Shawn Everitt
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
Downtown Public Realm Plan
Introduction:
This project will document, design, and present options for urban design guidelines for public spaces within the urban downtown of Meaford. Design guidelines aim to support community well-being, cultural vitality, and economic opportunity. The guidelines may include concepts related to trees, vegetation and beautification, parking and sidewalk design, traffic calming, and lighting.
These guidelines will direct the evolution of the public realm in downtown Meaford in a way that is consistent with the existing character while evolving to support the community’s vision for the future and historic context. Once adopted, future projects to upgrade or replace municipal infrastructure in the downtown will be based on the design standards.
Project Description:
For the purposes of this project, the downtown is tentatively defined as the area bounded by the shoreline, the bridgehead area accross the Bighead River, and Cook Street.
The Downtown Public Realm Project will include:
- Developing guiding document(s) to establish an urban design framework for the public realm to guide the evolution of the downtown as the cultural, service and economic heart of the community that is accessible to all, beautiful, vibrant, sensitive to heritage features, and provides economic opportunities.
- Providing an analysis and outline of current build form relationships and opportunities within the downtown.
- Focus on municipally owned property and right-or-ways, lands that have public access, and aspects of private lands and development that influence the function and sense of place of the public realm.
- Outlining strategic actions available to the Municipality to facilitate positive results from public realm improvements and development.
- Engagement of citizens, downtown property owners, community and cultural groups, and external stakeholders will be part of the project.
Additional Information:
It is expected that the Project will have to be managed to allow for flexibility in the timeline to integrate insights gathered from citizens and downtown stakeholders and organizations. Forecasted tasks include:
- Confirmation of the downtown study area.
- Analysis phase and findings relating to the characteristics of the built environment in the downtown.
- Development and execution of communications for public and stakeholder engagement strategy.
- Gathering and analysis of best practice design examples for potential adaptation and integration.
- Preparation of Downtown Public Realm Plan guideline documents.
- Report preparation, scheduling, and presentation to Council at regularly scheduled public meetings.