CLIENT: ThisCouldBePHX.com
INDUSTRY: Urban Design & Planning
AUDIENCE: Community Activists, Real Estate/Development firms
CONTRIBUTION: Urban Planning & Design, Copywriting, Graphic Design
This envision project focuses on the Arizona Center, bound by Van Buren, Fillmore, 3rd and 5th Streets. Since its opening in 1990, the Center has experienced ups and downs as it has struggled to find its place within the downtown retail scene. Once filled with retail on the ground level with a food court above, the current mix heavily relies on restaurant and bar uses, while the upper floors have been converted to office space.
Two visions have been developed. The first shows how the Center could transform by building out its site without major redevelopment of what currently exists. The second transforms the Center into a true urban mall by opening it up and completely rethinking the existing layout.
Background
When it opened, downtown was a much different place. To the north and east were empty lots and dilapidated housing; to the west, 3rd Street ran below grade to the Phoenix Civic Plaza, making for a non-existent pedestrian experience. Because of those challenges, and the fact that only two of the six planned towers were constructed, the Center orients itself completely inward with walls facing each of these directions, with only one inviting entrance on the southwest corner.
Process & Strategy
As downtown grew up, and gentrified around the Center, this led to dead zones in the urban fabric, particularly on Fillmore and 3rd Streets. Additionally, the Center is the terminus of ASU’s Taylor Mall – currently, just a blank beige wall greets students at the end of their walk. This project looks at what can be done to change these shortcomings and better integrate the Arizona Center into the greater downtown. The goals of the project are to:
Activate all sides of the development
Reduce dead zones in the pedestrian fabric
Inject foot traffic into the center on a more permanent basis
Utilize existing space efficiently to house the greatest number of beneficial outlets
Results
The project was sent to the new owner of the Center and was heavily promoted via social media; receiving over 1,000 visits, this envision project received the highest traffic to the website to date.