Reactivation of underutilized urban space in the south downtown area of orlando utilizing place bran by Melissa Sucre Architect

Activation of an Underutilized Urban District in South Downtown, Orlando, Florida. Utilizing Place Branding

Melissa Marie Sucre

DEDICATION To my parents, for their encouragement in every step of the way and teaching me I could do anything, I actually believed it, my entire family for allowing me to chase my dreams, my sister for always being there, Mariana,Victor, Victoria, Ema for giving me reasons to give you a good example, Morix, with who I wrote my first research and is still my support throughout. For teaching me the love for knowledge and life Luis Emilio, thank you for being by my side every step of the way. To all, thank you, I hope to continue making you proud.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my Chair, Dr Frank Bosworth III for guiding me in this process and your investment in my proffesional development, my Co chair Prof. Peter Prugh for guiding my research and Prof Stephen Bender for your always appropiate input.

TABLE OF CONTENT PRECEDENTS DEDICATION

LOS ANGELES FASHION DISTRICT, LOS ANGELES

LOOP THEATER DISTRIC DOWNTOWN CHICAGO

RIVER NORTH ART DISTRICT, COLORADO

NODA, CHARLESTON, NORTH CAROLINA

CHAPTER I

DETROIT, PLACE CENTER REVITALIZATION

DOWNTOWN BOULDER

ABSTRACT

This research project examines the impact place branding has on the reactivation of an underutilized urban district, and how focusing on this approach is different and more effective than utilizing traditional reurbanization methods. The project is located south of highway 408 adjacent to Downtown Orlando Because of the location the logical move to become the next frontier of expansion of its core. South Downtown (SoDo) Orlando is in a position to become a more vital and vibrant part of the city, it currently struggles with lack of presence and declining buildings and environments, disconnected streets and lack of activity. It is however in a prime position for redevelopment.

Becoming a mixed use area with mixed use offices to retail and housing all focusing around a brand that allows this district to become known for its diverse, walkable destinations that are well designed, and create positive experiences.

TABLE OF CONTENT TABLE OF FIGURES

PROBLEM STATEMENT IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY METHODOLOGY

III IV V

2 2 2

CHAPTER III THE SITE

2 LOCATION

FIGURE GROUND ANALYSIS

LANDMARKS

CHAPTER II

LANDUSE

CURRENT KNOWLEDGE

OPEN SPACES

SWOT ANALYSIS

CONCLUSION OF SWOT

BUILDING SURVEY

SITE CONNECTIONS

HISTORY

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM

6 LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINITION OF TERMS BRANDING DISTRICT BRANDING

This research focuses on repurposing the use of existing buildings and implementing a plan to allow the area to grow and become a signature place within the city connecting the Downtown core to the area of the medical campus and beyond becoming a node of activity that provides residents and visitors of Downtown and the Hospital campus to have places to shop, eat and recreate.

1 INTRODUCTION

The proposal brands the district as a fashion oriented center that will bring retail, interest and a diverse public to help activate the streets and fulfil the goal to be the connection to Downtown while becoming itself a destination not just a pathway. The purpose of this Master research project is to investigate and explore the effects of place branding within a district in an area of the city to turn it from an underutilized area into a point of attraction within the city. A destination.

WYNWOOD, MIAMI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

PRINCIPLES OF PLACE BRANDING PLACE MAKING PRINCIPLES OF PLACE MAKING UNDERUTILIZED URBAN SPACES

8 9 9 9 10 11 13

CHAPTER IV PROPOSAL

13 CONCEPT

CREATING PLACE

RENOVATING

PHASING

DESIGN STANDARDS

STRATEGIES FOR REACTIVATION

CONNECTIONS

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DISTRICT

SCALES

BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

SUGGESTIONS

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

REVITALIZATION OF URBAN SPACES DISTRICT SPECIAL DISTRICTS DISTRICT REVITALIZATION URBAN REACTIVATION TECHNIQUES

BRANDING AND TRADITIONAL METHODS OF URBAN REACTIVATION FASHION DISTRICT ORLANDO AND FASHION

15 15 18 19 19

25 26 27

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 2. 1 Place making begins at the smallest scale Figure 2. 2 Two way streets are more active and increase prop-

10 19

erty value Figure 2.3: Creating recurring events attracts visitors Figure 2.4: Industrial zone developed in underutilized urban

20 20

space Figure 2.5: Business Resource Center: San Angelo, TX Figure 2.6: Public markets permanently activate the area they

21 21

inhabit Figure 2.7: UTSA Downtown Campus: San Antonio, TX Figure 2.8: Portland Streetcar: Portland, OR Figure 2.9 Imagination Playground: New York, NY Figure 2.10: Bricktown: Oklahoma City, OK Figure 2.11: SFpark variable rate parking pilot: San Francisco, CA Figure 2.12: Divvy Bikes bike share program: Chicago, IL Figure 2.13: Wynwood walls Figure 2.14: Los Angeles City Market Figure 2.15 Chicago theater district Figure 2.16: River North graffiti walls Figure 2.17: NODA, Charleston Figure 2.18: Place Center Revitalization Figure 2.19: Downtown Boulder Figure 3.1: Location Map Figure 3.2: Figure Ground Landmarks Figure 3.3: Figure Ground Land use Figure 3.4: Figure Ground Open Spaces Figure 3.5: SWOT matrix Figure 3.6: Building Survey Figure 3.7: Survey Results Figure 3.8: Site Current conditions Figure 3.9: Site Current conditions Figure 3.10: Site Current conditions Figure 3.11: Site Current conditions Figure 3.12: Site Current conditions Figure 3.13: Site Current conditions Figure 3.14: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.15: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.16: Current Lymmo Routes

Figure 3.17: Current Bike Stations

Figure 3.18: Walking distances from surrounding amenities

Figure 3.19: Train Stations

Figure 3.20: Walking distances from surrounding amenities

Figure 4.1 Proposal site plan

Figure 4.2: Concept Diagram. The proposal seeks to connect

the Downtown core and Sodo through the site by creating a destination.

22 22 23 23 24 25 27 29 30 31 32 32 33 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 42 42 42 43 43 43 43

Figure 4.3 Creating Place Diagram. Creating Gateway points to 51 attract traffic from both areas and filter them into the site. Figure 4.4 creating a place where people feel they belong and

want to stay Figure 4.5: Building to be renovated

Figure 4.6: Brick building north end of the site

Figure 4.7 Thomas Lumber building to be renovated

Figure 4.8: Building to be renovated

Figure 4.9 Brick Building current condition

Figure 4.10 North Gateway current condition

Figure 4.11 Brick Building proposed renovation

Figure 4.12 North Gateway proposed renovation

Figure 4.13 Proposed phasing plan

Figure 4.14 Street section

Figure 4.15 North Gateway. Residential buildings create gateway. 58 Figure 4.16 West edge of the site transformed by urban land-

scape Figure 4.17 Orange Avenue Tree lining

Figure 4.18 Proposed new connections

Figure 4.19 Retail store front, activation of the street

Figure 4.20 Retail interior

Figure 4.21 Location of fashion related business in the perimeter 63 of the site Figure 4.22 Mix of uses. Left side commercial building right side 64 performing arts center Figure 4.23 Commercial street activation, activation of the street 64 Figure 4.24 Scale relationships, creating human scale friendly

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

We are living in a fast paced world in which concepts like activity segregation that were known and accepted as true less than a decade ago have proven to not be beneficial for the development of urban areas. Cities are also studied in an attempt to understand global trends and what is driving globalization. The concept of place branding is place branding is currently accepted as a proper way of making cities more attractive. Place branding is the process of marketing a community, city, state or country. (1) With globalization it has become imperative for places to convey what they are about and to clearly differentiate themselves. The application of place branding is becoming more popular in an effort to increase interest in places as small as an institution or as big as a country. Usually Place branding focuses on meeting expectations of several different segments: tourists, residents, investors, government. The goal of place branding is to create a memory in the visitor that associates a connection with the place. E.g., New York as the big apple. The role of architecture in this scenario is to create cities with a form of branding that is based on social innovation and focused on integrated design strategies that give a distinct personality to a place.

PROBLEM STATEMENT The purpose of this Master research project is to determine the effectiveness of place branding through architecture as a method to activate underutilized urban spaces. In an attempt to increase the appeal of places in the city that are overlooked or have fallen in disdain. In this research project the physical entity that is being studied is the district. The specific research questions are: 1. Can place branding be used to activate an underutilized urban space in the South Downtown area of the city of Orlando, Florida? 2. Can architecture alone sustain the branding of a place creating a brand built on urban design? The research focuses on finding strategies that have been proven to work in activating abandoned urban spaces and them becoming important active spaces of the city that act as attractors for locals and visitors. This success can be measured in how the reactivated areas attract new business and help densify the area with successful commercial activity and street activation. The research is geared towards finding precedents in which there are lessons learned and examples to exploit and implement in the city of Orlando considering the scale of the city, the future plans for growth, and especially branding as an innovating area

that houses activities true to the city, set activities found mainly in the fashion industry which is an industry being developed on the unknown side of the city but it is steadily growing and attracting more interest. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY The information contained in this research will be valuable to the city of Orlando first, to those researching the effectiveness of place branding in an urban setting, and to those researching new methods to reactivate urban spaces. This master research project showcases key information that represents importance for activating abandoned urban spaces, it focuses on analyzing precedents and literature that explain the successes and failures, why previous attempts at reactivating underutilized urban spaces have been successful or not.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The information found in this study is limited in its application to the site. It can however be taken as cue to develop other districts, the center of place branding is that it is meant to create unique experiences within the place. Also it is limited to analysis and speculation of results based on history BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM

METHODOLOGY The research explores the concept of urban branding in an analytical, theoretical and practical light, the final purpose is to present a plan to reactivate an underutilized urban space giving suggestions on strategies to take based on the specific site, and it

1. European place marketing institute, place marketing and branding 2015, http://bestplaceinstytut.org/RAPORT2015.pdf, web, Jan 2016 2

seeks to identify the key points of successful urban branding. Next, it proposes a brand for the site based on the physical context and history. Research objectives: • Activate the site as a part of the city • Improve the visual image of the site within the city • Reconnect Downtown and south downtown through the site • Promote how to develop an architectural cohesive plan for the district

Cities develop organically in many ways, such Rome, Madrid and Paris, cities that were founded and planned for a certain size and eventually grew out of that size to sprawl over larger territories. Mistaken design strategies often lead to social problems and abandoned or underutilized areas, when one area of

the city grows some other tend to be forgotten and no new development happens or are not taken into consideration for inclusion within plan of the city. The construction of highways many times pose a problem in segregation of areas, they tend to divide cities into sides and create virtual forts that are seldom visited. Statistics show that these areas tend to end up crime ridden and out of many city plans or nominated for complete over hauls to try to artificially reconnect to the city and disregard the present of the area. If urban planning happen in a bottom up approach where the community, the site values, strengths and weaknesses are all taken into consideration to create a plan that exploits the existing resources and local culture to begin creating a brand that is sustainable and accepted by the community.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I recently conducted a short study into the areas of top-down and bottom-up urban planning. I found that there had been a major shift that came about in the 1960s where urban planners began to use bottom up-planning methods (participatory planning, smart growth urban planning) that involved the community in their planning process instead of the long traditional top-down planning methods (modernist planning, rational planning, planned communities) where the community was left out and decisions were made solely by the government, corporations or the planner. This change in thinking

within the United States was in part due to Jane Jacobs and her efforts to save her Greenwich Village neighborhood from the Lower Manhattan Expressway that Robert Moses planned to build at the time.â&#x20AC;? (2) The research will focus on studying precedents of similar reactivations that have been implemented and are planned to be implemented in the future to take strengths and weaknesses to propose a brand for the district of South Downtown Orlando building on the fashion industry that develops around the district organically and that can be used as a new attracting industry in the city, and the area itself become a destination within the city that develops into the next frontier to the downtown area annulling the void created by highway 408. After concentrating on the precedents the research gears towards strategies used to activate an area of the city and the study of the site to investigate its strengths and weaknesses, and the theoretical concepts behind district branding and fashion hub or fashion district, it is important to understand the concepts of both of these to implement the bases into the district for it to be successful. The main objective of the research is to propose a district that will become an active part of the city and connect the area to the north and the south which is currently disconnected from 2 busy, successful areas or the city.

CHAPTER II CURRENT KNOWLEDGE

2. Willa Tracosas, Top down vs Bottom up urban planning, http://willatracosas.tumblr.com/post/40927692405/top-down-vs-bottom-up-urban-planning, web, Apr 2016 4

LITERATURE REVIEW The literature reviewed for this research is of broad spectrum, it covers branding, city branding, place branding and specifically district branding, it also cover urban revitalization and the city as an entity. The concept of place branding although not new it was first accepted when introduced by Simon Anholt’s work on nation branding in 2007/2005. Those concepts have evolved into from nation branding to city branding and more recently district branding. According to the literature, branding is “a customer experience represented by a collection of images and ideas and it refers to a symbol such as a name logo, slogan or design scheme” (3) creating districts is an effective approach to activate under used areas within a city, Jane Jacobs claims the activation of the street is necessary to succeed in city development and the way several authors suggest that to happen is to create flow and have activities were people dwell, it is necessary to create a sense of community and belonging for districts to be successfully branding, according to R. Mohammed place branding in urbanity can be considered a way to make cities more sustainable because it strengthens the positive qualities and creates good city images. Most of the literature reinforces K. Lynch’s opinion that cities need to be navigable, a district is no

different, create districts that easy to navigate even if you have never there. Every person creates a mental map depending on their personal experiences, and the way they read places always differs from one person to the next. David Hoijertz claims that city branding helps turn cities into globally competitive places, and with globalization essentially cities are competing to attract their human capital. A recurrent fact throughout the literature is the need to involve the community and respect the roots of the district which is being branded, “develop new ways of communicating city image to the rest of the region or to the world as a whole which is considered as media generated image”.

“In general terms, branding is a process which attempts to influence how consumers interpret and develop their own sense of what a brand means” Towards Effective Place Brand Management Branding European Cities and Regions Branding a place or district in the literature can be geared in two different streams, the first being architecturally or urbanistically, where the area is thought, designed and developed thinking on the experience, cohesiveness between buildings and spaces is imperative for an urban brand to be successful, the totality of the district needs to have the same feel, and needs to have potential to create

experiences that are impossible to have in other places. According to Graham Hankinson, place branding is a discipline that has just recently incorporated and understood the importance of several disciplines being combined to achieve success, while the research Rethinking the Place Branding Construct is geared towards marketing and making the brand known the important of this research is the fact that branding has to be a multi-disciplinary technique for it to be effective. Combining urban strategies, with architecture, with marketing will ensure a successful project and renovation. Its important for an urban brand to carry clear goals to strive for, they are important to create and they are important because they allow to implement strategies in which it is easier to measure the success or failure of the revitalization while still in development and make corrections and adjustments as it becomes fit. Objective to branding a place in this particular case branding a district could be as follows: • To strengthen the economic value of the image of a city; • To improve the visual image of a city by reference to cultural and economic activities • To develop creative ways by which the city image might be disseminated worldwide; to embrace the role of media in this process

• To discuss how sustainable urban character might be achieved; • To propose how to develop the visual impact of urban development projects • To create the suitable image facilitates sustainable development. Urban branding as an approach to sustainable urban development To understand the concept of a sustainable urban image, it is first necessary to define visual image, urban image and sustainability. First “visual image is legible, real and tangible” (4) “it contains many elements, defined by Lynch as paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks” (5). Then an urban image is an attribute (or set of attributes) combined with special characteristics that define the scope of a particular urban setting. These include format interfaces, colors, the skyline and cultural content. Cultural and economic use of a venue can greatly affect physical character. It is important to ask (and answer): “What is the advantage of a good urban image, and should such an image be sought?” On the other hand, sustainability embraces social, economic, and cultural aspects of a developmental process. In addition, “sustainability implies the protection of nonrenewable resources at an acceptable cost to benefit

3. American marketing association, dictionary, 2009)

4. B. Berkel Big and Super-Green: From Buildings to Cityscapes• McGraw-Hill Companies Headquarters, New York (2010), 5. • K. Lynch The Image of the CITY The MIT Press, Cambridge (1960)

the society and the state” (6) “Sustainability requires a comprehensive vision; it requires multi-dimensional indicators to show the relationship between economic, social and cultural aspects” (7). “Sustainable development implies development to meet the needs of current generations without negative impact on meeting the needs of future generations” (8) . To create a sustainable urban image it is necessary to link the physical character of the built environment with the environmental, social, economic, and cultural aspects of that environment. Urban branding integrates sociocultural, economic, and environmental themes into the city. The cities of today evolve constantly and compete intensely to project an attractive image. Cities first seek to strengthen the visual image, and, next, to link that content to cultural and economic activity. (Reeman Mohammed Rehan, “Urban branding as an effective sustainability tool in urban development, Egypt, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University DEFINITION OF TERMS BRANDING The concept of branding comes from marketing, it is getting information to the public, attaching an image

to a product, service or place by using a particular characteristic, may be an image, a tag line, etc. Urbanistically Branding is a strategy in which a place is given an image that has the capability of creating an emotional connection to the person through an image, phrase or feeling. “The rationale behind place branding is to view the global supply of talent, capital and tourism as assets which can, with the right methods, be attracted to a certain place” (9) Place branding started off as attaching a publicity campaign to a city e.g. New York-The big apple, it creates an identity of the place, it helps identify the place and imagine the experience a person would have if they visited, with the passing of time and research place branding has evolved to actual urban concepts, from building typologies to street typologies, urban furniture, setbacks, and all other kind of guidelines that will help design an environment that creates an experience unique to a place and not replicable in other places. “As concerning urban branding of built environment introduces a new language in the community of professionals that works on urban design and the restructuring of neighborhoods” (10) . The concept of urban branding is novel, and may be defined as the process by which unique physical features of the city are defined, and come to encapsulate the

essence of the place. “Moreover, urban branding is not only limited to the promotion of a positive image of the city, but it extends more, to change it into an urban experience” (11).“It is a process of differentiation and diversification whereby local tourism organizations, arts and cultural facilities, museums, historic preservation groups harness and construct place images, help producing tourist sites to attract consumers and investment to a particular local area” (12) . “Branding of places and cities consists of two main elements, such as follows: 1. Place making or city building, a process that makes the place specifically advantageous or attractive. 2. Place or city marketing, an effort to promote the place/city specific advantage” (13) .

within the area’s history, especially in the context that is being developed. It is important for the branding to be accepted by the existent residents, identifying the strengths of the area and exalting them is critical in the success of the street. Some of the traits that can be found already within a district are: • Festivals • Holiday fairs • Markets • Historical Buildings • Signature architecture • Unique • Economic impact • Quality of life • Cultural identity • Historic significance

DISTRICT BRANDING

PRINCIPLES OF PLACE BRANDING 1). Distinctiveness District branding is no different than any other type Place Branding rotates around creating unique places. of branding, with the exception that it shapes our Why is your place special when you compare it to built environment, influences healthy and happy other? What are the existing values of the place to experiences, and captivates the culture of a place. build upon? What can your brand promise? When revitalizing a district achieving success would 2) Authenticity be an uphill battle without equal parts community Creating and establishing a place brand that: collaboration and private investment in conjunction • the identification of key characteristics of the with city administrations. For successful district place brand inspired by the identity or sense of place, branding it is imperative to find the roots of the brand • finding the link with existing perceived and

6. M. Helmy Urban Branding Strategy and the Emerging Arab Cityscape: The Image of the Gulf city, PhD Study Stuttgart University, Stuttgart (2008). 7. G. Evans Creative cities, creative spaces and urban policy Urban Stud. J., 46 (2009), pp. 5–6 8. Kavaratzis, G. Ashworth City branding: an effective assertion of identity or a transitory marketing trickEcon. Soc. George., 5 (2005), pp. 506–514 9. Höijertz, David, Place branding strategies and urban transformation in ’emerging world class’ cities; Stadsmarknadsföring och urban utveckling i framväxande globala superstäder, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2013) 10..Vrolijks, M. Königs, Urban Futures for Pendleton, linking city branding to urban Regeneration, in: 43rd ISOCARP Congress, Belgium, 2007.

11. M. HelmyUrban Branding Strategy and the Emerging Arab Cityscape: The Image of the Gulf city, PhD Study Stuttgart University, Stuttgart (2008) 12. K. Gotham(Re) branding the big easy: tourism rebuilding in post-Katrina Urban Affairs Rev., 42 (2007), p. 823 13. M. Helmy Urban Branding Strategy and the Emerging Arab Cityscape: The Image of the Gulf city, PhD Study Stuttgart University, Stuttgart (2008)

projected images in relevant markets (i.e. what do people currently think and say about us), and • The design of authentic customized and cocreated place experiences in practice. (14) web, Dec 2015 3) Memorable It’s all about the sense of place, it is necessary for the place to become memorable, it means creating enjoyable experiences at the certain place, conquering a space in your mind and heart. So that you want to return. 4) Co-Creation Place branding yields best result when it is produced and maintained through a strong partnership between locals, developers, local governments, business and target markets (tourists, investors, press, etc.) 5) Place Making It does not involve a marketing strategy in which a slogan or tag line creates a nice promotional campaign. It is about the experience and being memorable, it needs to be supported by innovative design strategies, events, structures, investments. This principle deserve a closer analysis as it is the core of this research.

been implemented, a hands on approach for improving a neighborhood, city or region, district in the case of this research. Place making inspires people to reinvent and reimagine the public spaces of a district to become the center of activity. Making strong connections between the people and the place they share as a community, referring to collective efforts to take maximum advantages of the public realm to maximize shared value of the district, this refers to the commons as referred to by Garret Hardin in which he refers to the commons as the collective property that all dwellers deserve to have advantage of without taking advantage of the next, your right ends where the other persons begins. Beyond promoting cohesive urban design, place making encourages creative uses of spaces, paying attention to the physical, cultural and social characteristics that are defined by the district and to which it identifies and support an ongoing evolution.

PLACE MAKING Place making is a new concept although it has always

Figure 2. 1 Place making begins at the smallest scale Source: http://www.pps.org/reference/what_is_placemaking/

PRINCIPLES OF PLACE MAKING In the 1999 book, “how to turn a place around” the

11 principles of place making are defined as follows 1. The Community Is the Expert The important starting point in developing a concept for any public space is to identify the talents and assets within the community. In any community there are people who can provide an historical perspective, valuable insights into how the area functions, and an understanding of the critical issues and what is meaningful to people. Tapping this information at the beginning of the process will help to create a sense of community ownership in the project that can be of great benefit to both the project sponsor and the community. 2. Create a Place, Not a Design If your goal is to create a place (which we think it should be), a design will not be enough. To make an under-performing space into a vital “place,” physical elements must be introduced that would make people welcome and comfortable, such as seating and new landscaping, and also through “management” changes in the pedestrian circulation pattern and by developing more effective relationships between the surrounding retail and the activities going on in the public spaces. The goal is to create a place that has both a strong sense of community and a comfortable

14. Robert Govers, Erik van ‘t Klooster and Gerard Van Keken, Place branding principles, http://placebrandobserver.com/en/place-branding-principles

image, as well as a setting and activities and uses that collectively add up to something more than the sum of its often simple parts. This is easy to say, but difficult to accomplish. 3. Look for Partners Partners are critical to the future success and image of a public space improvement project. Whether you want partners at the beginning to plan for the project or you want to brainstorm and develop scenarios with a dozen partners who might participate in the future, they are invaluable in providing support and getting a project off the ground. They can be local institutions, museums, schools and others. 4. You Can See a Lot Just By Observing We can all learn a great deal from others’ successes and failures. By looking at how people are using (or not using) public spaces and finding out what they like and don’t like about them, it is possible to assess what makes them work or not work. Through these observations, it will be clear what kinds of activities are missing and what might be incorporated. And when the spaces are built, continuing to observe them will teach even more about how to evolve and manage them over time. 5. Have a Vision The vision needs to come out of each individual community. However, essential to a vision for any

public space is an idea of what kinds of activities might be happening in the space, a view that the space should be comfortable and have a good image, and that it should be an important place where people want to be. It should instill a sense of pride in the people who live and work in the surrounding area. 6. Start with the Petunias: Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper The complexity of public spaces is such that you cannot expect to do everything right initially. The best spaces experiment with short term improvements that can be tested and refined over many years! Elements such as seating, outdoor cafes, public art, striping of crosswalks and pedestrian havens, community gardens and murals are examples of improvements that can be accomplished in a short time. 7. Triangulate “Triangulation is the process by which some external stimulus provides a linkage between people and prompts strangers to talk to other strangers as if they knew each other” (Holly Whyte). In a public space, the choice and arrangement of different elements in relation to each other can put the triangulation process in motion (or not). For example, if a bench, a wastebasket and a telephone are placed with no connection to each other, each may receive a very

limited use, but when they are arranged together along with other amenities such as a coffee cart, they will naturally bring people together (or triangulate!). On a broader level, if a children’s reading room in a new library is located so that it is next to a children’s playground in a park and a food kiosk is added, more activity will occur than if these facilities were located separately. 8. They Always Say “It Can’t Be Done” One of Yogi Berra’s great sayings is “If they say it can’t be done, it doesn’t always work out that way,” and we have found it to be appropriate for our work as well. Creating good public spaces is inevitably about encountering obstacles, because no one in either the public or private sectors has the job or responsibility to “create places.” For example, professionals such as traffic engineers, transit operators, urban planners and architects all have narrow definitions of their job – facilitating traffic or making trains run on time or creating long term schemes for building cities or designing buildings. Their job, evident in most cities, is not to create “places.” Starting with small scale community-nurturing improvements can demonstrate the importance of “places” and help to overcome obstacles. 9.

Form Supports Function

The input from the community and potential partners, the understanding of how other spaces function, the experimentation, and overcoming the obstacles and naysayers provides the concept for the space. Although design is important, these other elements tell you what “form” you need to accomplish the future vision for the space. 10. Money Is Not the Issue This statement can apply in a number of ways. For example, once you’ve put in the basic infrastructure of the public spaces, the elements that are added that will make it work (e.g., vendors, cafes, flowers and seating) will not be expensive. In addition, if the community and other partners are involved in programming and other activities, this can also reduce costs. More important is that by following these steps, people will have so much enthusiasm for the project that the cost is viewed much more broadly and consequently as not significant when compared with the benefits. 11. You Are Never Finished By nature good public spaces that respond to the needs, the opinions and the ongoing changes of the community require attention. Amenities wear out, needs change and other things happen in an urban environment. Being open to the need for change and having the management flexibility to enact that change is what builds great public spaces and great cities and

towns. (15) UNDERUTILIZED URBAN SPACES In urban settings it is normal to have underutilized or abandoned urban spaces, these can vary from small buildings to entire districts that do not represent active and productive parts of the city itself. When cities grow and develop some areas fall behind or have trouble keeping up with the growth of the city. These areas are subject to exodus of its residents, users and visitors stop going to them. They stop being productive within the city and fall into insecurity and decline become void zones within their surroundings. One of the causes for areas to become disconnected and eventually abandoned or underutilized is the construction of highways, they tend to divide cities and one side keeps developing while the other side gets cut off from the grid of the city and the flow of traffic towards its zone or area. Once these areas get severed from the city they are slowly abandoned and the uses that remain suffer through the lack of traffic. REVITALIZATION OF URBAN SPACES Urban spaces need people to be successful, sometimes and because of lack of people fall in decline, they are abandoned and their use ceases to

15. Project for Public Spaces., How to turn a place around: a handbook for creating successful public spaces, 2000 13

be. These spaces generate areas that are unsafe and uncomfortable to be in. Revitalization of urban spaces focuses on bringing life back to those spaces through projects and strategies that encourages visitors. Urban areas that have fallen in decline for various reasons When a community falls in decline and its conditions are deteriorated in the natural chain of events its spaces are abandoned and room is left for criminal activities and more deterioration to occur. It is a normal process of cities to pay attention; processes of revitalization come into play in a search to recover the areas. While in some cases minor makeovers in which the vast majority of what is present may remain, in other instances a complete over haul will be required to activate the area completely. In the cases where major overhauls, in depth analysis is needed to study the possibilities and conclude the best strategies and methods to do so. In plenty of cases the debate must be how to density the area to bring people back. Traditional revitalization practices include repurposing abandoned buildings, implementation of mixed use spaces, closing streets, and rejuvenating green spaces. These practices have been tried and tried again, succeeding at times and failing at others, through the years more strategies have been analyzed and

become new options when it comes to revitalizing areas, especially when the area in question has a social component of decline like exodus of population leaving it deserted, which provides an opportunity for overhaul of the entire area with less resistance. One of these new techniques include place branding that can mean city branding, district branding or community branding, all referring to the physical size of the area. Branding an area will be developed in detail in this research in a later heading. The advantage carried by branding is that it studies the existing and draws on the positive conditions to magnify them and translate them into a brand and create a physical environment that supports and lets those traits exist giving the area a unique character. Urban branding extends further than a strategic technique to create a false sense of place and promote a place through marketing “It is about constructing and shaping an ‘‘urban image-nary’’ (16), which is understood to be a ‘‘historically based ensemble of representations drawn from architecture and street plans of the city” (16) In the end its about creating a unique place that can bring unique experiences and create connections to make visitors want to return to relive those experiences time and time again. Places that go through urban branding and incredibly thought out spaces that evoke positive thoughts as they are mentioned.

16. Urban branding as an effective sustainability tool in urban development Reeman Mohammed Rehan 14

DISTRICT ”A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by local government. Across the world, areas known as “districts” vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions of municipalities, school district, or political district”. District definition, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District, Oct 2015 Districts can be defined to help reactivate urban areas when they are mindful of a set of characteristics they must accomplish to be considered successful: • Are unique to the character, community, and resources available locally. • Have a significant economic impact on cities, attracting businesses, tourists, and local residents to a central part of the city. • Can help revitalize neighborhoods and increase the quality of life for its residents. • Serve as a vehicle to assist in the support and marketing of local nonprofit cultural organizations. • Serve as a focal point to brand a city’s unique cultural identity and embrace its historic significance. • Sometimes have formal boundaries lines with specific zoning ordinances and economic tax incentives. • Might have more informal, unofficial

boundaries that become a focal marketing point to cluster arts organizations. When branding a district it is imperative that it holds a unique character, community and have resources that are locally available. Once a district is branded it tends to have significant economic impact on cities which in return attracts businesses, tourist and grows interest in residents to that part of the city given the fact that a revitalization of this nature can help revitalize the district and increase the quality of life for its residents which attracts more visitors. A district may have defined formal boundaries with specific zoning ordinances or tax incentives, however the area of influence of the district is a considered a more informal unofficial boundary that helps cluster activities and expands the radius of influence of the district as similar activities cluster on its outer skirts.

SPECIAL DISTRICTS “Special purpose districts are generally created through the county legislative authority to meet a specific need of the local community. Some are created by city legislative bodies. The need may be a new service, a higher level of an existing service, or a method of financing available through the creation

of a special purpose district, such as a transportation benefit district.” (17) There are different type of districts, they can be synthesized as follows: Cultural Compounds:

distances.

Production Focus Districts: They are generally found in areas isolated from the city’s center, they were established in the first quarter of the 20th century (before 1930). They count with large open green spaces between the buildings that make up the district. Regularly they comprise of major museums, large performing spaces, theaters, colleges, planetariums, zoos, and other buildings that housed activities considered cultural to the time they were established.

Comprised primarily of artist studios, educational arts center and media facilities, community centers, they are developed on areas with affordable housing and commercial spaces. These districts are intended to create a hub of a certain type of activity and enhance the quality of life for residents of a district rather than focusing of attracting the occasional tourists. Art and Entertainment Focus Districts:

nature about them. They are normally neighborhood based and artist driven. The above described allow a clear demarcation of the types of cultural districts based on their origin and the activities they house. Unique Value Most communities that are successful at district branding have what is known as the unique value proposition. They have a well-defined unique value proposition, it describes how downtown should be geared towards solving one particular need or problem, it has to offer benefits that differentiate it from competing cities.

Major Institution Focus Districts: This type of districts revolve around a couple of major cultural institutions, such as a theater or a large performance arts center, which act as attracting point for other cultural related activities.

This type of district possesses more popular culture and commercial venues that include buildings that are modestly sized and house small theatres, movie houses, private art galleries, restaurants and other entertainment venues.

Downtown Area Focus Districts:

Naturally Occurring Focus Districts:

These are the districts that encompass entire Downtown areas of a city. Normally they are designated as cultural districts to attract tourism to small cities with downtowns that have walk able

These districts tend to be rooted in the community where they are developed, it is based in cultures and identities pulled from set community. They are led by local empowered entrepreneurs and have a holistic

What happens in a cultural district? Cultural districts are places where a mesh of activities occurs, it can range from any art form to commercial activity. A cultural district is intended to be a conglomeration of multiple activities that are normally considered to be of the cultural nature and those activities that can support them, the cultural activities normally hosted are: • Theaters • Performance halls

17. MRSC, what is a special district, http://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Governance/Forms-of-Government-and-Organization/Special-PurposeDistricts-in-Washington/What-is-a-Special-District.aspx, Nov 2015 16

• Galleries • Dance Studios • Artist Studios • Amphitheaters This activities are expected to be fueled by the brand given to the district and allow them to grow and perform at its maximum expression housed in buildings that are either designed for the specific activity or repurposed for its use, many cultural districts are born out of the necessity to revitalize the area in which they exist, and in this case many existing buildings are worth saving and making a landmark of the area for which they are repurposed, not only is it a way to implement the district in a quicker manner but also a way to create an emotional bond to the community it develops in allowing it to preserve its natural historic nature. The purpose of these activities is to draw attention that creates interest and in turn lets the district grow and become rooted within the community and eventually the city in which it develops. These activities should include festivals and conventions that are hosted annually to create a following that ensure the success of activities that maintain and increase the flow of visitors that allow projections to sustain new activities to be developed. Supporting activities: • Restaurants

• Bars • Shops The supporting activities are those that while not relating to traditional cultural activities they can support them, restaurants can be themed to support the brand of the district, bars and shops can work in the same way. These supporting activities are normally the economic force behind cultural districts, given the fact that they can be productive 7 days a week, while the main activities take time planning and practice so they can be presented to the public, restaurants, bars and shops work every day on the same basis and presenting the same options to customers which can create a traditional clientele that can bring patrons into the district on the daily basis creating a constant flow of visitor traffic.

social actions that will bring life back into the district. Sometimes, when a district is revitalized some techniques are put in place that result very unfortunate on the future of the site, some techniques used that can be non-beneficial are:

• Artificially implementing uses • Not considering future growth in population and space • Not taking in consideration the community

“In 1961, Jane Jacobs published The Death and Life of Great American Cities, one of the first—and strongest—critiques of contemporary large-scale urban renewal. However, it would still be a few years before organized movements began to oppose urban renewal. The Runout neighborhood in Kingston, New York (on the Hudson River) was essentially destroyed by a federally funded urban renewal program in the 1960s, with more than 400 old buildings demolished, DISTRICT REVITALIZATION most of them historic brick structures built in the 19th century. Similarly ill-conceived urban renewal When districts fall in decline, the natural reaction is to programs gutted the historic centers of other towns try to refurbished them return to its previous state. A and cities across America in the 1950s and 1960s (for district that is underutilized is not a productive part example the West End neighborhood in Boston, the of the city, and basically becomes a wasteland of space, downtown area of Norfolk,Virginia and the historic commercial, entertainment activity. A district can be waterfront areas of the towns of Narragansett and revitalized by changing its uses, the buildings, or simple Newport in Rhode Island).”(18)

URBAN REACTIVATION TECHNIQUES • Renovation: existing conditions are improved and minimal construction is implemented to update the area and attempt to improve its condition. • Selective demolition: the area is evaluated and selected structures are demolished to create space for new development. • Commercial development: The area is revitalized revolving around it commercial potential and maximizing its commercial activity, urban strategies are only implemented based on exploiting the commercial aspect.

jacksonville Figure 2. 2 Two way streets are more active and increase property value Source: http://www.pps.org/reference/what_is_placemaking/

Why? STRATEGIES FOR REACTIVATION Downtown areas are a very particular type of urban dwelling, they are high density, fast paced areas, to renovate an area of downtown and be successful it must bring value and add to the existing without creating chaos. Techniques such as the following are only a sample of all that can be implemented: 1. Downtown Renovation Strategy #1 Turn one-way streets into two-way streets.

18. Urban renewal, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_renewal, Dec 2015 18

Downtown Jacksonville Source: http://news.wjct.org/post/slideshow-public-art-downtown-

One way streets are effective when you want to create a direct connection and through traffic, however they are negative for pedestrian activities and retail opportunities. Two way streets have been proven to increase property value and are best for both retail and pedestrian activity.

2. Downtown Renovation Strategy #2 Create a regular public event that occurs periodically and showcases downtown stores, live music and food.

Downtown Renovation Strategy #4

Consolidate regional economic development partner organizations into a single downtown location. Seaholm Power Plant Redevelopment: Austin, TX Farmers market Figure 2.3: Creating recurring events attracts visitors Source: www.foothillfarmersmarket.com

Having a recurring public event helps bring noticeability to your city and especially to its downtown. Attracting visitors from the entire city on the regular basis and attracting tourists that occasionally visit the city and want to know the local culture. Holding events one a week or even once a month, acts as publicity and helps visitors become aware of the unique qualities your city possesses and participating in them helps make them feel a part of their own community.

3. Downtown Renovation Strategy #3 Make under-utilized public land available for development

Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown Figure 2.4: Industrial zone developed in underutilized urban space Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Why? Structures such as vacant buildings, abandoned power plants, and other public facilities that are at this point obsolete are a prime opportunity to create new development. The public property that is being unused is a prime opportunity to spark redevelopment and entice private sector investment.

What type of message do you think it sends when a city’s economic development corporation is located in a big-box strip center, or when the local chamber of commerce is housed in the upstairs of a convenience store? (Yes, I’ve actually seen both of these examples in the wild!). Take a look at what San Angelo, TX did.” (29) 5. Downtown Renovation Strategy #5 Create a permanent public market.

Figure 2.5: Business Resource Center: San Angelo, TX source: www.angelo.edu

Why? “It may seem like an inconsequential decision but the location of government offices and communityserving organizations matters. This is even more important for organizations that interact with the outside business world like chambers of commerce and economic development organizations. Of course, public decisions to place jobs downtown are beneficial, but in this case, we’re talking about the image that is portrayed to the outside world.

Figure 2.6: Public markets permanently activate the area they inhabit Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Why? A successful downtown district has important needs fulfilled for its population, like employment, residential, entertainment, shopping, services, etc. It is important when creating a downtown and have it be successful

29. 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown, http://urbanscale.com/blog/12-strategies-will-transform-citys-downtown/, Nov 2015) 20

is that it creates destination points to attract people to downtown beyond the employment. This is one reason many cities turn to professional sports and have their headquarters develop in or very close to downtown knowing the benefits it brings, people flow, investment increase surrounding these complexes, etc. Another good strategy to create destination is to have a large public market, this type of location attracts visitors on the daily basis, and it meets basic needs and keeps visitors coming back.

Why? University campuses introduces several thousand college students to a downtown area that provide an increase in diversity for any downtown district, especially if you include housing as a part of the campus, downtown will benefit from having this large densification of population 24/7 and be guaranteed constant activity. 7.

Why? Public transportation lines has proven over time to be beneficial to urban revitalization. They connect the area and make it easier to access in turn bringing in more foot traffic. 8.

Downtown Renovation Strategy #8

Create an awesome downtown playground to make your downtown more kid-friendly and family-friendly.

Downtown Renovation Strategy #7

Downtown Renovation Strategy #6

Open a downtown satellite campus of a local university.

Create public transportation loops and lines that connect your neighborhood to other areas.

back into the city especially due to new residential developments and other amenities that are being implemented in urban living. This Downtown renaissance that is occurring across the country is mainly fueled by young professionals without any children or just starting to grow families. To avoid a new wave of exodus into the suburbs downtowns are beginning to realize the importance of making themselves kid friendly, one strategy for this is to create parks for children to play in and be safe, downtown areas are recognized where kids played on the streets, but the world has changed and this is no longer safe, parents feel better if their kids have a designated place to play in. Parks are the place they do that. 9. Downtown Renovation Strategy #9 Create a branded downtown entertainment district

Figure 2.9 Imagination Playground: New York, NY Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Figure 2.7: UTSA Downtown Campus: San Antonio, TX Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Figure 2.8: Portland Streetcar: Portland, OR Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Why? Downtowns across the USA are currently experiencing major come backs, after the massive exodus to the suburbs population is now heading

Why? Figure 2.10: Bricktown: Oklahoma City, OK Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Downtown areas are normally exciting places, however they are also recognizable for being business districts that cater 9-5 jobs and some evening entertainment. Offering a new, exciting district, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a small area it provides residents and visitors with a reason to explore the possibilities and know what it going on at the center of their community. Branded districts tend to be places that exalt the local culture and build on the communities existing assets so it gives visitors an excuse to know the culture of the place they live in or are visiting. A major benefit of branding a district is that it can aid in the perception an area has, it can transform the reality of a downtown that has not been vibrant in the past. When a district is branded and centered on an activity (theater district, design district, fashion district) it creates buzz and attracts attention, people and investment, all beneficial consequences to this strategy. 10.

Vibrant Downtown Strategy #10

Establish maximum parking standards for new downtown developments, or at least remove minimum parking requirements for new buildings.

areas. 11. Downtown Renovation Strategy #11 Set up a downtown bike share program.

Figure 2.11: SFpark variable rate parking pilot: San Francisco, CA Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Why? Parking requirements for buildings normally tend to impose parking minims instead of parking maximum, even in highly densified cities like New York. Buildings are required to meet a minimum number of parking spaces, when developing offices, hotels, residential structures, all this does is create even more dependency on the car and not the desired effect which would be to keep Downtown areas accessible, currently there is a growing tendency towards public transportation and making downtown areas more walkable, this is why people are moving back into the cities, they want to walk, implementing strategies that will make this easier to happen will turn Downtown areas into more appealing, friendly, non-intimidating

and enhancing transportation access. This strategy provides indirect marketing and branding for your downtown, having a bike share program puts cities on the map as innovative and interesting places to visit. This is not a complete list but a selection of suggestions to how to revitalize an area within a city, there are hundreds or thousands of strategies that can be implemented, every downtown has to be approached differently, and having unique conditions a mix of some or all of this strategies will definitely be beneficial to any downtown area. Boosting downtown areas is always an important matter to maintain growth rates of cities and its surroundings, cities always need vibrant downtowns to be successful.

Figure 2.12: Divvy Bikes bike share program: Chicago, IL Source: 12 strategies that will transform your cities downtown

Why? Any move that helps make areas more connected will most definitely be a positive move when trying to revitalize an urban core. Bike share programs are a relatively new strategy being implemented all across the world, us in particular over the last couple of years has created bike share programs in big and small towns, making them more enjoyable, and more easy to get around them. It is definitely a good strategy to increase flow through the neighborhood

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DISTRICT BRANDING AND TRADITIONAL METHODS OF URBAN REACTIVATION

BRANDING Creates Identity Preservation is priority Inclusive Phased

TRADITIONAL Unconnected Planning Gentrification Community reservations Bulldozed

FASHION DISTRICT A fashion district is a physical area defined as a district devoted to the fashion industry with other supporting activities. “The purpose of the Fashion Hub is to serve as a central location with the facilities to provide education and experience to both fashion students as well as up and coming local fashion designers. The Fashion Hub will have areas dedicated to workshops and skills labs and facilities to accommodate guest speakers and exchange programs with students and designers from all around the world”. International architecture competition, (19) A fashion district will seek to gather local, regional and international fashion market to come develop in their area. It houses activities and facilities for community center, library, school, exhibition spaces, retail, and public spaces and develops and promotes diverse programs and activities that call for design and architecture based on making all this happen. Requirements of a fashion district • Retail stores • Display spaces • Spaces for fashion shows • Fashion museum • Lounges • Night clubs • Restaurants

• Bars A fashion district represents a hub that houses all fashion activities which is an industry currently in growth, fashion speaks a different language, it makes an identity for itself, fashion has an attachment to a certain lifestyle and every physical space that houses fashion has to be a reflection of design and though with this in mind. Fashion and architecture share the fact that they take care of basic human needs, one being shelter and the other being clothing, architecture spaces devoted to fashion are the stage to showcase the symbiotic nature of this relationship, creating platforms in which A fashion district is the perfect occasion to represent the mesh this two can have and how they complement each other. A district branded as a fashion hub will be the center of all fashion activities, creating an identity in itself and calling in various fashion houses, designer and other fashion related business that will bring roots to the brand. A fashion district should aim to do the following: • Merge fashion and architecture • Promote brands to gain global recognition • Provide a platform for fashion related events • Experience fashion in all its spaces • Provide recreational spaces to attract tourists and public.

ORLANDO AND FASHION

PRECEDENTS In Orlando the fashion industry has its backbone in history around costume design due to the theme parks, however it is currently a developing mecca for more traditional fashion, it houses one of the largest concentration of fashion bloggers, and this means that it’s a matter that is vibrant. There is a group currently growing and developing that is actively searching for a place like this to set roots and help the industry come together and grow as a whole. Cities that host fashion weeks are cities that are known for their fashion style, Orlando being a young developing city is following in that trend, and the demographic that settles in Orlando are in majority fashion conscious. All these facts help build the bases to justify the need of Orlando having such a place, why this place in particular is relevant is the fact that when we look at fashion oriented activities, which can be seamstress, designers, modeling agencies, and such we see it starts to create a perimeter around the general area of the site.

19. Bangkok fashion hub, https://bangkokfashionhub.beebreeders.com/brief, Apr. 2016 26

WYNWOOD, MIAMI

Figure 2.13: Wynwood walls source: Rebekkaminkoff.com

The Wynwood District is now a well-known attraction in the Miami area, but it was not always like that. In the beginning Wynwood was a safe neighborhood where kids played in the streets, with the construction of I95 it got severed from other parts of the city and trouble began, the neighborhood became known as unsafe and it declined. Wynwood continued to be a neglected neighborhood where residents complained of having no staffed Public Park, swimming pool, or library. Promises were made for improvements. For instance, the City

of Miami invested, with the help of a loan from the Department of Commerce, in making Wynwood part of a free-trade zone that should have brought many new jobs. As of 1995, this plan was still in the makings, but by 1999, it was bust, with a building devoted to the project in foreclosure, and the city on the hook for the $5 mil plus loan. In 1994, Kathy Cottles, park manager for Roberto Clemente Park, told the Herald that “by 1 p.m. there would be 25 guys outside [the park] using drugs and dealing”. Still, the Rubella Family Collection (a museum devoted to patronage of the arts and to education through public access) was the first to open up here in 1993. And change was coming. (20) A commercial gallery, Dortch Gallery, opened its doors in 200, at the same time, Bernice Steinbaum gallery opened. Its dealer had abandoned SOHO in New York before coming to Florida, he stated that the area was already home to many artist studios and saw a vital opportunity to develop the area. After these two galleries opened others followed until the area became recognized for its art scene and eventually other supporting business followed to supply the demand of the increasing public. The construction of the surrounding areas of Wynwood known as Midtown also helped in the success of this area. The creation of the second Saturday art walks is what made Wynwood known for

the art scene, people from all over go to Wynwood for the experience of the art walk and ambiance related to its famous Wynwood walls. • One single gallery that sparked a reactivation • After the brand was seeded supporting business came in to offer a variety of activities • Surrounding areas being developed allowed the district to be geographically in a positive position to receive attention. • Events such as Art Basel and the art walk of every month made Wynwood a world known place for art. •

Has limited activity during the weekdays.

• Not being planned as an art district and becoming so gradually Parking was not prevised.

area as well as cement the fashion industry within the area building it from the bottom up. Urbanistically the new Fashion District in Los Angeles takes the next step to what is known today as the Los Angeles Fashion District, it is planned and designed to become a place to be, residential units turns this area into a 7 days a week place that will connect the city to this area. • Intended to be an urban campus • Takes over an underutilized area of the city and densifies it • Adds residential to the district to attract constant traffic • Includes a school • Connect the area creating a destination

LOS ANGELES FASHION DISTRICT, LOS ANGELES For more than one hundred years the area has been part of Downtown Los Angeles, it is now reimagining itself to become a premier destination in fashion, reinventing the concept of Fashion district as they are known today, streets lined with warehouses filled with merchandise for trade, without any social connotation, it is only a destination to buy or sell.

20. Wynwood art walk, http://wynwoodartwalk.com/brief-history-of-wynwood/, Sep 2015 28

The new City Market will be a multi-phase, longterm investment in Downtown that honors the land’s tradition by creating a unique gathering place and fostering a creative environment where individuals can advance in technology, art and design, while living, working, shopping and enjoying a unique and vibrant neighborhood. With new academic facilities, creative office space, residences, hotel rooms, restaurants, nightspots, and event and exhibit spaces, the new City Market seeks to transform the 10-acre site into a globally recognized destination for visitors from around the world, helping turn the Fashion District into a 24-hour destination.(21)

Figure 2.14: Los Angeles CIty Market Source: http://www.citymarketla2.com/vision/

The whole project is anchored around a higher education campus that focuses around design and fashion, this campus will ensure pedestrians in the

21. From traditional to tomorrow: a new community for the next century, http://www.citymarketla2.com/vision/, Sep 2015 29

RIVER NORTH ART DISTRICT, COLORADO LOOP THEATER DISTRIC DOWNTOWN CHICAGO The Chicago Theater district has a long history in the city it all started with just one theater, Abe and Barney Balaban founded the Chicago Theater in 1921 as part of a large chain of 28 theaters over the city and 100 in the region of the country. This particular theater was intended to be the flagship for the chain. Over 40 years the theater operated successfully, during the 1970’s the theater slowed its viability and by 1984 the Chicago Theatre Preservation Group purchased the theatre planning to keep it operational as a picture theater but the attempt was unsuccessful and the facility closed its doors September 19 1985. Once the theater got renovated and it became active again, the surrounding area slowly grew into the theater district. It was renovated mainly on public investment, the city wanted to invigorate the area and took advantage of the historic value existing in the area.

Figure 2.15 Chicago theater districtt Source: www.shutter

“The North Loop has completely transformed in a way that is almost impossible to explain to someone who hasn’t lived through it. This neighborhood was, at best, a ghost town and, at worst, a place where you didn’t really want to be. The gulf between North Michigan Avenue and the area of the Loop south of the river might as well have been the Grand Canyon. They were just two completely different worlds.”

A district located on the north end of Downtown Denver, RINO is an area that includes an incredible concentration of creative business in which architects are in high density, art galleries, ceramicists, designers, furniture makers, illustrator, authors, artisanal breweries, wineries, distilleries, urban agriculture, etc. Being historically an industrial area, RINO is bound by highways and is currently a great environment for arts and cultural activities. RINO is being developed over a 29 year plan, turning industrial warehouses into creative spaces, the tenants are being traded from industrial to hip restaurants, breweries, shops and collaborative office space. The exteriors of the buildings are decorated with graffiti’s and expressions of urban art forms. Owners of large portions of real state divided it up for offices, showrooms and affordable art studios. It is a changing scenery that evolves every day,

Roche Schulfer, Executive Director, Goodman Theatre • Grew of one single facility • Historic value • Area named after the theatre • Renovated by public funding

22. NODA, http://www.noda.org/, Oct 2015 30

“Every day, something is different from when you left at 5 o’clock the night before,” Sonia Danielsen owner of several properties said. Rino continues to develop and grow without any signs of slowing down for years to come.

Figure 2.16: River North graffiti wallsSource: www.colorado.com

• • •

Blighted community revitalized. Change of uses. Staggered growth

NODA, CHARLESTON, NORTH CAROLINA NoDa is Charlotte’s historic arts and entertainment district – a neighborhood where the people are as diverse as the art, live music, craft beers, restaurants, custom gifts and tattoos you will find here. NoDa is dedicated to promoting the arts, living eco-friendly lifestyles, supporting small businesses, encouraging diversity and aiding fellow charities. (22) North Charlotte began as swap and poorhouses, in the early 1900’s it established itself as a residential neighborhood and later on in the 1920’s it got connected to the rest of the city through a tram system that was implemented.

that has turned NODA into an up and coming neighborhood. The city lacked art venues and turned an unsafe neighborhood into a cluster of art galleries that proliferated into diverse commerce and upscale condos with the passing of time. DETROIT, PLACE CENTER REVITALIZATION

atmosphere, to develop this concept once again the citizens of the city were consulted to get the community involved, as well as being respectful and understanding to the people. The people were consulted publically at an annual festivity and that way the plan was explained face to face which allows more understanding of the vision. Innovative new approaches for turning around America’s cities are taking hold. Place-based initiatives that target specific investments at the neighborhood level can spark the critical policy and systems reform needed for long-term returns and social benefits in disadvantaged neighborhoods and, ultimately, the region as a whole. (23) The objective of this urban renovation is trifold: 1. Urban impact: turn around an area not utilizing its resources 2. Job creation 3. Investment opportunities

food to clothing to hobbies to independent business the success of Downtown Boulder comes from its commercial offer, they have something to offer to every need, and they encourage local business and mix it in with large national or international chains. In the early 2000’s Boulder faced many challenges with the construction of a mall that possessed the same amount of square footage as the Downtown and was concentrated in a closed building Downtown saw a decline in its sales and traffic.

Figure 2.19: Downtown Bouldr Source: www.pps.org

Figure 2.18: Place Center Revitalization Source: www.crainsdetroit.com

Figure 2.17: NODA, Charleston source: www.pinterest.com

In 2010 a mural is painted on the streets and a local bar that served craft beer sparked a movement

The city of the Detroit’s downtown has implemented a concept known as Power of 10 that suggest that a great downtown area consists of 10 districts, each with 10 great places, which each have at least 10 different things to do. They combine it with public spaces that produce the energy and create the

DOWNTOWN BOULDER Downtown Boulder possesses unique characteristics like the commercial district offering more than 250 retail spaces alongside with food and service businesses as well as flagship and anchor tenants that can be defined as unique or one of a kind. Retail and merchant options are varied and strong, from

24. The branding of Downtown Boulder, http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/main-street-news/2001/11/the-branding-of-downtown23. Detroit, place center revitalization, http://www.capitalimpact.org/focus/place-based-revitalization/, Jan 2016

boulder.html, Jan 2016

“Our strategy focused on managing the customer’s experience of downtown at all levels in every place that we could control, including operations, marketing, special events, internal and stakeholder communications, and sense-of-place attributes. Our goal was simple and important: maximize every customer to minimize the sales erosion that was sure to occur as a result of the new mall. Later, we also needed to address the nation’s falling economy, the failure of many companies in the tech sector, and a slow tourism summer in Colorado. The challenges were great but we put together the right team to deal with the situation”. (24) Boulder decided to become a destination, it was renovated to become more appealing to pedestrians and made a place to stay, to be.Visitors needed to obtain the same experience out of going downtown than going to the mall, and that meant it had to give them the same opportunities: 1. Meet friends 2. Everything is within walking distance 3. Places where the kids play Downtown Boulder took on this challenge and created an outdoor shopping and dining experience that is intertwined with urban planning that promotes life on the street, an activation of the street that makes a revitalization successful and sustainable. The main goal of Downtown Boulder is to provide an

experience that is unique that cannot be replicated elsewhere. A well thought out and designed environment, not randomized stores and zones that do not invite and engage the public. Downtown Boulder took a marketing heavy approach to its branding, attaching a publicity campaign to its renovation that allowed the word to be known of the stores, restaurants, and shops available and the promise of interesting and memorable experiences were to be had in this place. • Denver resident: “We went up to Boulder last Sunday just for the afternoon. It was great.You know, they have stores I don’t see anywhere else, like Peppercorn. It was great to be outside and enjoy the Colorado weather.Yeah, there are some different types of people hanging out on the mall, but hey, that’s Boulder.” • Visitor to the metro area: “I’m so glad the concierge suggested we go up to Boulder while we were in Denver. There’s nothing like it at home--great stores, great outdoor cafes.You should go there next summer. Quite a different experience from shopping at the local mall.” (25)

CHAPTER III SITE

25. The branding of Downtown Boulder, http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/main-street-news/2001/11/the-branding-of-downtownboulder.html, Jan 2016.

FIGURE GROUND ANALYSIS LANDMARKS

Figure 3.1: Location Map

LOCATION The site is located in the Central part of the state Florida, in the city of Orlando. Downtown Orlando is a small defined area that has a virtual border to the south with highway 408 and to the west with Interstate 4 (I4) Underneath the intersection of highway 408 and I4 the site can be easily located, It is located between two busy downtown areas like it is the downtown business core that is considered the center of the city and where major business is hosted, and to the south the site finds the SODO development that is a development thought to spark urban renovation of the area and it houses residential, commercial and mixed use, it has slowly trickled down to other areas without affecting the site yet. It is surrounded by train tracks to the west that create a permeable boundary, to the east with Orange Avenue and, to the north it has boundary with the overpass of 408.

The site possesses characteristics that make it a prime location for reurbanization or reactivation of the urban space. The research analysis through figure grounds some of its general characteristics: Figure 3.2: Figure Ground Landmarks

The site is located in close proximity to several wellknown landmarks such as the Amway Center, the Dr Phillips center for the performing arts and the Florida regional hospital, these 3 landmarks are well known and in close proximity to the site, not only that it is also in very short distance of several hotels, like the bohemian in downtown, aloft, and the Lake Lucerne Courtyard.

activities such as Dr Office, chiropractors, and other health facilities. LANDUSE

Figure 3.3: Figure Ground Landuse

OPEN SPACES

The site and its general contexts use is commercial and industrial flanked by residential on the east and west and bordered to the north with the downtown business district. The commercial activities surrounding the site are mainly devoted to health

Figure 3.4: Figure Ground Open Spaces

In the graphic it is evident that the site possesses several open spaces treated as green spaces or ground parking that present prime opportunity to start a renovation that can be implemented in stages. With the use of figure grounds the research identifies several open spaces in the site that represent opportunity to turn around the condition of inactivity it currently possesses.

Figure 3.5: SWOT matrix

With the aid of these figure grounds and analysis the research develops a SWOT matrix to identify its strengths, weaknesses threats and opportunities. SWOT ANALYSIS After the analysis of general characteristics of the site, a swot analysis was required to start the planning of a renovation, this type of study allows to clearly identify the strengths weaknesses, threats and opportunities of the site and its surroundings. It was conducted through observation and analysis of the physical conditions of the site.

Collectively the strengths, opportunities, threats and opportunities of the site help set a starting point to what to display and what to correct of the site to begin a successful plan of renovation.

enough to be an important point to take care of and address them during reactivation. The SWOT analysis was a meaningful exercise that was intended to help each of the neighborhoods begin to focus on neighborhood and community issues. The items identified through the SWOT analysis, are not necessarily identical to factors that became issues in later meetings. However, their discussion facilitates the development of the issues that our citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feel much be addressed by the comprehensive plan or the various neighborhood plans. The SWOT matrix evidences the major strength of the site to be its adjacency to downtown and its biggest threat the perception of it being unsafe and its weakness being disconnected for the network when this street was cut off, there is no direct flow of traffic from downtown to the site.

CONCLUSION OF SWOT A thorough reading of the SWOT analysis shows that while there are specific items identified as strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and threats for the site. The main issue to address itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the sites isolation and the false sense of insecurity that it possesses because of it. Threats were not numerous, but quite strong

Figure 3.6: Building Survey

BUILDING SURVEY To evaluate the state and condition of the existing buildings and reach conclusion to take action on each of them a windshield survey was conducted in which the aspects to take into consideration were: 1. Inhabited 2. Permanent construction 3. Material 4. State of the building A matrix displaying the results was the result of this study:

Based on number system buildings were qualified as permanently keep, renovate, change use and demolish to make room for new construction, the color coded graphic that follows displays these results: . The main conclusion of this study was that the majority of the buildings can aid in developing an urban proposal like the one the research lays out. Some buildings in particular like this brick building represents a prime opportunity to act as a spark for the whole project. This type of building is being renovated all across the country, even the world, and the one here is in a condition and spot perfect to act as an anchor point to the project.

Figure 3.8: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.11: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.12: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.14: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.15: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.9: Site Current conditions

Through site Images it is very clear the condition of isolation the site posseses as well as the quality of the materials that give this site a historical feel.

Figure 3.7: Survey Results Figure 3.10: Site Current conditions

Figure 3.13: Site Current conditions

SITE CONNECTIONS

• TRAINS The site is well served by two train stations, one parallel to the Florida regional hospital and the other slightly north of the site on Church Street, both these train stations represent a 5-10 min walk to either end of the site.

• BIKES The city of Orlando has implemented a bike sharing system that has over 20 stations throughout downtown that stop once again north of the site, the site is not included in the network of stations.

• BUS The site is currently unconnected to major roads and it is not a destination. The site does not possess any major bus routes, the main downtown bus service the Lymmo cuts its service off north of the site before the underpass of 408.

Figure 3.17: Current Bike Stations

Figure 3.16: Current Lymmo Routes

• WALKING The site is within short distance of several landmarks and hotels, as well as the hospital south of the site which represents a vast demographic. The longest walk from any of these landmarks is 12 min as we can see in the next graphic.

Figure 3.18: Wlaking distances from sorrounding amenities Figure 3.19: Train Stations

â&#x20AC;˘ ACCESES The site is accessed mainly from the east through Orange avenue at several points, from the west only at only one point.

HISTORY The site historically was part of the outer edge of the downtown core of Orlando, with the construction of 408 the site got severed by disconnecting it through Sylvia lane (see figure XX) the activity within the site slowly declined into becoming what it is now a void urban space that houses some local and industrial activity)

CHAPTER V PROPOSAL

Figure 3.20: Wlaking distances from sorrounding amenities

CONCEPT The proposal for reactivation of the starts with the concept, the intention is to create a destination within the city that connects the Downtown and South Downtown destinations, eliminate the current status of the site being bordered through Orange Avenue without even being transited by pedestrian or automotive traffic. Turning the furthest north point and the furthest south point of the site into gateways marking a clear starting and end point of the site that can be viewed from downtown and south downtown, as well as from both highways (I4 and 408) From Downtown the site is severed not just physically by cutting of Sylvia Lane, but also virtually. Highways have a tendency to divide and separate, and more often than not, this division ended up in the desertion of the site leaving it untransited and undeveloped since that time. The proposal seeks to reconnect through a mixed use district focused on the fashion industry that make the site a place to be and stay instead of passing by. Gateways that give way to lower scale buildings that house different activities from education centers to museum, the gateways will ne residential to supply the district with 24/7 population becoming active. Figure 4.2: Concept Diagram. The proposal seeks to connect the Downtown core and Sodo through the site by creating a destination.

Figure 4.1 Proposal site plan 48

The district will be redesigned to achieve the ultimate goal of it being an active natural part of the city that is organically the next frontier to the downtown core, once this site is activated the virtual barrier created by 408 will disappear and it will become once again part of the city network. Current Buildings within the district: As previously explained in the analysis part of this Research paper, the site has a mixed of buildings that may be used or repurposed and will be very successful in sparking the reactivation of the district. Within the site currently there are 2 main buildings that are of interest to current developers, this type of building is being renovated all through the country and even world due to its characteristics, sturdy structure and open plan they can be renovated into many different uses. Using these buildings as generators of change is what this research proposes, the recommended use is educational and food service like restaurants that will create a steady stream of patrons and visitors to start activating the district and begin an association to a brand. Recommended a fashion school with adjacent restaurant/bar or cafĂŠ with fashion theme as in, drink/plate names, dĂŠcor and stylish ambiance, taking every opportunity to display good architecture and design that acts as a platform to showcase excellent fashion. The potential of these buildings lie mainly in their

appearance and construction, they are easily transformed and upgraded with industrial design which is an architecture current very up to date. Other buildings are made of sturdy enough materials and construction that they can be renovated to adapt to the uses of the district as it is needed, the existing buildings are mainly low density construction that house industrial uses and can be repurposed with some work and design into very fashion appropriate spaces.

CREATING PLACE

Figure 4.3 Creating Place Diagram. Creating Gateway points to attract traffic from both areas and filter them into the site.

Creating the brand for this place once you get to the district you will feel the change in atmosphere, you see the activation of the sidewalk as a strategy to help increase the sense of safety within the district. It strives to address the different scales that exist within multi-functional spaces. For fashion architecture it is important to express ideas, seamlessly help coexist different ideas side by side, the research proposes addressing different scales to accommodate multifunctional spaces and combining larger structures that serve mixed use with smaller buildings will adapt the scale to feel very human friendly, walk around and you feel engaged, welcomed not just large structures with blind facades To create a place that addresses all those needs and is a destination, a place where people want to go and stay, not go through is very important when branding a district ultimately is the goal, create something where there currently is nothing, a place where people feel they belong, when people are in the spaces that this district creates they feel they are somewhere fun, exciting, innovative, creative, inspiring. And when they leave they remember positive experiences that encourages them to go back and relive those experiences as well as tell others about such place in order for the word to spread and the visitors to grow in number day after day making it a successful district that grows every day and sparks curiosity not just of locals but of visitors as well.

RENOVATING The site posseses a few buildings that are not only worth keeping and repurposing but in fact they are the perfect starting poing for the reactivation of the district. This type of brick building is being renovated in many different places with high rates of success as they inheretly own an industrial characteristic that collaborates with the streghtning of the brand.

Figure 4.5: Building to be renovated

Figure 4.6: Brick building north end of the site

Figure 4.4 Creating a place where people feel they belong and want to stay

Figure 4.7 Thomas Lumber building to be renovated

Figure 4.8: Building to be renovated

PHASING

Figure 4.9 Brick Building current condition

Figure 4.10 North Gateway current condition

Figure 4.11 Brick Building proposed renovation

Figure 4.12 North Gateway proposed renovation

Taking advantage of the open spaces available and the potential for renovation of buildings at the north end of the site the research suggests the starting point of the revitalization to be at the north end of the site and slowly work its way down in phases of 5 years each. The diagram shows how the project will trickle down from the north end until it is completed on the south end gateway. Each phase takes over a 20% of the site and transforms it absorbing any displacement from the previous phase. The first phase contemplates renovating the brick buildings at this point and incorporate the currently vacant lot at the east side of the site and develop it as a park, to extend the district to that side of the extensive site and create awareness of phases to come as well as create an attraction point to the district and its surroundings. The second phase contemplates the introduction of new retail spaces and some office spaces that will act as designer showrooms and work spaces bringing in to the district the mentors for the students introduced in the first phase, creating a real incubator environment. The third phase incorporates more retail spaces and Figure 4.13 Proposed phasing plan

flexible spaces that will cater to the needs that will organically arise through the construction of phases I and II. The fourth phase introduces cultural uses with a multi arts performing center that brings in a very important point of architecture branding, a piece of signature architecture. The fifth and final phase caps of the district at its south end, giving it the place holders a finished frame.

DESIGN STANDARDS â&#x20AC;˘ STREETS Currently most streets within the district once you enter it are one way streets, one way streets make it tedious to circulate around and create resentment which results in lack of transit through those streets. Turning streets into two way streets raises property value, elevates visibility of any commercial space on them and are over all more comfortable for the user. The research proposes that all north/south streets to be two way streets to promote the connection to be from downtown to South downtown to be through the site and not by orange avenue which results in the site being completely ignored in the process any eastwest or vice versa circulating streets will remain one way alternating direction on every block to promote circular transit around the blocks of the district.

Figure 4.14 Street section

Currently streets in the district are the exact needed width to fulfill the circulation need however making the streets a little wider achieves a couple of benefits: 1. The street gains the ability to become an actual space at any point, this makes spaces to host events right on the streets like fashion shows, fashion markets, etc. 2. Enhancing the width of the streets to accommodate two way traffic through the designated street as well as parking lining the streets. 3. Accommodates a bicycle lane for alternative transportation The new width of the streets will work as in the current diagram: Currently some streets within the district have pavement that brings a unique quality to its streets and translates to the atmosphere of the place, the research proposes this type of pavers to line all the streets within the district to help the beginning of the district to be easily identifiable as well as aid in the cohesiveness of the brand throughout the district.

not exactly matching, giving a special attribute to the district and representing the fact that one of them symbolizes the beginning of the renovation and the other one symbolizes the conclusion of the phases of the project. Modern residential, loft style buildings is best suited for this type of district, semi affordable housing for young professionals developing in the hospital south of the site, downtown business core or within the same district developing in the fashion industry

From the East there are also virtual gateways at every artery that connects to orange avenues, this gateways will be treated with art work and identifiable details that symbolize the start of the district, making every gateway a true entry way into a special destination in which every visitor belongs. The gateways create the perimeter of the site and from the west side the main gateway will be the Amtrak train station south of the site, this train station will be renovated respecting its historic character but implementing changes that adapt â&#x20AC;˘ GATEWAYS the train station to the districts design standards. The gateway points within the district are main Once again the main idea behind every strategy is anchors to the whole proposal, the gateways are to reinforce the brand of the district at any possible intended to be midrise residential buildings that bring opportunity. If the gateways are treated as described the possibility to populate the district 7 days a week, they will represent the district and spark the idea of the style of these buildings should be cohesive but those circulating around the site giving knowledge

Figure 4.16 West edge of the site transformed by urban landscape Figure 4.15 North Gateway. Residential buildings create gateway.

that on the other side of the so called gateway something special is occurring.

â&#x20AC;˘ URBAN LANDSCAPE The urban landscape is a prime opportunity to reinforce the brand, choosing modern cohesive urban landscape that create spaces where it is displayed and that its functional is vital for the success of the proposal, urban landscape is reputedly used as decoration or filler of empty spaces, the idea is to have the urban landscape be part of the brand

to create attachment to the user, benches lining certain streets at certain points that create spaces to promote conversation and interaction to promote the incubator environment within the site. Benches used to line the back side of the site adjacent to the train tracks creates a usable space where there would no longer have any activity. Other type of urban landscape is proposed to create

meeting spaces that create bridge spaces between developments to help create flow of pedestrians, traffic and ever conversation. Urban landscape is in many cases overlooked, ignored and left as an afterthought, it is very far from the proposal as it is a vital part of the activation of these streets, making the streets comfortable through urban landscaping will entice the use of sidewalks and streets. The urban furniture used should be mobile, many of

the spaces provided here are multi-functional spaces that need the ability to change, grow, morph, etc. â&#x20AC;˘ GREEN SPACES The site does not focus primarily on providing green spaces to the city, however it does take advantage of vacant land to create a signature park that marks the area of the district, gives a new place to the city, provides a great space for fashion events, etc. Renovating the lake that is part of the site increases property value, creates a more aesthetic environment and it provides recreation spaces for the resident that will inhabit the district â&#x20AC;˘ TREES Taking cue from Orange Avenue and the fact that it has been lined with trees, all the streets within the district shall be lined with trees pick up the landscape from orange avenue and aid in making the district a cohesive part of the city.

While the goal is to create a different new place, urbanistically a successful renovation can be considered if it is considered a seamless part of the city, the lining of the trees helps the site become cohesive. The other reason for lining the streets with trees is to create a permeable buffer between cars and pedestrians, provide shade to pedestrians walking on the sidewalk or enjoying watching people pass in one of the plaza pods of benches located throughout the side. Trees are used in this case to create a different atmosphere and an interesting visual to drivers and pedestrians. As well as for climate reasons, shaded areas are always cooler than non-shaded areas and trees also help clean the air, which make it the perfect decision to create a backdrop to the site. CONNECTIONS Bus The research proposes a new Lymmo loop that goes down to the hospital and loops around the outer edges of the site to connect it without circulating inside of it to avoid traffic congestion and complications that come with implementing public transportation. Bikes New stations are proposed throughout the site for the bike share program that Orlando participates in, this allows the site to be connected by alternative

means of transportation and that any person that is in downtown can take a pleasant walk south to the site, park the bike on one of the stations and enjoy the district. A bicycle lane is implemented on all two way streets and every other one way street to help the cyclist circulate all throughout the site at any point. Pedestrian Pedestrians is the most important mean of transportation within the site, making the whole district walkable is a priority, shading the sidewalks and having correct signage to indicate the correct ways and ramps to access on and of the sidewalk makes the district a comfortable and easy place to walk in. Automotive The most important move in automotive circulation through the site is reconnecting Sylvia Ln to allow cars from downtown to access directly through the site, this one simple move will help reactivate the site even before any construction has begun. Trains Train access to the site is currently very positive, increasing the frequency of local and regional trains will help the flow of traffic to be more constant which will give visitors arriving by train more possibilities.

Figure 4.18 Proposed new connections

Figure 4.17 Orange Avenue Tree lining

be high end mixed with small scale startups that are building brands within the district, the idea behind the retail is to cater and fill a void that the Downtown core has, there is virtually no retail, the research proposes this district to address that need and fulfill the lack of retail in this particular area of the city. • PARKING The proposal for parking is also done in stages, on the first stage maintaining available ground parking and adding extra spaces lining the streets that are involved in the first phase of development of the program. It also includes ground parking at the north end of the site that will slowly grow into structure parking as the phases pass by. Another parking structure at the south end of the site allows intermodal transportation to be a real possibility. Arrive by car, park, walk or bike to work, at the end of the day take the train to another nearby destination take it back pick up your car and head home. Ultimately parking will consist of two large parking structures that support the hospital in which 16 thousand jobs will be at the end of its own renovation. And limited but desired street parking on every two way street. • RETAIL The retail that will be part of the development will

Figure 4.19 Retail store front, activation of the street

Small boutiques, some large flagship that will bring notoriety to the district, franchises and also restaurants and bars mixed with strict retail will create the backdrop for the experiences that attach a positive thought to the branded district. Lining the first floor of the district with retail creates flow and movement of pedestrians from one block to the next.

Figure 4.20 Retail interior

• RESIDENTIAL PROPOSAL The residential proposal for the district is to concentrate on the gateways in midrise structures that possess innovative signature architecture that maximized spaces and design creating a visual image that relates to the brand. The type of residential typology best suited for the site will be small loft apartments that range from 1 to 3 bedrooms to diversify the offer and ultimately the residents that move in allowing the district to become a great place to live.

city.

• FASHION The fashion aspect of the district is best evidenced in the fashion retail and showroom spaces, these spaces need to showcase the design standards of the building and be innovative, the research proposes to take any possibility to have studio spaces displayed to the street to be able to showcase the work behind the pieces and not just the pieces. Fashion retail will be held in well-designed industrial inspired spaces that while they allow fashion to be the main focus the sophistication of design is displayed in all aspects of the space, the space is a stage for the fashion. In the city of Orlando fashion related bussiness currently develop on the outer perimeter of the site, which makes this a perfect area to concentrate what is already happening and maximize its effect on the

Figure 4.21 Location of fashion related bussiness in the perimeter of the site

• MIX OF USES The fashion district calls for a unique mix of uses that include activities to support the brand and other that are secondary but also revolve around the brand. Activities that support the fashion district brand are: • Fashion school • Designer showrooms • Retail shops • Clothing • Shoes • Accessories • Fabric • Modeling agencies • Spaces suitable for fashion events such as

runways, fashion week, etc. On the other hand all these uses need supporting activities to become a well-rounded district. Those activities are: • Cafes • Restaurants • Bars • Spa • Performing art center This list is merely a suggestion of mix of uses that can occur within the site to become a completely active district, having a mix of uses that is similar to any extent to the one displayed above will activate the district with a constant flow of visitors.

Figure 4.22 Mix of uses. Left side commercial building right side performing arts center

• SCALES Addressing the human scale as an opportunity to create spaces that cater to the needs of fashion and presenting them as opportunities to provide with events such as fashion week, fashion shows, etc., helps further cement the brand being implanted on the district. Creating a staggered pattern of scale helps the district blend into the city without it being lost, the gateway points represent the larger scale within the site from there it staggers into the center until it reaches the smaller scale, this pattern is beneficial to seamlessly increase density within the city without the buildings

• BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

Figure 4.23 Commercial street activation, activation of the street

voiding the ones that are of smaller scale but coexists next to them. Creating human friendly scales on outdoor spaces is also a necessary strategy for the district people want to have nice experiences and feel welcomed, having larger scale buildings centered within the lot of land they are to occupy gives it setbacks and it give some amount of breathing room on the side walk avoiding the intimidating effect of bold, innovative architecture, it makes it more approachable if the pedestrian feels welcomed and not rejected by the buildings.

Figure 4.24 Scale relationships, creating human scale friendly environments that enhance larger scale buildings

BUILDING TYPOLOGIES All the buildings within the district must follow design standards to create a cohesive district that feels planned and designed. Minding the scale of each individual building they must all follow the following: 1. At ground level they must have awnings to protect pedestrians from the elements and create a reference plane of residence on the horizontal plane. 2. Buildings set back from sidewalk in proportion to its building scale. 3. Buildings that have access to two different blocks on the east-west direction must have clear paths with no walls and finish on a public space to gather in. 4. Colors and materials can be chosen only from a suggested list to maintain cohesiveness from building to building and from one block to the next 5. Every building must have retail spaces on the ground level 6. Interior spaces must all possess industrial architecture style 7. The exterior of the buildings must be designed maintaining the fashion industry as an inspiration to create signature architecture.

Figure 4.25 Maintaining the scale of the strret pedestrian friendly

SUGGESTIONS • Allow unlikely mix of uses such as retail shops that double as galleries or restaurants • Use public spaces as spaces and not passages • Consider climate for outdoor design of spaces • Incorporate small green areas were possible • Maintain materials consistent with the character of Downtown and the site to tie the city together.

CONCLUSION This research concludes that branding a district is an effective strategy to reactivate an underutilized urban space as long as the urban design is geared towards the improvement of the site and the brand is allowed to exist in the uses within the district. Establishing activities that draw people in to the site for basic needs starts creating the association to the brand. this district as a fashion district will create a destination within the city with a brand that is currently unattended but carries a large potential within the city of Orlando, this district will help the Fashion market grow and help the city develop this realm to a much larger extent then it can now being an informal market within. Urbanistic ally this place will create a destination ending a void in the city and reconnecting this whole area to the other activity centers becoming the next logical frontier to downtown aiding the growth of the city in general and catering an already existing demographic as well as the growth this demographic will have in the future with developments such as the expansion of the Florida regional hospital. The district will fill a void of retail spaces within the downtown area of Orlando, which guaranties the flow of visitors through the site.The downtown is currently planned for renovation over the next years and this district will be an asset to such renovation, bringing in

more residents, business, innovation, research, when a city has this type of draw it attracts a demographic that is very appealing to cities because they are willing to invest time and money into their community. Giving the community places to be not just pass by in a car is the ultimate goal of a city, making destination. Creating districts is an effective technique to activate abandoned areas. Activation of the street is necessary to succeed in city redevelopment. Creating recognizable and easy to navigate place creates deeper connections. For place branding to be effective architecture has to evoke a feeling and create a permanent imprint. Evolving in time to respond to changes is imperative for a successful branded district. “Develop new ways of communicating city image to the rest of the region, or to the world as a whole, which is considered as media generated image” Urban branding as an effective sustainability tool in urban development, Achieve competitive advantages regionally and internationally. The fashion district will ultimately reconnect an area that has been severed from main arteries and main pass of pedestrian traffic and that results in a more cohesive city which ultimately will benefit the city itself and its residents by having a nice place to go to.

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