Town to see brighter center

In a time when malls are rapidly replacing main streets as city centers, town leaders are betting big that careful redevelopment of parking lots 2 and 5 will keep the community’s focus squarely on the downtown area.

“The Town Council has invested a lot of time and energy and (taxpayer) money in trying to continue to invigorate downtown in a way that is consistent with our sense of place. … That’s what we aspire to achieve (in lots 2 and 5),” Mayor Kevin Foy said Thursday.

In support of this effort, Ronald Lee Fleming, renowned urban designer and founder of The Townscape Institute in Cambridge, Mass., was invited to speak to residents at Town Hall on Thursday about the importance of public art and urban design in creating meaningful, vibrant downtowns.

Fleming began by praising Chapel Hill for its progressive policies.

“Here (in Chapel Hill), it is really refreshing to see a foundation for sustainable communities and a commission on public arts that is already thinking outside of the traditional box,” Fleming said.

Fleming’s presentation used images from around the world to demonstrate methods of connecting a town’s diverse population with its urban environment.

He stressed that urban design must be approached from a “holistic” viewpoint, citing examples from “small lovable objects” such as custom drinking fountains and moveable street furniture to large activity centers such as parks.

Fleming said the developments of the last 30 years lack that holistic approach, resulting in boring, inactive city centers.

He proposed using art, urban games, food and landscaping to bring people back together and promote community pride.

He also challenged residents to find innovative uses for transit, noting that a new transit center like the one being considered for construction beneath lot 2 is a logical place for people to congregate.

Fleming’s presentation also emphasized ways that cities could exercise more control by regulating design, specifically with regards to building height and historical style.

He proposed ways to fight corporate branding by holding companies to strict design requirements.

Strict design regulations are often at the center of property rights debates because they limit how owners can develop their property. But Fleming said community interest should take priority over individual property claims.

“We have to see it as a collection of rights where we all have responsibility and we all have some impact,” he said. “We have to make public policy that adds community value.”

Fleming added that public art, which has been considered a controversial use of tax dollars, is necessary to achieve that value.

“(Public art projects) are not a frill,” he said, adding that art can create economic value as well as social value.

Parking lot 2, behind Spanky’s restaurant, and parking lot 5, across from University Square, are scheduled to de developed into mixed-use facilities with retail, residential and open space.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.