural and historical districts, this is applicable and serves as a guide to help decision making. The methodology can be summarized as follow: preserving the traditional commercial street’s values, and dealing with the issues of the type of movement within the street.

WHAT

Al-Khan Street is located within the historical and commercial district of the City of Tanta. It is considered an extension of one of the main axes of the city (Al-Gaish Street) and a link between this street and the AlSayed Badawy mosque. The street has problems of functional composition, with scattering of activities and interference in pedestrian and vehicle traffic. There are urban structure problems due to the degradation of the urban environment, street appearance suffers from unclear elements, these contribute to visual pollution problems such as lack of consistency in buiding colors and scattering of garbage.

METHODOLOGY CONSERVATION to extend the lives of historic buildings by preventing damage, referring to the urban, social and economic environment in preserving buildings, the urban fabric and character. REHABILITATION to revive the internal strength of a community to renew itself by reconnecting with the past. URBAN REFILL to achieve visual integration, filling the existing gaps to form a functional and visually coherent fabric REVITILIZATION of urban areas in a style that preserves their urban character,

DESIGN ELEMENTS 1

PRESERVE AND RESTORE historical buildings, while respecting and improving their historical characteristics and recovering the spirit of the past. Enact policies for dealing with the heritage areas and their urban surroundings.

CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL users of Al-Khan Street. Elements such as street and landscape furniture for shading, lighting and other needs for pedestrians should be provided. These should be connected to local traditions and visually and functionally appropriate for their setting.

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LITTLE ROCK CREATIVE CORRIDOR INTRODUCTION The creative corridor plan is premised upon the aggregation of complementary creative organizations currently scattered throughout Little Rock. Some of these groups exist at the financial margins and struggle to stay alive. Facilities include instruction and production spaces for the symphony, ballet, arts center, visual artists, theater, dance and restaurants. The design challenge involves restructuring a public realm conceived for workaday commercial activity to now serve 24/7 urban lifestyles with highly amenitized streetspaces.

WHAT AND HOW The approach employs four phases in the corridor’s transformation to a downtown node. Consisting of a series of urban rooms, this downtown cultural node provides a sense of centrality and opportunity for social life that counters the dominance of mobility in corridors. The following are the design goals: THE STREET AS A PLATFROM FOR CAPTURING VALUE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENTS MAIN STREET’S NEW LAND-USE ECOLOGY A 24/7 MAIN STREET

PHASING STRATEGY (DESIGN ELEMENTS) 1

3 4

NORTH AND SOUTH GATEWAY PLAZA: develop nodes for enhanced pedestrian activity which serve as gateways marking the Creative Corridor segment of Main Street. Townscaping elements, such as furniture and the plaza patio, create new gathering spaces that extend into the upper levels of the building. THE CENTER: develop a center for the Creative Corridor, marking the most important intersection symbolically in Little Rock. A large central plaza for vehicles and pedestrians accommodates large public events and forms of appropriate gateway to the state capitol building to the west. Townscaping element such as public art, transit stops, lighting, furniture, and an amphitheater activate the plaza making it a 24/7 space. THICKEN THE EDGE: link the gateways of Phase 1 and the central plaza of Phase 2 with a pedestrian promenade made by a tree-lined allee. The two block long 24 foot wide pedestrian promenade combines rain gardens and bioswales with tree-shaded dining, gathering terraces, and public art. TRANSIT DISTRICT: Adapt Louisiana and Scott Streets to function as bicycle boulevards connecting downtown and neighborhoods to the south of I-630. Extend the existing streetcar system along Main Street, connecting downtown to first ring suburbs and North Little Rock.

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DESIGN FRAMEWORK From each case study and research a design element was extracted to utilize as a part of a design framework as a guide for site analysis and driver for the concept. 1. UNCOVER URBAN FORMS AND PROCESS 2. MAP CULTURAL ASSETS 3. PLACEMAKING 4. CREATE URBAN ROOMS 5. INCREASE AND IMPROVE OPEN SPACES 6. UTILIZE PUBLIC ART 7. TOWNSCAPING 8. PRIORITIZE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT 6. UTILIZE PUBLIC ART

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1. UNCOVER URBAN FORMS AND PROCESS

2. MAP CULTURAL ASSETS

Conduct initial studies to uncover spatial configurations, historical forms and urban processes. This initial study may also explain and uncover the genesis of the district/neighborhood.

Uncover and understand asset mapping serves as offerings the district prov

4. CREATE URBAN ROOMS

5. INCREASE AND IMPROV

Identify defined and residual voids and transform them from passive urban spaces to active and vibrant urban rooms.

Increase open space an have cultural value or po Integrate pocket parks, g the health of the commu

7. TOWNSCAPING

8. PRIORITIZE A SAFE ENV

Merge conflicting architectural traditions through townscaping elements such as arcades, urban porches, marquees, etc. Create a townscape analysis to understand street layout, scale and form of buildings and space, materials, colours and texture.

Prioritize the issues conne movement within the stre environment for all users

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3. PLACEMAKING

d the reasons to be there, s a tool to showcase the robust vides to visitors and residents.

Make use of underutilized space to enhance the urban experience at the pedestrian scale to build habits of locals, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution.

OVE OPEN SPACES

6. UTILIZE PUBLIC ART

nd improve those that already otential for cultural value. greenways and joint parks for unity.

Utilize community art to as a tool to engage people and visitors to the neighborhood and improve its image. Public art should reflect on local contexts of people, neighbourhood and the city’s history.

VIRONMENT

9. STITCH DISTRICTS

ected to the type of eet to create a safe of the street.

Stitch districts to revitalize, develop and create connections between neighboring districts.

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SITE ANALYSIS The site is the Overtown Neighborhood, located east of the Florida East Coast Railroad and just north of the Miami Downtown area. The neighborhood is bounded by the railroad path as well as by I-95 and I-395 on the west. To understand the context of the neighborhood, the following is a study of the surrounding districts through Kevin Lynch’s five elements. To begin with Overtown is surrounded by two other strong cultural districts, Wynwood on the north and Little Havana on the south. To the East is located Allapattah which does not have a very strong cultural or historical image, rather it is described as the industrial warehouse of Miami. To the south and East, Overtown is surrounded by Brickell and Downtown Miami, these two neighborhood overlap and can be described as the financial and commercial center for South Florida. Both districts also house museums, an arena and parks and can be regarded as the entertainment node of the Miami area.

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DISTRICTS

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EDGES

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LANDMARKS

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NODES

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PATHS

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1936 Overtown

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1967 Post Highway Overto

own

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2021 Overtown

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LANDMARKS

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Community Assets Historical Landmarks Avenues Overtown Neighborhood Edge

Lost Landmarks Avenues Overtown Neighborhood Edge

For the current conditions analysis the design framework element of mapping those existing and lost cultural asse as community ones is utilized to analyze that within a 5 a minute walk, between 2nd and 3rd avenue, there are s landmarks such as hotels and bars and ones that still stand, such as the D.A Dorsey house located on 9th street, of the first African american millionaire in Florida. In yellow we see the community assets such as the Gibson Park douglas school that also hosts a headstart program, youth organizations and the going overtown organization th revitalize overtown by communicating with the community about events, programs and bringing visitors.

2 Sir John Hotel

Harlem Square

10 Lounge

Ebenezer Methodist Church

D.A

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ets, as well several lost the house k, Frederick hat seeks to

A. Dorsey House

LANDMARKS

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OPEN SPACE

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Open Spaces Used for Parking Parking Garages Avenues and Streets Overtown Neighborhood Edge

Unused Open Spaces Programmed Open Spaces Parks Avenues and Streets Overtown Neighborhood Edge

The Open Space map uncovered an understanding how that space in between is being utilized by the commu is programmed vs. unprogrammed or simply used for parking. Throughout 2nd and 3rd avenue there is a balanc open space used for parking and programmed open spaces for community gardens. These programmed space Urban and the New Haven Project, are strategically located adjacent to the Overtown Folklife Village area, whi two block area between 8th and 10 street designated as a community space for events. Currently there are no shading structures or amenities for these community events. Open Space Used for Parking near 9th Street Pedestrian Mall

Green Haven Project

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unity and what ce between es, called The ich is about a permanent

OPEN SPACE

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Median Age Median Age of 21 Median Age of 31 Median Age of 41

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Diversity Index Diversity Index of 33-58

The demographics map showcases who lives there, in terms of the median age and the diversity index of the are as the median household income. There is a stark difference between overtown and neighborhood on the east railroad.

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ea as well side of the

DEMOGRAPHICS

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INCOME

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Median Household Income Less than $50k $50k - $75k $75k - $100k $100k - $150k $150k or more

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INCOME

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READINESS

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Percent of Population 25 Years and Over whose Highest Education Completed is Less Than High School > 20%

Percent of Total Youth who are Disconnected (not i labor force) 28% 41%

10% - national figure

< 1%

Readiness is also investigated based of the percentage of total disconnected youth and people who are 25 yea who did not complete high school. This combined with the number of youth organizations in the area uncovers t community wants its youth to succeed and overcome obstacles that have been placed in their community due neglect.

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in school & not in

ars and over that the e to years of

READINESS

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ZONING

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THE URBAN CORE ZONE consists of the highest Density and greatest variety of Uses, including Civic Buildings of reg A network of small blocks has Thoroughfares with wide Sidewalks, with steady tree planting and Buildings set clos with frequent doors and windows. CIVIC SPACE (CS) A zone with mainly outdoor area dedicated for functioning for community purposes.

CIVIC INSTITUTION ZONE (CI) A zone with uses primarily dedicated to functioning for community purposes such a educational, environmental, governmental, public transit, public parking and religious facilities.

THE URBAN CENTER ZONE consists of higher density mixed-use building types that accommodate retail and office and apartments. A network of small blocks has thoroughfares with wide sidewalks, steady street tree planting an close to the frontages with frequent doors and windows.

DISTRICT (D) A zone intended to accommodate uses which because of their specialized performance, scale or i be incorporated into the neighborhood structure.

The last analysis is the zoning of the area, here 2nd and 3rd avenue are located within the Urban core zone whic of the highest density and greatest variety of uses, including civic buildings. This zone also seeks to have a small n blocks with wide sidewalks, steady tree planting and buildings set close to the frontage with doors and windows. elevation collages, the current conditions of 2nd and 3rd avenue show the opposite of what the zoning indicate

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gional importance. se to the Frontage

as, cultural,

e uses, rowhouses nd buildings set

impact should not

ch should consist network of small . In the following es.

ZONING

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RAILROAD EDGES After identifying community assets, youth organizations, open programmed spaces, and historical buildings within the study area, the area under the railroad running north and south and bending west towards the midtown highway exchange became of intereset. Mainly because when compared to the underline project running through Brickell, with all its programmed exercise spaces and community gathering areas, the space under the railroad passing through Overtown seems to be forgotten. Apart from a 1980s project with artist Gary Moore to revitalize 9th street through a series of pavement, lighting structures and benches, this space is vastly underutilized, seems unsafe and shows no sign of being used.

Edge of 9th Street Pedestrian Mall

10 Street and 2nd Avenue Intersection

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10th Street Edge

3rd Avenue and 9th Street Intersection

11th Terrace and 2nd Avenue Intersection

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CONCEPT DIAGRAM

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

The overall axonometric of the proposal identifies The Center, The Gateway and The Edge. The Edge would ideally run all through Miami Central, all the way down to the Miami river and potentially connecting to the underline that starts in Brickell. It would also continue running north towards the parks, schools and other community assets in Overtown. Serving as a the connector between The Edge and Folklife Village Center is The Gateway, that makes use of the existing 9th pedestrian mall once revitalized in the 1980s.

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Starting with the railroad programmed edge, existing amenities such as the Gary Moore African textile inspired Pavement that ends at 10th street are utilized and extended all throughout the railroad promenade edge. This part of the edge has been revitalized by incorporating three programmed spaces from 9th street to 11th street that seek to create community and serve as a gathering space for the youth. The idea is that the edge can serve as connection between schools, libraries, youth organizations and MiamiCentral for job access.

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The 9th Street Pedestrian Gateway serves as the connection between The Edge and the Folklife Village Center. The current conditions of the pedestrian mall, its present name, include an unmaintained Gary Moore pavement, streetlights and little furnishing or seating along the street. Since the area is not visited often, there is little lighting making it unsafe and its abrupt stop at 10th street makes it a difficult path to continue on. This street has the opportunity to be one of the welcoming gateways into Overtown that brings people all the way from the Underline, Downton, or even Wyndood through its connection to the edge.

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The Center developed is only a small portion of the area designated as Folklife Village. The chosen area to be developed is the one at which The Gateway leads the person to, the idea is that this portion of Folklife Village is to contain permanent shading structures, plaza amenities and destinations not only for entertainment and food but also for the advancement of its youth education. The existing structures in Folklife Village serving as assets include, the historic Longshoreman’s Association building on the left, and the Red Rooster Restaurant. Further down is the D.A. Dorsey house. The development of this center also takes into consideration the urban core zoning including civic buildings, wide sidewalks and buildings or structures pushed to the edge of the street.

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A Research Master’s Project by Ana Cheng anacheng1@usf.edu