Design
Design means getting the neighborhood business center into top physical shape. Capitalizing on its best assets — such as historic buildings and pedestrian-oriented streets — is just part of the story.
Design activities also include instilling good maintenance practices in the commercial district, enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging appropriate new construction, developing sensitive design management systems, and long-term planning.
Graffiti Hurts National Award Program
COPS Paint Over Graffiti Program
First Impressions Program
Streetscape Improvements
Purpose of Streetscape Improvements
Streetscape improvements capitalize on the districts best assets — such as historic buildings and pedestrian-oriented streets — but physical capital improvements are only part of the story.
An inviting atmosphere created through vibrant pedestrian scale streetscapes, traffic calming, attractive window displays, parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, street lights, and landscaping, conveys a positive visual message about the commercial district and what it has to offer.
Inviting physical spaces and activities also include instilling good maintenance practices in the commercial district, enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging appropriate new construction, developing sensitive design management systems, and long-term planning.
- Complete streets make economic sense. A balanced transportation system that includes complete streets can bolster economic growth and stability by providing accessible and efficient connections between residences, schools, parks, public transportation, offices, and retail destinations. Complete streets can reduce transportation costs and travel time while increasing property values and job growth. Research shows that building walkable streets and lowering automobile speeds can improve economic conditions for both residents and business owners, and anecdotal evidence indicates that home values increase on streets that have received complete streets treatments. (Drennen, Cervero, Burden) Complete Streets Spark Economic Revitalization
NBC's Role in Streetscape Implementation
The NBC office is the one point of contact for all “Center” streetscape improvement projects. NBC works with the neighborhoods and their business districts to identify desired streetscape improvements and walks them thought the implementation process outlined within this guidebook.
The implementation process is at minimum a two year project and multi-phased projects can be ongoing for up to a decade. NBC’s role is that of coordinator between the neighborhood, business district, consultants, funding sources, outside agencies and all involved City departments. NBC provides periodic updates on the progress of all streetscape projects to all parties involved. NBC applies for and leverages multiple funding sources to optimize the capital improvement investment.
NBC promotes the physical improvements to entice and encourage additional private investment and to strengthen the over all economic vitality of the “Centers.” NBC works to encourage the use of best practices and maintenance practices to ensure that the capital improvements will last for many years to come.
Neighborhood Streetscape Project Information
The NBC office is the one point of contact for all “Center” streetscape improvement projects. NBC works with the neighborhoods and their business districts to identify desired streetscape improvements and walks them through the implementation process outlined within the guidebook.
Resources
MainStreet Article - Trees Mean Business
Washington State survey of conditions for bicycling/walking
A opinion survey of bicycling and walking conditions in Washington State found that less than half of respondents felt it was very easy to walk and bicycle in their communities. And of those who found non-motorized travel difficult, the most common reasons given were a lack of sidewalks, bike lanes, and shoulders.
- Complete Streets Power Point Presentation
- Funding your Streetscape Project
- Surviving Streetscape Construction
- The Healthy Transportation Network: Linking Safety and Community Design
- Ten Principles for Reinventing America's Suburban Strips
Historic Façade Improvement Program
The City of Spokane Neighborhood Business Centers (NBC) economic revitalization program follows the National Trust Historic Preservation’s Main Street Four Point Approach to revitalization. The Four Point Approach supports the preservation of historically significant and contributing structures and is designed to bring economic revitalization to business districts. To this end, the Historic Façade Improvement Program has been established to encourage property owners in their rehabilitation and preservation efforts by providing financial incentives.
