Location: Tuskegee, Alabama
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Task
Create a proposal for a new public square
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Challenge
Social, Economical, Infrastructural challenges - disinvestment; decline in local businesses; urban blight; aging population; limited accessibility; lack of development incentives
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Proposal
With a location with such strong historical ties, introducing placemaking and creating an innovation hub could be promising for revitalization
but first, Evaluate.
Before any solutions or ideas could take place, their had to be an analysis of the site and it’s current condition. The targeted area would redevelop the main public square and the surrounding quarter mile of neighborhoods.
Throwback
This community was a gem and held the legacy of sites tied to civil rights and Black Entrepreneurship, but it was being buried in blight and disinvestment.
The small businesses were no longer standing out
just simply
standing
Lost Space
Several sites in the surrounding public square were ideal locations for pedestrian activity and community engagement but were abandoned buildings losing value by the day, especially the main street.
Rebrand
Tuskegee at the center city has an incredible opportunity to rebrand itself as a cool historic destination, serving it’s community, residing college students, and tourists. The city isn’t dead, it’s aging, and needs new energy. The concept H.I.P {History. Innovation. Placemaking} was conceptually created to invite the local government to establish incentives for not only developers, but young adults already local to build their careers in Tuskegee and start their families there; establishing an innovation incubator workspace that would house new tech and possible manufacturing, community engagement in the square, strategic placemaking to preserve its rich cultural identity, and multimodal transportation systems. And lastly, invest into local small businesses.
Tours
Making Tuskegee H.I.P. would involve creating an attraction around the historical sites in the community that could be accessible by residents, travelers, and students alike via “The Path”. With the formation and involvement of a business improvement district, the city could brand tours (nature, civil rights, architecture) and establish events.
A market analysis was conducted to understand what businesses and services the city offered, but more importantly to see what was missing. Educational services and Public Health Services, make up the largest employment and business sectors. Leaving major room for additional sectors to be introduced to the city; similar to smaller thriving cities like Summerville, South Carolina and St. Joseph, Missouri.
TUSK. TILL. DAWN
The first phase of an intervention would establish an innovation incubator hub inside of the main square, labeled above (Community). Operating a 24 hours, the Tusk Till Dawn space can house recently graduate students and young entrepreneurs building niche businesses in the community with a commercial kitchen, maker shops, and workspaces. The appeal can attract both new businesses and growing businesses looking to expand into the local market.
Mixed-Use Development
The Viero is a mixed-use building with a restaurant at the bottom and a multi-family building housing 24 studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom apartments with a % of low-income affordable units.
Additionally, the main square opens up with placemaking elements, benches, new terrain, and becomes a destination and not just a landmark. Whether to accommodate organization for peaceful protests or summer movies on the green, the public square will attract new energy.
The Path
Accommodating the new development is the creation of ‘The Path’, completed in Phase 3 that will establish mobility and walkability for 2 miles throughout the main square and a mile in each direction.
Placemaking
With boulevards on each side of the median green bike path, the path opens up options to sit along the main square or walk through to shops along the main street in either direction safely. Murals and vibrant works of art are displayed throughout the area from public art initiatives by the city that encourage local pride.
