Ann Arbor
Livability 101
 The
urban design issues affecting downtown Ann Arbor encompass a broad
variety of topics: improving the functional and visual appearance of
streets like Huron and South University, balancing the relationship
between historic structures and new development, providing public
amenities such as a central “Town Square” and
maintaining and designing new public spaces like Liberty Plaza and the
Allen Creek Greenway. Public and private developers, and the
design professionals who help create and manifest the vision for
downtown Ann Arbor, must consider both the street and its buildings in
order to create healthy and safe public spaces.
In 2005, the City hired Calthorpe Associates to help the community
create a vision for downtown Ann Arbor, resulting in the document
“Recommended Vision & Policy Framework for Downtown
Ann Arbor,” commonly called the Calthorpe Report. The Report
recommended that the community proceed to implement Urban Design
Guidelines, by means of a highly transparent and inclusive public
process, with public workshops to help prepare community members for
effective involvement. AIA Huron Valley offered to present a series in
partnership with the City of Ann Arbor and civic groups, resulting in
the presentation of the “A2D2” series described
here:
Seminar #1 - Urban Design from
Planning to Architecture:
an introduction to the series, with an explanation of the nature of
both planning and architecture, and basic terminology. The
seminar covered general concepts and then focused on building
expression and contextual design for new construction and historic
preservation, with reference to the AIA’s Five Urban Design
Principles and examples of their application.
Seminar
#2 – Planning Tools needed for the Development of Design
Guidelines for Urban Environments:
presentation of basic zoning and advanced planning tools such as:
overlay zoning, planned developments, form-based zoning, and design
guidelines, also exploring the tools’ pros and cons, and what
each tool can and cannot do.
Seminar
#3 - Design Guidelines: Process, Methods and Outcomes:
a presentation by representatives of cities similar to Ann Arbor that
use Design Guidelines. Representatives discussed their use of
the guidelines, how they work, with details of successes and failures.
Seminar
#4 – Design Guidelines: Practical and Realistic:
presentation and charrette by Bruce Race, FAIA, a specialist in
community-based urban design and guidelines, with interactive
discussion and case studies review.
 In
Spring 2007, the City hired the team of Race Studio and Winter
& Company to write urban design guidelines for Ann
Arbor’s downtown and in the process to lead a series of
public workshops.
Members of AIA Huron Valley continue their work with the City in public
education and envisioning the ongoing shaping of Ann Arbor and other
communities, with value added by design.
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