Urban Design for Everyone Contest Submission - Kenosha, WI

#18878

The Chrysler Auto Site is a void in the urban fabric with the capacity to absorb the culture, innovation, and desires of a unique rust belt city.

Through contextual planning and design, the site becomes a dynamic urban neighborhood with historic and modern roots that connect it to the adjacent communities and Kenosha as a whole.

LIVE KENOSHA The northwest corner of the site is a critical gateway for Kenosha residents and visitors coming into the city. As a library and community center, this portal into the site is a catalyst for private investment while attracting community groups and extracurricular programming. It provides a much needed civic anchor for north-central Kenosha.

HERITA GE IND

NWAY

23RD AVE

TRANSIT HUB & FUTURE STREETCAR EXPANSION

26TH AV

ST

E

NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL HUB

SPLASH-PAD & PLAYGROUND MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL EDGE

H 5T

ST

5

US Y WA

EN

RE LG IA

TR

MCKINLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MCKINLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL (CLOSED)

58

ST

30TH A VE

COMMUNITY PARK

ST

TH

TH

D 52N

D IN

BAKER | DONOGHUE | MARTINUCCI

L GREE

GE TA

KENOSHA

JOCKEY INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

RI

LIVE MOVE CELEBRATE

NEIGHBORHOOD CAFE CORNER

HE

Across the greenway from Jockey International Headquarters, the TIM presents an opportunity to engage existing industries with the activation of the site and to forge bold public-private partnerships that can help spur the residential and commercial redevelopment of the rest of the site.

POCKET PARK & COMMUNITY GARDENS

PUBLIC AMENITY SPACE (CONNECTED TO LIBRARY)

Over 56% of Kenosha residents work in another county. With regional mass transit available downtown, a key component becomes the first and last mile of the commute. The site sits less than a mile from the train station.

The Transportation & Industry Museum (TIM) tells the complex narrative of Kenosha’s unique industrial past. Situated at the intersection of the proposed HIG, this site reflects Kenosha’s ongoing rust to green transformation. The museum opens onto an expansive park of industrial artifacts, native plants, community gardens, and a vast open space for concerts, picnics, films, and a winter ice rink.

NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL HUB

MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL EDGE

MOVE KENOSHA

CELEBRATE KENOSHA

DOWNTOWN

TRAIN STATION

COLUMBUS PARK

USTRIA

The Heritage Industrial Greenway (HIG) picks up an existing bike trail at the north edge of the site, curves through via a combination of pedestrian and bike priority streets and pathways, and converts the under-utilized freight line at the southeast edge of the site to a greenway and future streetcar expansion.

RUST TO GREEN ART & HISTORY WINTER ICE RINK CONCERTS RESTORATION

60

The entire site and northwestern region of the city, due to present underdevelopment, are poised to see the bulk of Kenosha’s future growth. Investing in public amenities will ensure the long term livability of this area.

FIRST AND LAST MILE BIKE/PED CORRIDOR ACTIVE STREETS CONNECTIVE TISSUE LINK TO INDUSTRIAL PAST

TRANSPORTATION & INDUSTRY MUSEUM

THE HEART OF KENOSHA

THE HERITAGE INDUSTRIAL GREENWAY

LIBRARY & COMMUNITY CENTER

GATEWAY EXTRACURRICULAR CIVIC ANCHOR CATALYST COMMUNITY

CELEBRATE KENOSHA

MOVE KENOSHA

LIVE KENOSHA

STREET HIERARCHY: Given Kenosha’s largely East-West orientation, the Arterials to the North and South of the site see the largest traffic volumes in the area (compared to the North-South Neighborhood Arterial to the West of the site). Three similarly oriented Neighborhood Roads within the site mirror this pattern of use, designed to accommodate greater volumes of travel than the other EastWest oriented streets and their North-South counter parts. These Residential Roads serve largely local traffic, with an exception for the two-block Festival Street adjacent to Chrysler Park – created to accommodate parties, parades, and a great many gatherings of individuals from across the region.

CONNECTING THE GRID: In order to reconnect and continue the existing road layout, exterior streets located across from one another are simply reconnected. Those that are offset provide an opportunity to create curvilinear paths that are attractive in design and help to reduce vehicular traffic speeds. Greenways provide secure routes for cyclists while ample sidewalks allow pedestrians to travel between the many destinations that are within walking distance.

CREATING COMMUNITIES: Community spaces provide dynamic and varied opportunities for residents to connect and enjoy the neighborhood. Larger attractions such as the museum and library provide space for communal gatherings, while smaller destinations throughout the community provide amenities within walking distance of most residences.

BUILDING TYPOLOGIES: Buildings acknowledge the unique architectural history of the Midwest while providing a diverse range of designs.

SF1

SF3

C2

MF1

C3

THE CHRYSLER AUTO SITE is a glowing opportunity for the City of Kenosha. It is a void in the urban fabric that has the potential to absorb the culture, innovation, and desires of a unique rust belt city. Through contextual planning and design, the site can become a desirable neighborhood with historic and modern roots that connect it to the adjacent communities and Kenosha as a whole. It is a place to

LIVE MOVE CELEBRATE

KENOSHA BAKER | DONOGHUE | MARTINUCCI

SF2

MULTI-MODAL: In addition to hierarchies of flow, different streets will be designed to prioritize different modes of travel. The Heritage Industrial Greenway will have roomy paths for both pedestrian and bicycle travel.

A single North-South Bus Corridor through the site will help connect existing bus lines that run East-West to Downtown Kenosha. Five different street sections are designated as Pedestrian-Oriented Pathways, designed to give pedestrians priority in both motion and safety.

FESTIVAL STREET: Three blocks of the site along the HIG are designated for use as a mixed-life public space. Multi-Use Space can be utilized for parallel parking as well as for special events, while generous sidewalks create a comfortable pedestrian environment yearround.

Buffer

Sidewalk

Multi-Use Space

Street

Multi-Use Space

Sidewalk

Buffer

3’

11’

7’

22’

7’

11’

3’

ENCOURAGE EVENTS: The central location of the site in the city and its variety of public spaces create an ideal place for various events, gatherings and celebrations. While some events may only take place during a single day of the year, other programming might continue for weeks or months, creating an active and vibrant district. This will help to tie the site into its surrounding context, drawing residents in and ensuring the creation of a vital neighborhood that celebrates Kenosha’s heritage.

C1

C4

#18878

GREENWAY: Where the HIG runs adjacent to the streetcar corridor, space is allocated for all transportation types. Significant green buffers create a unique and vibrant space while providing security for users on and off the trail.

Buffer 10’

Sidewalk 8’

Bike Lane 14

Fence 6’

Streetcar Corridor 24’

Buffer 13’

PHASE KENOSHA

PHASE 1 - CONNECT THE GRID: Development begins with extending the surrounding grid into the site where feasible and accommodating new pathways where not. Creating connections to the existing urban fabric will help ensure that the site is incorporated into the neighborhood, rather than a standalone sub-development.

PHASE 2 - CATALYST FOR CHANGE: Key investment helps create an area attractive to private developers, including public facilities and functional, neighborhood-scale open space. Opening the HIG during this stage will give Kenosha residents the ability to move through the site at will, witnessing the formation of a new, vibrant area.

PHASE 3 - EDGE DEVELOPMENT: Development is incentivized around the edge of the site, mirroring existing land uses and typologies across the way. While the East and West edges of the site see largely residential development, the North and South edges are home to commercial/retail uses, which “turn the corner” at 30th Avenue, helping to activate the street.

PHASE 4 - RESIDENTIAL BOOM: A functional street grid, public amenities, and local commercial create the conditions for large-scale infill development in the middle of the site. The housing typology and pattern of urban form mimic similar residential neighborhoods to East and West – mostly single family homes, with low-density multifamily structures peppered throughout.

PHASE 5 - NEIGHBORHOOD NODES: Final stages of infill development prioritize small neighborhood commercial uses and other amenities, such as social services and religious institutions. These final elements help to tie together the neighborhood, creating both an independent neighborhood and part of greater, cohesive Kenosha.