Design Workshops

In October and November we held a series of community workshops to gather ideas and input. Here’s information about each of the Kansas Avenue Design Workshops, including the Wrap-up Workshop where we determined the top priorities for each of the initiatives that had been identified.

Walker Collaborative Design Workshop:

Check out the City of Topeka’s two-part video summary of the Phillip Walker Design Workshop session:
(Part 1)

(Part 2)

Consultant:
Phillip Walker, a community visioning & town center specialist
Phillip_Walker_Qualifications | http://www.walkercollaborative.com/

Took place:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 | 3 pm -- 8 pm

Location:
800 SW Jackson, First Floor (Former US Bank Building)

More information  & video coverage:
Download Phillip’s PowerPoint Presentation for the Design Workshop
Watch John Ary’s video interview with Phillip Walker
Watch the City of Topeka’s video interview with Phillip Walker

RBF Consulting Design Workshop:

Here’s the City of Topeka’s two-part video summary of the Susan Harden Design Workshop session:
(Part 1)

(Part 2)

Consultant:
Susan Harden, Midwest/Kansas main street specialist
Susan_Harden_Qualifications | RBF.com

Took place:
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 | 5 pm -- 10 pm

Location:
Grand Ball Room, Ramada Inn

More information & video coverage:
Download Susan’s TownScan with Community Results
Watch John Ary’s video interview with Susan Harden
Watch the City of Topeka’s video interview with Susan Harden

Goody Clancy Design Workshop:

Check out the City of Topeka’s video summary of the Goody Clancy Design Workshop session:

Consultant:
David Dixon, renowned urban design & downtown revitalization visionary
David_Dixion_Qualifications | GoodyClancy.com

Took place:
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 | 12 pm -- 5 pm

Location:
800 SW Jackson, First Floor (Former US Bank Building)

More information & video coverage:
Download David’s PowerPoint Presentation for the Design Workshop
Watch the City of Topeka’s video interview with David Dixon

Wrap-up Workshop:

During the Wrap-up Workshop, participants broke into groups to discuss and plot out their visions for the future of downtown Topeka. Each group included a professional architect or engineer to help assist with laying out plans. Below are several maps of ideas that were created at the forth community workshop.

Group One favored closing part of 9th street and making it public green space while preserving access to the parking garage. This space shows off the splendor of our State Capitol and provides a gateway to Kansas Avenue.

Group Two focused on a gently curving roadway. This idea slows traffic and creates more space for public green space and water features. The gentle curves also mimic the rolling hills this part of Kansas is known for.

Group Three A narrowed the road to create wider sidewalks for cafes, water features, and green space all while preserving on-street parking.

Group Three B looked to create a more festive atmosphere on 9th street with overhead lights. This leads in to a large park by Quincy.

Group Four removed the center islands and narrowed the street. This provides for more sidewalk space without affecting on-street parking. They have also added center overhead lighting.

Group Five adds additional center street parking by narrowing Kansas Avenue. The intersections would feature median with towers that could be used to support sound and lighting equipment for events.

Survey Results

Over the course of the three Kansas Avenue Design Workshops, six major areas of consideration were identified by the participants: public space, housing, events, transportation, destination and unique/green/other initiatives.

During the wrap-up workshop, attendees were asked to vote for their top three priorities for each initiative. Here’s how the votes came in:

Public Space:

Housing:

Events:

Transportation:

Destination:

Unique/Green/Other Initiatives:

After the first round of surveys were complete, the top three priorities from each initiative were compiled for a final vote. Results were as follows:

You can download PDFs with all of the results from the first round of surveys or second survey from the wrap-up workshop.