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STRATEGIES: 7 STRATEGIES FOR DOWNTOWN

CHAPTER 4

ENHANCE THE PUBL I C REALM

Pedestrian connections between buildings offer unique opportunities to create interesting public spaces that contribute to the vibrancy and eclectic character of Downtown Blacksburg. Otherwise drab walkways linking the alley and rear parking areas to the front doors of businesses along Main Street can be transformed with lighting, landscaping, seating, material improvements and public art. These interstitial – or “in-between” – spaces are places where people can be pleasantly surprised by something unexpected just around the corner, like a mural, a shaded garden, or an outdoor patio serving an adjacent restaurant. These are spaces that might otherwise feel uninviting, but can be celebrated as integral pieces of the urban fabric if thoughtfully designed. These spaces can also link the Main Street plaza space to a new, flexible public space between the Progress Street parking garage and the buildings along Main Street. The interior portion of the block bounded by Main Street, Progress Street, Faculty Street and Jackson Street will need to serve a wide variety of functions, including parking, loading zones, pedestrian and bicycle access, and dumpster service. This area can serve these necessary day-to-day functions, while also providing space for impromptu public gathering and temporary activities such as pop-up retail kiosks, food trucks, and special events. Encourage Development of In-Between Spaces

Blacksburg can enhance its public realm by making investments in streetscapes and a range of public spaces such as parks, large gathering spaces, as well as smaller spaces. These investments include: developing a plaza in the heart of Downtown; encouraging development of “in-between” spaces; enhancing parks’ infrastructure and programming; and implementing streetscaping plans on key streets.

Develop a Central Streetside Plaza

The intersection of College Avenue and Main Street represents the physical and social heart of Blacksburg. It serves as a gateway to the Virginia Tech campus as well as the businesses in Central Downtown. In recent years, significant streetscape upgrades to the campus portion of College Avenue, west of Main Street, have enhanced the public realm with landscaping, street seating and aesthetic improvements. To the east of Main, College Avenue is more utilitarian and awkwardly designed, quickly bending to parallel Main Street before intersecting with Wilson Avenue. This extension of College Avenue offers an opportunity to create a signature public plaza and community gathering space at the most prominent location in Downtown Blacksburg. Existing landscaping along the edge of Main, combined with an already plaza-like streetscape north of Wilson, set the stage to create a grander, more visible, and more useable public space. With the creation of expanding public parking nearby, the few existing pull-in spaces on College Avenue will no longer be needed, while more organized surface parking behind the buildings will provide business loading zones. Likewise, improvements to the rear alley system will interconnect Faculty Street to Jackson Street, eliminating the need for a vehicular connection via College Avenue. With these improvements in place, this space can be transformed into a more fitting front door to Downtown Blacksburg.

73 Downtown Blacksburg Strategic Plan STRONG LINK

LINK STRATEGY CONNECTIONS