Concept image for park block excerpted from the Glenwood Refinement Plan
I sometimes feel like I’ve just
crawled out from under a rock: I only recently discovered that the City of
Springfield was the recipient of one the American Planning Association’s 2015 National Planning Excellence & Achievement Awards for its Phase 1 Glenwood Refinement Plan (GRP). The APA bestowed the award this past April and
my surprise at the news isn’t for lack of publicity. Outlets as diverse as The Register-Guard, KLCC,
and APA’s Oregon Chapter all noted the prestigious national honor. Let me add my (belated)
kudos to the City of Springfield and everyone involved in the development of
the award-winning plan!
The GRP establishes a vision for
the future of Glenwood, providing guidance for how land use, natural resources,
public facilities, and commercial opportunities should be developed, designed
and enhanced. The goal of the project is to provide clear objectives, policies,
and implementation actions that support and facilitate the redevelopment of
Glenwood into an attractive place to live, work and visit.
Phase1 of the GRP successfully
builds upon previous planning efforts with a more comprehensive look at desired
types and forms of new development and redevelopment in Glenwood. It calls for
a forward-thinking community vision, a commitment to high-quality development, investments
in new infrastructure, and responsible stewardship of the Willamette River
corridor and Springfield’s natural resources.
“The GRP is an outstanding
example of a comprehensive planning process that establishes an achievable
vision for the future,” said W. Shedrick Coleman, 2015 APA Awards Jury chair.
“By providing clear objectives, policies and implementation actions, the GRP
supports and facilitates the redevelopment of Glenwood into an attractive place
to live, work and visit.”
According to City Manager Gino
Grimaldi “The vision of the GRP matches the community’s desire that Glenwood
continue to have a distinct identity, taking advantage of its existing
strengths and seizing opportunities for an evocative urban center with a
lasting legacy.”
Springfield mayor Christine
Lundberg adds “The Glenwood Refinement Plan puts into a picture exactly what
the vision is for this industrial area and we appreciate the recognition.”
The APA featured the GRP and its
other award winners in the April 2015 issue of Planning magazine.
No comments:
Post a Comment