"Main-Street Destination"
Story 1
"Driving into the city from the comforts of their homes, locals and tourists alike look for a taste of that small town feel. Finally they park their cars and are forced to walk through the town in order to get a bit of the local food or to buy a trinket that has something to do with cherries. As they walk they notice other people enjoying the same surroundings and soon come upon a plaza to sit. For the first time in what seems like ages they are still. The view of the river and glimpse of the waterfront start to wash over them as they relax with their surroundings. Eventually they give in and walk back to their cars taking in those last moments with Traverse City so that they may get into their cars for the drive home."
Story 2
"In my opinion, downtown Main Street has too many small infill surface parking lots. The owners make good passive income with those lots, but they make Main Street look visually unappealing and discontinuous. My suggestion would be to buy all the lots on a land contract, build a single consolidated strategic parking structure, and sell the remaining lots to user developers. This way we will be making our downtown pedestrian spine stronger."
Story 3
"Surface parking behind and around Front Street has been reduced; spaces have been moved to structures that are a short walk away. There was a campaign to get residents to walk more around the downtown area, trying to clear the infiltration of cars. During summer weekends the downtown is very crowded, and the extra public space is a luxury to the pedestrian population. People love to linger and loiter on these days. During the week and winter months however, the downtown isn’t as populated with pedestrians, the “short” walk from the parking structure to the downtown area becomes too long for someone who wants to run a quick errand. On off days, downtown feels very deserted. The city is considering reinstating some of the surface parking in a few key areas. Other options include offering a free trolley/bus service that would transport people between the structure and Front Street. Significant volume of bus/trolley users is a concern however."
Lifestyle Clustering
"A few developers have invested in dense housing developments in or around downtown Traverse City. The atmosphere downtown is more lively and viable than in past years. Although families are scarce, there seems to be a distinct district of artisans and single business people developing. Boutiques and Niche shops continue to flourish mainly on Front St., and local amenities remain unavailable downtown, requiring a drive to the local big-box for affordable products. Surface lots are still in abundance, causing problems for local (larger), businesses, and those that wish to visit downtown during the day.
Perimeter
"there's only one place where i can buy
all my needs where jeans/fruits/propane tanks abound
can this half tank of gas take me all the way across town?
looks like the whole town is here--locals, no doubt beyond the sea of black and people and cars beckons the gray, red and blue warehouse, no, SUPERwarehouse
a year ago i remember standing here,admiring the glistening Bay in the distance.
"Car Cooling"
Story 1
"It’s great to see such an influx of families living downtown. The new riverside housing project was really a hit, not to mention the construction of the new Lakeview Offices building. The majority of the new residents are employees of the many businesses that practice inside. It seems to have been a win-win situation for the city and downtown businesses. The Lakeview Offices built their own parking structure and, as agreed to with the city, built double the amount of parking spaces needed to support the businesses inside. Because many of the new residents work within the building and walk from their downtown residences during the warmer months, many residents have favored more housing development on the now lesser used parking lots."
Story 2
"There has been a large development around the water front and the downtown district. 2 major hotels have changed the skyline of Traverse City and more retail shops recently opened extending the Front street shopping district all the way to the Westside. People living in downtown walk to the shops and conveniently walk back to their homes with grocery carts. The city doesn’t provide any public parking around the shopping district so the travelers leave their cars at hotels and use public transportation, free trolley. Temporary visitors need to spend some time looking for parking which caused an increase in the number of restaurants offering valet parking. The hotels offer hourly parking spots to the visitors during day time and have worked a special deal with downtown residents to provide parking after 6pm. Larger scaled franchise stores start to take over the west side of the downtown to accommodate new downtown residents. The new apartment buildings start to grow taller in order to get the view to the lake.
"Mosaic"
Story 1
"Spiraling up the parking deck, the
kids sense we're almost home.
I've just picked them up from school across town. I can't wait
until next fall when the new middle school opens in the abandoned warehouse
on W. Front Street. It was such an eyesore for so long and a
hiding place for the bored and drug-curious young people in town. I
thrilled they are rehabilitating one of Traverse City's oldest and
most historical buildings, and the kids are excited to walk home from
school without the embarassment of mom picking them up. There
are so many new families moving into downtown, it only makes sense
to reuse our existing structures for services that are truly needed
in the community.
"Mom, when we get home can I go to the skatepark with Jimmy?" asks
my youngest son Sanjiv. I tell him it's OK. The new skatepark is
on the waterfront; I can keep an eye on the kids from my office window. "I'll
call you when dinner is ready."
As I am starting dinner, I realize I forgot some ingredients for my
specialty dessert. "Archana, will you run down to the grocery
store to get my 'secret ingredient'?" In the past year they've
started to carry the spices of Indian cuisine at the corner store. It's
great that I can find them so close; I've been inspired to cook at
home a lot more.
By the time Archana has returned, dinner is ready. I shout out
the window to Sanjiv. He runs to our apartment, and we're all
home for our sit-down family dinner. "
Story 2
"Parking in downtown Traverse City has changed. Parking structures were built, allowing the surface parking to be converted to public spaces. Families have moved back downtown, delighted by the walkability and lack of congestion. Front street has become more than your one-stop shopping for specialty boutique items and chocolate. Other amenities have moved in, the corner grocery, pharmacy, dry cleaner. Everyday needs are a five minute walk away for the new residents, and nobody minds because that five minute walk is a pleasant one through the quaint downtown. Neighbors know each other, running into one another while they go about their daily business. Downtown feels alive."
"Commercialization"
Story 1
"Sport Mart, Kroger, and Best Buy move into the new strip mall developed on the lot at the south east corner of Hall St. and Grandview Parkway. There is also a Starbucks and Barnes&Noble as part of the multi-colored, gable-roofed set of buildings that make up the mall. Traverse City residents as well as local lake-side homeowners know they can count on these stores to provide the supplies and services they regularly need. This shopping area has a small parking lot for its customers, but the nearby parking structure at the south end of Hall absorbs spillover traffic at rushhour and on weekends? the main times that working parents finally get a chance to go to the stores and buy the things their families need for school, work, and recreation. Drivers on the Parkway often see the Starbucks coffee sign and drop in for a beverage before continuing on their drive around the bay. Weekends are especially packed when people from their further outside of Traverse City proper flock to this regional commercial center where they know exactly what to expect at exactly which store. But local residents are content that at least this hub of chain stores doesn't disturb the view that gives Grandview Parkway its namesake. "
Story 2
"Because of the increasing commercial activities in downtown Traverse City developers who want to build big structures in the downtown area also have to provide relative amounts of parking. This new policy has resulted in a vertical downtown lifestyle, driving into parking decks, taking elevators, going up, and going down. Residents work and play in the downtown area but return to their homes outside city limits on a daily basis. Because of high buildings, good views are limited on particular floors and specific angles; downtown open space is extremely precious. In order to get good views of the lake and open spaces, developers built higher and higher structures. Today, there are more and more towers emerge in front of Traverse City."
What are these?
Scenario planning tells stories of alternative futures whose prospects exist in the present. The method is intended to support design strategy and not to position any one of the scenarios as best or worst. The stories here were written by pairs of students as quick improvisations in a one-day exercise at scenario planning. Each paragraph is a separate and very quick take.
""Just-Like-Us Factor"
Story 1
"A reinvigorated children's museum and newly-constructed, modern play structure at the waterfront attract young families into downtown for outings. On sunny afternoons you see parents leisurely walking strollers through the downtown shops and having playdates at the park? These are the parents who have tele-commute jobs or can afford to be stay-at-home. In the evenings (after school) and on weekends, older kids play league-organized soccer games on the bayfront lawn. On those days the parking lot behind the farmers market is packed with minivans, little league coaches, and parents chatting about the PTA. Everyone knows each other and are protective over their community, keeping an eye out for suspicious strangers who may encroach on their children's safe haven."
Story 2
It has been over a year since the downtown housing boom has begun and just as many anticipated, city parking is being stretched to its limits. Although many of the new residents walk during the hot months, the winter months are a different story. Pressure has been growing on public officials to accommodate for the new demand in parking but the city’s hands are tied because many of the residents are still resistant to new parking facilities. On the other hand, downtown businesses are quite happy with their new daily customers and there has even been talk of more community friendly stores opening up. Residents are happy to make a stop at the local grocery or drug store rather than drive out of town to make purchases."
Story 3
"It appears as though nothing has changed, nothing has moved and nothing has been affected. Locals park in the same parking spots and they go to the same businesses. Tourist keep driving through at the same high speeds with their faces pressed up against the glass to ensure that they don’t miss a split second view of the bay. Only this year the view is different, there are people out on the beach. The downtown has changed as well. As time marches on Traverse City has not become a relic of what an Up North city should be. It still resembles one based on looks but there are people roaming the streets year round. They are living downtown and communities as well as districts of differing character are springing up all over the city. Now there are festivals of a different kind happening throughout the city. There are block parties and barbecues that have nothing to do with the tourists or the cherry season. With new families and a new attitude, Traverse City has become more than the idea a small town, it has become a real small town."
Story 4
"Downtown housing plan resulted many people to be able to work at a walkable distance to their homes. The buildings around downtown have changed into multi-complex structures with retails on the ground level, office units above and apartment units on top 3-4 floors. The density of downtown has increased in terms of larger and taller apartments with underground parking. The housing price around the water front keeps increasing and there is a noticeable income gap between people living in downtown verses in the south. The view to the lake is now blocked with 5-8 story tall buildings and people start to enjoy the rooftop barbeque parties above their apartment units looking down the lake."
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