Landscape Architect Articles

Kitchener's Flexible, Pedestrian-First Streetscape08-28-10 | News

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Three-foot tall stainless steel, removable bollards, engineered and supplied by Blockaides, Inc., along King Street in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada have the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

IBI Group was retained by the city of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada in January 2007 to redesign the core streets in the downtown district. The project aim was to define an urban design framework to guide the physical renewal and public realm improvements in the city?EUR??,,????'?????<

The night scene on King Street is illuminated in triplicate. The street pole lighting is augumented by 120-volt metal halide recessed lighting (Gardo Lighting) in the planter walls, and street tree uplighting (B-K Lighting, Sierra series).

Successful Solutions for Healthy, Child-Friendly Communities
Many livable cities began as small towns with a focus on the downtown main street, the economic engine of the town. For many decades, such towns grew into diversified and sprawling communities, with the economic engine relocating to the malls and the suburbs.

The challenge has been to vitalize the downtown and restart its economic engine. As the 21 Century dawned, downtown Kitchener was suffering from lack of business renewal, upstarts and the necessary vibrancy and activity required in a downtown setting. Kitchener?EUR??,,????'?????<

A flexible parking design was created by incorporating removable bollards, which allows maximizing on-street parking during the colder months and closing streets to make room for special outdoor events in the warmer months, or to make more room for the retailers and expanded seating for the outdoor cafes and restaurants.

Fast forward to modern day, mid-sized Kitchener, which is thriving with new businesses, educational institutions and a vibrant and active youth, yet the downtown main street and speaker?EUR??,,????'?????< The city, working closely with the landscape architect and design consultant team, saw this as an opportunity to engage the public, the downtown business community and the youth of the city and revitalize the downtown as a major destination.

The role of the downtown was downplayed to the youth. The message was clearly that it was not a place to ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Sustainable storm water management is incorporated in the streetscape by infiltration planter beds (with custom granite-clad seat walls) to collect and filter storm water before it enters the sewer system. Wet-tolerant species of trees, and ornamental grasses were specified. New, wider sidewalks and gently sloping, lowered curbs (?EUR??,,????'?????<

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The streetscape design includes such innovative technologies as continuous tree trenches to provide adequate soil volumes that promote healthier growth of the new trees. Hackberry, Maidenhair, Shademaster honeylocust, Capital ornamental pear, London plane, burr oak and Homestead elm are the arbors in the continuous tree trenches. Each tree is protected by a stainless steel tree guard (Green Leaf). Tree Canada awarded the project a ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Pedestrians First
There was no question for the need for downtown parking, but it was equally important for a positive, safe and generous pedestrian environment. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The stormwater infiltration planters sport feather, reed, maiden and fountain grasses, plus custom black granite clad seat walls (see below). Cast iron decorative catch basins (?EUR??,,????'?????<

Culture First
There is a significant history and culture to the way the downtown was originally designed and used. Revitalizing these spaces involved reallocating the zones for pedestrian movement for retail, for spillout shopping and for patios. The culture of the downtown was retained and celebrated, while creating new opportunities for bringing people, in particular the youth, back to the downtown.

The streetscape site seating is attractive Jarrah wood (Eucalyptus marginata) with cast aluminum supports and end arms (Neoliviano model, Santa & Cole, Landscape Forms).

Environment First
The environmental values put into these streetscapes and public spaces reflect how the city waters trees, how it recycles storm water, the plant materials it chooses and the stormwater infiltration techniques use. These practices send a message to the youth. It tells them the importance of the environment even in an urban setting.

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Public art representative of community values is integrated throughout the design. At Speaker?EUR??,,????'?????<

There are benches and other seating to encourage the locals and visitors to sit and view the diversity of people in the community.

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The incorporation of public art is representative of community values and integrated throughout the design. It sends a message to young people that the arts are important for a community, that it is essential to ?EUR??,,????'?????<

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This project represents a commitment on behalf of the designers and the municipality to revitalize the downtown with a focus on the pedestrians. It has created a healthier, more child-friendly environment and a place of interest that sparks the imagination and has successfully restarted the engine of the downtown. Balancing the needs of the businesses, the pedestrians, the culture and the environment, the space has been reallocated to a fresh start for the next century.

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The bollards have been removed for a ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Kitchener

Kitchener is situated in Southwestern Ontario, Canada in the Waterloo region, within the Saint Lawrence lowlands. It is the largest city (pop. 204,668) in the Grand River watershed. Kitchener is built upon land ?EUR??,,????'?????<