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SWT Design vol. 3 Planning & Urban Design
A well-designed space contains more than the present moment; it embraces the history of a place and holds potential for what it will one day become – in the world, and in the hearts and minds of our communities. Think back to your fondest memories. Chances are, many of these moments take place outdoors. A walk in the woods. A day relaxing in the park. A lunch outside on some sunny boulevard. At SWT, these are the spaces we are proud to create – spaces that nurture. Spaces that inspire. Spaces that live. Our clients are in the business of changing the world. We are too. With every project, with every space, we set out to create urban landscapes and environments that improve the lives of people, businesses, communities, and our world. Our team is made of landscape architects, planners, and designers. We come together each day to create spaces that exist outside the bounds of size or discipline. We create spaces that live on – in the world and in the hearts and minds of communities.
It is design for living. It is LIVING DESIGNTM
A planning process designed around the experience. The most important aspect of any successful planning project is its process. At least we think so. At SWT Design, we emphasize the importance of creating an engaging experience for our clients, their stakeholders, and community members by designing a process that is unique for each project. Clear communication and interactive, meaningful experiences create memorable impressions, build trust, and gain momentum within communities. We design each process to result in the most impactful and data-rich outcomes influential to the work. We employ a variety of methods – some traditional, some innovative – to keep the process fun and effective. Just as we design places to create memorable experiences for people, we apply the same focus and attention to detail in designing the planning experience.
Hands-on, interactive engagement is highly effective and beneficial to the planning process.
Planning starts and ends with the community in mind.
We are designers, problem solvers, and critical thinkers. But before we can apply our technical expertise, we must truly understand the places in which we work. So we create venues to listen. What does the community want or need? Our facilitators are approachable and want to build lasting relationships throughout the process. It is critical that all members of a community be heard and that input is reflective of its demographic condition. We do what it takes to connect with all. We take the meeting to the public in lieu of expecting others to come to us, we participate in community events, and we make information accessible via multiple media.
Each community presents its own unique set of opportunities. Our job is to listen and engage in a way that brings meaningful change.
Deep understanding results in practical recommendations. JCPRD Legacy Plan, Johnson County, KS Deeply understanding the challenges, past attempts and previous investments a client has endured prepares our team to identify practical strategies to achieve goals. Robust comprehension of existing conditions through inventory, needs assessment, data collection, and stakeholder interviews enables our team to truly grasp priorities and understand varying perspectives and values. In the 15 years since the MAP 2020 plan, Johnson County has grown not just in total population, but has become a more diverse community with rising interests in natural resources and active living. The JCPRD Legacy Plan continues a tradition of innovation and evolution by focusing the organization’s future and growth as a responsive parks district.
Years of change has prompted the need to build a stronger, more focused parks district able to meet the needs of a growing county.
Broaden a project’s potential reach by going to the community. West Florissant Ave. Great Streets Initiative, Ferguson, MO From master plan to preliminary engineering, our approach to engaging the West Florissant community looked at a number of different methods to build upon the m0mentum we achieved during the master planning process. Opportunities for tactical urbanism installations along the corridor offer the community a chance to test new sections of improvements with temporary features. Other strategies include community open houses, advertising through local news channels, leveraging planned community events, utilizing public input apps and technologies, and partnering with local organizations to help spread the word to a broader group of users beyond those who use the corridor everyday.
Maximize outreach efforts by identifying neighboring institutions and organizations who share common goals while making engagement opportunities fun and unique.
urbanism Tactical
provides a chance to test new sections of improvements in real time.
A comprehensive process bolstered by support extends a plan’s lifespan. We deliver plans that become working tools, guidebooks for decision-making, and frameworks that can outlive leadership transition. A successful planning effort captures the WHY, WHAT, WHEN, and HOW unique to every project in a way that is easily communicated and understood. Userfriendly deliverables provide community leaders with the tools needed to implement the plan’s recommendations. These tools may include visionary graphics to communicate concepts, a framework of evaluation criteria to weigh decisions, a roadmap of strategies to apply over time, and/ or an outline of funding mechanisms to feasibly construct the recommended changes. Regardless of scale, the communities and institutions with which we work value tools that help them communicate clearly, work efficiently, and deliver results.
Joplin’s Capital Improvement Plan delivered a road map of over 35 prioritized projects utilizing $350 million in disaster recovery funding. Implementation is already underway.
Building momentum brings long-term capacity. Downtown Edgerton Master Plan, Edgerton, KS The Downtown Edgerton Plan has created a roadmap to guide growth and redevelopment in the downtown core. The city of Edgerton, Kansas is flourishing with economic activity as a result of the vastly expanding Kansas City Logistics Park. The framework and recommendations developed throughout the community-driven process describe a shared vision for future land use, transportation, beautification, placemaking, and strengthened sense of community. Specific focus on improving transportation and mobility, a rejuvenated downtown streetscape, and emphasis on commercial and residential markets has provided the city with an actionable plan.
The plan explored opportunities of “what would come� by developing the foundation for trust and public commitment in the community.
Downtown Plan Goals include:
Improve Transportation & Mobility Revitalize Downtown & Streetscapes Improve Commercial & Residential Market
Identifying links contributes to the redevelopment of more than 300 acres. Midtown Loop Feasibility Study, St. Louis, MO The Midtown Loop Trail Feasibility Study developed when a critical mass of significant redevelopment initiatives became active in the Midtown area of St. Louis. When mapped, the formation of a “Midtown Loop” trail, anchored at the eastern edge of Forest Park, was beginning to take shape if not for critical missing links between these redevelopment areas. By linking these areas to the eastern edge of Forest Park and connecting the existing St. Vincent Greenway Trail at Ruth Porter Park to the northern edge of Forest Park at DeBaliviere, this trail has the potential to create safe pedestrian connections to existing on-street bike facilities, public parks, schools, cultural amenities, and emergent business development districts.
This multi-modal study offers a chance to capitalize on momentum of redevelopment planning efforts in the area and investigate potential alignments with the district’s goals for off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
A critical mass of development created from a singular vision. Echo Bluff State Park, Shannon County, MO Working in conjunction with the State of Missouri Office of Administration, Division of Facilities Management, Design and Construction (OA/ FMDC), and the State of Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks (MSP), the development of this new state park is the result of a 4-month planning process. The park has been envisioned as a major regional, state and national destination. To guide the master planning process, the team established a series of project goals which were used to evaluate the design and express specific images of what the park can become over time.
The park’s conception was rooted by the economic benefit it would provide to the adjacent communities with the intent to serve the greater economic engine while being sensitive to the waterways and ecosystems.
A practical tool to leverage public resources and private investment. North 14th Street Strategic Plan, St. Louis, MO Less than a mile north of Downtown St. Louis, older, lower-income communities struggle to thrive as they are challenged by dated infrastructure, poor connectivity and a vast landscape of vacant properties. North 14th Street is far from the great street that it once was. With the removal of the streetcar in the 1960s, the rise and fall of the out-of-scale public housing, and the subsequent prioritization of the automobile, North 14th Street has lost the vitality that it used to have. With several important planning initiatives and projects currently happening on the north side of downtown, a new desired vision for North 14th Street is beginning to emerge.
The plan incorporates principles of the Choice Neighborhood Initiative, as well as other transportation and sustainable planning objectives.
Innovation inspires a district to shape economic development. The Commons at Cortex Innovation Community, St. Louis, MO The Cortex Innovation Community is a place to build cutting-edge businesses and conduct top quality research from the neighboring medical research hospital and universities. At its heart, The Commons serves as a melting pot of innovation and ideas, an outdoor space where our brightest can come together and be inspired by their surroundings. The complex interaction of people, environment, and infrastructure informed an intelligent and fully-integrative design approach. The development of The Commons and adjacent streetscapes has been a catalyst for the renewal of a post-industrial neighborhood, largely in decline. The project has led to the redevelopment of several historic buildings and has promoted the development of several new infill buildings.
Within two years after construction of The Commons, more than 25% of the 200-acre district was redeveloped. Future development projections of 3.7 million square feet maintain The Commons as the nucleus of the district.
2010
2016
2035
Strategic change requires vision and rigorous consideration of alternatives. Planning for a change in physical and/or operational infrastructure creates opportunities to overcome challenges, harness new possibilities, and adapt strategically. Planning for change starts with unveiling the possibilities and understanding their long-term implications. SWT assists clients in creating physical and operational visions for the future – a starting point for a long-term process of change that precedes design solutions. This approach is particularly important for a public institution whose development is open-ended, funding is changing and unpredictable, and goals are long-term. Building upon this framework, we test multiple alternatives to discover the road map, kit of parts, and/or mix of solutions that will best accomplish our clients’ goals. This rigorous consideration of alternatives requires dynamic dialogue, thorough evaluation, and sometimes difficult decisions. Clients are delivered well-vetted, prioritized steps to guide the implementation of their visions.
* The Saint Louis Zoo’s expansion framework plan set the vision, and remains nimble while funding, market drivers, and operations continue to align.
P%
P%
*
P%
A comprehensive plan aids in recovery after a natural disaster. Joplin CDBG Capital Plan, Joplin, MO The Joplin CIP examined proposed recovery projects and will guide the City as it rebuilds, will enhance economic opportunities, and will encourage population growth. Through the Capital Plan process, an integral tool to its development has been the creation of Project Execution Plans for each of the proposed recovery projects. Another invaluable tool for ranking these projects was a series of interactive workshops. Over four years, this Capital Improvements Plan will guide the City of Joplin through long-term disaster recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization.
Benefit Criteria 100
Connection to focus areas Potential for leveraging
80
6% 7% 10%
70
10
Visibility of benefits
60
15
Alignment with vision
16%
Impact to the community
16% 19%
90
50 40 30 20 10 0
%
%
Risk Criteria
7% 9% 11%
Level of complexity Reputational risk
13%
Project dependencies
13%
Project support
15%
Project cost
Criticality of the project
16%
Project timeframe
Relation to disaster
17%
Certainty of outcome
Impact to future development
Availability of resources
Measure the benefits of each option to determine the best solution. West Florissant Ave. Great Streets Initiative, Ferguson, MO West Florissant Avenue has long been a street that serves motorized vehicles well. In recent years there has been increasing need to do more than that – local communities along this corridor also need to be able to walk, bus, bike, and live. The project aimed to re-imagine West Florissant Avenue to help improve economic conditions; create an attractive sense of place; and help vehicles, bicyclists, and people move safely through the corridor. West Florissant Avenue connects neighborhoods, institutions, parks, and town center areas with safe and attractive linkages for pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and transit.
2 3
As part of the process, the plan explored several iterative crosssections of the public realm, all with the intention of creating a safe sense of place for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.
4
1
Large rain garden with sidewalk
As shown on strip map
5
Paved pedestrian area with tree grates
Sidewalk with tree lawn Alternate trail layout
Balance visionary change with historical recommendations. Forest Park Connectivity and Mobility Study, St. Louis, MO SWT Design collaborated with a team of planning consultants to provide Forest Park with multi-modal and transit planning expertise for a comprehensive study assessing strategies to improve the accessibility of visitors to and throughout this historic park. The project entailed finding a delicate balance between the existing guidance of the Forest Park Master Plan while developing new visionary opportunities to fit the current and future trends of connectivity and mobility for all modes of transportation.
Goals of the study aim to reduce auto dependency, increase diversity of modal options, and strengthen connections to both cultural institutions within the park and to surrounding neighborhoods.
Alternative, visionary plan guides long-term sustainable land management. America’s Central Port Landscape Vision Plan, Granite City, IL As America’s Central Port continues to develop and expand its uses of nearly 1,200 acres, strategic investment of resources and management of the property is critical to its long term viability. This vision was developed to allow flexibility for future development while minimizing maintenance burdens in the interim. It is estimated that annual savings potential on landscape maintenance could reach somewhere between $1.3 million and $1.9 million with full build-out of this vision after landscape establishment. Additionally, the Port is expected to benefit from reduced stormwater runoff, increased tree canopy, improved ecological conditions, and improved aesthetics. The goal is to set an achievable target for reducing maintenance costs and improve ecological and economic value of Port property as it stands today.
Alternative land uses and maintenance strategies can reduce capital expenditures, refocus investment, and minimize waste while enhancing a property’s aesthetics and improving tenant attraction and retention.
Embedding sustainable planning practices builds the resiliency of a place. We plan and design for future generations. Our practice requires understanding what works well today but also what is best for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Places are ever-evolving as populations change, market influences shift, and resources fluctuate. As planners, we understand the importance of considering the impacts our decisions today make on our choices tomorrow. Defining public space and land use requires responsibility to address issues such as smart growth, social justice, historic preservation, mobility and access, environmental stewardship, and community capacity. A place’s success can be measured by the function of its interwoven systems and their ability to meets the needs of all. Our projects help position our clients to be poised for change, and help them to adapt and grow without regard to the kinds of stress the world and Mother Nature throws at them.
The Old North Neighborhood Sustainability Plan identifies overall strategies which greatly improve the quality of life and provides the marketing collateral needed to retain and attract residents and businesses.
A linear creek corridor encourages connectivity and new development. Boneyard Creek North Branch Improvements, Champaign, IL The Boneyard Creek is a highly-impacted, urban waterway and is a frequent source of flooding in surrounding neighborhoods. Earlier phases of work have focused on the creation of parks and open spaces that could double as detention areas to mitigate flooding. This phase of work focuses more on the linear creek corridor as a natural system, but it also explores the creek as a recreation amenity. The creek and trail are developed to provide maximum flood mitigation while capitalizing on opportunities for trail users to experience and enjoy new natural areas. The improvement corridor serves to activate and introduce additional programming elements and water areas into these underutilized spaces.
At 1.75 miles in length, the North Branch of the Boneyard Creek will connect multiple segments of the larger creek system to neighborhoods, community amenities, and new development.
Conservation from a Regional Perspective Audubon Center at Riverlands, West Alton, MO The Mississippi River Flyway is one of the most critical flight paths for migratory birds in North America. Designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the Audubon Society, the conservation center is centrally located on the Great Rivers Confluence IBA and serves to preserve key habitat for nearly 50 bird species, including eight considered to be vulnerable. Working in conjunction with the Audubon Society and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the master plan for the Audubon Center encompasses more than 3,700 acres dedicated to land, river, and bird preservation. It is a critical resting point along the flyway for more than 40 percent of North America’s bird population.
The plan was developed to enhance biodiversity and provide various migratory bird species with a seasonal cross-section of habitat. Eco-islands, waterways, bioretention ponds, meadow, prairie and river land ecosystems are represented over 3,700 acres.
Innovation District Aimed at Driving Leading Edge Research 39°North, Plant Bioscience + Technology Area Master Plan, St. Louis, MO SWT Design was an integral team member during the development of this master plan for 39oNorth, a new agtech innovation district in Creve Coeur located in western St. Louis County, aimed at driving additional leading-edge research to the area. As part of the planning study, SWT Design developed open space and sustainable design strategies for the new development, including preservation of open space, woodland walking trails, and lakeside gathering spaces. A new event space is envisioned as a hub for the district, similar to what SWT Design created with The Commons at Cortex.
More than 11 miles of new trails create connected networks, and 1.5 million gross square feet of potential adaptive reuse is planned for this live-work-play community.
Results-oriented planning yields desired outcomes.
There is nothing more convincing than a plan that has fulfilled its responsibility when the desired outcomes are realized. More than 80 percent of our work is implemented. Whether strategic operational changes or physical transformations, the implementation of our projects defines our success. We attribute much of this success to the consistent delivery of clearly identified next steps, tools to build capital investment, maintain momentum, and leverage community support. These deliverables are custom built to fit the specific needs of each client. We dedicate the time necessary to understand our clients’ capacity, identify the gaps and hurdles ahead, and prescribe proactive measures to navigate them. Identifying funding mechanisms, public-private partnerships, critical timelines, and/ or simply identifying responsibilities of each party
SWT’s visionary approach to revitalizing Cape Girardeau’s riverfront district provides the framework for the incremental transformation of a vibrant downtown destination.
Reimagine a corridor to help improve economic conditions. West Florissant Ave. Great Streets Initiative, Ferguson, MO The West Florissant Avenue Great Streets project represents an ideal case-study of a master plan that can position communities for resilient recovery after tragedy. Six months prior to civil unrest and devastating destruction associated with the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, a Great Streets master planning process commenced for a 3-mile stretch of West Florissant Avenue through the communities of Dellwood and Ferguson. The graphic collateral and implementation plan delivered as part of the process poised the communities for funding and action following the tragic events. The civic momentum and hope instilled in the master plan led to municipal alliances and seed-funding to move the project forward into preliminary engineering.
The Triangle of an Urban Street: Corridor improvements have a unique way of bringing communities together. The elements of a successful streetscape consider the juxtaposition of building, pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.
Street.
Bicycle/Pedestrian/Vehicular Intersection Safety
Building Facade.
Building/Human Intersection Architecture Vernacular
Walkway/Sidewalk.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Scale & Materials
Defining the Alliance That Will Steward the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial City Arch River Alliance and Business Plan, St. Louis, MO The Alliance Plan documents areas of partnership consensus, defines a common language, and identifies a set of focus areas that will serve the partners of the City Arch River Alliance in their continued collaboration. This plan will formally establish the City Arch River Alliance as a non-binding, forward-thinking partnership arrangement that will be guided by a common vision and mission. Through the acceptance of this document, the Alliance Partners will agree to work together in accordance with a clear set of operational priorities to strengthen the impact of key functional area actions on the City Arch River Area experience.
In an economic environment in which communities feel extreme pressure to do more with less, we can expect to see more projects championed through construction and managed in the long-term by partnerships. The City Arch River Alliance will serve as a model for these types of collaboration.
... to integrate the “diverse talents and resources of all partners in order to continually enhance the City Arch River experience for all.
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Disaster Recovery Brings Hope & Opportunity to a City Left in Ruin Joplin Capital Improvement Plan and Public Park, Joplin, MO SWT Design, along with its partners, assisted the City of Joplin in the development of a Capital Plan to evaluate current potential disaster recovery projects that might be eligible for CDBG-DR funding. Through the Capital Planning process, an integral tool in the effort has been the creation of a Project Execution Plan (PEP) for each proposed project. More than 35 projects were identified, worth more than $350 million in disaster recovery funding. Joplin Public Park was the first project identified in the CIP for development. SWT led the design and construction administration of the park, working with the city and contractors to meet a narrow 10-month construction schedule.
The Joplin CIP examined proposed recovery projects, and will guide the City as it rebuilds, enhance economic opportunities, and encourage population growth. Improvement projects are already underway.
SENIOR HOUSING FACILITY (proposed)
IN NN CU RK PA
MERCY GARDEN
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
JOPLIN PUBLIC PARK
MAIN ST STREETSCAPE
JACKSON AVE
PICHER AVE
MAIDEN LN
M
A GH
Public Facilities & Improvements
20TH ST STREETSCAPE
JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL
Low-Moderate Income Area Benefit
LMI
26TH ST
SENIOR CENTER (proposed)
Public Facilities Improvements MEDICAL SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
32ND ST
03
Joplin Public Park
20TH ST
EMMERSON SCHOOL
Design is a living, breathing thing. Curiosity and learning fuel it. We never stop learning. We never stop discovering. And what we learn, we share because curiosity makes us question. It keeps us ahead of what’s possible. With two studios in St. Louis and Kansas City, our practice is national with far-reaching impacts. Good design and planning transcends boundaries. And we’re eager to share how. So follow us. Connect with us. Let us know what Living Design means to you.
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