Reports - Mississippi Renewal

THE GOVERNOR’S COMMISSION REPORT | 15thoroughfares and federal highwayconnectors. Hundreds and hundredsof citizens have said that Highway 90should not become six-lanes. Ratherthis scenic highway should become aslower-moving, pedestrian-friendlyboulevard that allows safe pedestriancrossing to the beach. Railroad trafficshould be moved north of thebays, allowing the vacant CSX rightof-wayto be redeveloped as a treelinedavenue with light rail down thecenter connecting the 11 communitiesof the Coast with landscapingand mixed uses bordering it in themanner of St. Charles Avenue in pre-Katrina New Orleans.It is impossible and irrational to planland use without planning transportationuses and methods. There are noissues more important to smart landuse and livability of coastal towns thanmoving the railroad and reversing thecustomary expansion of interstate-standardhighways that are detrimental toneighborhoods and downtowns. Everyregional agency and every countyand city should evaluate transportationplanning in conjunction with land useplanning. Future development shouldpromote interconnectivity and providenon-automotive public transportationalternatives in the form of trolleys,light rail, and sidewalks that connect allneighborhoods and provide access toretail.Codes and StandardsThe Mississippi Renewal Forumproduced several guides designed forMississippi’s recovery, rebuilding, andrenewal effort. In addition to the cityspecificteam reports, these productsincluded a form of the SmartCode tai-What’s a “Charrette”?The Misssippi Renewal Forum in Biloxi in was one of the largest charrettes ever. In six days, 200designers and other specialists met with community leaders, drew up ideas, debated the results,revised them based on that discussion, then offered fi nal versions in public presentations that captureda consensus and delivered actionable plans.The word “charette” comes from the French for “little cart,” which was the means of delivering artstudents’ work to their professors at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris in the 19th century. Like moststudents, the artists often pressed deadlines. They ran alongside the cart fi nishing their work as itmoved through the streets.A charrette is more than a brainstorming session. Ideally, it brings stakeholders into the same roomto hash out priorities and agree on paths of implementation on a deadline. The compressed timeframe forces a sense of urgency. What emerges are not only ideas but tools to achieve results.Hundreds of new towns, neighborhoods, and urban infi ll projects have grown from new urbanistcharrettes. As you will read in these pages, the method is also recommended for consensus-based,decision-making in non-design matters. Commission committees are suggesting charrettes for retail,tourism development, and transportation strategies.Source: www.charretteinstitute.com.