As the master developer for the Uptown Innovation Corridor, Uptown Consortium, Inc. (UCI) engaged international award-winning planning and design firm Sasaki to create a master plan for the Corridor predicated on the goal of developing an active, well-connected mixed-use district. The plan visualizes a future of continuously emerging innovation and collaboration—a vibrant public realm with mixed-use urban places and growing economic opportunities for residents, old and new. Realizing this vision requires a thoughtful implementation framework that balances land use, urban design, placemaking, and real estate strategies, the city’s land use and development code, and stakeholder engagement. The plan is underpinned by three design principles: Great Streets, Great Spaces and Great Places.
This series focuses on each of the design principles, beginning with Great Streets and now Great Spaces.
“A good urban plan begins with the street network and the pedestrian network, so we work very hard to make sure the streets—the way people move around, the way cars move around, the way bikes move around—are very thoughtful and intentional,” said Fred Merrill, principal, Sasaki. “And that sets up parcels for development and all of the green and civic spaces—the spaces in between buildings.”
The Great Spaces principle includes four components designed to create a holistic environment that fosters innovation and collaboration among tenants, community members and the surrounding institutions. As the Corridor develops, the Great Spaces components will come to life.
1. Ecology
Build an ecological corridor throughout the development and respect existing topography to create a signature green space that supports the emerging innovation community. Plans for the ecological corridor include pocket parks, seating decks, collaboration spaces and other gathering areas.
2. Collaboration
Promote collaboration by establishing gathering spaces to share technologies and ideas and create a close-knit community that fosters creative growth. A primary goal of the Corridor is to create a space where small and large companies can collaborate with one another, the Uptown anchor institutions and the community. This design principle intentionally considers how to develop spaces where collaboration naturally occurs.
3. Permeability
Create mid-block pedestrian visibility, access and connections between primary streets and open/ green space amenities to welcome the community and encourage neighborhood and institutional collaboration. This contributes to UCI’s placemaking efforts to make the Corridor a space that is open and accessible to all members of the community.
4. Parking
Minimize the impact of parking on the public realm by reducing surface lots, screening garages, and utilizing below ground parking when possible. In addition, ensure surface lots are designed to be programmable, usable spaces when not required for parking. This can be seen in the Uptown Gateway development where Terrex Development & Construction and Messer Construction are building a 1,350-space underground parking garage.
While these principles play a significant role in guiding the designs and development decisions throughout the Corridor, there are always opportunities to adjust based on new opportunities and challenges. UCI will continue working with Sasaki on planning efforts as the Corridor grows and developments come to life.
“Planning is never really finished—it’s always kind of evolving and changing,” said Merrill. “Any good plan has to have some degree of flexibility to it to make sure it can adapt to unknown opportunities that might come down the road.”
According to Franz A. Stansbury, Director of Real Estate Development at UCI, Great Spaces is one important design principle in place to ensure the Corridor is planned, designed, and developed in an orderly, consistent and high-quality urbanistic manner.
“Our ultimate aim is to create a world-class innovation district where people want to live, work, collaborate and play,” Stansbury says. “As the Corridor develops, we’re excited to see these “Great Spaces” come to life.”
For more information about the Corridor and the design principles, visit www.uptowninnovationcorridor.com.