Greensburg - American Planning Association

Material and Design
In great towns and cities, architecture is
a source of civic pride. It is Greensburg’s
goal that the Built Environment should
be “durable, healthy and efficient,” and
all of these qualities should be a priority
when planning building projects for
downtown. The structures that defined
Greensburg’s downtown before the
tornado were built to last by Greensburg
settlers, and the city was proud of that
heritage. It is important that the
downtown be rebuilt from materials,
and in an architectural style, that the
City will be proud of for the next 100
years. Downtown buildings should be
beautiful, healthy environments for
users, designed to take advantage of
natural day lighting and ventilation.
They should be energy efficient and low
maintenance to help sustain businesses
over the long-term.
Another important feature of the
architecture in successful downtowns is
that a high percentage of the ground
floor is transparent. This allows
pedestrians and passing vehicles to see
the goods and activity inside of
businesses along Main Street.
With its LEED Platinum resolution, (see
energy section) the City has resolved to
achieve a level of excellence beyond
that of any other city in the United
States. It is recommended that
whenever possible businesses in
downtown follow the city’s lead and
incorporate the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED rating system into their
design.
Architectural Character
In the same way that clothing
represents an individual’s personality
and lifestyle, the architectural
character of buildings in downtown
Greensburg will define the businesses
that inhabit them, and reflect the
overall qualities of the town. In
discussions with citizens regarding the
architectural style for the future, a few
key points emerged:
• Buildings should not be
homogeneous. Avoiding a strip mall
or planned development feel, the
individual businesses should have
distinct character.
• Buildings in downtown should be
made from quality materials that
are durable and do not become
blighted over a short period of time.
• Architecture can be contemporary
and elegant, but needs also to be
warm and inviting.
It is recommended that the City
complete detailed Architectural Design
Guidelines for downtown. The creation
of Guidelines should involve a public
process where these ideas are fully
vetted with the Business
Redevelopment Group, the Public
Square Steering Committee, the
Planning Commission, the general
public, and the City Council. The
guidelines should use this plan as a
framework.
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