Granary District

Salt Lake City's streets are legendary for their width — 132 feet in most areas — and consume approximately 30% of the City’s land area. In the Granary District, a 240-acre “gritty, diverse and grounded” neighborhood revitalization area adjacent to downtown Salt Lake City, that adds up to a lot of land.  MWA led a “crowd-sourced” charrette (whoever shows up and volunteers!) with James Alfandre, director of The Kentlands Initiative, and project organizers, neighborhood businesses, residents, and allies tackled a number of questions, including how to tame the District’s mammoth streets — which are hard to cross, consume valuable land, yet carry little traffic.  Stakeholders in the Granary District refer to it as “a diverse neighborhood with diverse neighbors that grew up around the railroad, industry, warehouses and silos.”

The “crowd-sourced” charrette was a first for Watkins, but Alfandre’s thorough and enthusiastic preparation made for an exceptional week that produced remarkable results and enthusiasm. The stakeholders in the District were able to clearly articulate their vision for their neighborhood and Alfandre and Watkins were able to direct the efforts of the extraordinary efforts of the local designers that participated into a coherent and exciting plan reflecting the stakeholders vision. 

Media

 

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Best Vision Plan

Location:  Salt Lake City, Utah [map]
Client:  The Kentlands Initiative
Type:  infill
Acres:  240
Program:  A new “fleet block,” granary row, library, school, inter-block pedestrian weave, re-claimed rights-of-way, Rails-to-trails, industrial park and extended transit

Transect Zones:  T4, T5, T6, SD