PLACEMAKING WORKSHOP

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association

October 4-7, 2010

Presented by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation and Project for Public Spaces
Activities this week

●
Power of 10 Lunch
Workshop
●
Community Workshop
●
Statewide Managers
Training
●
Committee Meetings
●
Interviews
 OVERALL
RECOMMENDATIONS
Create more multi-use destinations
that builds on current daily use
●
Target key places that
need more things to do
●
Downtown core
●
Railroad Park
●
Fairpark
●
Farmers’ Market
●
Court House Square
●
Non-event public space
programming
●
Upper floor housing
Increase connectivity on Main
Street
• Infill buildings that fit
and engage people on
the street
• Food carts/Markets
• Bikeable/walkable
• Improve alleys
• Connect downtown to
East Tupelo
• No more isolated
sidewalks
Experiment with stuff

• Traffic cones to test

ideas, including
roundabouts
• Pop-up stores
• Parking Day
• Ciclovia
Rethink parking
• Shared parking
• Pedestrian connections
between and within
parking lots
• Don’t tear down more
buildings for parking
• Infill buildings and
parks on some parking
lots
• “Sea of opportunity”
Plan for innovative transportation
that connects people and places
●
Downtown placemaking
process can be a model
for other parts of the city
●
Make all users more safe
by creating a balanced
transportation system
●
Define the problem not
the solution
●
The 85% solution
Integrate plans

●
Many plans
●
Prevent duplication
●
Not always connected
●
Stick to the plan
Integrate authentic heritage and the
arts with Placemaking
• Interpretation of history
within and through Places
• Placemaking with Music
• Placemaking with Art
• Better treatment of
existing buildings in
downtown and Fairpark
 SITE SPECIFIC
RECOMMENDATIONS
From the Community Placemaking Workshop
Site #1 - Fairpark
 Fairpark

Assets
• Central location
• Civic Anchor
• Well maintained
• Events
• Fountain
 Fairpark
Issues
• Needs more daily
activity
• Empty spaces
• Unsafe pedestrian
access
• No food/services
 Fairpark
Short-term Recommendations
• Gaming
(horse shoes, croquet)
• Mobile Food Vending
• Pedestrian connections
 Fairpark
Short-term Recommendations
• Landscaping
• Seating + Tables
• Signage
• Markets
 Fairpark
Long-term Recommendations
• Restrooms
• Public art
• Crosswalks/safety
improvements
• Permanent stage
 Fairpark
Long-term Recommendations
• Create activity nodes
within the park
 Site #2 – Railroad Park

Assets
• Central location
• Gateway potential
• Existing greenery
 Railroad Park
Issues
• Unwelcoming
• Nothing to do
• Vehicular traffic
dominates
• Cuts off old
downtown from new
development and
City Hall
 Railroad Park
Short-Term Improvements
• Reconfigure seating
• Traffic calming experiments
 Railroad Park
Short-Term Improvements
• Public art
• Information or food kiosk
• Market in parking lot
 Railroad Park
Long-term Improvements
• Permanent gateway
• Roundabout
• Rebuild Train Depot
 Site # 3 - Farmers Market
Assets
●
Location
●
Historic character
●
Sustainability
●
Room to expand
 Farmers Market
Issues
●
Attracting customers
●
Lack of facilities – restrooms, water, trash
●
Potential of surrounding area has not been
realized
 Short-term Improvements
• Murals and banners
• Add vendors
• Offer more seating,
café tables
• Move parking
across the street
 Short-term Improvements
• Add flowers, herbs, winter greens to planters
• Bicycle parking
• Host live performances
 Long-term Improvements
• Use the Power of 10 to
create a market district
– Potential indoor year-round
market
– Food incubator
– Permanent food businesses
including local restaurants
• Connect to Mill Village
and Downtown
 Site #4 - Courthouse Square
Assets
• History
• Econ Dev. Potential
• Integrity
• Community Hub
 Site #4 - Courthouse Square
Issues
• Lack of seating
• Vacant and poorly
maintained
surrounding lots and
buildings
 Courthouse Square
Short-Term Recommendations
• Clean Alleys
• Paint/fix-up buildings
• Paint/fix fence on Jefferson
• Add seating
• Water Feature at Justice Center
 Courthouse Square
Short-Term Recommendations
• Improve surrounding landscaping
• Add lighting at Carroll Park
• Integrate Pocket Park
+ outdoor dining
 Courthouse Square
Long-Term Recommendations
• Adaptively reuse surrounding buildings, including
the police building, ex. Jailhouse Rock Cafe
• Create wayfinding system
• Preserve historic quality
• Add entertainment venues
 Potential Partners
• City of Tupelo • Lee County
• TRA • Downtown businesses
• Gumtree Museum of Art • TCT
• Quality of Life Committee • Major Thoroughfare
• MAC Committee
• Mississippi Main St. • Master Gardeners
• Historic Commission
IMPLEMENTATION
Role of Downtown Tupelo Main
Street Association
●
Partner with other ●
Engaging people
organizations which around specific
are implementing places
both big and small ●
Farmers’ Market
projects ●
Fairpark
●
Others
What you can do next week:
• Give feedback • Recruit new
through an online volunteers from
survey participants
• Contribute to • Post
Placemap recommendations on
• Review presentations website
 For after next week:
• Committee training, if ●
Receive written
necessary report
• Board Meeting to ●
Post on web
prioritize ●
Volunteer drive
recommendations ●
festival committees
• Committee work
●
shoring up standing
committees
planning ●
farmers’ market
• Recruit a property committee
owner for an easy
“paint up/fix up”
project
Help from MMSA
• Public Rollout of Recommendations
(MMSA District Director)
• Board Meeting to prioritize
recommendations (Organization
Committee)
• Committee work planning Based on Board
Prioritization (MMSA District Director)
• Work plan created and adopted by Board
of Directors
Tupelo Main St. Placemaking
Project
October 4-7, 2010