Understanding how parks, plazas, and public spaces impact downtown revitalization efforts.

Steve Butler, Municipal Research & Services Center

Downtowns are the commercial center of most cities, serving as the “heart” for a community and helping define its image. Many downtowns suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people stopped going out in public and many employees shifted to working remotely. As many communities strive to bring the public back to their downtowns, it is important to recognize the crucial role that parks and open space can play in making those places more welcoming.

Downtown revitalization and the importance of public gathering places

A major goal of downtown revitalization is to maintain or expand the economic activity of existing commercial/ mixed-use development levels. Parks, plazas, and other types of public open space can serve as a significant economic catalyst by attracting people to your central business district/commercial core.

These public spaces can function as gathering spots to create an authentic sense of place that brings people together, as well as serving as areas of calm and respite for visitors and community members alike. Some urban planning experts view public space as being “the glue that connects the physical downtown environment.”

When examining the evolving role of public spaces in economic recovery, with a focus on the post-COVID era, a Brookings Institute study of three cities found that “public spaces play a crucial role in shifting perceptions of downtown areas, inspiring infrastructure improvements, and incubating small businesses.” To use them as a means to draw more people downtown, a concentrated and deliberate effort, along with a financial investment, may be needed to enhance your parks, plazas, and other public open spaces.

Plazas and pocket parks may be located on either public or private property, the latter of which is often associated with an office, mixed-use, or multifamily residential building. For downtowns and commercial centers, it is important for privately owned public spaces to be open and accessible to all members of the public during “reasonable hours,” meaning times of the day when people would normally be working in or visiting downtown.

Because they successfully activate the broader public realm, sidewalks (with space for sidewalk cafes) and parklets/“streateries” (i.e., restaurant seating or retail display areas that occupy curbside parking spaces, usually adjacent to a pedestrian-oriented business using them) should also be a component of a community’s downtown revitalization efforts.

A major goal of downtown revitalization is to maintain or expand the economic activity of existing commercial/mixed-use development levels.

Key characteristics and attributes of successful public spaces

A successful public space needs to fundamentally address the following needs:

Safety: People will congregate where there is a sense of protection against unpleasant or unsafe experiences.

Comfort: A park, plaza, or other type of open space needs to take human comfort into account, which includes opportunities to sit, relax, and be protected from inclement weather, as needed.

Enjoyment: Public spaces need to be pleasant and fun places to be, which allow people to experience the space and surrounding areas, passively view nearby activity, and even engage in active recreational opportunities, in some cases.

One consideration concerning the issue of safety: Although people need to feel safe and protected within a public space, this does not mean that a security guard needs to be stationed at every park or plaza. Instead, a sense of safety is created by high activity levels, such as areas with busy sidewalks or adjacent buildings that frame the area and have large windows people can see in and out of. The latter condition creates an environment where there are “eyes on the street,” allowing for natural surveillance to occur.

The three elements listed below are critical for a public space to successfully achieve the above-mentioned goals of safety, comfort, and enjoyment.

An enticing and welcoming location

Public spaces flourish when people have a variety of reasons to be there. On the other hand, isolated locations with low pedestrian activity and poor visibility from sidewalks or adjacent buildings will almost always result in underutilized spaces. People want to feel safe in their public spaces, and they will intuitively sense when it is missing.

Attractive, interesting, and human-focused design

The design of a downtown park or plaza should be appealing and enticing enough to attract people to want to use it. Good lighting (either natural or artificial) and comfortable seating are two key components of any successful open space. Landscaping, both softscape and hardscape, is another important design feature. Natural vegetation, such as trees and groundcover, is often found in an urban park or plaza but isn’t necessarily an essential feature. Having high-quality “hardscape” materials (such as pavers and artistic benches) is also important.

Public art, water features, and even some recreational options can also contribute to the appeal of public space.

Programmed activities

Some parks and plazas do not have enough positive characteristics to attract users to a location that doesn’t normally draw visitors. In those cases, it may be beneficial to provide site-specific “play equipment” and to program fun activities that will attract people to that space.

The bottom line

It will likely take a few years before downtowns adjust to the “new normal.” In the meantime, cities and towns need to focus on new, innovative strategies they can take to encourage people to visit and use their downtowns. Providing attractive, safe, and enjoyable parks, plazas, and public open space can play an important role in downtown revitalization efforts.

MRSC Planning & Policy Manager Steve Butler has been involved in most aspects of community planning for over 30 years, both in the public and private sectors. He received a B.A. from St. Lawrence University and a M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Steve has served as president of statewide planning associations in both Washington and Maine. He was elected to the American Institute of Certified Planners’ College of Fellows in 2008.