Turner Field Stadium Neighborhoods lci application for gpa’s 2016 Outstanding Document Award



Download 14.14 Kb.
Date14.08.2017
Size14.14 Kb.
#31674
Turner Field Stadium Neighborhoods LCI Application for GPA’s 2016 Outstanding Document Award

The Turner Field Stadium Neighborhoods LCI (TFSN LCI) was not your typical LCI, and neither was the document telling the story of its making. The two-hundred page book, which reads more like a design magazine than a typical planning document, recorded the process, findings, and recommendations of an outstanding community-driven plan in a fresh and elegant way. The TFSN LCI plan elevated the discourse around urban design in Atlanta, and its document recounted the process with a similar respect for its audience. Responsible for capturing the community’s vision and aspirations for their built environment, the TFSN LCI plan was carefully designed to invite the reader to explore every corner of the LCI. Using succinct, yet rich text and state-of-the-art graphics, the document pieced together stories from the site’s past, present, and envisioned future and delivers a continuous narrative of local significance.





The Document’s Structure: The TFSN LCI plan was structured to follow the planning process, which was organized in response to the unique characteristics of the site. The LCI study area is composed of five neighborhoods and a catalyst project of regional significance that includes a stadium and many acres of vacant land. As seen in the graphic below, the planning team provided the space to articulate the challenges and opportunities that each neighborhood faces, as well as an avenue to focus on the catalyst site, defined as the core area in this plan. Each chapter of the book ran parallel with a community engagement event that focused on particular feedback asked of community members.

01. An Historic Opportunity: Kickoff Meeting

02. Restoring the Core: Core Area Visioning Workshop and Open House

03. Five Stadium Neighborhoods: Neighborhood Workshops:

04. One LCI Community: Open House

05. Action Plan: Key Opportunities Forum







Applicable Criteria: See TFSN LCI Outstanding Planning Process Application for other criteria and more information on the project. Or visit www.stadiumneighborhoodslci.org

Innovation of concept: While most LCI planning documents are intended to serve as a guide to the community and city officials, the TFSN LCI was designed to also encourage a shift in the way planning processes are approached. Early in their preparations, the planning team understood the importance of documenting the community’s input and visions through various avenues during the execution of the plan, including video story-telling, art, round-table discussions, 3D building exercises, online commentary, etc. All of this valuable commentary was posted on the TFSN LCI’s website as the project evolved. Furthermore, the FanPlex facility at Turner Field was the primary venue for public engagement, and it was thought of as an active design lab where individuals were taking part in the fashioning of a living document. The building was staged with four stations called LEARN, WISH, SHARE, and ASK, which framed a continuous two-way dialogue between stakeholders and the planning team. In a sense, the document was written in various forms and chapters before its final compilation took shape.

Transferability to other areas or projects: Clarity of content was at the core of the planning process. This allowed the planning team to not only transfer the community’s ideas in a final document, but also to create tools that allowed stakeholders to articulate their vision throughout. By designing each workshop in a way that would yield tangible outcomes that could be recorded and communicated back to the community, the planning team was required to clearly define goals and objectives prior to each engagement. This approach not only benefited the document’s content in the long run, but also avoided unnecessary data collection and focused on effective and productive input.

Quality of thought, analysis and character: A high level of quality was made a priority for every element used in the planning process and all deliverables. From the documents’ graphic layout to the summary videos and presentations offered at the beginning of each workshop, every piece of communication was intentionally crafted to educate those partaking in the process and eliminate unnecessary “noise.” This effectively allowed the informed participants to find consensus and focus in the task at hand.

The recommendations outlined in the plan were illustrated with high-quality site plans, state-of-the-art renderings, easy-to-understand street cross sections, and simple diagrammatic plans. Photos were also essential to further explain concepts recommended in the plan.



Strong effort to solicit Public Participation: Community involvement was an essential component in the documentation of the plan. The community engagement process, which took the planning team to every corner of the LCI study area and engaged over 1,600 community residents and stakeholders, was carried out in collaboration with the Project Management Team and the Core Team. The groups acted as a sounding board from the beginning and provided the kind of critical feedback needed to prepare a deliverable that would benefit everyone.

Starting with a kick-off public meeting in December 2015, the planning team shepherded several public workshops, neighborhood meetings, focus groups, and interviews. Each meeting was summarized with a video and a presentation that was communicated back to the community to ensure that the plan’s content was accurate and inclusive. The TFSN LCI Plan Draft and visualizations were released for the community’s review and comment in July 2016, reflecting, among other things, the comments already received from the public in its final stage.



Use of Technology in the document: Technology played an essential role in the documentation of the plan. The use of video technology to recap each workshop, the creation of an app to facilitate the core area visioning exercise, and the use of social media and the project’s website (www.stadiumneighborhoodslci.org) to keep the public informed are just some the innovations worth mentioning.

A geo-referenced online platform (Neighborland) was also used to gather input. Neighborland is a web-based software startup that allows collaboration with stakeholders in an accessible, participatory, and enjoyable way. www.neighborland.com/stadiumneighborhoods



Project’s Background and Context: The Turner Field LCI study area is located at the bullseye of the Atlanta Region and is at the intersection of some of Atlanta’s most ambitious plans. Noting this importance, the ARC awarded this LCI the most funding for a single project since the LCI’s inception 20 years ago. With the Braves playing their final season downtown and the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority actively negotiating the sale of the property, this community plan has the potential to reshape the southern side of downtown Atlanta. The TFSN LCI public engagement process reached over 1,600 community residents and stakeholders and provided the critical feedback needed to build a bold plan that benefits all those involved and affected. Not only does the TFSN LCI study area include Turner Field, it also encompasses several of the city’s historic neighborhoods that have been negatively impacted by the stadiums and various urban renewal projects of the last half century.



Download 14.14 Kb.

Share with your friends:




The database is protected by copyright ©ininet.org 2024
send message

    Main page