The City of Cullman envisions itself as the Southeast's leader in fostering a connected, sustainable city through the design and implementation of a city-wide Greenway system. Located between two of Alabama's largest cities, 50 miles north of Birmingham and 50 miles south of Huntsville, Cullman is filled with natural resources and vast opportunities ideal for the implementation of a city-wide Greenway that will link parks and civic entities such as libraries, schools, City Hall, and churches, using sidewalks, bike paths, trails, and shared-use paths along roadways. The Greenway network will offer transportation options and social connection throughout the community. Various segments of the Greenway will complement many different existing environments, ranging from the historic downtown with wide public sidewalks and plazas, to meandering wooded trails within the parks and surrounding local lakes, rivers, and ravines. The design of the overall Greenway system, while focusing on the connectivity, will highlight opportunities for improvements to the city's outdated and deteriorating water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure. Updating the utilities and creating a walkable, well-connected city will improve the residents' quality of life and encourage economic development and reinvestment.
As support for the Greenway proposal has grown and funding has been identified through Federal grants and city commitments, the first phase of the Greenway began with redevelopment of Cullman's original main street, known locally as the Warehouse District. Now a vibrant commercial area, the Warehouse District is home to a varied assemblage of adapted historic buildings, newer infill structures, and Festhalle, the open-air shelter used for farmers markets and other events. The street itself is used for parades, concerts, and community dining during First Friday events.
The recently completed project, which updated three blocks of 1st Avenue NE, was an exercise in what landscape architects do best: marrying new work to difficult existing conditions. Many of the shop entrances were steeply sloped and difficult for some to access prior to the redevelopment, and often not high enough above surrounding surfaces to avoid flooding in a heavy rain. Accessibility issues included the lack of curb ramps, and sidewalks with too much or inconsistent cross-slope.
The landscape architect proposed a simple solution: Raise the sidewalks to improve accessibility to the storefront entrance; use a turn-down edge at the sidewalks to allow adjustments in height along the curb; and slope the street to drain in the center, like so many European streets-appropriate for a town created as a colony of German immigrants after the Civil War. A cobblestone band extending between the storm inlets accents the center of the street.
While the street was closed to vehicles during construction, the businesses were allowed to remain open, and the project phasing had to accommodate safe passage for pedestrians to access the shops. In addition to the streetscape improvements, the city used the opportunity to substantially rebuild water and drainage utilities beneath the street.

 
Additional improvements included decorative brick paver intersections; brick paver inlay crosswalks; ADA compliant curb ramps; drought-tolerant planting; and permanent festoon light poles for First Fridays and other street parties.
Phase two, another two-block renovation, is underway now, with another two-block portion planned to begin in 2024.

Landscape Architect: Renta Urban Land Design; Tony Renta, PLA, ASLA, Principal in Charge
Civil Engineer: CDG Engineers & Associates
General Contractor: Powe General Contracting

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