SUGGESTED HIGHWAY AND STREETSCAPE CONCEPTS FOR THE HIGHWAY 20 / SIXTH STREET RECONSTRUCTION AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT A BRIEFING PAPER TO THE CITY OF RACINE AND RACINE’S COMMON COUNCIL
DECEMBER 30, 2006 PREPARED BY CONSERVATION DESIGN FORUM FOR THE H ISTORIC S IXTH S TREET A SSOCIATION
Historic Sixth Street Association 507 Sixth (6th) Street Racine, WI 53403
Dear Mayor Becker, Members of the City of Racine Common Council, and other Elected Officials of Racine, On behalf of the Historic Sixth Street Association, I would like to present to you this document regarding critical next steps in the future of our city. As you know, we have been developing a sustainable vision for the Historic Racine Arts and Entertainment District over the past several years, and we are continuing efforts in that regard. Much progress has been made, most notably the restoration and adaptive re-use of several historic structures as viable businesses consistent with the City’s long-term goals for the District. In concert with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the City is now underway with an initiative to reconstruct a major section of Sixth Street in the heart of the District. It is our objective to maximize the value of that effort, and to weave it into the framework of the vision for the District that we have been evolving together with you over these past few years. To that end, we have summarized a set of Suggested Recommendations for the street reconstruction project that we would like you to consider. These recommendations are in harmony with the City’s stated policy for downtown redevelopment, and they include a number of references to Crandall Arambula’s Racine Downtown Development Plan. They also represent the strong desires of members of the Historic Sixth Street Association to create an economically, socially, and ecologically sustainable setting for our homes and businesses in Racine. These recommendations represent an emerging paradigm in community infrastructure that embeds community investment in a way that achieves a multiplicity of near and long-term benefits with a single expenditure. Through integrated thought connected to the realities and unique attributes of Racine, we strongly believe the entire City will accrue significant benefits over what could be accomplished in a more conventional approach to road reconstruction. Specifically, we are asking that the recommendations outlined herein be the basis for investigation and evaluation of the best approach in the next phase of design development for the Highway 20 / Sixth Street Reconstruction Project, and that a multidisciplinary, integrated design process be utilized for this project. We will continue to strive towards the collaborative achievement of our common goals and support the City in these initiatives. In October of 2006, the HSSA conducted a financial charrette to identify funding for costs that may exceed City & WISDOT funding for the Sixth Street project. Relationships have been built with the DNR, EPA, and a number of private and public foundations, and we believe the City will benefit greatly from these efforts. We welcome the chance to meet with you and discuss these items in further detail. With Best Regards towards a Sustainable Future for Racine, James R. Spodick President, Historic Sixth Street Association
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background 1. Vision and First Principles 2. Achievement of Vision through Integrated Design Process 3. Building upon Racine’s Downtown Development Plan Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices 4. Roadway Design & Infrastructure a. Pavement Dimensions b. Traffic Calming c. Unit Pavers d. Intersection Design 5. Rainwater Care a. Permeable Paving b. Bioretention/Rainwater Gardens 6. Pedestrian Friendly or Human-Scaled Spaces a. Curbless Design b. Bumpouts/Curb Extensions 7. Energy Efficiency Heat Streets and Sidewalks with Renewable Energy Sources 8. Infrastructure for “Placemaking” a. Street Trees and Plantings b. Street Furnishings and Public Art c. Materials d. Lighting
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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1. VISION AND FIRST PRINCIPLES Background We imagine a street conceived and designed by the citizenry of Racine, with the help of experienced practitioners, such that it be enduring, beautiful, and emblematic of the place, a backbone of quality space that links the people and the place to each other and to generations yet unborn. Elected leaders could rejoice in the effort to lift the minds and circumstances of all under their care. Craftsmen and artists can be enlisted to attire the setting with an integrated beauty that captures the local idiom of talent, historicity, and pride of place, and bequeath to the next generation an inspirational community environment. Citizens of the future can redeploy public funds that otherwise would have been dedicated to the on-going repair of unsightly, soon-to-crumble infrastructure into the discretionary needs of their day. Once these elements have been successfully implemented on Sixth Street, they could then be further refined and adapted to other streetscapes throughout Racine. This vision for Sixth Street in downtown Racine as the spine of the historic district is that of a place so comely and enduring as to attract visitors from around the globe. Why should Americans have to travel to Rome, Florence, Barcelona, London, Nurnberg, or Paris to be inspired? Racine could become a travel destination of equal beauty and enjoyment as are many European cities. While it may seem daunting, a vision such as this begins with a bold, informed initiative as is recommended by the Historic Sixth Street Association. President Kennedy once dreamed of an “...America that is not afraid of grace and beauty.� The people of Sixth Street share this dream...
The Highway 20 / Sixth Street reconstruction project provides a rare opportunity for the City of Racine to capitalize on the creativity of her people, her rich natural and cultural history, and help to create an environmentally and economically successful Historic Arts and Entertainment District. This brief includes recommendations for the enhancement of the opportunities presented with the Sixth Street reconstruction in a way that achieves a set of consensus-based First Principles. These First Principles were developed by members of the Historic Sixth Street Association and concerned citizens under an assistantship from the National Park Service. Additionally, design ideas and enhancement solutions in this document were generated during an on-going series of community workshops.
First Principles for Sixth Street Sustainability Ensure that the concept of a closed loop system of waste, energy and water is maximized in the district, and that materials are local and enduring. Water as a Resource Ensure all water that enters and or exits the district is cared for and returned to Lake Michigan or the Root River in a clean state. Beauty and Craftsmanship Embed all infrastructure in beauty and encourage local craftsmanship Pedestrian Friendly or Human Scale Space Ensure that the space through which motor vehicles pass is safe and congenial to the pedestrian residents, merchants, and patrons who walk, relax, and shop between the store fronts.
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CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
2. ACHIEVEMENT OF VISION THROUGH INTEGRATED DESIGN PROCESS Background The recommendations outlined in this paper include suggestions for alternative roadway designs and materials, rainwater deployment, pedestrian spaces, and the enhancement of retail and residential assets. The integration of these urban design elements into the street design for Sixth Street (and other areas of downtown Racine) compliments and puts into practice recommendations of the Downtown Development Plan (dated May 10 th, 2005, developed by Crandall Arambula, and adopted by the City of Racine). Drive lanes, parkways, and sidewalks should be designed to reduce intimidation to pedestrians by untoward vehicular speeds and to define and enhance the pedestrian spaces between building frontages and the street. Racine can make the Sixth Street streetscape better serve its residents by • making it safer and more inviting for walkers, handicapped persons, and bicyclists, • encouraging alternative transportation choices to the automobile, • promoting physical activity and public health, • creating opportunities for social interaction, and • establishing Sixth Street as a safe space. Appropriate integrated designs that strive to achieve these goals will bring more people to the district and other parts of downtown Racine. Amenities such as street trees, appropriate lighting, and artistically constructed street furnishings can provide functional comforts, as they reinforce a sense of place and urban character. Historic markers and interpretive elements can reconnect people to the story of this place, such as its role in the Underground Railroad. Simple and attractive practices designed to slow, cleanse, cool, and retain rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces can reduce the direct concentrated discharge of polluted runoff into the Root River and Lake Michigan, and lower the costs of infrastructure construction and maintenance. An essential, irreducible characteristic of sustainable infrastructure development is the integration of Artist, Landscape Architect, Entrepreneur, Energy Engineer, Civil Engineer, Highway Engineer, Architect, Ecologist, Site Planner, and Urban Planner from “visualization to implementation”.
No one of these critical disciplines can be excluded from the design dialogue at any point in the design process from concept to schematic to design development to construction documentation to construction administration. Although such a design and construction process can have a greater upfront, one-time, monetary expense than a standard linear process, it is the only way to achieve the best longterm value in the creation of a place as is envisioned in the City’s Downtown Redevelopment Plan and by the Historic Sixth Street Association. This vision is founded upon the investment of a collaborative effort by a cadre of practitioners devoted to the quality of their craft and the health and wellbeing of their community, and who have a fiduciary interest in the next generation. Such a vision requires each practioner to draw from the others yet unformed ideas and solutions that coalesce into a yet undeveloped result. Such solutions will be unique to their place and render individuals’ efforts rewarding and their production a manifestation of enduring sublimity. The result is a cityscape resplendent with beautiful, functional, enduring infrastructure to be enjoyed by residents and visitors. These sustained assets are then recognized as evocative of a concern and respect for all those who come after us. A vision such as this can only be acheived through an integrated, collegial planning and design process.
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3. BUILDING UPON RACINE’S DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT PLAN Background
The goals of the Historic Sixth Street Association and the recommendations in this brief are built upon and help to implement guidelines and recommendations of Racine’s Downtown Development Plan, Design Standards, and Design Guidelines, such as: “…streets, sidewalks and open spaces should be designed first and foremost to encourage pedestrian activity.” “Sixth Street will serve as the focus for pedestrian oriented arts, gallery, restaurant and entertainment uses with an emphasis on locally-owned and operated retail shops and commercial business.”
Fundamental public realm and streetscape elements: • Adequate and on street parking • Busy, compact and walkable streets • Comfortable pedestrian environment • Materials palette compatible with Monument Square. • High quality and distinctive public art elements • Sustainable design, construction, and maintenance • Traffic calming, maximum 25 mph • Widened sidewalks, new crosswalks, and curbless design • Festival lights over road and pedestrian-scaled lights • No dedicated loading zones • Street trees
“Maintain the pedestrian as the priority in downtown, eliminating pedestrian barriers and ensuring that walking routes are safe, direct and pleasant.” “Use sustainable design practices whenever possible as long as they do not detract from the pedestrian activity and economic viability of downtown.” “It is imperative to the success and ultimate livability of downtown that its streets be designed to encourage pedestrian activity.” 2025 Build Out Diagram, Downtown Design Standards
HSSA Principles
Sustainability
Downtown Racine Plan Recommendations
Recommended Enhancements
Sustainable design practices
Bioretention / rainwater gardens, permeable paving, heated streets and sidewalks, street trees and plantings, materials, lighting
Pedestrian orientation and crosswalks Widened sidewalks Pedestrian friendly space
Traffic calming Curbless design Natural resource protection
Water as a resource Beauty and craftsmanship
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Street trees
Bumpouts / curb extensions, modified pavement dimensions, traffic calming, intersection design, curbless design, heated streets and sidewalks, street trees and plantings, street furnishings and public art, lighting Bioretention / rainwater gardens, permeable paving, street trees and plantings, heated streets and sidewalks
Public art elements and district Festival / pedestrian scale lighting
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
Street furnishings and public art, materials, lighting
4. ROADWAY DESIGN INFRASTRUCTURE Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
The Sixth Street reach of Highway 20 is far more than a conduit to funnel traffic as rapidly as possible from one end to the other. The hard surface called Sixth Street is not the main asset. Rather, the asset is the very space through which it passes where human beings live and work, play and pray. The design of the Drive Lanes, Sidewalks, and Intersections must accommodate the human being through their functionality, beauty, and connectivity.
From a broader perspective, the sustainability of the Historic Sixth Street District requires making strong, vital connections to the larger community and consideration of the needs all the people who will be using Sixth Street now and in the future. This would specifically include existing neighborhoods to the south, Main Street to the east, and future residential development to the north and the west corridor that leads to City Hall and in and out of the downtown district. The design must meld the needs of the community and the pedestrian with appropriate accommodations for automobiles and freight trucks.
Sixth Street conceptual rendering and block concept diagram CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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4. ROADWAY DESIGN INFRASTRUCTURE | A. PAVEMENT DIMENSIONS Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Create street and sidewalk widths appropriate to a retail and pedestrian-oriented district Currently, the Drive Lanes of Sixth Street are 12’ wide. According to the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE), a Drive Lane width of 12’ is appropriate for 40 mph design speed facilities. Lanes of 10’ (ITE recommends travel lane width of 10’ to 11’; bus routes may require a width of 11’) will maintain truck traffic flow, while effectively slowing travel speeds due to less maneuvering space for vehicles. Currently the sidewalk along Sixth Street is 10’ wide. A sidewalk width of 12’ wide (the ITE recommends a width of 14’—16’) can accommodate a 6’ clear pedestrian throughway and a 6’ width of street furnishings for parking meters, bicycle racks, signs, street tree wells, benches, café tables, and public art. This furnishing zone includes 1.5’ edge zone for car door opening (parallel parked cars), parking meters, and signs.
Current corridor dimensions (average): Traffic lanes (two at 12’) Parking lanes (two at 8’) Sidewalks (two at 10’) Total right of way
24’ 16’ 20’ 60’
Recommended corridor dimensions: Traffic lanes (two at 10’) Parking lanes (two at 8’) Furnishing / edge zone (two at 6’) Pedestrian throughway (two at 6’) Total right of way
20’ 16’ 12’ 12’ 60’
Q: Are narrower lanes more dangerous than wide lanes? A: No. The idea that wider lanes are safer than narrow lanes is a myth. In fact, wider lanes encourage drivers to drive at faster speeds, and faster speeds significantly increase the risk of accidents and serious injury. The perception of less maneuvering space for drivers in narrower lanes causes them to drive slower, reducing the incidence and severity of accidents, and increasing the safety of pedestrians.
Existing Sixth Street right-of-way dimensions 6
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
4. ROADWAY DESIGN INFRASTRUCTURE | A. PAVEMENT DIMENSIONS
(continued)
Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Proposed Sixth Street right-of-way dimensions with and without parkway garden bumpouts CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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4. ROADWAY DESIGN INFRASTRUCTURE | B. TRAFFIC CALMING Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Roadway design of Sixth Street should encourage a 25mph maximum speed for cars and freight trucks, to meet recommended target speed appropriate for a retail and pedestrian-oriented district. In addition to 10’ lane widths and pedestrian-scaled bumpouts at all intersections (see description below), we strongly recommend that significant attention be given to the idea of replacing traffic signals with stop signs, and employing other traffic calming methods. Current travel lane widths encourage higher speeds than are appropriate for a retail and pedestrian-oriented district. Road lane widths should be designed to meet desired travel speeds. If, for example, one wishes traffic to move at 25mph or less, then the road design must be designed to encourage it. The ITE recommends a target operating speed of 20—25mph for retail and pedestrian-oriented urban districts such as Sixth Street. The Crandall Arambula Downtown Development Plan recommends an average speed of not more than 20 mph. This range of speeds creates a safer environment, accommodates frequent parking maneuvers, is consistent with restricted sight distances encountered in urban places, and diminishes little time from the motorist over six blocks. Recommended arterial thoroughfare parameters (ITE) Roadside width (curb to storefront) 16’ Edge zone 1.5’ Furnishing zone / pedestrian buffer 6’ Pedestrian throughway 6’ Frontage 2.5’ Target speed (urban avenue) 2530mph Target speed (commercial main street) 25mph Travel lane width 10-11’ Parking lane width 8’
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CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
Q: Will the bumpouts and other traffic calming measures impact parking? Can more parking be accommodated on Sixth Street? A: The existing street geometry has parallel parking on both sides of Sixth Street, with approximately 70 spaces in the area of reconstruction. The recommended concepts presented here, including bumpouts at each intersection, should be able to be implemented without a significant impact on the number of on-street parking spaces. In aggregate, the Sixth Street District and the adjacent crossing streets appear to have sufficient public parking to serve local businesses. However, parking is at a premium in certain locations at certain times of the day or evening, especially as the area becomes more successful and businesses increase in the immediate area. A targeted parking management plan for the Sixth Street District should be developed in concert with long-range plans to ensure parking needs are best met. Onstreet parking should be balanced with a pedestrian-scale streetscape, and could be augmented with angled parking on one side of the street in certain locations, either on Sixth Street or some of the cross streets, which allows greater parking capacity in certain locations.
4. ROADWAY DESIGN INFRASTRUCTURE | C. UNIT PAVERS Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
The entirety of Sixth Street, including drive lanes, parking lanes, and walkways, should be built with decorative paving, primarily unit pavers, to create the qualities described herein. Unit pavers with pavement markings of different colored pavers and courses contribute to the overall ambiance of the historic district as well as longevity of the roadway. Historically, unit pavers of clay or stone were used to make hard surfaces upon which to address the heaviest traffic programs in cities and towns. Unit pavers are deployed in intensive urban traffic and loading conditions in cities throughout the country for both exceptional durability and aesthetic beauty. Higher initial costs are offset by long-term durability and reduced replacement costs. Concerns over high traffic volume and higher average speeds are obviated by many examples elsewhere in the United States, such as the 4-lane arterial, Camp Bowie Highway, in Fort Worth, Texas, where clay unit pavers allow all manner of vehicles to move at 40 miles per hour or even faster, with deceleration in turn lanes and all other traffic permutations typically seen in concrete or asphalt applications.
Q: Do unit paver streets last as long as asphalt and concrete? A: Yes, but the answer is more interesting than that. The first principle that deals with beauty is relevant here. Asphalt can last from 10 to 20 years with regular maintenance that includes sealing, scraping, and resurfacing. All the while it cracks, develops potholes, and becomes progressively less attractive each year beyond resurfacing. Concrete can last nearly twice as long, but it too can crack and become unkempt-looking. Interlocking unit pavers last up to 50 years and beyond, and because flexibility is part of their design, they hold their structural integrity. Like poured-in-place colored concrete, colored pavers will fade over time, so this should be considered when colors are chosen. Various courses and paving patterns can obviate this concern somewhat. Clay pavers, of course, do not loose their color, but could be more likely to differential settlement if not installed over a rigid base (asphalt or poured concrete). As with all public infrastructure, in order to create the best long-term value and quality, the paving materials and specifications for Sixth Street should be carefully chosen to accommodate the program for which they are intended.
Curb-to-curb use of unit pavers (Ft. Worth, TX)
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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4. ROADWAY DESIGN INFRASTRUCTURE | C.UNIT PAVERS (continued) Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Q: How do pavers affect snow and ice removal? A: Normal plowing procedures can be used with the interlocking concrete paver systems without dislodging or damage to the paver surface. As an added measure of protection, however, the City may consider the use of skids on the corners of snowplow blades, nylon tipped blades, or snow brushes. There may be an equipment and operational precedent enacted for snow removal on Monument Square. Q: Are unit pavers difficult or costly to install? A: Unit paving installed by hand is somewhat more costly than poured-in-place concrete (and asphalt paving). For larger areas, such as Sixth Street, it is more cost effective to install mechanically. Mechanical installation of interlocking concrete unit paving blocks is cost competitive with poured concrete, which is more expensive but longer-lasting than asphalt paving. Installation should be performed by a contractor experienced with these systems. Q: Are pavers difficult to repair or replace? A: Because they are easy to lift and reset, pavers are easier to repair and replace than asphalt or concrete, and their modular nature enables access to utilities or other services—just remove the necessary pavers, make repairs, and replace.
Curb-to-curb use of unit pavers (Ft. Worth, TX)
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CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
Q: Do paver streets create more road noise than concrete or asphalt streets? A: Yes, technically, but at the lower traffic speeds recommended for Sixth Street, tire noise on concrete or asphalt would be scarcely less noticeable that the more rhythmic clack of tires on unit pavers. Q: Can unit pavers be painted to mark parking spaces and crosswalks? A: Yes. However, different colored pavers may also be used to mark parking, pedestrian walkways, or drive aisles, which would obviate the need for periodic re-painting. Q: Are roadways paved with unit pavers harder on cars/ tires? A: Properly installed streets with unit pavers provide a smooth, consistent surface for all types of vehicles, and would have no effect on vehicle wear. Q: Are unit pavers being installed more frequently in downtown roadways and why? A: Unit pavers are becoming more widely used, including in urban applications and especially in historic districts such as Sixth Street, because of the aesthetic qualities of colored unit pavers and the pedestrian scale of the material, coupled with significantly lower long-term maintenance costs. For additional information on pavers see “Rainwater Care.”
4. ROADWAY DESIGN INFRASTRUCTURE | D. INTERSECTION DESIGN Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Intersections should be recognized and designed in a way as to create valuable community linkages; each intersection along Sixth Street including Main, Wisconsin, College, Park, Villa and Grand is a unique location in Racine and represents a gateway into the Arts and Entertainment District. Each intersection represents: o different distances from Lake Michigan, o different positions on the watershed, o different aboriginal vegetation communities, o different linkages to Main Street, the river, City Hall and Uptown and neighborhoods to the south Therefore, each of these intersections warrants a distinct design through the use of variously colored patterns and courses achieved with enduring unit pavers that is emblematic of Sixth Street’s connection to its neighboring assets and sense of place. Each intersection can be designed into the street in such a way as to render Racine one of the more enduring, beautiful, and unique cities of the World.
Intersection design (Ames, IA)
Sixth Street serves as the corridor between Main Street and City Hall and although we recognize the Sixth Street/Seventh Street “Crossover Intersection” is not part of the upcoming Sixth Street renovation, we feel it represents an important gateway to Sixth Street and should be mentioned in this document. Many agree that it should be redesigned and removed to create a City Hall village green. Such a village green would compliment Monument Square on the east end of Sixth Street and connect City Hall and its public space to the downtown pedestrian district. Several reconfigured arrangements have been considered and are described in the Crandall Arambula Downtown Redevelopment Plan. One illustration that was derived from public participation shows the space converted to public use (see graphic at right.) A reconfiguration such as this would improve the safety of the area for pedestrians as well as drivers, and an enlarged civic common could be used for events such as farmers markets, art fairs, concerts, and all manner of other festivities. It will make it all the more congenial for the creation of an entry gateway to the District from the west. Specific plans for this area are yet to be articulated, but the Crandall Arambula Downtown Development Plan encourages that it should become one of Racine’s more interesting focal points.
Public comments on City Hall intersection concepts CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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5. RAINWATER CARE Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices According to the first principles, rainwater should be received as a resource, its volume and flow optimized as beauty and art as it waters parkway gardens. Whatever remains from its life-giving sojourn on Sixth Street should reach Lake Michigan only as clean base flow.
• Monitoring stormwater quality • Monitoring stream bank erosion • Updating and enforcing stormwater and illegal dumping ordinances • Educating the public on how to reduce stormwater pollution
The current disposition of the rainwater that falls on Sixth Street is to collect it in inlets and transmit it as hot, polluted stormwater to the Root River and Lake Michigan, because the current engineering doctrine is collect, convey, and discharge.
Note: www.cityofracine.org Dept. of Public Works- Storm Sewers and Drains for a PDF of the complete brochure.
It is compelling to note that according to the City of Racine/Dept of Public Work’s Stormwater Management Brochure, the City of Racine has been mandated by the WDNR (Federal Water Pollution Control Act/Clean Water Act) to reduce pollutant loadings to the Root River and Lake Michigan by 20% in 2008 and 40% in 2013. Additionally, the City is required to undertake a number of new activities, such as:
With the above in mind, it would seem that the reconstruction of the 6 th Street corridor provides a compelling opportunity for the City to create a model of how the future of Racine should be reconstructed to comply with the WDNR mandate to “reduce pollutant loadings to the Root River and Lake Michigan” as well as an excellent model for educating the public on how to reduce stormwater pollution. Recommendations in this document for “Rainwater Care” are, in fact, solutions that directly effect water quality of the Root River and Lake Michigan. Further, grants received by the HSSA for the exploration of this project were received by organizations directly interested in the restoration of the River & Lake to include monies received from Root Pike WIN and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.
Rainwater flow diagram for Sixth Street
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CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
5. RAINWATER CARE | A. PERMEABLE PAVING Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Permeable unit pavers should be deployed in parking lanes (and in drive lanes if necessary) in concert with bioretention measures to assure that all rainwater that falls on Sixth Street is conveyed back into the ground or to the Root River and ultimately Lake Michigan clean as is mandated by the DNR/Clean Water Act for the City of Racine. Permeable paving systems, primarily constructed with interlocking concrete pavers, have been used for decades as a durable, attractive and functional alternative to conventional asphalt and concrete paving. Permeable pavers are increasingly used for some roadway, sidewalk, parking, and loading zone applications. Benefits of permeable pavers include: • extend the life of the pavement beyond that of asphalt and concrete • filter stormwater by absorbing the ‘first flush’ of rainwater which carries the majority of pollutants • provide stormwater retention within an aggregate base, slowly releasing it, cooled and at a steady rate, to rainwater treatment amenities between the street and the Root River and Lake Michigan • enable street waters, laden with heavy metals to be "scrubbed" in a carbonate rich filter before waters reach the Root River or Lake Michigan • reduce roadway maintenance costs and simplify repair and replacement • reduce the urban heat island effect in summer
Q: Are permeable pavers difficult to maintain? A: Just as a street sweeper is periodically used to clean concrete and asphalt, permeable pavers require sweeping, vacuuming, and/or low-pressure washing to remove debris from the pore openings, after which additional aggregate material may need to be added to fill in the openings between pavers. Periodic replacement or cleaning of the aggregate within the pore spaces is also required to remove the silt that can slow water infiltration. Some settling of the pavers may occur during the first year after installation, and some leveling may be necessary during the second year, after which very little additional settling will occur. It should be noted that longevity of materials must be balanced with maintenance costs. Q: What happens to stormwater that falls on the permeable paver system? A: Water seeps into the pore spaces between pavers and is retained within a layer of underlying gravel. After being filtered and cooled, water is allowed to either infiltrate into the soil below or slowly released into the storm sewer system via an underdrain and release structure. The release structure could be located beneath the ribbon curb between the parking lanes and the sidewalk.
Permeable paving concept for Sixth Street CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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5. RAINWATER CARE | A. PERMEABLE PAVING
(continued)
Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices Q: Are pavers affected by freeze-thaw cycles? A: In locations with numerous freeze-thaw cycles, weak underlying soils, or an extremely cold climate, a thicker aggregate base should be used. The stone and gravel base layer not only provides support but also acts as a storage reservoir to achieve extra detention and serves as a buffer from frost problems. Q: How much do permeable paver systems cost? A: Initial expenses for alternative paving materials can be greater than concrete and asphalt; however, they last longer and do not require resurfacing. Data gathered from Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services Westmoreland Pilot Project (2004) indicate an estimated cost of $5 per square foot installed, including base rock. Their use also can reduce or eliminate the need for expensive conventional stormwater infrastructure and result in overall cost savings for the reconstruction project assuming stormwater infrastructure is an intended design feature. Paving the entire street surface would be a more cost effective option per square foot than the parking lanes alone.
Permeable paver detail and paver types 14
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
Q: Is there a risk of groundwater contamination? A: The pavers, aggregate, and soils beneath the pavers should generally be effective in detaining pollutants from infiltrated water. In areas of special concern, an impermeable barrier and an underdrain can be used to transport the filtered water to existing sewer systems. Q: Where have permeable pavers been used before? A: Permeable pavers have been used in numerous parking lot projects with high rates of success. For applications in public roadways, Josey Heights in Milwaukee is an example close to Racine. There are more applications in other cold-weather climates, including Jordan’s Cove, CT, and a number of applications in Seattle and Portland, OR. As part of the City of Portland’s Green Streets program, the City paved Knapp Street curb-to-curb with permeable pavement and Rex St. with permeable pavers in the parking lanes.
5. RAINWATER CARE | A. PERMEABLE PAVING
(continued)
Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Permeable pavers in parking lot applications
Permeable paving for Josey Heights streets (Milwaukee, WI)
Permeable paving for parking lanes only (top row) and curb-to-curb (bottom row) (Portland, OR)
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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5. RAINWATER CARE | B. BIORETENTION / RAINWATER GARDENS Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Employ Rainwater Gardens as functional, beautiful solutions to the cleaning and conscious handling of rainwater. Rainwater gardens are engineered landscape treatments that absorb, filter, and retain stormwater in soil and an underlying aggregate base, and slowly release remaining water to the atmosphere and the next water handling facility downstream. The primary benefits of rainwater gardens are: • reduced infrastructure installation and maintenance costs • improved quality and reduced volume of rainwater runoff. Grasses, shrubs, and small trees can be installed to: • promote evapotranspiration of water • promote uptake of some pollutants, • provide aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Options to be considered for Sixth Street include: • tree wells with or without grates • tree trenches • parkway gardens along the street edge • planter gardens integrated into intersection corner bumpouts. Q: Is there a risk of water damage to historic building foundations? A: When properly constructed with suitable underdrainage and foundation waterproofing, there is no greater risk of water damage than from conventional stormwater management infrastructure, which also requires suitable waterproofing. In the Sixth Street corridor, building foundations are likely in greater danger from truck traffic vibrations than from water damage. Subsurface conditions will determine appropriate measures to be taken to protect building foundations.
Rainwater garden parkway planters (Portland, OR) 16
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5. RAINWATER CARE | B. BIORETENTION / RAINWATER GARDENS
(continued)
Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Q: How much do bioretention features cost? A: The cost depends on the design, but generally $3 to $4 per square foot for simple designs and $10 to $40 for more complex designs requiring control structures, curbs, storm drains, and underdrains. Tree wells cost approximately $5,000 per unit including filter material and plants, less costly than conventional stormwater controls. Installation costs are approximately $1,500, similar to a precast stormsewer inlet structure. Annual maintenance costs are between $100 and $500 per unit. The number and type of plants installed will also affect the cost. These costs are slightly higher than typical landscaping costs, however, the use of bioretention can significantly decrease the cost required for constructing storm water conveyance systems. Q: Do bioretention features breed mosquitoes? A: No. Surface water should drain to the subsurface aggregate within 3-4 hours of a rainstorm and the subsurface layer should drain completely within 72 hours. This does not provide the conditions necessary to breed mosquitoes.
Q: How are bioretention features maintained? A: Generally, bioretention features require routine periodic maintenance required of any landscaped area, i.e., plant replacement, occasional weeding, and removal of trash, debris and sediment. Some watering may be necessary during extreme droughts, but proper plant selection can reduce the need for fertilizer, pesticide, irrigation, and overall maintenance. Periodic removal of accumulated sediment and debris at the inflow point, unclogging the underdrain, and repairing overflow structures may be necessary over time. Drainage paths and retention time will need to be inspected after the first few rainstorms to ensure proper functioning. Q: Do bioretention features interfere with below-grade utilities? A: Utilities should be carefully located during the design phase of the reconstruction project to ensure protection during both construction and for ease of long-term maintenance.
Rainwater garden parkway planters (Portland, OR)
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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5. RAINWATER CARE | B. BIORETENTION / RAINWATER GARDENS Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Q: How much water can a bioretention feature absorb? A: The answer varies depending on the design and selection of the features. One tree well can accommodate approximately Ÿ acre of impervious surface area. Q: After entering the bioretention feature, where will the water go? A: The water is slowly released into an underdrain and the City’s existing stormsewer system, which then discharges into the Root River, and into Lake Michigan....clean. Q: Where have these been used before? A: The City of Portland provides some of the better examples of successful installation of these practices at 12 th and Montgomery, Division Street, 35 th and Siskiyou, and 56 th and Ankeny. The City of Philadelphia installed tree trenches in their S. Weir Mitchell Elementary School project.
Infiltration tree wells and tree trenches
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CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
(continued)
6. PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY OR HUMAN-SCALED SPACES Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
We are all pedestrians, and increasing the safety and walkability of our neighborhoods and cities is vitally important to our health and the overall quality of our living environment as well as the economic viability of our street. Above all, it should be remembered that people live, work, and shop on Sixth Street, so the care and comfort of the Pedestrian is key to sustained businesses. The extent to which road design embraces the interest of the pedestrian is the extent to which business will succeed. Direct benefits of taking care to build pedestrian friendly environments include: • attractive, landscaped walking areas to increase pedestrian sense of security in shopping areas • increased pedestrian safety • decrease obesity and therefore improve public health • reduced traffic congestion and petroleum consumption • reduced air and noise pollution • strong sense of place and community The following was excerpted from the Crandall Arambula article “Revitalizing Cities Series.”
Most of the world’s “Great Streets” are: • Physically comfortable and safe • Symbols of a community and its history • Enjoyable and utilitarian • Memorable and even magical • And, most importantly, they are pedestrian friendly. Pedestrian friendly streets follow one simple rule—the pedestrian is the priority. These streets tend to share the following physical characteristics: • Pedestrians are effectively separated from moving traffic. Separation is provided through the use of wide sidewalks, on- street parking, and landscaping • Pedestrians can cross the street safely and easily • Intersections are designed to reduce pedestrian crossing distances, crosswalks are clearly marked and aligned with sidewalks If you go to the best neighborhoods and downtowns you’ll find pedestrian friendly designed streets. In turn, pedestrian friendly streets help economic growth. Since streets often occupy up to 40% of the downtown land area, they play an important role in the financial health of an urban area. Pedestrian friendly streets create places where people want to meet, shop and stroll. The experience of walking on Sixth Street should be pleasurable, healthful, and safe. Once patrons have arrived at the Sixth Street District in their cars, they must walk to shops and restaurants. The more delightful the walk, the more tolerant people are of dispersed or remote parking distances, and the more that they will visit more than one shop or restaurant in a single visit.
Pedestrian-friendly designs (Ft. Worth, TX and Naperville, IL) CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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6. PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY OR HUMAN-SCALED SPACES | A. CURBLESS DESIGN Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
The entire space between building faces along Sixth Street should be designed as a pedestrian surface that accommodates vehicle traffic in designated zones. By reducing curbs to a few locations around planters, pedestrian activity is enhanced. The curbless design facilitates movement from parked cars to storefronts, and greatly increases the pedestrian ambiance. A curbless street edge design integrates a flat transition from roadway to sidewalk, which eases pedestrian circulation and creates a space resembling a pedestrian-oriented plaza rather than a highway. Curbless design minimizes the use of barrier curbs; it does not eliminate curb edging entirely. Curb and gutter systems would be designed to direct stormwater runoff into bioretention features (tree wells or parkway gardens) through curb cuts and other openings. Q: How are pedestrians protected from traffic? A: Metal and concrete bollards set into the sidewalk buffer pedestrians from traffic. Q: Curbs are used to help contain and direct stormwater runoff. How is stormwater handled if there is not a curb? A: The roadway and the sidewalk are both pitched towards the flat, ribbon curb, which forms the low point of the section across the public right-of-way. Water flowing toward this point may be intercepted by permeable pavers in the parking lanes or bioretention practices in the sidewalk. At each tree well or bioretention location, the curb is designed to pitch water into the tree well where it is treated and slowly released (see bioretention practices). Q: Curbs provide a measure of protection during rain events by storing volume of water between the street and the top of the curb. Does a curbless design remove this measure of protection? A: Curbless designs, when used in conjunction with permeable pavers, will provide greater storage than a six-inch curb. Q: How are planters protected from pedestrians and vehicles? A: Curbs or low decorative walls/fencing can be installed around the planters to indicate that pedestrians should not walk there. Q: Where have curbless designs been used? A: Many urban street revitalization projects have installed flat curb designs, including Monument Square in downtown Racine. Josey Heights, a Milwaukee residential subdivision project, also uses flat curbs. 20
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
Curbless street designs (Monument Square and Ft. Worth, TX)
6. PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY OR HUMAN-SCALED SPACES
| B. BUMPOUTS/CURB EXTENSIONS
Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Bumpouts (also known as curb extensions) should be installed at all corner intersections to reduce pedestrian crossing distance at corners and, along with high-visibility crosswalks (e.g., change in materials, raised crosswalks, high reflective paints), increase pedestrian safety. Bumpouts are recommended in Crandall Arambula’s Downtown Development Plan, and are widely used in cities throughout the country. Versions of bumpouts have already been deployed on Main Street in Racine. The concept recommended here is to combine the bumpout element with lush planting space designed to accommodate landscape planters that absorb and retain rain water runoff. These “stormwater bumpouts” would be landscaped with plants that help filter pollutants from rainwater runoff. These bumpouts, crafted for pedestrian safety, wayfinding, beauty, and rainwater treatment, would provide multiple benefits with one expenditure, the hallmark of sustainable design. Q: How do bumpouts affect the turning radius of trucks? A: Turning radius should be designed for the road target speed, in this case 25mph. Smaller curb radii will help maintain slower turning speeds and enhance pedestrian safety. The City should consider prohibiting turns by trucks at most corners along the Sixth Street corridor. However, if a high volume of trucks turning from Sixth Street to crossing streets is anticipated, flat or sloped bumpouts can be designed to accommodate truck wheels. The recommended curbless edge design would accommodate this need. A bumpout precedent exists at Seventh and Main. Q: There is not enough parking in this area. Will these bumpouts reduce the number of parking spaces available on Sixth Street? A: This will require more detailed analysis as part of the design development of the roadway. It appears there may be some flexibility in the on-street parking space layout currently. The recommended design prescribes on-street parking spaces of 8’x22’. The zoned setback distance between parking spaces and the corner intersection would likely remain the same and with careful layout and placement of access, utilities, signage, and other elements, impact to on-street parking should be minimal. Q: Where have these bumpouts been used? A: Bumpouts are present at Main Street and Seventh Street in Racine. The City of Portland designed bumpouts as rainwater management features. Curb bumpouts (Portland, OR and Racine)
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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6. PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY OR HUMAN-SCALED SPACES
| B. BUMPOUTS/CURB EXTENSIONS
Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Curb extensions that double as rainwater gardens (Portland, OR)
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CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
7. ENERGY EFFICIENCY Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Exploration of the concept of sustainability through creative energy resourcing is a goal of this effort. In January 2007 The Energy Center of Wisconsin, funded by WE Energies, will estimate the energy savings potential for buildings along the 6th street corridor. The buildings will be evaluated as a group through the use of energy modeling software. Energy savings will be estimated for two approaches: 1) each individual building remodels using the most efficient off-the-shelf technologies available, and/or 2) all the buildings connect together to a central plant for heating and cooling supply. A number of options will be considered for the central plant scenario, including conventional boilers and chillers, thermal storage, a heat pump loop, and others. More in-depth explorations may be undertaken for approaches that attract the most interest from local businesses.
find effective combinations of renewable sources. In many professions, the attributes of imagination, creativity, and dedication to purpose and opportunities to do something new and exciting are considered both fun and rewarding. Part of the excitement generated by the Sixth Street initiative is that the collaborative process of the design and construction of enduring and beautiful infrastructure, for ourselves and our posterity, is sublimely gratifying. Not knowing, for the moment, how we will do it should be neither a negative nor a liability to practitioners dedicated to their community. At this point, we encourage the City of Racine to investigate the potential for the integration of radiant heating in the street construction, if it proves to be a viable concept.
At the moment, the specific complex of energy sources necessary to enliven Sixth Street’s winter business is yet to be worked out, so imagination, creativity, and dedication to purpose will have to be deployed to
scupper & downspout solar panels green roof system
geothermal heat (de-icing) decorative bollards outdoor cafe' space fabric (vinyl) awnings
planter boxes
decorative street signage sidewalk (paver type a) parkinglane (paver type b-permeable) driving lane (paver type c) rendered by William Feldman
Heated street and sidewalk detail and Sixth Street concept CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET SIXTH STREET
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7. ENERGY EFFICIENCY | A. HEAT STREETS AND SIDEWALKS WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
The City of Racine can enhance year-round retail sales for Sixth Street’s businesses and create a reputation as a four-season shopping destination is by using ground source thermal heating or other alternative renewable energy measures to melt snow and ice, providing an alternative to using salt, plows, and shovels to remove snow and ice. Less snow, slush, and ice translates into greater pedestrian access, safety, and higher retail sales in winter months. (See the Crandall Arambula Plan.) Q: Wisconsin law prohibits the use of non-renewable energy sources for snow melting. What will be the source of energy for the heat? A: Latent heat stored in the ground and solar thermal heated water, considered ‘renewable’ sources of energy, could be used. Alternately, or additionally, a utility duct can be installed beneath sidewalks and the heat that is normally emitted by utility lines can provide the heat source. Waste heat from nearby utilities also may be explored. In any event, this report is not recommending non-renewable energy sources for heated streets. Q: Are there benefits other than melting snow and ice? A: The downtown streets and sidewalks are clearer and drier, so shoppers can move easily from store to store without the worry of slipping and sliding. Because freeze-and-thaw cycles do not occur, cracking and buckling is reduced in streets and sidewalks. Also, damage from snow-removal equipment, salt and chemicals are eliminated and no longer tracked into stores, lengthening the life of tile and carpeting Q: Where have similar systems been installed? A: Holland and Grand Rapids, Michigan, are both using heating systems to melt snow and ice. In Holland, the snow and ice melting system uses free energy — waste heat recovered from a regional power generation plant. The heat transfers to the snow and ice melting circulating loop via water-to-water heat exchangers and piping under the pavement (167,000 square feet). The system works automatically, so it requires only minimal attention from city maintenance workers. Because falling snow melts on contact, expensive labor and equipment are not needed to remove snow or to spread snow-melting agents. 24
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
Heated street and sidewalk (Holland, MI)
8. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PLACEMAKING Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
The most significant and successful public spaces are those that can only be where they are, spaces that have a unique personality specific to their precise location. On Sixth Street one must have the sense they are in Racine, Wisconsin. . . not “Anywhere U.S.A.”. This distinctiveness can be achieved in two principle ways: • Be ever conscious of history. Through design elements, creative text placement and other lively outdoor “museum-style” experiences that transcend bronze plaques, use the spaces to tell stories that can only be told in Racine. These spaces must be expressive of Racine’s singular and special history. Major recurring themes in Racine history include: enterprise, creativity, invention, craftsmanship, agriculture, cooperative spirit, natural bounty, water, roots, birthplace of freedom movements, ethnic diversity, a love of the arts & recreation. • Through creative use of materials that become signature materials peculiar to and identifiable with Racine, present to pedestrians and drivers a visually striking and original design whose originality does nothing to diminish its friendliness. In other words, create a design that doesn’t look or feel quite like anywhere else in the country, all the while making sure both the materials and the originality will age well. As often as possible, the design should incorporate materials indigenous to Racine. Such originality in aesthetics is vital in a district that hopes to become Racine’s center of arts & entertainment. The design must be worthy of a district with such aspirations.
The Crandall Arambula Downtown Development Plan advises us to think of the street and parkway infrastructure, furnishings, as “placemaking,” born of the historicity of the street itself and conceived and created from local artists and craftsmen. Placemaking elements and furnishings can be categorized into several general kinds, but all must be embedded in beauty. We intend to: • Identify indigenous materials (limestone, cream city brick, etc.) to create a true sense of Racine. • Celebrate the natural resources (color & form of water, flora, and fauna) • Research and identify the significant stories to be historically interpreted as opportunities to connect the citizens of the Historic Sixth Street District • Celebrate the history of Sixth Street by providing opportunities in the streetscape to tell significant historical events through public art, decorative arts, and urban design elements. • Solidify the identity of the Sixth Street as the Arts and Entertainment District by employing the arts in historical interpretation • Express public art pieces, such as murals and intersections, and functional works, such as in rainwater management conveyances Specific recommendations for placemaking elements include the following ideas to be implemented through sustainable urban design elements. Public and decorative arts and recognizing all infrastructure and surfaces are part of the sense of place is emblematic of a people who care and live in that place.
Functional and attactive streetscapes CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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8. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PLACEMAKING | A. STREET TREES AND PLANTINGS Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
Street trees and lush plantings should be densely deployed throughout the Sixth Street District. Street trees provide shade, cool the hot, paved environment, clean the air, and encourage pedestrian circulation by sheltering sidewalks from the summer sun. They also provide architecture to the street, improve the aesthetic of adjacent buildings, and create a buffer between the road and sidewalk giving pedestrians a greater level of safety and comfort. An understory of native ground cover (grasses, sedges, wildflowers, and shrubs) can add aesthetics to the streetscape. Tree grates may be used where the streetscape design prohibits vegetated parkways.
Street trees and plantings
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CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
8. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PLACEMAKING | B. STREET FURNISHINGS AND PUBLIC ART Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices
All street furnishings should be designed and implemented by local artisans and craftsmen in a way that reflects the unique attributes of Racine. A Sixth Street public art/beauty plan should be undertaken and accommodations should be made to include Public Art and Decorative Placemaking. The Sixth Street Reconstruction should include seating, signage, trash receptacles, and other street furnishings. These elements are an excellent opportunity to forward the goals of these planning efforts. Standard, “off-the-shelf” products should be avoided. The streetscape provides an armature upon which artistically conceived and well-crafted elements can be added over time as well, and that provide multiple functional and aesthetic benefits.
Other sustainable street furnishing elements could include: Solar Parking Meters Centralized, solar powered parking meters that dispense prepaid parking stickers can be installed on each block. Metered parking should be considered as part of an overall parking management strategy. The solar-powered versions envisioned here de-clutter the streetscape and make space available for other street furnishings such as planters, tree wells, and café tables. They have been installed in the City of Chicago and City of Portland. Recycling Receptacles
In seeking ways to connect people to place, works of public art, urban design and artifacts can define, reveal, enrich, expand or otherwise make accessible the meanings of a particular environment. This can be accomplished through sculptures and castings, carved reliefs and embedded pavement inserts, fountains and fragments, benches and bollards, murals and markers. Each element tells a specific tale about the evolving character of its location. The Arts & Entertainment District of Racine should detail it’s streets with all manner of art & beauty through a plan specifically detailing the works and stories to be embedded on the street.
Artistic streetscape elements
In lieu of standard waste receptacles, recycling containers should be provided to minimize waste and promote sustainable thinking and behavior at the individual scale.
Solar powered parking meter CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
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8. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PLACEMAKING | C. MATERIALS Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices Create an ambient world of beauty and enduring quality by using well crafted materials indigenous to Racine. Materials for signs, street furniture, and other streetscape amenities should be attractive and emulate the local architecture and natural resources. They also should contain reused, salvaged, reconditioned, recycled, or renewable materials and be available regionally, reducing the impact on the environment. This should include materials used in all aspects of the street design from street lighting to manhole covers. Incorporate human-scaled design into the street
Artistic features incorporated into pavement
8. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PLACEMAKING | D. LIGHTING Suggested Sixth Street Enhancement Practices Incorporate human-scaled design into the street lighting system. Utilize a two-tiered system to optimize lighting levels and effect for both vehicular visibility and pedestrian safety and comfort. Two tiered lighting systems provide both pedestrian scale lighting to enhance the retail environment and higher lighting to light the roadway. Lighting options include downlighting located in street bollards, faรงade lighting that lights the pedestrian environment by reflection from building surfaces, and reflective-type lighting fixtures to reduce or eliminate glare. Full cutoff lighting should be used to eliminate light trespass to improve night sky access for people, reduce the negative impact on nocturnal wildlife and habitat, and reduces wasteful lighting of space. To reduce dependence on high-wattage electrical lighting at night, use light colored or reflective edges along roadways or walkways. Energy efficient lighting standards should be utilized. Nighttime illumination of building facades/ architectural details can help to increase visibility and reduce the need for pavement downlighting. 28
CITY OF RACINE | HIGHWAY 20 / HISTORIC SIXTH STREET
Attractive streetscape lighting
green roof
fabric awning decorative bollards
decorative bollard parkway rain garden mid block crosswalk driving lane
parkway rain garden bench parking lane with permeable paving overflow with runnel mosaic inlay
rendered by William Feldman
conceptual rendering
sidewalk paving Client:
Mazur Design Studios Racine, Wisconsin Project Number:
06012.01 Date:
SIXTH STREET RACINE, WISCONSIN
05.19.06
Landscape Architecture Community Planning Ecological Restoration Water Resource and Ecological Engineering 375 West First Street Elmhurst, Illinois 60126 630.559.2000 phone 630.559.2030 fax www.cdfinc.com
CONSERVATION DESIGN FORUM
Historic Sixth Street Association 507 Sixth (6th) Street Racine, WI 53403