Recovering Main Street Architecture

Start Date

05/18/2024

End Date

05/18/2024

Description

Great strides have been made in codifying and designing good urbanism, but too many Main Streets fall short because of weak architecture. Three speakers will present approaches to facade composition and the design of well-proportioned, inviting urban buildings. To set the stage, strategies for analyzing an existing Main Street will be presented. Parameters for street sections and setbacks will be recommended. Next, a taxonomy of facade elements will be presented with illustrations, distinguishing between upper story elements and the pedestrian frontage. A range of pedestrian frontage types will be discussed with special attention paid to shopfronts. Successful examples of urban architecture will be analyzed, and five levels of detail will be identified. Guidelines for facade composition will be suggested. Finally, an example of a form-based code that optimizes the pedestrian frontage will be shown, and a methodology for improving an existing facade will be demonstrated in a case study.

Location

Cincinnati, OH

Distance Learning

Course Equivalency

Subjects

Transportation

Health, Safety and Welfare

Hours

1.0

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify appropriate pedestrian frontage types for a Main Street
2. Describe the principles of facade composition for successful downtown streets
3. Identify essential and optional components of a shopfront facade
4. Identify appropriate metrics for design guidelines and codes
5. Plan for Main Street pedestrian frontage improvements

Instructors

Judith Bell,Ben Northrup,Adam Bonosky

Course Codes

CNU32063

Provider

Congress for the New Urbanism

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