In other words , the built environment is changing and taking a more holistic design approach .
“ The better the urban experience is , the more visitors you have and the more viable your establishments become ,” explained Binoy Panicker , principal urban planner at Ayres . “ If you have something more valuable in terms of your urban street and downtown , people have greater sense of pride , they feel a greater sense of belonging , and they want to be around something that ’ s more attractive and more notable .”
The key to addressing this challenge lies in carefully programming activities in the built environment with thoughtful positioning of public areas , plazas , historic assets , shopping , dining , entertainment , and places to live – then linking these activities with a highquality public infrastructure to enhance the overall user experience of our communities .
So how do cities go about it ? From shade trees to public art to street amenities to pedestrian crossings to bike facilities to festive decorative elements , the options are practically endless .
One Community ’ s Experience
The City of Wildwood , Florida , ( population 24,681 ) has a success story to tell in this respect . In 2021 , the City sought Ayres ’ planning and design assistance to create a master plan for its downtown , with a focus on redevelopment and infrastructure
upgrades in the core area to connect it to the surrounding neighborhoods and wider region .
Jason McHugh , Wildwood ’ s city manager , describes the community as “ an old railroad town that lacked investment in its core .” Just to its northeast is The Villages , an affluent and fast-growing retirement community . Bisecting the City is the CSX Railroad switchyard , with a major highway – U . S . 301 – running parallel to the railroad line and alienating a lower income area .
When looking at the downtown master plan , one of the requests officials repeatedly received was to “ fix the downtown ,” McHugh said , explaining how residents of The Villages often drive through the disconnected and neglected area , punctuated by www . AyresAssociates . com 13