Community Greenprint

Project Synopsis

This research project proposes to formulate a new "Community Greenprint" for Palataka's Main Street area, also known as the Central Business District (CBD). The Community Greenprint will establish an overall landscape strategy for CBD that meets the city's goals and objectives for redeveloping the area. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the city's representatives and community stakeholders.

The project will expand three areas of inquiry and synthesis related to 'livability' in Palatka and the intersection of community development and ecological design where the proposed Community Greenprint can serve as a new form of cultural infrastructure for the City of Palatka.

• Conduct research on existing strategies that integrate open space systems, urban density and form with the community and at a variety of scales (eco-regions, town / city scale, community scale, district scale, the urban block and site-specific).
• Conduct a case study analysis of towns and communities of similar scale to evaluate the potential of different urban morphologies (overall spatial plans that integrate built form, density, land uses, open space and community needs, stormwater management and public infrastructure) that optimize livability.
• Formulate a Community Greenprint, a proposed landscape strategy and master plan drawn from the research and feedback from the city's representatives and community and synthesized using best management practices. The landscape strategy and master plan proposal will include the synthesis of design proposals for the city's consideration in their planning and capital projects improvements program, as well as other redevelopment and community development needs.

Mission

This mission-based action research project will be developed by a group of eight students seeking the Master of Landscape Architecture degree at the University of Florida's Department of Landscape Architecture under the direct supervision of Dr. Mary G. Padua, Associate Professor. The research project will occur through the educational platform of the design studio course setting (studio). The studio will engage with the city's representatives and community stakeholders. Students in the studio will produce three to five alternative landscape strategies and master plans with illustrative renderings that leverage different key priorities such as:

• Palatka's CBD context with the adjacent North and South Historic Districts
• Community linkages with the rest of Palatka and the surrounding communities
• Ecological and bio-regional context of St. John's River
• Palatka's long-range planning
• Connections with existing or future bikeway systems
• Infill and streetscape strategies
• Best practices for stormwater management integrated with a landscape program that considers:
  • The various scales of parks (identified in Palatka's Comprehensive Plan) as well as alternatives that could include temporary use or permanent use (working landscapes or community gardens, rain gardens, flexible outdoor space for everyday, evening, weekend or seasonal use)
  • Adaptive re-use of existing properties
  • Plazas or other designed landscape typologies

This project made possible in part by a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant.

Source: " Proposal for Community Greenprint: an action oriented landscape strategy for Downtown Palatka, Florida," Dr. Mary Padua University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning, 2012.