Challenged with injecting vibrancy and character into the downtown area, a consortium of private businesses and the city government in Phoenix has created a model for humanizing urban street environments.

A series of public workshops emphasized that streetscapes need to be hospitable to pedestrians, have a distinct and memorable character, and connect the buildings and spaces downtown.

The design team used a wide range of techniques to establish street character and hierarchy, including modifications to curb radii and the deployment of a columnar promenade of "Pueblo Deco" lights, which established Second Street as the main ceremonial corridor. Capital improvements were focused on using vertical elements to redefine spaces – from colonnades of trees to event kiosks – rather than expanses of sidewalks to get the best "bang for the buck."

A fundamental element in the scheme is illumination at night that makes the area positively inviting, safe and attractive. Overall, the effect has been to reassert the importance of people on the ground in coexistence with cars in the urban environment.

CREDITS...

• City of Phoenix, Street Transportation Department
• The Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Inc.
• Freedman Tung & Bottomley
• Cella Barr Associates
• Sierra Engineering Group
• James Benya Professional Lighting Design Studio

JURY COMMENTS...

This is a project that goes a long way toward balancing the relationship between the automobile and the pedestrian in a city, which, like many others, has long overcompensated for cars. The project establishes a new hierarchy among several key streets by recognizing and enhancing the ceremonial role of a major city street without sacrificing vehicular capacity. The disciplines of engineering, landscape architecture and urban design complement each other in creating a well designed civic environment.