Page 560 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

The Power of Sustainability: The Story of Kent, Ohio Chapter j 26 529

CENTRAL GATEWAY: TRANSFORMING KENT’S
DOWNTOWN

Kent’s downtown was important to the Kent community, and resident’s desired
it to be the economic/social/environmental focal point of the community. Kent
resident’s downtown of the future follows.

Shared Vision Themes

l A place to gather for families and individuals (alleys, places to shop, parks)
l Economically vibrant with a mix of locally owned small businesses
and student-friendly retailers; downtown includes office space, services,
and quality housing;
l A location for cultural activities and opportunities, arts and entertainment,
and shopping. Places to live, eat, and play
l Offers recreational opportunities taking advantage of the Cuyahoga River
l An exciting location for entertainment and events based on the arts, music,
and culture
l Preservation of Kent’s history through reuse/use of older and historic
buildings
l Eliminate disconnect between the university and the community, and be-
tween the campus and the downtown. Students shop downtown and parents
can stay in town when they visitdplace to stay, things to do (restaurants,
shopping, entertainment)
l Physically and visually appealing with plantings, benches, art, and
attractive streetscapes
These vision themes were interpreted into goals and strategies. Multidi-
mensionality was built in at this stage, intentionally linking social, economic,
and environmental features to each goal to ensure that they supported tenets of
sustainability (balance and linkage). The following flow chart presents the
planning process and development of multidimensional goals followed by
examples (Fig. 26.2).

Examples of Multidimensional Goals From the Kent Plan:
Encourage and promote locally owned businesses

l Economic/social: Downtown merchants organize to improve commer-
cial activity and sidewalk events.
l Economic/social/environmental (built): Kent will become a Main Street
Program.
l Economic/social/environmental (built): Kent students have the oppor-
tunity to open shops in the downtown alleyways that attract students and
residents.