Background:
- Urban design plan for downtown Hartford (Conneticut USA). The iQuilt Plan helps to connect the exceptional assets of downtown Hartford: museums, performance spaces, historic landmarks, modern architecture, and public art;
- Walk Friendly Communities are supported by ambitious and comprehensive plans that tie together their activities to improve their streets;
- Focuses on the connection between walkability and livability.
- Aims to enrich the city through creation of a vibrant, appealing pedestrian network that weaves together the city’s cultural assets;
- Improve social cohesion, public safety, economic prosperity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- Major theme of community identity in iQuilt – used to create wayfinding system for information kiosks/outlets;
Concept:
- The nine components of the plan focus on improving the street experience for those on foot while at the same time realising the increased benefits of combining better streets with places people want to go
- Macro-scale tenets of walkability: right-sized and traffic-calmed streets, compact urban form, and connected pedestrian networks.
- Micro-scale important details to increase walkability; streetscape, green infrastructure, and increased cultural interactions on the streets, space to engage in outdoor physical
- Integrates these components with improved transit and better parking policies to further encourage walking downtown. e.g. Downtown bus loops modified and bus stops have been updated with amenities such as shelters, seating, and improved schedule information;
- Green Walk portion of the plan – improvements to existing historic green spaces in the city and how they can be enhanced to attract and engage citizens in and around downtown;
Outcomes and Relevance:
The iQuilt plan combines a variety of strategies for building a more walkable city into one plan with a cohesive and achievable vision for building on the strengths of a city with a lot going for it – similar to Fremantle which was once a diverse and vibrant community pillar thriving with art and action.
Sources:
Design Practices: Identity 