Editor’s Note: This story is part of a month-long series that highlights 31 ideas included in the “Mansfield Rising” plan. The 67-page document was created by 15 local leaders after attending the South by Southwest Conference last March in Austin, Texas.
Idea 26: Implement a placemaking policy
First things first: The idea of “placemaking” means creating a place that has purpose, a place you want to spend time in.
It feels like a destination versus somewhere you’re just passing through. It’s designed to be lived in, worked in and walked in.
It’s comprehensive, and full. You can walk around the corner for groceries and a cup of coffee. You have what you need within a regional area, and a calm street.
Cities succeed or fail at the human scale – the place scale – and this scale is often overlooked. By implementing the Power of 10+ as developed by the Project for Public Spaces, big changes can be affected through human-scaled interventions.
The community and stakeholders are involved in the process and the uniqueness of the community is brought to the forefront. Future development of public spaces in Downtown Mansfield should be thoroughly vetted for its ability to be utilized by the public for a variety of activities.
Spaces with highly specified programs should be avoided. Rather, they should be designed to accommodate disparate activities.
The most successful public spaces are “multi-use destinations” with many attractions and activities, where citizens can find common ground and where ethnicity and economic tensions can go unnoticed.
The first step would be to establish a core committee of stakeholders to engage property owners, developers, and the community. The task is to put together focus groups for proposed developments that will identify how spaces are currently used — and how modifications to the space might change how people use the space.
This could be an independent committee or part of the City Planning Commission.
Join us for a live discussion of the “Ideas of March” series and the “Mansfield Rising” plan on Thursday, April 4.
Cost: This is primarily a policy implementation that would have little direct cost. However, there is a cost to hire a Placemaking Consultant to develop a policy. There also are indirect costs associated with staff and personnel to implement the policy.
Partners: City Administration, City Planning Commission, Downtown Mansfield, Inc., Destination Mansfield, business owners.
Timeline: Six to 12 months.
