Glass Farm : Public Life Study by Chattanooga Design Studio

GLASS FARM PUBLIC LIFE STUDY: A NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

T! I B A H IN CDS SUMMER INTERNSHIP 2021 Connection to education is central to the Studio's legacy and remains a substantial feature of the work. As a steward of the city’s rich legacy of urban design and planning, the Studio strives to increase public awareness of urban design issues and their impact upon our quality of life. The internship program connects the Studio’s focus on education to young professionals, students and universities with the goal of infusing urban thinkers into Chattanooga, while equally inspiring and expanding the design process of the Studio staff. CDS works closely with many external partners providing high-level coordination of urban design efforts to help frame a vision that promotes optimal value for the community. 2021 INTERNS: CRISTIAN ARANDA JOSIAH KINNEY GINA NGUYEN CDS STAFF: LINDSEY WILLKE ERIC MYERS BEVERLY BELL URBAN DESIGN ADVISOR: MALLORY BACHES 2

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Welcome Welcome

GLASS HOUSE COLLECTIVE Glass House Collective, a creative placemaking organization, was founded in 2012 with a mission to “bring life back to Glass Street, and Glass Street back to life”. Since adopting a community-defined vision for a cleaner, safer, and more inviting neighborhood, we have proudly worked alongside community members, artists, and partner organizations to drive participation, planning, pride, partnerships, and proof — all hallmarks of our work. In all we do, we listen deeply, respond creatively, and learn together.

GLASS FARM COMMUNITY Glass Farm Block Party

Glass Street is a two-laned commercial corridor with 1920s “Main Street” architecture that runs through the heart of the historic Glass Farm neighborhood, in East Chattanooga, Tennessee. In its rich past, Glass Street was the vibrant, bustling focal point of the neighborhood, with a theater, restaurants, and retailers.

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CONTEXT Located on the outer edges of Chattanooga, Glass Farm has wonderful views of adjacent Missionary Ridge, whose crest rises over 500 feet above the neighborhood and adds to the already unique topography of the area. In addition to being near protected state and federal land, the Glass Farm neighborhood is nestled between Battery Heights, Avondale, and Boyce Station. The intersectional role Glass Street plays and the adjacency of Glass Farm to other neighborhoods results in our recognition of a larger community that defies a single neighborhood, zip code, or census tract classification. Once humming with manufacturing jobs, this broader next-ring community now has a small core of residents and businesses that have pride and ambitions for their often overlooked and underestimated area of town.

NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY Glass Farm is a community of artists, smallbusiness owners, and neighbors. The area is as diverse as it is connected.

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COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL CIVIC RESIDENTAL

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STREET TREES ROANOKE AVE

STREET TREES

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GREEN SPACES

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GREEN SPACES

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SITE INVENTORY URBAN FABRIC 9

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BIKE LANES }

BIKE LANES

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STREET HIERARCHY ROANOKE AVE

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COLLECTOR ROADS LOCAL ROADS RAILROAD TRACKS

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BUS ROUTES } } }

BUS ROUTE 10C BUS ROUTE 10A BUS ROUTE 10G

ROANOKE AVE

SITE INVENTORY CIRCULATION 11

This is how I LIVE and MOVE in my neighborhood. INHABIT CAPTURES THE DAILY ROUTINE AND BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE IN A NEIGHBOR. FOR EXAMPLE: HOUSING, ACESS TO FOOD, TRANSIT, AND INFRASTRUCTURE (SIDEWALKS, ROADS, ECT.)

This is how I LEARN WORK my in neigh

ENRICH DESCRIBES THE NEED FOR COMMU PURPOSE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. iT IS

THINGS THAT GIVE OUR LIVES MEANING W

SCHOOLS, CHURHCES, COMMUNITY CENT

QUALITY OF NEIGHBHORHOOD LIFE 12

N, GROW, AND hborhood.

This is how I PLAY, SOCIALIZE, AND CREATE my in neighborhood.

UNITY, BELONGING, SUPPORT, AND

ENJOY CAPTURES THE BEST PARTS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, THE PLACES

TRYING TO PIN DOWN THOSE

WHERE WE GO TO HAVE FUN AND RELAX. FOR EXAMPLE, PUBLIC GATHERING

WHERE WE LIVE. FOR EXAMPLE:

SPACES, PARKS, ART, PROGRAMMING, AND EVENTS.

TERS, AND COMMERCE.

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AREA OF STUDY 1A

AREA OF STUDY 1B

AREA OF STUDY 2

AREAS OF FOCUS

DODSON AVE

This study looked at two particular nodes for the neighborhood. These nodes were located where Glass Street intersects Dodson and Chamberlain. These areas were important because they represent high-activity points and areas with an existing history of projects done. Due to this, we believed further success could be built upon these nodes. 15

Supporting back wall to form comfortable edge

Cool outdoor seating area Connecting to public street would increase use

Shady spot to sit City-owned park More “porch-like” feeling park

All-Good coffee shop creating great social space!

Streetwall, trees, sidewalk all make this area great to walk

Infill buildings

Church owned lots

Private-owned park More “enclosed” feeling park

Pedestrian connection between parks?

Every wall is a canvas on Glass Street

Future parking area?

Opportunity for entry

Adding trees or canopy for shade would encourage more use

Representing the community through art

A pathway into the park would support more use

SITE 1A/1B CHAMBERLAIN AVE SITE ANAYLSIS The intersection between Chamberlain Ave and Glass Street has some great infrastructure. Plenty of street trees provide shading and well-maintained sidewalks support pedestrian movement. Street parking along the street slows traffic and creates a barrier between pedestrians and the road. With this in mind, the enhancement of existing places could benefit residents. Existing parks have opportunities to grow or engage more users and small businesses can be expanded to connect to public assets. Additionally, gaps in the street wall can be filled in to further activate the area. Chamberlain and Glass Street is an important hub for the neighborhood and the work done here impacts the area at large. 17

Park Enhancement & Street Closure

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

Pocket Park

SHORT-TERM INTERVENTION SITE 1A The intersection of Glass Street and Chamberlain is key to the Glass Farm neighborhood. This central space provides opportunity for commerce, connection, and recreation for many residents. Projects proposed here can further enhance this role that the intersection plays in the lives of those who live in the neighborhood.

Community Space

Movable Seating

Planters

I INHABIT SIDEWALKS WHEN THEY ARE SAFE.

Art

Signage and banners Art

PARK ENHANCEMENT AND STREET CLOSURE

The existing corner park provides an important greenspace for the area and can become a more prominent community asset by closing the street and providing better seating options. Temporary street closures can be a good way to test a long-term expansion of the park.

Street Closures

Shading Walking path

Sign indicates main entrance

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

I ENJOY GREEN SPACES WITH SHADE.

Sense of destination Vegetation along pathway

POCKET PARK The intersection pocket park is a great public space for its adjacency to the commercial storefronts. It has the potential to become a more used greenspace through the addition of minor features, like a defined pathway or shading inside the park. These features would expand how residents can use their park. Pathways connect to sidewalk 21

Raised Intersection

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

Infill Buildings

LONG-TERM CHANGE

SITE 1A

In the years to come projects can be done to further increase the walkability of the intersection and area. In addition, public spaces can be invested in to preserve and expand the richness of these spaces.

Change of materiality

Raised intersection Brick or stone to slow down vehicular movement

Bollards protect pedestrian walkways

I INHABIT A WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

Filled-in street wall

RAISED INTERSECTION A raised intersection is one example of many for how Glass Street can become a more walkable and pedestrian-friendly place. Slowing down vehicular movement through the use of materials and speed bumps would increase pedestrian comfort and use. This paired with features like bollards and marked walkways would help to promote safe crossing of the street. 24

Enhanced crosswalks

I’M ENRICHED BY COMMUNITY SPACES.

Art plaza

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

Community building

Infill buildings

Community art Night lighting

INFILL BUILDINGS

Landscaping

Public seating

Plaza

This intersection forms an important hub and further development in surrounding structures and infill buildings would contribute to a density that would help grow the area. This would also give a more pronounced sense of enclosure and “street space.” Amenities would further be strengthened by this - such as the corner park being developed in a plaza like space. 25

Infill Park

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

Cafe Seating Enhancement

SHORT-TERM INTERVENTION SITE 1B This node on Glass Street provides great opportunities for enhancement of private spaces and the creation of new public areas. Projects here can build upon building assets and create social spaces where residents can gather.

Lighting

Restored and welcoming entry

I’M ENRICHED BY POPUP PROGRAMS

Stabilized building facade

Opportunity for community art

Shade-loving vegetation

INFILL PARK Preserving the street wall of Glass Street is important for the activation of the area and for a comfortable pedestrian experience. For the 2437 building, as renovation is planned, a possible project for the site would be to stabilize the facade and turn the interior space into a community gathering space and park. Although temporary, this would bring more residents to the intersection. 28

Artistic seating

Clear circulation paths

Extended cafe seating

Boundary from parking lot

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

I ENJOY PUBLIC OUTDOOR SEATING.

Shaded seating

CAFE SEATING ENHANCEMENT The All-Good Coffee shop is creating an important social space on Glass Street. The shop’s existing outdoor semipublic seating has the potential to be expanded upon to create more public space by the street. By connecting the existing outdoor seating to the sidewalk more users are more likely to use the patio area and enjoy the space. Patio area

Completed Streetfront

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

Cafe Expansion

LONG-TERM CHANGE

SITE 1B

Glass Street is and will be a great place to live and work; projects done here can make sure that this sentiment remains true. Projects to aid in this would be increased public seating areas and the enhancement of existing buildings to gain more social functions.

Balconies

I’M ENRICHED BY LIVING IN A WALKABLE COMMUNITY.

Seating

Welcoming storefronts

Residential above commercial Rooftop terraces Planters

Shading

COMPLETED STREETFRONT Glass street has a historic and human-scaled street wall. A completed streetfront would benefit and keep activate Glass Street. The existing buildings can be further renovated: adding further height, balconies, or improved 1st floor usage. Ideally these buildings would have a healthy mix of commercial and residential spaces to keep Glass Street vibrant. 32

Activated ground floor

Expanded patio area

Crosswalk

Open air seating

CHAMBERLAIN AVE

Knee wall as boundary

I ENJOY PUBLIC OUTDOOR SEATING.

CAFE EXPANSION Continuing to build upon the success of All-Good’s Coffee shop by a creating a more defined and enclosed patio space would increase outdoor seating quality. Additionally, it would contribute to the amount of social spaces where residents can gather outside their homes and workplaces. 33

Sun shines directly on seating area

Opportunity for public area around bus stop

Street trees are great

Create public space next to shopping

Sav-a-lot

Crutchfield Mural and pop-up seating starting to activate the area!

Infill buildings

Opportunity for bus stop to expand

Complete sdiewalks help more people use them

Gaps in sidewalks

Overgrown sidewalks

Corner landscaping and art could activate this lot

Street mural slows traffic and creates pedestrian friendly area

Narrowed road

SITE 2 DODSON AVE SITE ANAYLSIS

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Sidewalks that make walking fun

In walking the area around the Glass Street and Dodson Ave intersection, one of the first observations was the presence of numerous vacant and empty lots, as well as the numerous parking lots. These wide open space weren’t the most comfortable to walk in due to the heat and exposure. In addition, many sidewalks weren’t continuous- either being overgrown or missing paved sections. There were a some street trees that have been planted and this was notable, but in some areas there was still a lack of shading. The streets did have bike lanes, there is some inevitable danger in riding on a busy road, but the lane marking is helpful. With the recent projects done here, social spaces are beginning to emerge with the Crutchfield mural and pop-ups. These are great projects that can be built upon. 35

Temporary Plaza

DODSON AVE

Bus Stop & Edge Landscape Expansion

SHORT-TERM INTERVENTION SITE 2

The intersection of Glass Street and Dodson provides a great opportunity to create public social spaces and begin to create greenspaces for the area. These projects can be completed in the coming year to activate and enhance how residents use this intersection.

Crosswalk

I INHABIT SAFE SPACES PROTECTED FROM CARS.

Street closures

Temporary screens to provide enclosure

Landscaping

TEMPORARY PLAZA The triangular plot of Glass Street and Dodson Ave provides a central opportunity to enhance this particular node. This plot sees a lot of traffic and activity due to it’s central location to the intersection and streets. Activation of this area could include such things as landscaping and creating boundaries around the edges to provide a better pedestrian experience inside and around the plot.

Shaded seating Edge landscaping

Shaded pavilion

I ENJOY USING BEAUTIFUL SPACES.

DODSON AVE

Bus stop

Landscaping Public art

BUS STOP EXPANSION AND EDGE LANDSCAPE

Shaded pavilion

Public seating

The intersection of Glass Street and Dodson Ave has important edges which can be enhanced to create a more pleasant user experience. The existing bus stop can be expanded to include more shading and seating options. Public art and landscaping can be added to increase visual appeal.

Glass Street Plaza

DODSON AVE

Bus Stop Pavilion & Corner Park

LONG-TERM CHANGE

SITE 2

By building upon the work done and proposed projects, the intersection of Glass Street and Dodson Ave can become an anchor for activity in the area. In the years to come, priority should be given to preserving and enhancing public spaces and encouraging commercial growth. 41

I’M ENRICHED BY THE MIX OF PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SPACES.

Greenspace

Plaza

Infill buildings

GLASS STREET PLAZA Improvements to the Glass Street and Dodson intersection and plot could create a plaza with a mix of commercial and public spaces. Comfortable seating and social spaces would encourage residents to spent time in the area and further activate the space. Multiple seating types 42

Heat reflective materials

Canopy shading

DODSON AVE

I ENJOY PUBLIC SPACES THAT ARE WELL-DESIGNED.

Street Parking

Colorful signage

Pop-up restaurant

BUS STOP PAVILLION AND CORNER PARK

Covered and outdoor seating

The corners of the intersection provide opportunities for greenspace and amenities such as small parks or microrestaurants. Alongside this, infrastructure improvements such as bike lanes and street parking can be added to further promote usage.

CHAMBERLAIN AVE SITE 1A

CHAMBERLAIN AVE SITE 1B

SHORT - TERM

Infill Park

Cafe Seating Enhancement

Completed Streetfront

LONG - TERM

Cafe Expansion

YOUR FEEDBACK!

DODSON AVE SITE 2

AMENITIES

Temporary Plaza

Bus Stop & Edge Landscape Expansion

TREES

BENCHES

LAMP POSTS

SIDEWALKS

PUBLIC ART

OTHERS

Glass Street Plaza

Bus Stop Pavilion & Corner Park

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