Fort Wayne, IN
Downtown Visions

The Planning NEXT Team was hired by the City of Fort Wayne to help develop a vision to guide public policy and private investment in the downtown area, design the public spaces and buildings that frame the vision, and identify site-specific catalyst projects. The team designed and implemented a three-part intensive charrette process, named BlueprintPlus. A steering committee representative of varied interests served as stewards of BlueprintPlus, ambassadors of the charrette to greater Fort Wayne, and a compass for the emerging ideas.

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Revitalization of downtown.

BlueprintPlus identified 49 initiatives, of which 10 were considered to have the potential of being catalysts for further development. Many of the 49 initiatives have been or are in the process of being implemented, including the conversion of one-way streets, the physical reintegration of the Library and the Grand Wayne Center into downtown, extensive beautification initiatives and a mixed-use project called Harrison Square which includes a minor league baseball park, a new hotel, retail, a parking structure, and residences with an easy walking distance from the downtown core. The complex was inaugurated a mere four years after the completion of BlueprintPlus.

A public design process.

The Planning NEXT Team designed the North River Now charrette to determine the best use for the site, capturing the community’s vision for the district, identifying implementation steps that leverage public funds and private investments, and ensuring that the downtown retains its role as the vibrant social and physical center of the region. The charrette kicked off with an intensive public design workshop that attracted a wide cross-section of the public and generated five alternative schematic plans for the site. Planning NEXT also developed a regulations plan and form-based standards, which will served as a precursor for the City to institute a form-based code.

Support for planning at key site.

Stemming from the BluePrintPlus process, the Planning NEXT Team then designed and facilitated North River Now—a vision and strategic planning process for a 29-acre area just north of downtown which had been determined to hold great potential. The Team worked on a plan to determine the highest and best use for the site, to bridge the physical divide of the river and to capture the community’s vision for the future.

Image: John McGauley via Flickr CC Image: John McGauley via Flickr CC

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Tags

Project Type: Downtown vision and strategic plan
Community Type: mid-size city
Client: City of Fort Wayne
Services: public engagement, urban design, visioning