Sustainable Land Development Today - January 2008 - (Page 50) FINANCE Recreational Asset A Catalyst for Urban Renewal By Taylor Gould, CLA In her seminal work, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” urban theorist Jane Jacobs argued that the isolation and deterioration of central cities had been brought about by poorly considered urban renewal programs of the 1950s and ‘60s. The creation of a large system of limited access freeways had two lasting effects: the depopulation of the urban core of American cities, and the devastation of formerly stable urban neighborhoods. By the late 1970s, one city recognized that alternatives existed to the suburban sprawl so pervasive at the time. Norfolk, Virginia, was ready to think outside the box with a small parcel of land that came to be known as Town Point Park. cashing storefronts, and shadowy clubs occupying the rundown buildings. Out of this urban decay, the city of Norfolk created one of the first urbanredevelopment success stories, Town Point Park. Eight acres of the waterfront was made into open space and became known as Town Point Park, and designed replete with plantings, walkways, and a brick promenade along the river. Revolutionary in design? Hardly, except for the fact that access to the water was very limited prior to the park’s creation. The apparently simple act of walking along the Elizabeth River, viewing passing ships, and the Success in the 1980s Norfolk established one of the first urban Redevelopment and Housing authorities in the United States in the A Look Back Norfolk’s history, dating back to the Revolutionary War, has been tied to the sea. As a port city along the Elizabeth River, Norfolk was a bustling place of freighters and naval vessels, commerce and waterfront warehouses. Its economy intertwined with the export of American food, coal and fiber products. As the twentieth century unfolded and America grew into a world power, Norfolk became a hub of shipping, as well as the home of the world’s largest Naval installation. The Hampton Roads area experienced tremendous expansion in the 1960s. Fueled by military spending, the metropolitan area population grew to 1.5 million. But the historic heart of Norfolk, the waterfront, did not experience this vibrant growth. The warehouses and commercial buildings that had served the shipping industry were abandoned one by one. In their place were liquor stores, check 50 January 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today The brick promenade at Town Point Park is a story in itself of the success of the parks original design by MMM Design Group in 1982. Today the promenade now extends past the park and wraps throughout the downtown waterfront. The promenade is a landmark to most Norfolk residents as a key recreational component of the park and with its success, waterfront boating activities at the park have increased over the years. early 1940s. They decided that Town Point situated at a bend in the Elizabeth River, represented an excellent site for an urban open space, the type of advocated by Jacobs and others. In the late 1970s, working with wellknown developer Rouse Development, MMM Design Group, a multi-disciplinary design firm of architects, engineers and planners, headquartered in the city, reconfigured Waterfront Street into Waterside Drive, creating a promenade-like street with views of the river. Portsmouth skyline across the water could now be enjoyed by any resident. By 1982, Town Point Park was flourishing as one of the regions most successful outdoor event and festival spaces. HarborFest, an annual festival featuring an international flotilla of tall ships, has become recognized as one of the premier events of its kind, while dozens of other events are hosted there every year.
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