TACTICAL REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN ALBANY NY
tactical revitalization plan for downtown albany, ny - Capitalize ...
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<strong>TACTICAL</strong> <strong>REVITALIZATION</strong> <strong>PLAN</strong><br />
<strong>FOR</strong> <strong>DOWNTOWN</strong> <strong>ALBA<strong>NY</strong></strong>, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Proposal for Planning + Urban Design Services March 7, 2013
Table of Contents<br />
1 Letter<br />
of Submittal<br />
2 Project<br />
3 team<br />
4 Reference<br />
Approach,<br />
SCope of Work, and<br />
Deliverables<br />
profile,<br />
qualifications, and<br />
experience<br />
and Quality of<br />
Performance History<br />
5 MWBE<br />
and local<br />
participation<br />
6 cost<br />
proposal
NON-COLLUSIVE BIDDING CERTIFICATION<br />
(Reference: Public Authorities Law Section 2878)<br />
By submission of this bid, each bidder and each person signing on behalf of any bidder certifies,<br />
and in the case of a joint bid each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty<br />
of perjury, that to the best of his knowledge and belief:<br />
1. The prices in this bid have been arrived at independently without collusion, consultation,<br />
communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter<br />
relating to such prices with any other bidder or with any competitor;<br />
2. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this bid have not<br />
been knowingly disclosed by the bidder and will not knowingly be disclosed by the<br />
bidder prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder or to any competitor;;<br />
and<br />
3. No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder to induce any other person,<br />
partnership or corporation to submit or not to submit a bid for the purpose of restricting<br />
competition.<br />
Signature: ________________________ Date: _______________<br />
March 7, 2013<br />
Printed Name:<br />
Title:<br />
________________________<br />
Alan Mountjoy<br />
________________________<br />
Principal
Section 1<br />
Letter of Submittal
www.nbbj.com<br />
March 7, 2013<br />
Sarah Reginelli<br />
Director of Economic Development<br />
Capitalize Albany Corporation<br />
21 Lodge Street<br />
Albany, <strong>NY</strong> 12207<br />
RE:<br />
Downtown Albany Tactical Revitalization Plan Proposal<br />
Dear Ms. Reginelli,<br />
On behalf of our team of qualified and motivated professionals, we are pleased to submit this proposal<br />
for the Tactical Revitalization Plan for Downtown Albany and the Corning Preserve Phase 2 Master Plan.<br />
We appreciate the opportunity to prepare the both the downtown and the riverfront projects in tandem<br />
knowing as we do the prime importance of the Corning Preserve in the future vitality of the downtown.<br />
We have added two new disciplines to our team in order to provide Albany with superior service on this<br />
new scope of work. Stoss Landscape Urbanism and Buro Happold share our philosophy of inspired<br />
design that is carefully considered with sustainability and constructability in mind. Please find their firm,<br />
staff profiles and project examples in the proposal.<br />
In response to the RFP and discussions with you this week, we have also included traffic and parking<br />
expertise to our consultant resources. We have added Nelson Nygaard to our team to apply their<br />
creative parking strategies to the Tactical Plan and to broaden our thinking about transportation and<br />
other connections within the Downtown. While parking is frequently discussed as an issue, it rarely<br />
creates a good basis for urban revitalization. However, a good parking management strategy can save<br />
on costly new construction and enhance the visitor and resident experience. Nelson Nygaard brings<br />
a unique, and pedestrian friendly, perspective to parking studies that aligns with current sensibilities of<br />
smart planning that uses technology to improve efficiency of existing parking resources.<br />
Please find also in our scope of work and cost proposal that we have listed those optional services that<br />
we will provide and have listed those that we can perform at an additional cost. We have also elected<br />
to not provide costs on certain optional tasks that we do not feel are warranted at this time, but would<br />
certainly be potential tasks to be identified and scoped during the planning proposal.<br />
Lastly we have listed and priced separately the tasks that we would consider under the category of<br />
WOW. It would be difficult to completely separate these tasks, as we have adjusted our entire approach<br />
to provide a more participatory and engaging process of design that will create excitement, engagement<br />
and early implementation with your action teams and the general public. We have included those items<br />
in the approach, scope and as a separate cost item in the cost proposal.<br />
We intend to build this consensus by bringing the planning process to life, enabling tangible, shorterterm<br />
interventions that allow Albany’s citizens to re-imagine their city, get behind bold ideas, and allow<br />
the participants to take ownership of this vision. We see tactical urbanism as a tool, a catalyst for<br />
change, which in turn leads towards longer-term, concrete changes in the physical and political fabric of<br />
the city.
The key elements in our community process strategy are therefore to:<br />
• Immerse ourselves in the community, identify and engage the ‘action teams’;<br />
• Challenge and inspire them;<br />
• Test proposals or interventions through a variety of simulations, installments and<br />
interactive exercises;<br />
• Review their success; and to<br />
• Ultimately steer the delivery of the Tactical Plan to include these and their longer lasting<br />
manifestations.<br />
To this end we have recruited our own internal consulting group, the REV studio, to design<br />
and curate a process of investigation and simulation to envision and test ideas that may be<br />
incorporated into the plan. You will find some of REV’s prior experience-focused planning<br />
concepts in our updated portfolio pages in the proposal. We intend to use particular<br />
methodology to pursue a more interactive approach to design including in launch exercise<br />
called “process design” that includes all team members (such as the action teams) in an<br />
interactive session to define successful outcomes and buy-in to the process.<br />
We are inspired by the challenge and the opportunity in both the Tactical Plan and the Corning<br />
Preserve Park Phase 2 plan. This is an important and timely event in the development of<br />
Albany as we exit a deep recession and look forward to new ways of inhabiting and using<br />
our cities. The last decade has seen remarkable changes in the expectations of younger and<br />
more mobile residents and those who, having a choice, are looking to cities to provide a more<br />
enriching life experience for either living or work or both.<br />
We have been fortunate to have contributed to the transformation of several downtowns<br />
and waterfronts that have, through several economic cycles, achieved a level of success<br />
and vitality. Our own waterfront in Boston, and those in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and along the<br />
Anacostia River in Washington have all taken many years to fully realize their potential. But<br />
the opportunities are enormous when the right structures and policies are put in place and the<br />
vision is allowed to grow. We would be honored to contribute to the future success of Albany<br />
and its waterfront.<br />
We look forward to your response,<br />
Alan Mountjoy AIA<br />
Principal in Charge<br />
NBBJ
Section 2<br />
Project Approach,<br />
Scope of Work, and<br />
Deliverables
Project Approach, Scope of Work,<br />
and Deliverables<br />
Section 2<br />
Our Approach to Albany’s Downtown Master Plan<br />
We are delighted to demonstrate our support for, and great interest in working with Capitalize<br />
Albany Corporation on the Tactical Revitalization Plan for Downtown Albany. The NBBJ team<br />
has found inspiration anew in the expanded scope of the RFP and is eager to create a Tactical<br />
Plan that addresses Downtown Albany to the edge of the Hudson. We are further motivated by<br />
the request for a “Wow factor.” We have conceived a fresh approach to planning for Albany’s<br />
Downtown and have expanded our team of collaborators accordingly, including within our own<br />
firm. We have recruited our consulting group, the REV studio, to design and curate a process of<br />
investigation and simulation to envision and test ideas that may be incorporated into the plan.<br />
NBBJ, formerly Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, is a nationally recognized architecture and urban<br />
planning firm experienced in bringing together multi-disciplinary teams to solve complex<br />
urban design and planning problems. Our extensive experience in reconnecting cities to their<br />
waterfronts will be particularly relevant to the planning for the Corning Preserve.<br />
The planning strategies that are effective in today’s urban environments are nuanced and<br />
multi-pronged, based on a strong understanding of the community and geography as well<br />
as best practices and historical precedents from other locations. Under the guidance of REV,<br />
we will probe the full spectrum of opportunities for invigorating the Downtown. We will use<br />
product development methodology for testing them, using techniques ranging from pop up
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
interventions, to prototype simulations to virtual simulation and computational design, models<br />
framed by the data we gather in our investigations.<br />
We aim also to imbue the Tactical Plan with authenticity. Our investigations will inform our<br />
understanding of Albany’s assets and beloved traditions. We are committed to maintaining –<br />
and enhancing – the spirit of the contexts in which our projects are set. We are ever mindful of<br />
the sense of place that a design portrays and are zealous in our efforts to maintain the unique<br />
qualities that define a city like Albany.<br />
The impressive amount of work to date in implementing the ReCapitalize Albany plan from<br />
2007, and its predecessor from 1996, has been inspiring. We will also build upon the exhaustive<br />
process undertaken in formulating the Albany 2030 Comprehensive Plan.<br />
Given our broad experience in a variety of American cities, many of whose downtowns are<br />
experiencing analogous revitalization trends following their own decades of minimal investment<br />
and population decline, our approach will consist of the following eight strategies:<br />
1. Building on Your Success – Seeking to Expand the Impacts of Each Investment /<br />
Reinvestment in the built environment<br />
2. Recognizing then Minimizing and Ameliorating Persistent Challenges<br />
3. Advancing a Vision Based on Clearly Expressed Goals and Strategies for Their<br />
Advancement<br />
4. Tailoring a Community Process to Achieve Broad Stakeholder Consensus (on Behalf of a<br />
Bold Vision)<br />
5. Facilitating Connectivity – Rebuilding Social and Physical Connections Across<br />
Neighborhood Boundaries and Demographic / Social Milieus<br />
6. Pursuing a Market Driven Process To Reaching Development Decisions<br />
7. Properly Timing Marketing and Civic Promotion<br />
8. Expanding Housing Types and Necessary Supporting Amenities<br />
1. Building on Success: Reinvigorating the Existing Urban Fabric<br />
The City leaders in Albany have recognized the unique resources they have in their city,<br />
some of which had been otherwise ignored in decades past. An historic building stock, an<br />
urban environment, a tradition of innovative public infrastructure provision, a center for higher<br />
education and government, a captive daytime population and a changing demographic of<br />
young professionals moving into the area, are all ingredients towards making downtown a<br />
dynamic and livable environment.<br />
Capitalize Albany has engaged City leaders, the Downtown BID and the City of Albany, among<br />
others, to come up with programs to assist in the development of commercial and residential
Section 2<br />
uses in Downtown Albany. By utilizing the existing building stock – often historic – and finding<br />
sites for infill development, Capitalize Albany has developed several incentive programs that<br />
have led to the development that is steadily transforming downtown.<br />
Recent Housing Investments:<br />
• Funding building feasibility studies and market analyses<br />
• Securing Grant Assistance, Loan and IDA Assistance<br />
• Housing Feasibility Analysis that concluded area demographics could support additional<br />
housing with a focus on young professional and empty nesters. Additionally, the Tech<br />
Valley employees are young and in search of areas to live that offer amenities, such as<br />
restaurants and bars.<br />
• Developed Residential Technical Assistance Grant program to help jumpstart conversions<br />
of targeted properties by providing funding toward pre-development services, such as<br />
design and engineering.<br />
• Building Renovation Program that provides funding from <strong>NY</strong> Main Streets and other grant<br />
and lending organizations to help with the actual build-out/conversion of property<br />
Recent achievements include:<br />
• Conversion of 75,000 SF of space, 50 rentals units and another 165,000 SF underway.<br />
Downtown is approaching 200 units of housing.<br />
• $200 million of Commercial development in recent years<br />
• $35 million of new residential units in the urban core (more than 200 units)<br />
• 97% occupancy rate for condo and apartment living<br />
Public Improvements include the $8.5 million new pedestrian bridge to the Corning Preserve<br />
& Hudson River Park in 2004, as well as $4.3 million in park improvements along the river.<br />
These programs and signs of progress fall in line with the objectives and strategies that have<br />
been developed for the Albany 2030 Comprehensive Plan; the plan that will guide the next two<br />
decades of growth in Albany – physical, economic and social growth.<br />
The “vision components” of the plan help guide the future development of the city. Safe<br />
Livable Neighborhoods, Model Educational Systems, a Vibrant Urban Center, Multi-modal<br />
Transportation, Green City and Prosperous Economy are guiding principles that inform essential<br />
plan components such as transportation, urban form, natural resources and neighborhood<br />
development. We recognize the interdependencies between some of these components.<br />
For instance, a vibrant urban center is often the result of accessible transportation options<br />
and a substantive residential population. Density is key, so one of our primary goals will be<br />
to continue the momentum in expanding housing opportunities, enhance transportation and<br />
parking availability and create connectivity among the open space amenities in and near<br />
downtown.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
2. Recognizing Then Minimizing and Ameliorating Persisting Challenges<br />
We identify four major challenges, which when addressed will start to unlock this city’s<br />
potential:<br />
A) Reconnecting Downtown Albany with the Hudson<br />
The city is visually and physically separated from the Hudson by Interstate 787. Completed in<br />
the late 1960’s, it forms a corridor today comprising some 13 lanes of traffic and a railroad: a<br />
formidable barrier. We welcome the inclusion of the Corning Reserve as a part of this Plan, and<br />
will treat it as an integral part of the planning process, from community engagement through to<br />
design.<br />
From Seattle to Boston, city governments across the United States have begun to rethink the<br />
role that highways play in the economic development of their cities, and rediscover the value of<br />
connections to the waterfronts, neighborhoods, and parklands that have been severed by them.<br />
We applaud the recent construction of the new riverfront pedestrian bridge, but urge a bolder<br />
vision for the future. We welcome the possibility of reducing the perception of severance, to<br />
test out smaller-scale initiatives, altering adjacent land use, challenging existing transportation<br />
models. However, in the longer term, I-787 should be addressed to provide an appropriate<br />
riverfront setting for the Capital of New York State.<br />
We are excited to work with Stoss Landscape Architects, in exploring the opportunities this<br />
waterfront presents. The reserve should operate as part of resilient natural system that is the<br />
(still tidal) Hudson Valley, offer residents and visitors an opportunity for relaxation, outdoor<br />
recreation, flora and fauna educational resources, as well as provide an improved venue for<br />
warmer-month outdoor entertainment. We look forward to testing out ‘tactical’ initiatives that<br />
will help residents re-imagine the possibilities of this rich water-front resource on their doorstep.<br />
http://www.photographium.com/hudson-river-albany-new-york-state-1900-1906
Section 2<br />
B) Harnessing ‘Redundant’ but Usable Internal Space Downtown<br />
Of the many challenges to downtowns, the “glut” of secondary and outdated office space is<br />
a frequently cited issue. We will build an inventory of unique typologies of available space,<br />
such as underutilized Class B and C office space. These spaces are constrained by critical<br />
dimensions of their floor plates and ceiling heights, as well as access to light and views. In<br />
spite of their nonconformity, no two buildings are alike and this is part of their charm. These<br />
spaces – while often seen as a problem when vacant or underutilized – can become key<br />
elements of a downtown revitalization strategy, as they present low barriers (lower cost than<br />
new construction) to increasing residential population or attracting creative industries and<br />
start-ups to unusual spaces that have character and patina. In addition, they often are of<br />
a manageable size that can, utilizing a variety of layered financing and tax incentives for<br />
rehabilitation, be feasibly redeveloped into mixed-use projects.<br />
Activating unused floorspace within the downtown for new residents and employers is<br />
ultimately the driver of future retail development. More residents and employers in the<br />
downtown will drive retail activity, in turn attracting more visitors to enjoy the unique offerings<br />
in a downtown. Recruiting successful, but unique, region-based businesses has often been<br />
demonstrated to be a more successful strategy than focusing on attracting entirely new<br />
businesses, especially as those more local businesses know the regional market and can tweak<br />
the product for a more urban clientele, as well as employ customer loyalty. Providing available<br />
space at reasonable lease terms with adequate tenant improvement allowances is a challenge,<br />
and strategies such as master leasing can be created by downtown entities to match up<br />
interested retailers with appropriate space.<br />
We see these spaces as potential sites identified for tactical interventions. A variety of<br />
installments or uses will be examined as part of our experience design process.<br />
C) Managing Parking Demand and Making Albany a Smarter Transit Hub<br />
Parking can be a persistent problem in downtowns, and an adequate supply must be in place,<br />
but it is frequently an issue of perception and one that usually demands a better system of<br />
management, than a real need for additional spaces. Management of parking is the first order<br />
priority for a Business Improvement District and new technologies, such as smart phone apps<br />
or smart charge cards, can help support innovative policies, increase revenue for the city and<br />
improve perceptions of parking scarcity.<br />
Improvement of the public realm can also reduce the perceptions of distance that poor<br />
conditions create. Better lighting, sidewalks, wayfinding and active storefronts alter the<br />
perceived distance so that walking a block or two is seen as pleasure rather than an<br />
impediment for patrons. In addition, innovative public/private mixed use projects that<br />
incorporate parking is one way of both providing additional parking and reducing the costs of<br />
private development, a win/win situation.<br />
Parking provision should be examined in parallel with assessing the city’s wider transportation,<br />
public health and environmental goals. This would present an ideal time to marry the
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
transportation aspirations of Albany 2030 with the needs of Downtown. The city already has a<br />
broad network of bus connections, is located at the intersection of major rail links from Boston<br />
and New York, is a local center of biking, and the river itself presents an alternative mode<br />
of transit. These factors would suggest that downtown should now capitalize on its already<br />
walkable, pleasant environment and encourage citizens and visitors alike to leave their cars at<br />
home. We have added Nelson Nygaard to our team to apply their creative parking strategies to<br />
the Tactical Plan and to broaden our thinking about transportation and other connections within<br />
the Downtown.<br />
D) Integrating the Future Convention Center with Downtown<br />
The future convention center is both an opportunity and a concern, in that large buildings can<br />
be problematic for urban districts. Siting and locating entrances (or the lack of) as well as<br />
parking availability and access will determine how well a large structure can integrate with a<br />
walkable downtown. We will be thorough in our study of the impact the convention center has<br />
on the Downtown. We will determine the most important concerns and hopes of the citizens<br />
regarding the convention center, perhaps through prototyping to help them understand the<br />
scale of the structure and the palate of opportunities to be found there. We will endeavor to<br />
create an understanding of its impact on downtown on days when it is not in use as when an<br />
event is being held. We will help to identify the issues that need to be addressed prior to the<br />
initiation of design undertake an analysis of additional improvements to the public realm that<br />
should be included in the design of the convention center. We will look for interventions that<br />
will maximize movement and interaction between patrons of the convention center and other<br />
downtown activity generators. We hope this close examination will engender a higher degree of<br />
support and excitement from the community.<br />
3. Advancing a Vision Based on Clearly Expressed Goals and Strategies<br />
The most critical element of a bold, long-term vision for a community is instilling within it a<br />
strong sense of ownership and buy-in from its stakeholders and citizens. This is especially<br />
true in downtown efforts, as the creation of public/private partnerships, the use of financial<br />
incentives, and the prioritization of certain catalytic projects are often subject to robust<br />
community debate.<br />
In addition, it is a certainty that over a ten-year planning horizon, market, political, economic,<br />
and cultural conditions will change, and both challenges and opportunities will arise that were<br />
not originally anticipated. A strong master plan, while specifying detailed implementation<br />
actions, must be able to accommodate fluctuations in the marketplace and shifting<br />
demographics; in fact, it must assume they will occur.<br />
We have found that the development of a strong set of guiding principles is a key element to<br />
long-term success; in essence these broad principles provide the community with an overall<br />
vision while allowing the implementation entities to deal with the ever-changing details of the<br />
market or constituencies at any given point in time. The guiding principles can also provide a<br />
clear and concise framework in the review of all proposed subsequent actions in downtown—
Section 2<br />
be they temporary or permanent structures, developed by public, private, non-profit, quasipublic,<br />
or a public/private partnership—to ensure that all future activity support and contribute<br />
to the vitality of downtown.<br />
The Capitalize Albany Plan and its updates outlined guiding principles for economic<br />
development citywide and in the downtown, many of which have been realized. The city’s<br />
recent comprehensive plan, Albany 2030 also identifies goals and principles that need to be<br />
integrated into this planning effort. The team, with stakeholders, the public and the CAC will<br />
continue to refine these goals to the specific context of the downtown. Our discovery methods<br />
will include opportunities for citizens to tell the stories of their experience of Downtown Albany,<br />
giving the planning team data with which they can ratify the guiding principles going forward.<br />
4. Tailoring a Community Process to Achieve Broad Stakeholder Consensus (on<br />
Behalf of a Bold Vision)<br />
The challenge in master planning involves building a broad consensus around a vision without<br />
ending up with the lowest common denominator—something that all acquiesce to rather<br />
than being truly inspired by. The key is to aim very high rather than to seek to satisfy each<br />
constituency on its own narrow expectations. At NBBJ, we are well versed in guiding the public<br />
process so that everyone’s sights are actually higher at the end of the process than at the<br />
outset.<br />
We intend to build this consensus by bringing the planning process to life, enabling tangible,<br />
shorter-term interventions that allow Albany’s public to re-imagine their city, get behind bold<br />
ideas, and allow the participants to take ownership of this vision. We see tactical urbanism as<br />
a tool, a catalyst for change, which in turn leads towards longer-term, concrete changes in the<br />
physical and political fabric of the city.<br />
The key elements in our community process strategy are therefore to:<br />
1. Immerse ourselves in the community, identify and listen to a diverse group of ‘action<br />
teams’;<br />
2. Challenge and inspire them;<br />
3. Test proposals or interventions through a variety of simulations, installments and interactive<br />
exercises;<br />
4. review their success; and to<br />
5. Ultimately steer the delivery of the Tactical Plan to include these and their longer lasting<br />
manifestations.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
To assist us throughout this process, we will work with our own NBBJ consulting group, the<br />
REV studio.<br />
This unit has built up a wealth of experience working with a range of different client groups<br />
from hospitals to corporate office clients, such as Google and Microsoft. They work within<br />
the briefing, strategic stage of a project, to tease out end user goals, but more generally how<br />
spaces or organizations work or fail to do so effectively. They provide new, often ingenious<br />
solutions to problems, mocking up environments quickly to test new configurations for a<br />
proposed group of clients, whether children, nurses or computer programmers. We are excited<br />
to extend this more engaging mode of investigative design to address urban scale issues and<br />
engage their analytical expertise to our experience design exercises.<br />
Our process with Studio Rev will consist of:<br />
1) Launch and Listen<br />
For the launch, we will undertake an exercise called “Process Design,” which will include<br />
methods for challenging the best planning practices by using techniques from other realms<br />
of practice, such as business or healthcare. In order to break out of any planning fatigue<br />
that Albany may find itself in after extensive (and to date successful) planning for the 2030<br />
Comprehensive Plan and for various districts and focused initiatives over the last decade, we<br />
will find new ways to invite you to tell Albany’s story. During Process Design, we will determine<br />
which among the challenges facing Albany today take the highest priority and imagine new<br />
ways to find solutions. We will create a list of action items to test our concepts and set a<br />
timetable for deploying them. All the while, we will keep a pragmatic handle on the value of the<br />
actions and the information they will provide for the final plan.
Section 2<br />
It is important during the planning process to utilize “action teams” who will assist in the<br />
implementation of the components that the process identifies as higher priority. Action teams<br />
are groups who are sufficiently passionate about specific issues or goals to pursue the<br />
implementation of the project once the team has completed the Plan. Ideally members of the<br />
action teams are members of groups, organizations or stakeholders that have the ability to<br />
assist in the realization of the Plan with influence and/or financial resources, but occasionally,<br />
sheer doggedness is sufficient to carry a project forward. An important Tactical Plan objective<br />
is to create enough buy-in from the public and stakeholders, through structured and meaningful<br />
opportunities early in the process, which ultimately provides a sense of ownership of the Plan<br />
during implementation.<br />
Albany employed a number of interesting methods to engage the community in its preparation<br />
of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, including social media and speed planning. We admire that<br />
thinking beyond the standard “present-and-respond” way of holding community meetings and<br />
imagine dynamic ways to expand outreach. To complement our meetings with Capitalize Albany<br />
Corporation and the City of Albany decision makers to set the foundation for the Tactical Plan,<br />
we’d like to take the stakeholder and community engagement in the launch of the project to<br />
the next level by providing opportunities for them to tell their Albany stories or express their<br />
dreams for their city in a creative way. Among the possible venues for the citizens of Albany to<br />
share their experience would be something similar to a story slam with a theme of “My Best<br />
and/or Worst Memories of Albany,” or “My Perfect Day in the City;” or a Pecha Kucha, where<br />
people go through a series of images (20 slides narrated for 20 seconds each) to let us know<br />
what they think of their city and what they aspire to; or a walk-along where we follow a citizen<br />
through a day in the life of Albany. In the Process Design, we will map out the best targets for<br />
such exercises and set the stage for them to take place.<br />
REV will help us to curate and generate a web-based document, or ‘visual essay’ that<br />
demonstrates through data, maps, photography and video the challenges and opportunities<br />
local citizens identify within their city. We will also draw out and pay attention to voices that do<br />
not often get heard in such forums by recruiting beyond the usual activist/advocate participants<br />
and through social media such as crowdsourcing.<br />
2) Tactical Testing<br />
Even as we are gathering the stories of Albany’s residents and leaders, we would start the<br />
process of “Experience Design,” communicating concepts and testing them. We imagine a<br />
brain trust of innovative urbanists and designers presenting their ideas for enlivening the city<br />
in a series of lectures in the vein of Ted Talks. In addition to inviting the public to learn about<br />
how people are thinking about cities today by attending these talks, we would recruit an action<br />
team for each topic, either from among those already formed in Albany or of residents who<br />
take an interest in issues specific to the topic, such as bicycle activists, housing specialists,<br />
greenspace advocates or retailers. In turn, they would work with the planning team to devise an<br />
intervention in the City based on the concept presented and the action group’s determination<br />
of how it would look in Albany and the highest impact location in the study area. These
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
interventions could include pop-up parks or retail, transportation or bike sharing, instant<br />
promenades, better blocks. During the exercise the teams who implement the interventions will<br />
become experts and advocates. We would gather data about responses through crowdsourcing<br />
and interviews that will help to inform the implementation of the plan. We also think this<br />
will attract attention to the initiative and keep folks engaged, if not out of concern for their<br />
downtown, then out of curiosity about what may pop up next.<br />
Shorter-term installations afford a wider opportunity for imaginative work, and allow for new<br />
constellations of creative collaboration between local educational, industrial partners, as well as<br />
individual community groups. There is a growing literature around the power of temporary use<br />
and understanding the ‘patterns of the unplanned.’ We are excited to enable, initiate, coach<br />
and formalize such development.<br />
3) Innovative Results<br />
In the momentum created by the storytelling during the launch and play acting during<br />
the test, we’ll find a basis for concrete ideas with track records of investment, especially<br />
among those who have tested a business or idea or provided the space to accommodate<br />
it. Embedding the community in the planning activities, thus blurring the distinction between<br />
planner and practitioner, will jumpstart community buy-in. We will combine what we’ve learned<br />
about Albany’s conditions on the ground, the aspirations of its citizens and the level of their<br />
determination to effect change as gauged by their investment in the interventions, with our own<br />
observations and expertise in planning, design and finance to create a Tactical Plan.<br />
Our challenge will be to develop an understanding of how Albany’s assets and further<br />
development can cohere into a brand and deliver on the promise of a downtown that attracts<br />
and retains people and businesses, enlivens the district and sustains revitalization. NBBJ will<br />
connect leaders and the action teams directly to stakeholders and the community to envision<br />
alternative futures, challenge current beliefs, unleash creative thinking, and create new meaning<br />
and relevant value in future investment.<br />
Intertwined with the Wow process our team will conduct literature reviews, competitive<br />
research, walk-alongs, observation/emotional journeys, interviews, participatory workshops,<br />
and co-design activities to develop a comprehensive brand strategy for the Tactical Plan.<br />
1. We consider this methodology to be our Wow factor. It provides the following value:<br />
Cultural trends and local relevance inspire larger future vision and purpose.<br />
2. Insight into resident behavior based in deep understanding of cultural context supports<br />
culturally appropriate design solutions.<br />
3. Alignment of brand values to the built environment ensures implementation.<br />
4. Creation of best practices for future projects that increase efficiency of future innovation<br />
efforts and design work.
Section 2<br />
4. Facilitating Connectivity - Across Neighborhood Boundaries and Demographic /<br />
Social Milieus<br />
We strongly believe that connectivity is one of the essential elements of any successful and<br />
sustainable revitalization effort. Not just connectivity between downtown Albany and its<br />
adjacent neighborhoods, but equally important is insuring strong connectivity between and<br />
among the various districts within downtown, and of course increasing and improving the<br />
connections between downtown and the riverfront. In addition, it is important when siting<br />
and designing major – and large – public assembly venues such as the “Performance Place”<br />
and convention center that consideration be given – up front – to the need to have it facilitate,<br />
rather than impede, connections to activity areas that surround it. Often, unfortunately, this is<br />
not the case.<br />
We have assisted numerous cities in efforts to reconnect their downtowns to their waterfront<br />
amenities. Cities such as Boston, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. have embraced their<br />
waterfronts that were formerly separated by a variety of highways, railways and derelict land.<br />
A comprehensive set of bold initiatives, from bridges and trails to active watersheet uses<br />
are necessary to bring the benefits of a riverfront city to the doorstep of future residents<br />
and businesses. But the benefits are dramatic and can brand such districts as distinctive<br />
destinations for those seeking a special environment to live or work. Combining an active<br />
riverfront with vibrant, and historic, downtown creates a powerful sense of place.<br />
Our team has a strong record of focusing on this important element. The team has worked<br />
closely, for example, in the design and siting of a new downtown arena in Louisville to optimize<br />
its connectivity to its surroundings, and the subsequent design, as well as the extensive public<br />
input process that was used, is seen as a model of such an effort. In addition, CityVisions has<br />
recently completed a major downtown planning effort in Paducah, KY that had as its major<br />
focus improved connections among and between its downtown, waterfront, and arts districts.<br />
6. Pursuing a Market Driven Process to Reaching Development Decisions<br />
All major efforts such as the revitalization plan for downtown Albany must understand their<br />
audiences and markets, and understand that there are different layers or tiers of markets<br />
that are involved. As a capital city, Albany contains a number of such tiers. Like our work in<br />
Hartford and Providence, a thorough understanding of the demographics of those residents,<br />
workers, and visitors to the capital city is necessary to fully optimize the market potential of this<br />
group. In addition, Albany is located in a region with not just other competitive retail, office, and<br />
residential areas, but also other downtowns in Schenectady and Troy. An understanding of the<br />
dynamics between and among these central business districts is an important element to the<br />
market dynamics of downtown Albany.<br />
We propose to do more than the typical real estate market assessment. Given the primary<br />
focus on developing a tactical implementation plan the team proposes to take a unique<br />
approach to the project integrating real estate analysis with an approach similar to that used<br />
for product development / product launch. We will examine the market from the perspective<br />
of potential customers (potential residents and potential businesses emerging from economic
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
activity) by identifying their needs and desires and match them to the physical abilities<br />
(existing real estate, vacant land, amenities) to focus the planning and real estate programming<br />
decisions on items with the best chances for success.<br />
7. Properly Timing Marketing and Civic Promotion<br />
A major element of the success of downtown Albany will be a strong, creative, and appropriate<br />
marketing effort. Many downtowns struggle with the “right time” to create or develop such a<br />
branding or theming effort, and we understand this dilemma. The collective experience of our<br />
team members suggest that it is first necessary to determine the authenticity of a downtown<br />
– its sense of place – and develop the brand around the assets that define this authenticity.<br />
These may be obvious, such as the river, or perhaps somewhat under the radar, which provides<br />
new opportunities. We have been involved in a number of projects where the essence of a<br />
place – that often intangible thing that distinguishes one city from another defining the basis<br />
for an authentic brand – evolves out of the master planning or project planning process, and is<br />
much stronger as a result.<br />
Through our investigation, including listening to the stories of the citizens and the passions of<br />
the members of our action teams, we aim to get to the heart of Albany’s identity and build upon<br />
that.<br />
One example of a successful discovery of identity is the Glassworks District in Louisville. The<br />
development prospects of a six block area on what was considered an undesirable location on<br />
the edge of downtown was extremely poor, and disinvestment was the norm. The team utilized<br />
the “asset” in Louisville of a strong – but not publicly recognized – glass art community as an<br />
anchor for the area, and began through a variety of means to highlight – and celebrate – this<br />
authentic art niche. Today, the district – branded as Glassworks – is a destination to local<br />
residents, visitors, and glass artists and has become one of the most desirable locations in all<br />
of downtown Louisville.<br />
8. Expanding Housing Types and Necessary Supporting Amenities<br />
Our review of Capitalize Albany’s focus on residential development indicates the Corporation’s<br />
keen awareness of the importance of downtown housing as a critical component of the<br />
success and sustainability of a tactical revitalization program. In addition, it is clear that the<br />
Corporation understands that a downtown housing program needs to be multi-dimensional,<br />
by both providing an atmosphere and a collection of neighborhood amenities attractive to the<br />
target market and – equally important – overcoming obstacles to getting a critical mass of<br />
supply on to the market. Our experience in downtown markets similar to Albany always places<br />
an extremely high priority on the infusion of new residents as a key driver, and our team has<br />
specific experience in creating strategies to do so. Capitalize Albany has already provided a<br />
strong base of tools and techniques in this regard, especially in focusing on the development<br />
challenges related to the supply of downtown units, and we look forward to helping you take<br />
this to the next level.
Glassworks District Jazz Club | Louisville, KY<br />
Section 2
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
In this regard, we believe that the experience of our team will prove to be very relevant to the<br />
Albany situation. At the same time that Albany was beginning its focus on downtown housing,<br />
downtown Louisville was doing so as well. Using a similar residential market analysis, a major<br />
initiative was undertaken to stimulate the downtown housing market, also focused as much on<br />
the supply side as the demand side. A series of mechanisms was put into place - including<br />
an innovative public /private partnership that created highly attractive secondary financing,<br />
the Louisville Downtown Housing Assistance Fund – that indeed served as a catalyst for its<br />
downtown housing market. The Downtown Housing Fund has been used as a model for similar<br />
efforts in other mid-sized downtowns struggling with the same issue, and was honored by the<br />
International Downtown Association and the Council of Development Finance Agencies as the<br />
nation’s best revolving loan program.<br />
9. Finding Wow!<br />
Signature elements that solve real problems (the Wow factor as an iconic structure):<br />
Focus on the connection between the riverfront and downtown, which is a genuine need and<br />
must be addressed through the overall planning process. However, we suggest that we avoid<br />
thinking of this as merely a pedestrian connection, but as a signature element that becomes an<br />
iconic and celebratory element in and of itself, especially since the span across the highway is<br />
very long.<br />
Building on unique assets to avoid Anywhereville (finding the roots of Wow in the Now):<br />
Cities that try to replicate elements attempted in other cities are destined to fail in their efforts.<br />
People today, especially younger, tech-savvy ones with mobility as to where they choose<br />
to live and work, are seeking interesting places that are authentic. All cities have their own<br />
set of tangible and intangible “assets” that help define their character, though often they are<br />
not easily identified by visitors. A process that investigates exactly what Albany’s assets are<br />
and develops innovative ways to highlight and celebrate them, both in terms of development<br />
projects and the public realm, will result in a far more sustainable downtown. We have done<br />
this with great success in a number of cities, including in Louisville (developing Glassworks,<br />
Louisville Slugger, Bourbon Trail, etc.) and Pittsburgh (Three Rivers Park, river taxi system, new<br />
stadia and casino intertwined with post-industrial re-use).<br />
Celebration of Albany’s assets can also serve as a bonus for tourism. While perhaps not<br />
viewed holistically as a prime tourism destination, downtown Albany is well situated as a base<br />
for a variety of tourism activities, whether as a port of call for Hudson River excursions, as<br />
a gateway to Saratoga to the north and the Berkshires to the east, the growing culinary and<br />
wine region to the south, etc. And tourism could provide the necessary additional activity<br />
to stimulate more vibrant retail and entertainment activity in the downtown. Focusing more<br />
attention on this market segment, and integrating its needs into both the overall downtown and<br />
riverfront revitalization effort, including an iconic wow factor – be it the riverfront connection or<br />
something else – would be a significant part of our efforts.
2<br />
Section<br />
Concert below an inner-city<br />
street bridge<br />
Zagreb, Croatia<br />
Reflect changing lifestyles in the urban design (Wow in daily life):<br />
Cities and downtowns are being utilized today in ways much different from their traditional<br />
roles. Those predisposed to living and working downtown – a growing demographic – are<br />
less interested in housing types, retailing, food, entertainment, etc. that were the norm even<br />
a decade ago. The rise of social media, food trucks, locavore eateries, smaller and more<br />
innovative housing units, access to bike and pedestrian trails, outdoor entertainment and<br />
fitness opportunities, all impact how downtowns are developed and the atmosphere they<br />
provide. Our process is designed to engage these populations in means of communication<br />
with which they are most comfortable, in order to insure that the plan developed<br />
accommodates these new trends and anticipates those that are likely to grow stronger in the<br />
future. Our communication plan will include social media and will help us identify quality of life<br />
goals that provide some Wow.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
Promoting physical space innovation through flexibility (proximity to Wow):<br />
The trends in the previous statement require a good deal of flexibility and innovation in<br />
downtowns to best take advantage of these trends. The ability to provide temporary (popup)<br />
installations and businesses, the need to integrate living and work spaces, the need to<br />
provide small and flexible spaces for entrepreneurs, technology start-ups, and internet-based<br />
businesses all require a different mindset regarding zoning and other regulations. Similarly,<br />
the ability to develop new housing prototypes – both for sale and rental – in downtown areas<br />
with maximum flexibility and the ability to integrate smaller retail and business activity at<br />
ground level in Louisville required a complete overhaul of the existing zoning categories, but<br />
has resulted in great success – and the ability to accommodate a downtown housing need not<br />
available prior to that effort.<br />
Prototyping and beta testing through temporary and interim strategies (experience designing<br />
Wow):<br />
Before committing to major public investments to recreate public spaces, pedestrian<br />
improvements or related infrastructure, temporary strategies modeled after the idea of beta<br />
testing may serve a useful purpose of helping to understand how concepts will work in real<br />
world environments. An interim approach particularly for concepts being introduced from other<br />
markets allows for the opportunity to refine the projects to fit the realities of Albany before<br />
committing resources toward final design and construction.<br />
Economic infrastructure to mitigate innovation risk (the gravitational pull of Wow):<br />
Business and product innovation is critical to the health of businesses. Entrepreneurialism in<br />
any industry provides vitality to an economy and is an important source of Wow. The proximity<br />
of SU<strong>NY</strong> University at Albany and RPI provide terrific opportunities for partnerships regarding<br />
a focus on technology as part of the “Albany story” and the ability to create interesting reuse<br />
opportunities in Albany’s historic properties and a new paradigm of supporting technological<br />
innovation through creating economic infrastructure as part of the downtown revitalization<br />
strategy.<br />
Prototyping to explore design opportunities
Section 2<br />
SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES<br />
A. EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS<br />
The framework for our approach includes the following concepts:<br />
• Thoroughly understand what work has already been completed and update where<br />
appropriate<br />
• Understand Albany within the context of the region and the “Tech Valley” within the context<br />
of the tech universe<br />
• Understand Downtown Albany as an investment opportunity and as a “consumer product”<br />
• Competitive assessment<br />
The approach NNBJ recommends for understanding the existing conditions is significantly<br />
more layered that a typical real estate market assessment. In addition to seeking out new<br />
market niche opportunities based on the existing asset base, given the primary focus on<br />
developing a tactical implementation plan the team proposes to take a unique approach to<br />
the project integrating real estate analysis with an approach similar to that used for product<br />
development / product launch. We will examine the market from the perspective of potential<br />
customers (potential residents and potential businesses emerging from economic activity) by<br />
identifying their needs and desires and match them to the physical abilities (existing real estate,<br />
vacant land, amenities) to focus the planning and real estate programming decisions on items<br />
with the best chances for success.<br />
Our approach is therefore designed with an understanding that cities – and downtowns in<br />
particular – are being utilized today in ways much differently from traditional roles, and the<br />
way we assess market strengths and opportunities must be able to address these different<br />
uses. Those predisposed to living, working, recreating in, and visiting Downtown – a growing<br />
demographic – are less interested in the housing types, retailing, food , entertainment, etc.<br />
that were the norm even a decade ago. The rise of social media, food trucks, smaller and<br />
more flexible housing units, access to pedestrian and bike trails, outdoor entertainment and<br />
fitness opportunities, social gathering places, pop-up installations and the like all impact how<br />
downtowns are developed and the atmosphere they offer. These trends require far more<br />
flexibility and innovation in the use of downtown spaces – both public and private, and an<br />
understanding of the needs of entrepreneurs, technology start-ups, internet based businesses,<br />
and small commercialization and manufacturing operations, as well as new concepts of<br />
Downtown housing and live/work spaces. These opportunities are far less likely to be<br />
addressed within typical market analyses and require much more in-the-ground investigation<br />
and focus groups. In addition, members of the team who have real experience providing these<br />
spaces and units in other cities with characteristics similar to Albany provide our team with a<br />
tremendous advantage in fully flushing out such market opportunities in Albany.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
Understand Albany within the Context of the Region and Tech Valley Within the Context of<br />
the Tech Universe<br />
The key objectives of this macro-analysis are to understand three things: How does Albany fit?<br />
Where does Albany already have penetration? What opportunities in Tech Valley may fit with<br />
Albany?<br />
Macro-level Socio-Economic Assessment:<br />
• Understanding the socio-demographic, psychographic and life-stage characteristics of<br />
existing population and Albany workforce which are critical to understanding market depth<br />
of different population segments;<br />
• Analysis of area-wide population and household trends using inputs from IRS migration<br />
data, labor shed (journey-to-work) data, and other sources such as HMDA data to provide<br />
context to existing population projections;<br />
• Workforce dynamics of the emerging industry requirements of “Tech Valley” –<br />
characteristics such as compensation trends, types of skills and education, relative<br />
distribution of the workforce with comparisons to existing workforce structure.<br />
Macro-Level Enterprise Analysis:<br />
• Thorough review of existing secondary source material;<br />
• Industry level (lowest NAICS code possible) job creation in the region;<br />
• Trends in establishment creation by industry (lowest NAICS code possible);<br />
• Cluster, value chain and technology position of the Tech Valley companies to inform<br />
potential real estate needs of this critical growth sector;<br />
• “Creative industry” activity assessment using a series of indices created from source<br />
material such as Kickstarter and Etsy.<br />
Competitive Assessment<br />
• With Capitalize Albany an identification and benchmarking of region and tech industry<br />
competitors across some key dimensions:<br />
• Organizational capacity for promoting development (resources, staffing, incentives);<br />
• Public place-making initiatives;<br />
• Economic performance (jobs, establishment growth, income, investment, real estate market<br />
performance);<br />
• Tech indicators (Workforce skill mix, engineering talent, patents, others to be determined<br />
with Capitalize Albany);
Section 2<br />
• Quality of life indicators (to be determined with Capitalize Albany);<br />
• Needed to Play / Needed to Win analysis.<br />
Understand Downtown Albany/Warehouse District as a Market Opportunity and as a<br />
Destination Product<br />
The NBBJ team thinks it’s important to view a revitalization agenda through two lenses. The<br />
first lens is as an investment proposition for developers and other real estate asset owners.<br />
The second is as a “product” that is competing in a number of markets for consumer spending,<br />
residents, tourists, traveling productions, business location or other types of activities. The<br />
two perspectives are clearly iterative. But by keeping the two perspectives separate it allows<br />
for understanding of the different dynamics and where short term investments may get better<br />
leverage to facilitate a virtuous cycle of regeneration between the two dynamics.<br />
As a Market Opportunity for Developers and Investors<br />
• For developers and investors, understanding the economics and the rules are a<br />
fundamental building block that guides decisions to allocate capital. The NBBJ team<br />
proposes to create a comprehensive review to:<br />
• Complete review of existing market studies (commercial, retail, hotel, industrial) with<br />
appropriate updating where necessary depending on whether there have been any<br />
fundamental changes that redirect the trends and performance indicators in the future;<br />
• Develop base pro formas to test economic viability thresholds for different development<br />
types and how that compares to the existing regulatory framework;<br />
• Understand financial incentives and financing options to offset any development financing<br />
gaps that would be revealed through the base pro forma analysis;<br />
• Analyze current impediments to mixed-use, commercial, office and retail development<br />
including zoning and land-use regulations, economic gaps and threats from regional<br />
submarket.<br />
As a Destination Product for Residents, Workers, Companies, and Consumers<br />
NBBJ proposes to blend elements of product design techniques to understand the market<br />
potential for Downtown Albany. A critical element of any product design technique is a learning<br />
and listening program that is actively engaged with the customers and potential customers of<br />
a product or service. The NBBJ team has modified this approach so that is serves multiple<br />
objectives: active engagement with critical stakeholders, providing a platform for evangelists<br />
and champions, active listening and learning from those on-the-ground, build the brand and<br />
identity internally.<br />
In addition to the typical pattern of interviews and discussion groups, the team will utilize the<br />
following techniques to understand the distinctiveness of Albany.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
• Immersion: Elements of the NBBJ team will spend several days as “beta testers” or<br />
“mystery visitor” in the Downtown and North Warehouse district making observations about<br />
socio-demographics, comfort, activity levels, and patterns of use. Team members will<br />
randomly engage in informal Q&A with front-line customer service workers in restaurants,<br />
hotels, retail shops and convenience stores asking them about recommendations on things<br />
to do and places to go or directions to get to places. Members of our team will walk the<br />
streets, attend events, shop the stores and eat in the restaurants. We will document<br />
offerings and price points, wayfinding, brand communication and other issues critical to<br />
making Downtown Albany a vibrant center for an emerging tech region.<br />
• Pecha Kucha Albany: Specifically the team wants to hear from Albany using a Pecha<br />
Kucha type-format about the assets, happenings and initiatives in Albany that can serve as<br />
the basis to build an implementation agenda. The team proposes to engage the “action<br />
teams” in the community and other active stakeholders to develop the presentation team.<br />
• Albany Visual Essay: Stakeholders and residents will create an electronic image bank of<br />
Albany that can be used to help identify core assets and opportunities. The team proposes<br />
to work with students from local higher education institutions to translate this image bank<br />
into a multimedia narrative about the Downtown and warehouse district.<br />
In addition to the team’s active listening strategy, a series of alternative analytical tools and<br />
techniques will supplement more conventional analysis.<br />
• Activity Cluster Mapping: The NBBJ team will map existing retail locations, activity<br />
centers, public amenities and other related items to generate maps to better understand<br />
connections, walk sheds and areas of activity where energy is being created that can<br />
potentially be accelerated.<br />
• Crowdsourcing Analytics: Technologies such as those like Shareabouts provide an<br />
important tool for gaining user input into a variety of urban design, transportation, parking<br />
and economic activity questions.<br />
• Test fits: The North Warehouse district offers the opportunity to be a vibrant mixed<br />
enterprise village that can house entrepreneurs, research and development operations,<br />
industrial artists, as well as differentiated residential and commercial offerings. A Test Fit<br />
process allows for greater understanding of the physical capacity of land and buildings for<br />
a variety of uses and building types.<br />
A1. Collect and Analyze Market Data<br />
Given the primary focus on developing a tactical implementation plan the team proposes to<br />
take a unique approach to the project integrating real estate analysis with an approach similar<br />
to that used for product development / product launch. We will examine the market from the<br />
perspective of potential customers (potential residents and potential businesses emerging<br />
from economic activity) by identifying their needs and desires and match them to the physical
Section 2<br />
abilities (existing real estate, vacant land, amenities) to focus the planning and real estate<br />
programming decisions on items with the best chances for success.<br />
• Review current city housing plans/ policies<br />
• Understand existing Downtown housing market:<br />
• Who lives in Downtown now?<br />
• What is product / rents current?<br />
• Who might live in Downtown (age & employment info)?<br />
• Where do they live currently, what are those rents or sales prices?<br />
• What would it take to get those residents to move Downtown?<br />
• Real Estate Market: Assemble traditional market and demographic information as available<br />
from existing sources including market research conducted as part of ongoing industrial<br />
market analysis to determine the strength of retail, office, commercial demand and supply.<br />
• Commercial / Industrial<br />
• Review current City objectives for targeted commercial markets e.g., mixed-use,<br />
office, retail and light industrial uses.<br />
• Integrate current study of opportunities for high-tech and research/development<br />
innovation type uses or campus-type development<br />
• Analyze current impediments to mixed-use, commercial, office and retail<br />
development including zoning and land-use regulations, economic gaps and<br />
threats from regional submarkets<br />
• Identify necessary economic strategies and incentives to support suitable<br />
commercial development: particularly mixed-use development that integrates<br />
housing with other commercial uses into a vibrant district<br />
• Identify and Benchmark Competitive Communities<br />
• Work with Capitalize Albany to identify communities<br />
• Identify key metrics and points of comparison<br />
• “Teardown” analysis<br />
• Macro Socio-Economic Assessment:<br />
• Demographic and psychographic characteristics of existing population which are<br />
critical to understanding market depth of different population segments<br />
• Population trends<br />
• Emerging workforce requirements of “Tech Valley” – characteristics, types of skills and<br />
education, relative distribution of the workforce
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
• Macro Level Enterprise Analysis:<br />
• Thorough review of existing secondary source material<br />
• Industry level job creation in the region<br />
• Trends in establishment creation by industry<br />
• “Creative industry” activity assessment<br />
• How does Albany fit? Where does Albany already have penetration? What<br />
opportunities in Tech Valley may fit with Albany?<br />
A2. Review Existing Reports<br />
The Capitalize Albany Plan and its updates outlined guiding principles for economic<br />
development citywide and in the Downtown, many of which have been realized. The City has<br />
also just completed a comprehensive plan, Albany 2030 that also identifies goals and principles<br />
that need to be integrated into this planning effort.<br />
A3. Additional Information Review and Incorporation<br />
• Strength and weaknesses analysis<br />
• Inventory of available or underutilized spaces by typology<br />
• Review and assessment of parking strategies<br />
• Review of convention center siting in context of the Downtown plan and assessment of<br />
connectivity to Downtown uses and walkability<br />
• Conduct a physical gap assessment: find areas that fail to connect districts and vitality<br />
• Identify infrastructure and public space interventions that assist in the reconnection of<br />
districts<br />
• Identify infill sites or vacant properties for potential commercial or residential projects that<br />
can create synergies and bridge gaps in the district.<br />
• Pedestrian and public realm analysis to determine places to enhance mobility and<br />
appearance
Section 2<br />
B. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT<br />
Helping Albany to Tell Its Unique Story...<br />
NBBJ has proposed a series of activities that will actively engage the stakeholders and<br />
champions to be a fully participative part of the process. The engagement model includes the<br />
following concepts described at length in their respective sections:<br />
• The Albany Visual Essay<br />
• Pecha Kucha Albany<br />
• #ShowMe (TedX format presentation)<br />
• Beta-testing Action Teams<br />
Our process is designed to engage a broader group of participants than is typical through a<br />
standard public meeting process. The objective of this effort is to create the story of Albany as<br />
described by its residents and businesses which makes it more authentic and creates a rallying<br />
point for the city. Moreover, these approaches utilize means of communication that the creative<br />
class are most comfortable with, in order to insure that the plan developed accommodates<br />
these new trends and anticipates those that are likely to grow stronger in the future. The team<br />
proposes to engage the students in the university community and other interested participants<br />
Our intent is to fully engage the action teams/working groups to jump start and “beta test”<br />
initial ideas that can be implemented quickly, ideally, during the design process.<br />
It is important during the planning process to cultivate “action teams” who will assist in the<br />
implementation of the overall plan or on key components of it. Action teams can be groups<br />
or individuals who are sufficiently passionate to pursue the goals of the project once the team<br />
has completed the Plan. Ideally members of the action groups are groups, organizations or<br />
stakeholders that have the ability to assist in the realization of the Plan with influence and/or<br />
financial resources, but occasionally, sheer doggedness is sufficient to carry a project forward.<br />
An important Plan objective is to create enough buy-in from the public and stakeholders,<br />
through structured and meaningful opportunities early in the process, which ultimately provides<br />
a sense of ownership of the plan during implementation.<br />
Specific Processes and Deliverables:<br />
• Stakeholder interviews - both group and individual - provide an opportunity for the team<br />
to ask a series of questions about hopes and concerns for the Downtown and identify<br />
important issues that must be resolved in the plan. Our task is to not only ask the right<br />
questions and listen, but to provide guidance and facilitate understanding to these<br />
important constituents. We will conduct stakeholder interviews over a multi-day period<br />
in Albany. It is assumed that these stakeholders – identified by the City of Albany - will<br />
represent:<br />
• local community leaders,<br />
• business owners,
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
• abutters,<br />
• adjacent neighborhood organizations, and<br />
• individuals from the development community.<br />
• Stakeholder Advisory Committee presentations and working sessions<br />
• At least four (4) stakeholder presentations will take place throughout the course of the<br />
project to correspond with analysis, vision, preliminary and final implementation plan<br />
• On-going engagement with the Steering Committee throughout the project<br />
• Site visit and walking tour with the stakeholders to help identify physical and perceptual<br />
gaps in the continuity.<br />
• Public Engagement:<br />
Utilizing a TedX format for a community meeting, NBBJ will bring in experts and<br />
development professionals (not necessarily from the consultant team) from across the<br />
country that have focused on temporary and short term projects that have served to<br />
catalyze downtown/warehouse district regeneration. We foresee sessions on temporary<br />
strategies, pop up entrepreneurism, tactical urbanism, proof of concept planning, among<br />
other potential topics. It is the team’s firm belief that the initial catalyst will likely come from<br />
within Albany. The goal of this session is to provide inspiration for a series of temporary<br />
and short term action strategies that work for Albany and creates the momentum Albany<br />
desires.<br />
• Pecha Kucha to better understand strengths and assets in the local Downtown<br />
area of which the team should be aware. This would also create excitement in the<br />
community about those under-the-radar activities that are making Downtown Albany<br />
an exciting place to live or work.<br />
• Ted Talk format public meeting to bring together locals and community leaders to<br />
tell stories of interventions in other places and efforts that might be applicable to the<br />
Albany context and to suggest an agenda for tactical moves in the Downtown.<br />
• SU<strong>NY</strong> student involvement in outreach, visioning and creative content for art<br />
installations, performances or other temporary interventions including an Albany Visual<br />
Essay project to highlight Albany’s assets in a multimedia format.<br />
C. VISION AND GOALS<br />
The challenge in master planning involves building a broad consensus around a vision without<br />
ending up with the lowest common denominator—something that all acquiesce to rather<br />
than being truly inspired by. The key is to aim very high rather than to seek to satisfy each<br />
constituency on its own narrow expectations. At NBBJ, we are well versed in guiding the public
Section 2<br />
process so that everyone’s sights are actually higher at the end of the process than at the<br />
outset.<br />
The most critical element of a bold, long-term vision for a community is instilling within it a<br />
strong sense of ownership and buy-in from its stakeholders and citizens. This is especially<br />
true in Downtown efforts, as the creation of public/private partnerships, the use of financial<br />
incentives, and the prioritization of certain catalytic projects are often subject to robust<br />
community debate. In addition, it is a certainty that over a ten-year planning horizon, market,<br />
political, economic, and cultural conditions will change, and both challenges and opportunities<br />
will arise that were not originally anticipated. A strong master plan, while specifying detailed<br />
implementation actions, must be able to accommodate fluctuations in the marketplace and<br />
shifting demographics; in fact, it must assume they will occur.<br />
We have found that the development of a strong set of guiding principles is a key element<br />
to long-term success; in essence these broad principles provide the community with an overall<br />
vision while allowing the implementation entities to deal with the ever-changing details of the<br />
market or constituencies at any given point in time. The guiding principles can also provide a<br />
clear and concise framework in the review of all proposed subsequent actions in Downtown—<br />
be they public, private, non-profit, quasi-public, or a public/private partnership—to ensure that<br />
all future activity support and contribute to the vitality of Downtown.<br />
We intend to create a dynamic process that results in a bold, creative and actionable vision for<br />
the Downtown and to extend the vision to the adjacent districts and neighborhoods, as well<br />
as better integrate the Riverfront assets. This vision will build on the success of the Downtown<br />
and take advantage of the emergence of the New York State’s “Tech Valley”. The plan will be<br />
an attractive and inspiring document, and a road map for implementation with specific tactical<br />
recommendations to achieve the vision.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Vision Statement<br />
• Graphics and Presentation<br />
D. CORNING PRESERVE PHASE 2 MASTER <strong>PLAN</strong> INTEGRATION<br />
A Tangible Symbol of Improvement……<br />
This new addition to the scope of work provides an opportunity to combine the Tactical Plan<br />
of the Downtown with the development of one of its prime assets: the Hudson Riverfront at<br />
Corning Preserve. It is our intent to integrate the Community Visioning for the Corning Preserve<br />
into the overall planning process for the Tactical Revitalization Plan for the Downtown. However,<br />
as funding dictates that this process must be stand-alone, we will package the results of the<br />
Community Visioning process as it relates to the Corning Preserve as a separate document that<br />
is from the point of view of the Corning Preserve, but still maintains continuity with the planning<br />
initiatives of the Downtown.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
We envision Corning Preserve and the surrounding urban network as a catalytic series of<br />
connective open spaces which foster the redevelopment of Corning Preserve into both a<br />
thriving, dynamic destination and a transitional corridor capable of reconnecting the City to<br />
its waterfront. In order for the park to fulfill this vision, we must ask it to do many things, to<br />
perform on many levels; programmatic, environmental, technical and fiscal. Our approach to<br />
the waterfront therefore embraces four core strategies; multi-purpose programming, engaging<br />
the dynamic river, provide a destination space, and facilitating connectivity – through the city<br />
and along the waterfront.<br />
On the Corning Preserve Site, the waterfront should operate both as open event space and<br />
as an extension of the city better connecting the urban environment to the waterfront beyond.<br />
Unification of the waterfront with the City through thoughtful programming will activate the<br />
park, creating a hybrid of urban and open space. This hybrid space will act to facilitate activity<br />
onsite and connectivity between the City and the waterfront, drawing people into and through<br />
the park with a variety of activity and experience. Connectivity should then also be enhanced<br />
through linkages over I-787 to the existing parks and open space system that exists within<br />
the City; opportunities to link the park more closely to the waterfront and to develop a prime<br />
destination space along the Hudson River. The Corning Preserve site is defined by a landscape<br />
that is well integrated into its programmatic approach and a distinctive event space. The space<br />
must be flexible. Its programmatic strategy will be the primary driver for the landscape, creating<br />
an open space which provides opportunity large or small events including, entertainment,<br />
performance, art installations, festivals, and social gatherings among others.<br />
It is not enough, however that the site work socially as an event space. Given the seasonal<br />
flooding, it should be resilient and function with the river dynamics and flood events, promoting<br />
ecologic sustainability and the longevity of the waterfront. Our strategy is to conceive of the<br />
waterfront as a performative landscape into which ideas of sustainability are embedded. The<br />
intent is to put in play new dynamics of function, use, and ecology / sustainability that can<br />
revitalize, diversify, and better situate this landscape. In order to do so we need to find creative<br />
efficiencies in which every day elements such as benches, pathways and vegetation fulfill<br />
multiple roles simultaneously, essentially, to increase the usability and functionality (hence,<br />
performance) of the landscape.<br />
D1. Meeting 1: Project Scoping Session<br />
Stoss, NBBJ and Buro Happold will kick off the Corning Reserve Phase Master Plan by<br />
meeting with the City of Albany, River Advisory Committee, Department of State (DOS), and<br />
the Capitalize Albany Corporation. Our team will work to coordinate and agree upon the project<br />
scope and requirements; number of public meetings; discuss current site conditions and<br />
transfer any information which will benefit the completion of our project. Additionally, our team<br />
will discuss any potential gap analysis required to complete the master plan work and review<br />
any additional service that would be required to fill the gap of existing condition information.
Section 2<br />
Additionally our team will discuss the current master plans and discuss alternatives strategies<br />
for layout and design, program, site amenities, and scope of improvements.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Scoping meeting with appropriate parties.<br />
• Meeting summary which indicates the agreements/understanding reached.<br />
D2. Phase 1: Site Reconnaissance<br />
Our team begins every project with a research-based discovery process in which we look<br />
for opportunities for landscapes, infrastructures and urban fabric to fulfill multiple roles<br />
simultaneously. We’re especially interested in how these systems work, and in how their<br />
discrete agendas can be broadened, hybridized and enriched. Our working methodology<br />
incorporates parallel streams of inquiry where we seek to understand historic and existing<br />
conditions, including successes and failures, as well as the performance criteria of each of the<br />
individual elements or systems in play. These studies tell us how each of the systems will work<br />
on its own, but typically also reveal areas of overlap or gaps where we can dig deeper.<br />
At the Corning Preserve, Stoss and team will work intimately with DOS, the City of Albany,<br />
Riverfront Advisory Committee and Capitalize Albany Corporation to review all existing plans,<br />
reports and information gathered by the various agencies. Buro Happold will review existing<br />
plans and materials, review site survey provided by others, review site geotechnical data<br />
provided by others, examine existing topography and hydrology and review the projected<br />
climate-change related impacts as per the City of Albany’s draft vulnerability assessment.<br />
In addition the team will seek an understanding of the full range of opportunities available<br />
for connecting the waterfront to the greater Albany community, through the Albany Tactical<br />
Revitalization Plan, and more intimately to the Hudson River.<br />
This phase ends with the creation of a synthesized drawing of existing maps, diagrams,<br />
case studies and technical data. The goal is to put on the table for clients, stakeholders and<br />
ourselves the full range of existing conditions that will impact the project through the master<br />
plan phase to facilitate a common technical understanding of the site.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
A map or maps at a scale to be agreed upon in the scoping session showing the above<br />
information and other appropriate information that may be identifies as a result of the project<br />
scoping session.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
D3. Phase II: Community Visioning<br />
Community Visioning for the Corning Preserve will be integrated into the overall planning<br />
process for the Tactical Revitalization Plan for the Downtown. However, as funding dictates<br />
that this process must be stand-alone, we will package the results of the Community Visioning<br />
process as it relates to the Corning Preserve as a separate document that is from the point of<br />
view of the Corning Preserve, but still maintains continuity with the planning initiatives of the<br />
Downtown.<br />
Our team often works on projects like the Corning Preserve Master Plan. Projects that are in<br />
the public realm with intense and engaging public processes, workshops, and public forums<br />
in which design ideas are presented, discussed, and prodded by community members<br />
and stakeholders. We have developed a series of engaging tools that allow others first to<br />
understand the critical issues and opportunities of the site and second to offer useful insights<br />
and feedback that we fold into the work moving forward.<br />
Among these tools are annotated plans, before and after views, illustrative sections, groundlevel<br />
views, playing cards to gauge community interest in potential programmatic opportunities<br />
and interactive models in which we (or members of the public) can move pieces around<br />
during the discussion to test out various scenarios. We also study proposals through time,<br />
demonstrating how vegetation might grow and change over a number of years, or how more<br />
urban proposals might be built out incrementally over longer periods of time. In addition to<br />
more typical meeting and workshop formats, we also explore how other gatherings (like an onsite<br />
community barbeque!) and other tools (social networking sites like Facebook) might allow<br />
us to reach out to broader audiences and solicit more diverse input.<br />
Our public outreach does not stop at the planning stage. We look for opportunities to change<br />
perceptions and reshape opinions of sites in advance of future construction and adjacent<br />
development. Interim programming in this sense acts as a mode of expanded outreach, where<br />
events, activities, and art and landscape installations offer additional means of reaching the<br />
public and generating interest in the site. For instance, at Harvard University, Stoss worked<br />
with Campus Life / Student Services and Planning to organize a series of events and seasonal<br />
activities on the site of a future plaza renovation. Along the Fox River following the construction<br />
of Phase 1 of The CityDeck, the City of Green Bay instituted weekly events including Dine on<br />
the Deck and Fridays on the Fox to draw visitors to the area and supplement food and program<br />
opportunities along the waterfront.<br />
These interim programming strategies and temporary installations before, during, and after<br />
construction provide opportunities to gain public support for new spaces and increase<br />
excitement before the entire vision for an area is realized.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Minutes/written summary of the public meeting
Section 2<br />
D4. Phase III: Draft Master Plan<br />
From here we will embark on wide-ranging brainstorming and scenario-building exercises, in<br />
which we play out different options across the site and study area to test which combinations,<br />
may work best; the idea is to think in an open-minded way, and to position various<br />
scenarios against one another before coming to design decisions. This process is iterative<br />
and collaborative. In this phase we will work closely with our team members to generate<br />
innovative programming options that hybridize with our overall strategy of sustainability and<br />
multi-functionality. This multi-functional open space should provide opportunities for large<br />
or small events including, performance, art installations, existing festivals, and impromptu<br />
social gatherings. Buro Happold will specifically provide recommendations on improvements<br />
to the existing 800-seat amphitheater, rest rooms and storage facilities, parking facilities plan<br />
(marine and vehicle), precedents for shoreline stabilization, recommendations for infrastructure<br />
improvements - transportation systems, infrastructure and utilities grading or drainage<br />
structures, alternative schematic designs, and assistance in action plan development. The team<br />
as a whole will actively seek efficiencies in the design. Borrowing waste resources such as<br />
stormwater to perform important functions on site is one way in which we help to reduce costs<br />
while creating new opportunities for design. This is a core component of our landscape based<br />
approach to urbanism and thus is infused in all of our projects. We will tailor this approach<br />
to the specific requirements and resources at Corning Preserve to develop a comprehensive<br />
master plan design that not only frames and explains the project for the public but engages the<br />
public through the immense potential along the Hudson.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Pertinent analysis at the city and site scale<br />
• Programming Diagram<br />
• Concept Design Site Plan<br />
• 3 Conceptual Renderings<br />
• Site Section showing connection from the City to the Waterfront<br />
• Concept Design Site Model<br />
• Preliminary opinion of probable cost of recommended improvements.<br />
D5. Community Meeting:<br />
We will coordinate and present our draft Master Plan to the community in order to obtain<br />
feedback from the stakeholders and public.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
Minutes/written summary of the public meeting
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
D6. Phase IV: Final Master Plan<br />
We see the Final Master Plan as being a culmination of all the previous phases. Based on<br />
public and agency-wide feedback we will create a final set of drawings and submit to the DOS<br />
for approval.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Pertinent analysis at the city and site scale<br />
• Programming Diagram<br />
• Concept Design Site Plan<br />
• 3 Conceptual Renderings<br />
• Sections and Elevations necessary to communicate design intent of Master Plan<br />
improvements<br />
• Recommendations for improvements to existing site structures<br />
• Concept Design Site Model<br />
• Identity and branding<br />
• Opinion of probable cost of recommended improvements.<br />
E. IMPLEMENTATION<br />
The NBBJ team thoroughly agrees with the statement in the RFP document that the<br />
Implementation Plan is a critical component of the Vision’s final product, and that the<br />
completion of the Plan is a roadmap to an ultimate destination. Without a viable set of actions<br />
that reflect both the aspirations of Albany and the realities of the marketplace, the value of the<br />
overall vision is greatly diminished.<br />
A market based vision…<br />
While the above concept is likely to be embraced by most, there will be major differences in the<br />
approach to the development of the Implementation Plan. Our philosophy is that the realities of<br />
the market and the viability of the implementation program must be infused into the crafting<br />
of the vision from day one. We pride ourselves on our ability to create “market-based”<br />
visions, and the inclusion in our team of colleagues with strong expertise - and experience - in<br />
actually implementing catalytic development projects utilizing creative and viable financing<br />
strategies, speaks to this approach. In addition, while we certainly will utilize all available<br />
market research and information available, which provide snapshots of existing and historical<br />
market conditions – our approach seeks out and identifies certain sub-market and market<br />
niche opportunities that may be under-represented and/or not assessed. These macro market<br />
opportunities can be, and must be, identified in conjunction with our efforts to identify those<br />
unique and authentic elements of Downtown Albany’s identity and heritage. Thus, these assets<br />
not only become part of Albany’s image and branding, but serve at the same time as potential<br />
market strengths. We also will assess the development implications of already identified and<br />
growing markets such as the Capital District’s “Tech Valley.”
Section 2<br />
As the team described previously we believe in this era of economic uncertainty that getting<br />
projects moving that have an impact in the near term is absolutely critical. The implementation<br />
plan NBBJ proposes has four elements:<br />
• Project identification<br />
• Scaling up existing successes<br />
• Prototyping and Beta Testing ideas<br />
• “Customer” targeting and acquisition<br />
Project identification: Identification of priority development and infrastructure projects that will<br />
have catalytic impacts on the district, improve connectivity and create excitement and vitality<br />
• Identify key catalytic development sites and programmatic opportunities<br />
• Understand how these sites link to longer term visionary elements that can be mutually<br />
reinforcing<br />
• Provision of initial pro forma analysis of the catalytic development program<br />
• A fiscal impact and economic prospectus<br />
• Identification of financing options and necessary public incentives and/or investment<br />
Scaling up existing successes: Financial assistance options that extend the successful<br />
actions already underway but take them to the next level with tax incentives, creative project<br />
financing and potential grant sources.<br />
E1. Development Opportunities<br />
What Fits with Albany?<br />
Cities and Downtowns are being utilized today in ways much different from their traditional<br />
roles. Those predisposed to living and working Downtown - a growing demographic - are<br />
less interested in housing types, retailing, food, entertainment, etc. that were the norm even<br />
a decade ago. The rise of social media, food trucks, smaller and more innovative housing<br />
units, access to bike and pedestrian trails, outdoor entertainment and fitness opportunities,<br />
etc. all impact how Downtowns are developed and the atmosphere they provide. Our process<br />
is designed to engage these populations in the means of communication they are most<br />
comfortable with, in order to insure that the plan developed accommodates these new trends<br />
and anticipates those that are likely to grow stronger in the future.<br />
Reverse Engineering<br />
Classic real estate market analysis increasingly has limited utility in guiding a development<br />
program particularly for an urban core city. For example in the team’s experience many urban<br />
neighborhoods have market fundamentals and conventional metrics that suggest the ability<br />
to support a grocery store. However, grocery stores are among the most difficult recruitment
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
activities for an urban core community. Additionally, the continued growth of online retail<br />
suggests that retail formats and business models are under substantial pressure. Finally<br />
emerging industrial and technology businesses are often hidden behind a NAICS statistical<br />
reporting system that misses the nuances of what is actually taking place.<br />
Using a process of “Reverse Engineering” a model can be created to inform a realistic<br />
regeneration scenario based on actual experience in other benchmark communities. NBBJ<br />
team will conduct a precedent analysis of 2-3 Downtown environments that are widely<br />
considered successes and have applicability to the dynamics and conditions of Albany. The<br />
team will work with Albany to determine the most appropriate candidates. The NBBJ team<br />
will “reverse-engineer” relevant Downtown residential developments to understand actual<br />
market dynamics and activity. Reverse engineering begins with understanding the pyschodemographic<br />
characteristics and household counts of the resident population in these districts.<br />
Existing “neighborhood” amenities will be assessed in terms of their positioning, mix, numbers<br />
and density. Housing typologies will be understood.<br />
The reverse engineered districts matched with the destination product assessment in the<br />
existing conditions analysis will identify the “actionable” opportunity for Albany – what is the<br />
appropriate/obtainable mix of residents, businesses and customers to the Downtown that<br />
will drive the next level of development. In effect this approach responds to the “show me”<br />
dynamic discussed during the webinar.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Provision of initial pro forma analysis of the catalytic development program<br />
• Integrate macro assessments with real estate assessments to identify realistic opportunities<br />
• Develop base pro formas to test economic viability thresholds<br />
• Test concepts with area developers experienced in the appropriate development<br />
• Priority setting by work with stakeholder group to allocate different strategies based on<br />
their relative impact on goal versus resources required<br />
• Implementation planning / critical path identification<br />
• Identification of the appropriate mix of residents, businesses and customers to the<br />
Downtown that will drive the next level of development.<br />
Optional Deliverables:<br />
Fiscal Impact Analysis: We can provide a range of fiscal impact analysis all of which require<br />
various modeling tools and costs associated with licensing of the software. We will scope the<br />
use of these various tools that result in the most valuable data.<br />
E2. Targeted Attraction and Retention Strategies<br />
Customer Acquisition and Targeting
Section 2<br />
Utilizing information from the existing conditions assessment as well as the visioning exercises<br />
(TedX, etc..) and reverse engineering work, the NBBJ team will create a targeting model that<br />
will identify types of companies, talent, and residents that will best fit with the emerging Albany<br />
model. The team will identify marketing channels and key concepts (incentives, place-making,<br />
story line) to incorporate into an overall merchandising of Albany.<br />
Promoting Physical Space Innovation through Regulatory Flexibility<br />
Attracting highly mobile talent, companies, and residents require far more flexibility and<br />
innovation in Downtowns to best take advantage of current and emerging trends in business<br />
locations and lifestyles. The ability to provide temporary (pop-up) installations and businesses,<br />
the need to integrate living and work spaces, the need to provide small and flexible spaces<br />
for entrepreneurs, technology start-ups, and internet-based businesses all require a different<br />
mindset regarding zoning and other regulations. In Louisville, new housing prototypes - both<br />
for-sale and rental - in Downtown areas with maximum flexibility and the ability to integrate<br />
smaller retail and business activity at ground level in Louisville required a suspension of the<br />
existing zoning categories, but has resulted in great success – and the ability to accommodate<br />
a Downtown housing need not available prior to that effort. Our early beta testing will further<br />
inform financing gaps or impediments to implementation that need to be addressed in the<br />
strategies.<br />
At this point the team does not feel that investment in the creation of an actual campaign with<br />
supporting marketing collateral is warranted.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Customer, Business, Tenant and Talent attraction and retention strategy<br />
• Housing retention and creation strategy<br />
• Retail recruitment and tenanting strategy<br />
E3. Financial Assistance Options<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Financial Assistance Options that extend the successful actions already underway but take<br />
them to the next level with tax incentives, creative project financing and potential grant<br />
sources.<br />
• Identification of financing options and necessary public incentives and/or investment<br />
E4. Marketing and Placemaking Strategies<br />
Building on Authenticity…..
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
A major element of the success of Downtown Albany will be a strong, creative, and appropriate<br />
marketing effort. Many Downtowns struggle with the “right time” to create or develop such<br />
a branding or theming effort, and we understand this dilemma. The collective experience<br />
of our team members suggest that it is first necessary to determine the authenticity of a<br />
Downtown – its sense of place – and develop the brand around the assets that define this<br />
authenticity. These may be obvious, such as the river, or perhaps somewhat under the radar,<br />
which provide new opportunities. We have been involved in a number of projects where the<br />
true authenticity, and thus the base of an authentic brand, evolves out of the master planning<br />
or project planning process, and is much stronger as a result. As such we would propose that<br />
wayfinding and marketing would emerge from the masterplan process rather than be developed<br />
during the process.<br />
Our early efforts to understand the experience of the Downtown (mystery visitor, Pecha<br />
Kucha, activity mapping and visual essays) and lessons learned from any beta testing will<br />
form the basis of future detailed wayfinding and branding efforts to come.<br />
Deliverables<br />
• A marketing and promotion strategy (the basis of a marketing plan) that articulate the<br />
authentic strengths of the larger Downtown district(s) that are outlined in the Vision.<br />
• Wayfinding and Placemaking strategies and Branding strategies that identify brand<br />
opportunities.<br />
E5. Quality of Life and Infrastructure Initiatives<br />
Signature Elements that Solve Real Problems:<br />
Focus on the connection between the riverfront and Downtown, which is a REAL need and<br />
must be addressed through the overall planning process. However, we suggest that this not<br />
be thought of as merely a pedestrian connection, but as a signature element that becomes an<br />
iconic and celebratory element in and of itself, especially since the span across the highway<br />
is very long. We would show examples from Columbus and elsewhere to illustrate our point<br />
of having this become a main element of Downtown, as opposed to merely a way to reach<br />
the other side...It would be expressed as a way to integrate the riverfront with the Downtown,<br />
rather than merely to connect them.<br />
• Identification of priority development and infrastructure projects that will have catalytic<br />
impacts on the district, improve connectivity and create excitement and vitality. Identify key<br />
catalytic development sites and programmatic opportunities<br />
• A set of actionable strategies to enhance quality of life issues and add to the vitality of<br />
Downtown with events, arts and high quality public realm. Our proposed method of beta<br />
testing, may inject various new forms of public programming, events or cultural events. We<br />
would delay the generation of a stand alone entertainment and cultural program that will<br />
support the plan, rather than develop one concurrently with the plan.
Section 2<br />
• Parking Strategy: (included in base bid) The NBBJ development implementation team has<br />
extensive experience in planning, managing and developing parking assets. Additionally<br />
the team has extensive experience in public private partnerships involving parking and real<br />
estate assets. Specific parking management experiences includes Louisville, New Haven,<br />
Hartford and Springfield, MA. Development experience includes Louisville, Boston and San<br />
Jose, CA. Public-private transactions includes TF Green Airport, New Haven, Providence,<br />
Hartford and Louisville.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Parking Strategic Plan<br />
• Parks Open spaces streetscape plan<br />
• Summary of applicable best practices (and results of beta testing)<br />
• Implementation Plan (including results of beta testing)<br />
• Performance Reporting (included analysis of beta tests)<br />
F. WOW FACTOR<br />
The following items are Wow factor extras that we believe will add value to the typical public<br />
planning process to allow for a more creative approach to information gathering, community<br />
visioning, and early actions.<br />
Storytelling as a Way to Discover Albany’s Identity<br />
Utilizing a TedX format for a community meeting, NBBJ will bring in experts and development<br />
professionals (not necessarily from the consultant team) from across the country that have<br />
focused on temporary and short term projects that have served to catalyze Downtown/<br />
warehouse district regeneration. We foresee sessions on temporary strategies, pop up<br />
entrepreneurism, tactical urbanism, proof of concept planning, among other potential topics. It<br />
is the team’s firm belief that the initial catalyst will likely come from within Albany. The goal of<br />
this session is to provide inspiration for a series of temporary and short term action strategies<br />
that work for Albany and creates the momentum Albany desires.<br />
Testing New Ideas With Modest Budgets…..<br />
Before committing to major public investments to recreate public spaces, pedestrian<br />
improvements or related infrastructure, temporary strategies modeled after the idea of beta<br />
testing may serve a useful purpose of helping to understand how concepts will work in real<br />
world environments. An interim approach particularly for concepts being introduced from other<br />
markets allows for the opportunity to refine the projects to fit the realities of Albany before<br />
committing resources toward final design and construction.<br />
The NBBJ team would advocate strongly for early implementation actions, “beta testing”, as<br />
a priority during the planning process. This strategy puts people on the ground who are both
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
The Show Me Albany Game
Section 2<br />
making something happen and data-gathering at the same time. We can point to the success<br />
of the New Haven vacant storefront pop up program. In this type program most of risk falls<br />
on the entrepreneur, who then becomes our program advocate and emissary. This program<br />
also grabs the owners and angles them immediately in both sacrificing (rent) and jump starting<br />
activity. I would argue, we will put programs on the ground today is the thesis that create<br />
more of the environment they want. The pop-ups that succeed are the successfully prototyped,<br />
failure can and does occur, but our focus is on the speed and presence of storefronts being<br />
occupied, not on a 100% rate. Each pop-up becomes an outreach and touch point for the<br />
planning process and the revitalization of the Downtown.<br />
Business and product innovation is critical to the health of businesses. Entrepreneurialism in<br />
any industry provides vitality to an economy and is an important source The proximity of SU<strong>NY</strong><br />
Albany and RPI provide terrific opportunities for partnerships regarding a focus on technology<br />
as part of the “Albany story” and the ability to create interesting reuse opportunities in Albany’s<br />
historic properties and a new paradigm of supporting technological innovation through creating<br />
economic infrastructure as part of the Downtown revitalization strategy.<br />
Deliverables:<br />
• Pecha Kucha to better understand strengths and assets in the local Downtown area of<br />
which the team should be aware. This would also create excitement in the community<br />
about those under-the-radar activities that are making Downtown Albany an exciting place<br />
to live or work.<br />
• TedX style format public meeting to bring together locals and community leaders to tell<br />
stories of other places and efforts that would be applicable to the Albany context.<br />
• Beta Testing: recruit and curate a limited number of seasonally appropriate beta tests for<br />
public open space or private vacant space. (does not include hard costs)<br />
• Albany Visual Essay: an electronic image bank of Albany that can be used to help identify<br />
core assets and opportunities<br />
G. DRAFT AND FINAL REPORT PREPARATION<br />
We intend to create a dynamic process that results in a bold, creative and actionable vision for<br />
the Downtown and to extend the vision to the adjacent districts and neighborhoods, as well<br />
as better integrate the Riverfront assets. This vision will build on the success of the Downtown<br />
and take advantage of the emergence of the New York State’s “Tech Valley”. The plan will be<br />
an attractive and inspiring document, and a road map for implementation with specific tactical<br />
recommendations to achieve the vision.
Project Approach, Scope of Work, and Deliverables<br />
Schedule<br />
The schedule is attached to the cost proposal in Section 6.
Section 3<br />
Team Profile,<br />
Qualifications, And<br />
Experience
Team Profile, Qualifications,<br />
and Experience<br />
Section 3<br />
Capitalize Albany Corporation<br />
nbbj<br />
Urban Design / Planning / Project Management<br />
Alan Mountjoy<br />
Principal-in-Charge<br />
Alex Krieger<br />
Director of Planning and Urban<br />
Design<br />
Andrea Pavia*<br />
Project Manager<br />
Jacob Simons*<br />
Research and Strategy Director<br />
Andrew Buhayar*<br />
Analyst and Trending Director<br />
Consultants<br />
CityVisions Associates<br />
Master Planning Implementation<br />
Barry Alberts<br />
Principal<br />
C. William Weyland<br />
Principal<br />
Ninigret Partners<br />
Market Analytics<br />
Kevin Hively<br />
President<br />
David Panagore<br />
Senior Advisor<br />
Kate Nagle*<br />
Communications Manager<br />
Nelson\Nygaard*<br />
Parking and Traffic Consultant<br />
Jason Schrieber, AICP<br />
Principal<br />
Tom Brown<br />
Senior Associate<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism*<br />
Landscape Architects for the<br />
Corning Reserve Plan<br />
Chris Reed, ASLA<br />
Principal In Charge<br />
Scott Bishop, ASLA<br />
Project Manager<br />
Amy Whitesides<br />
Designer<br />
Buro Happold*<br />
Structural Engineers for the<br />
Corning Reserve Plan<br />
Neil Porto<br />
Project Director<br />
David Koysman<br />
Civil Engineer<br />
Samantha Cohen<br />
Sustainable Infrastructure Specialist<br />
Erik Prince<br />
Designer<br />
*new additions to the team
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience
Section 3<br />
Project Team<br />
Our team comprises the following six firms:<br />
• NBBJ urban Design / Planning / Project Management<br />
• CityVisions Associates Master Planning Implementation<br />
• Ninigret Partners market Analysis<br />
*New Additions:<br />
• Nelson\Nygaard Parking and Traffic Consultant<br />
• Stoss Landscape Urbanism Landscape Architects for the Corning Reserve Plan<br />
• Buro Happold Structural Engineers for the Corning Reserve Plan<br />
Firms and Individuals Added to the Team<br />
As we have looked more closely at the scope and the additional task of creating a master plan<br />
for the Corning Preserve, we have expanded the team accordingly. Within NBBJ, we have a<br />
consulting group that calls itself REV. REV is an interdisciplinary studio within NBBJ’s global<br />
design practice specialized in optimizing the performance of our client’s organizations and,<br />
most importantly, people. They apply meaningful design strategies to understand and address<br />
human and business needs and integrate design, business, and social science expertise to<br />
uncover those needs, apply new thinking, and develop courses of action that result in positive<br />
and innovative change. They utilize experience design and research, translate it to operational<br />
planning and identify opportunities for change. REV will lead a process design session that will<br />
identify the issues that need to be addressed in the Tactical Plan and set its goals, then help<br />
us to strategize about and organize experiential exercises that will allow us to illustrate and test<br />
the emerging ideas. Jacob Simons and Andrew Buhayar will lead these efforts that we think<br />
will provide a real opportunity to “wow!” the tactics within the plan by encouraging us to look at<br />
urban issues through an entirely new lens.<br />
Ninigret Partners has added Kate Nagle to the team to create and manage the<br />
Communications Plan. She will coordinate outreach to the community and with Capitalize<br />
Albany Corporation.<br />
We have also added Nelson\Nygaard to the team, primarily to lend their creative solutions<br />
for parking to the plan, but also to ensure that our pedestrian and traffic approaches are both<br />
progressive and implementable.<br />
For the Corning Preserve Phase 2 Master Plan, we have recruited Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
to assist in the design of the open space. Their approach to sustainability enhances their<br />
keen eye for urban open spaces and facilitates implementation. Buro Happold will assist in<br />
coordinating the design, providing engineering for structural elements such as footbridges,<br />
waterfront structures and improvements to the “Performance Place.”
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Team Qualifications
Section<br />
3NBBJ<br />
NBBJ<br />
Urban Design / Planning / Project Management<br />
NBBJ’s urban design practice has a 30-year history of creating thoughtful design and planning<br />
strategies for communities—cities, neighborhoods, waterfronts, mixed-use corridors, downtowns, and<br />
urban campuses—nationwide and internationally. We understand the complex social, economic,<br />
and environmental challenges of our time and use a multidisciplinary approach that goes far<br />
beyond traditional form-making, an approach that encompasses architecture, landscape, policy,<br />
and culture. By integrating this mix of skills, we design cities tailored to our specific clients<br />
and their communities, places that fulfill the needs and aspirations of our increasingly urban<br />
species. Our people-centered, holistic “Change Design” process empowers us to understand,<br />
envision and design solutions that create meaning and value. We gather all perspectives and<br />
consider every angle. This depth of understanding allows us to deliver the right solutions to the<br />
right problems. We take the abstract—what is ideal—and make it real.<br />
Project Team:<br />
Alan Mountjoy, Principal-in-Charge<br />
NBBJ<br />
One Beacon Street Suite 5200<br />
Boston, MA 02108<br />
617-378-4828<br />
amountjoy@nbbj.com<br />
Alex Krieger, Director of Planning + Urban Design<br />
NBBJ<br />
One Beacon Street Suite 5200<br />
Boston, MA 02108<br />
617-378-4838<br />
akrieger@nbbj.com<br />
Andrea Pavia, Project Manager **<br />
Jacob Simons, Research and Strategy Director **<br />
NBBJ<br />
223 Yale Avenue North<br />
Seattle, WA 98109<br />
206-223-5244<br />
jsimons@nbbj.com<br />
Andrew Buhayar, Analyst and Trending Director **<br />
NBBJ<br />
223 Yale Avenue North<br />
Seattle, WA 98109<br />
206-621-2286<br />
abuhayar@nbbj.com<br />
**New team members<br />
NBBJ<br />
One Beacon Street Suite 5200<br />
Boston, MA 02108<br />
617-378-4861<br />
apavia@nbbj.com
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
NBBJ<br />
Andrea Pavia<br />
Project Manager, NBBJ<br />
Professional Affiliations<br />
Urban Land Institute<br />
Board of Architects of Rome<br />
Education<br />
Master of Architecture in Urban<br />
Design, 2011<br />
Harvard University Graduate School<br />
of Design<br />
Master in Architecture, 2001<br />
University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy<br />
Andrea Pavia is an architect and urban designer from Rome, Italy with over a decade<br />
of international professional experience. He earned his Master of Architecture in Urban<br />
Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and his Master of Architecture degree<br />
at the University of Roma Tre in Rome. Andrea’s interest focuses on what constitutes<br />
good-resilient urban form at the intersection between city planning and urban design.<br />
His research looks at the issues of ecology and energy as drivers in the design of urban<br />
frameworks and at the centrality of public spaces in city making. His projects and<br />
articles have been featured in Urban Land and in PianoProgettoCitta’ among others. In<br />
the U.S., Andrea worked for RTKL in Chicago, the Harvard University Planning Office in<br />
Cambridge, and Johnson Fain in Los Angeles. He has collaborated on the design and<br />
development of a number of projects for mixed-use, office, campus, and residential<br />
projects in USA and China, and he has been involved in conceptual and schematic<br />
design phases for high-rise, mixed-use, and residential buildings, and for public open<br />
spaces.<br />
Relevant Project Experience<br />
Foxtown Urban Design<br />
Detroit, MI | Urban Designer<br />
Nanjing Hexi Yuzui District Urban Design<br />
Nanjing, China | Urban Designer<br />
Downtown Los Angeles Fashion District Specific Plan*<br />
Los Angeles, CA | Urban Designer<br />
Old Town/Mid Town San Diego Community Plan Update*<br />
San Diego, CA | Urban Designer<br />
Faulkner Hospital Master Plan<br />
Boston, MA | Urban Designer<br />
New Haven Route 34<br />
New Haven, CT | Urban Designer<br />
Beijing Bohai Rim Master Plan Competition*<br />
Beijing, China | Urban Designer<br />
City for Tomorrow South Africa*<br />
South Africa | Urban Designer<br />
Santa Monica Expo Line Station Initial Concept Design*<br />
Santa Monica, CA | Urban Designer<br />
ABC Studios*<br />
Golden Oak Ranch, CA | Master Planner<br />
The District at Kaka’Ako*<br />
Honolulu, HI | Master Planner<br />
Jin Jiang Corridor ShuangLiu District<br />
Chengdu, China | Master Planner<br />
Luxury Lakes Urban Design<br />
Chengdu, China | Master Planner<br />
Dodger Stadium – Transit and Sustainability Assessment<br />
Los Angeles, CA | Master Planner<br />
Fullerton Transportation Center<br />
Fullerton, CA | Master Planner<br />
*Experience Prior to NBBJ
Section<br />
3NBBJ<br />
Jacob Simons, Associate<br />
Research and Strategy Director, NBBJ<br />
Education<br />
Bachelors and Arts in Applied<br />
Anthropology, 2006,<br />
University of Washington<br />
Resident, Athena Honors Design<br />
Program, 2001 - 2002,<br />
Arizona State University<br />
Jacob’s mission is to understand the behavioral, cultural and experiential<br />
needs of people as a means to define the fundamental relevance of design.<br />
He believes that much of the success of any design, its ability to be a solution<br />
at all, is buried under a complex and often subconscious understanding of<br />
people, their current needs and their aspirations for the future. For this premise,<br />
he has pursued design, not as a product or an object of self expression, but<br />
as a process of exploration and discovery. Through this process he is able to<br />
embody information and inspiration in each creation - product, service or space<br />
- and enhance human experience and meaning through design. Jacob believes<br />
the partnership of social science, design and business will enable the formation<br />
of our environment to be achieved with the highest degree of wisdom and has<br />
for the past several years worked within NBBJ to develop a group called REV<br />
with this expressed goal. With diverse perspective, strategic capability and<br />
design talent he is able to uncover new and relevant opportunities for design in<br />
response to business needs and their customers’ desires.<br />
Relevant Project Experience<br />
Google, Inc., Mountainview Campus Masterplan and Design<br />
Mountain View, CA | Research and Strategy Lead<br />
Canterbury District Health Board, City Revitalization Visioning<br />
Ashburton, New Zealand | Strategy and Prototyping Lead<br />
Kaiser Permanente, Global Brand Standard<br />
Various locations | Research and Strategy Lead<br />
Swedish Medical Center, Surgical Master Plan<br />
Seattle, WA | Patient Experience Designer<br />
Louisiana State University Medical Center<br />
New Orleans, LA | Transition Planning<br />
Valley Medical Center, Expansion Project<br />
Renton, WA | Transition Management<br />
Providence Regional Medical Center<br />
Everett, WA | Transition Planning<br />
Microsoft, Building 92 Learning Center<br />
Redmond, WA | Research Strategy/ Concept Design Team<br />
The Columbus Foundation<br />
Columbus, OH | Research Strategy Team<br />
Southwest Washington Medical Center, E.W. and Mary<br />
Firstenburg Tower<br />
Vancouver, WA | Research Team<br />
Southcentral Foundation, Primary Care Center II and III<br />
Anchorage, AK | Principal in Charge of Design<br />
United States Navy, Naval Hospital Bremerton, Master Plan<br />
and Clinic Addition and Renovation<br />
Bremerton, WA | Principal in Charge of Design<br />
PeaceHealth, St. Joseph Hospital, Regional Institutional<br />
Master Plan<br />
Bellingham, WA | Partner in Charge<br />
Washington State Employees Credit Union, Corporate<br />
Headquarters<br />
Olympia, WA | Research Strategy Lead
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
NBBJ<br />
Andrew Buhayar, Associate<br />
Analyst and Trending Director<br />
Andrew helps clients plan for and act on strategic decisions. With a<br />
background in user research and business analysis, Andrew is able<br />
to combine his qualitative and quantitative skills to clarify stakeholder<br />
needs and provide confidence in decision-making through analytic<br />
study. Andrew has significant experience helping clients identify, select<br />
and plan for their future.<br />
Education<br />
Master of Business Administration,<br />
2008 Illinois Institute of Technology<br />
Master of Design Planning, 2008<br />
Illinois Institute of Technology<br />
Bachelor of Science in Business<br />
Administration, 2002, Washington<br />
Formerly with Sg2, a healthcare research and consulting firm based out<br />
of Chicago, he has also worked with Mayo Clinic’s SPARC Innovation<br />
Program where he helped develop strategies to explore remote care<br />
offerings while advancing the Clinic’s innovation capacity. Andrew<br />
holds a Master of Design in Design Planning and a MBA from Illinois<br />
Institute of Technology, where in addition to his studies he worked on<br />
strategic planning efforts for the Rocky Mountain Institute and workflow<br />
improvement for GE Healthcare cardio catheterization lab products.<br />
Relevant Project Experience<br />
St. Joseph Health System, Mission Hospital Innovation Lab<br />
Mission Viejo, CA | Project Advisor<br />
St. Joseph Health System, Mission Hospital Master Planning*<br />
Mission Viejo, CA | Strategic Planner<br />
St. Joseph Health System, Covenant Health Master Planning*<br />
Lubbock, TX | Analysis<br />
St. Joseph Health System, St. Mary Medical Center Master<br />
Planning*<br />
Apple Valley, CA | Strategic Planning and Analysis<br />
Naval Hospital Oak Harbor Study<br />
Oak Harbor, WA | Demographics and Business Analyst<br />
Providence Regional Medical Center<br />
Everett, WA | Transitional Planning<br />
Valley Medical Center<br />
Renton, WA | Operations Support<br />
Great Plains Regional Medical Center, Master Plan<br />
North Platte, NE | Health Planner / Strategist<br />
Swedish Medical Center, Surgical Master Plan<br />
Seattle, WA | Healthcare Planner/ Strategist<br />
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation<br />
Seattle, WA | Post-Occupancy Evaluator / Design Research<br />
Investigator
Section 3<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
REV Studio<br />
REV is an interdisciplinary studio within NBBJ’s global design practice specialized in optimizing<br />
the performance of our client’s organizations and, most importantly, people. Our studio is<br />
comprised of designers and strategists from a wide range of professional and educational<br />
disciplines driven by the belief that relevant, meaningful and innovative design begins and ends<br />
with understanding the human experience. Through research and strategy we link our solutions<br />
to the human spirit and its inherent potential. We believe that strategic innovation emerges from<br />
an immersive discovery phase that uncovers both latent and expressed needs of consumers<br />
and our clients.<br />
REV fosters an ongoing dialogue with clients, partners and key stakeholders. We uncover deep<br />
insights, often designing with as well as for end-users. Our unique methods provide insights<br />
into users’ motivations and behaviors. Those findings enable us to design environments and<br />
experiences that closely respond to our clients’ expectations and dreams in order to ensure<br />
that these crucial human factors are not only embedded in the design, but also embraced in<br />
our clients’ enterprise. Our services help clients transition to their future state, whether for a<br />
product, a building, a new way of working or a new business practice. By partnering with our<br />
clients to strategically uncover new opportunities and optimize experience, we help them grow.<br />
Specialists<br />
• Applied Social Scientists<br />
• Architects/Interior Designers<br />
• Business Strategists<br />
• Communication Designers<br />
• Industrial Designers<br />
• Nurses/Clinicians<br />
• Operational Specialists<br />
• Strategic Planners
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Approach<br />
Our approach aligns brand, space, technology, communities, and health to your<br />
organizational values and business goals. Based on our experience, successful<br />
organizations demand alignment across the complete experience, both internally and<br />
externally. This approach ensures high relevance and adoption of all innovation and<br />
positive change.<br />
Our thinking centers on the interplay of both expert and participatory mindsets, and our<br />
approach builds on the value of informing “front end” strategy development with the rigor<br />
of later-stage, or “back end”, transformational change implications and intelligence.<br />
We are at our best when:<br />
• We are balancing reliability and<br />
validity<br />
• We are integrating all disciplines/<br />
stakeholders into the design process<br />
• We are tackling “wicked problems”<br />
through social innovation, i.e.<br />
homelessness, obesity, etc.<br />
• We are engaged early in project<br />
visioning and throughout its duration<br />
• We are current in best practices and<br />
continue to experiment and learn<br />
• We develop partnerships at levels of<br />
“co-creation, learning and teaching”<br />
• We work with clients (partners), not for<br />
projects (service)<br />
• We approach design as a verb, not a<br />
noun<br />
• We think “big picture” and share<br />
multiple alternatives and perspectives<br />
Sustainable Design<br />
Sustainable design is becoming increasingly important in the mainstream of design practices,<br />
as a means of delivering healthier environments. Our overall project approach includes a<br />
structured way of ensuring that all aspects of integrated planning and design are included from<br />
the beginning of the work, one of which is sustainable - or regenerative - thinking.<br />
The extensive benefits our clients enjoy as a result of this way of thinking includes<br />
reduced operating costs, increased flexibility, more manageable space, and healthier work<br />
environments. We have found that clients enjoy a sense of pride knowing that their building<br />
includes thinking that has reduced its toll on the environment and contains as much locally<br />
generated or recycled material as possible.
Section 3<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Services<br />
As part of a multidisciplinary design firm, our services extend from visioning and front-end<br />
strategy through transition planning and change management. Our approach is broadly<br />
applicable to industries where the built environment is a significant part of the human<br />
experience such as healthcare, workplace, higher education, commercial real estate, retail<br />
and hospitality.<br />
Design<br />
strategy<br />
Research/Consumer Insight<br />
Brand Experience<br />
Workplace Strategy<br />
Space Programming/Planning<br />
Process Improvement<br />
Operations/Analytics<br />
Transition Planning<br />
Prototyping<br />
design<br />
Implementation<br />
Research/Consumer Experience<br />
Brand Realization<br />
Change Management<br />
Live Simulations<br />
Continuous Improvement<br />
Organizational Evaluation/Metrics<br />
Transition Management<br />
Modeling
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Visioning<br />
Research<br />
Design Research and Foresight<br />
What is Design Research and Foresight?<br />
Design Research and Foresight are flexible, creative approaches used across industries to<br />
help frame challenges, hone questions, and inform strategies and actions<br />
Why are Design Research and Foresight valuable?<br />
• Increased foresight and learning around human and systems behavior<br />
• Understanding and analyzing consumer, brand and organizational culture<br />
• Moving from cultural insight to innovative business strategy and effective design solutions<br />
• Co-creation efforts to yield relevant platform and concept ideation<br />
• Making context and content visible through storytelling and data visualization<br />
Tools & Methods<br />
• Ethnography<br />
• Observation<br />
• Guided Immersions<br />
• Semiotics<br />
• Demographics<br />
• Psychographics<br />
• Focus groups<br />
• Prototyping Lab<br />
• Simulation<br />
• Interviews<br />
• Surveys<br />
• Co-design and innovation programs/<br />
workshops<br />
• Trend analysis/ identification<br />
• Scenario development<br />
• Opportunity landscape analysis<br />
• Quantitative measurement<br />
• Participatory design research
Section 3<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Strategy<br />
Business Strategy and Innovation<br />
What is Business Strategy and Innovation?<br />
Business Strategy is a systematic plan that aligns vision with the actions necessary<br />
to allow an organization to achieve its objectives. Developing a differentiated strategy<br />
provides business leaders the information necessary to make the appropriate decisions<br />
that affect an organization’s immediate as well as long-range goals.<br />
Whether transforming a physical workplace, adopting new ways of working, or refreshing<br />
an organization’s brand, Business Strategy and Innovation can be used as a facilitator<br />
and enabler for positive organizational change.<br />
What is the value of using a congruence model in Workplace Strategy?<br />
• Provides a mental checklist for analyzing a company’s internal processes and a<br />
conceptual framework for achieving fundamental change.<br />
• Enables transformation through integration of several elements, such as the<br />
management structure, internal controls and the organizational culture to drive<br />
performance and the extent to which the company is able to achieve its objectives.<br />
Congruence Model<br />
• Strategy - brand strategy; workplace transformation; business strategy<br />
• Structure - management and organizational structure; business units; technology<br />
infrastructure; culture<br />
• Process - work process; technology interface; collaboration<br />
• People - demographics; motivation; retention and hiring; HR policies<br />
• Rewards - understanding how employees perceive the workplace in terms of undefined<br />
sources of compensation; entitlement; incentives
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Developing<br />
Planning<br />
Operational Planning and Master Planning<br />
What is Operational Planning and Master Planning?<br />
Operational Planning is the process of understanding the functional needs and desired<br />
changes of our clients and integrating them into a solution that enhances the operational<br />
performance of an organization.<br />
Master Planning enables an organization to the make the right decisions about capital<br />
investments and understand how to leverage existing assets for their highest and best<br />
use. It provides a comprehensive, long-range plan for the strategy, programs, and<br />
facilities that enable organizational growth.<br />
Why are Operational Planning and Master Planning valuable?<br />
• Optimized logistical efficiency<br />
• Reducing cost by increasing utilization and productivity<br />
• Ensuring consistency, quality and safety<br />
Tools & Methods<br />
• Research<br />
• Organization design definition<br />
• Population/demographic analysis and<br />
forecasting<br />
• Service area analysis<br />
• Market/competitive analysis<br />
• Departmental workload analysis<br />
• Functional need analysis<br />
• Financial analysis<br />
• Concept evaluation<br />
• Construction cost estimating &<br />
escalation<br />
• Feasibility studies<br />
• Data visualization/reporting
Section 3<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Design<br />
People, Process, Technology and Space<br />
Why Design?<br />
In today’s competitive market, design isn’t just for “designers”. It is an ethic that<br />
permeates and differentiates companies across their entire business. Simply put,<br />
design creates value for business. Design is an investment in innovative thinking,<br />
definition, positioning, branding and communication that creates value for businesses<br />
in terms of competitive advantage, customer trust and loyalty, and market share.<br />
Design helps business counter the complexity of conditions with creative solutions.<br />
In a global economy in which production gravitates toward the lowest cost producer,<br />
human-centered design provides the competitive differentiation needed to gain market<br />
share. Design is a critical strategic asset that is most effective when employed early in<br />
corporate plans, not as a decorative finality.<br />
Why Begin with Organization Design?<br />
• Organization design works to ensure that the key elements of your organization are<br />
working effectively and efficiently together to deliver your business strategy<br />
• The design process involves you, and often some key stakeholders, in one or more<br />
(depending on scope and scale of project) practical work sessions crafted specifically for<br />
your organization.<br />
• Sessions are focused on the ‘hard’ aspects of the organization - the structures,<br />
processes, systems, technologies, and rewards, and also on the ‘soft’ aspects of the<br />
organization - the culture, people and their skills, and the departmental similarities and<br />
differences.<br />
• The goal is to strategically align all aspects of the organization so that business<br />
continuity is maintained during the transition and high performance is realized in the new<br />
state.<br />
Tools & Methods<br />
• Research<br />
• Organization design definition<br />
• Population/demographic analysis and<br />
forecasting<br />
• Service area analysis<br />
• Market/competitive analysis<br />
• Departmental workload analysis<br />
• Functional need analysis<br />
• Financial analysis<br />
• Concept evaluation<br />
• Construction cost estimating &<br />
escalation<br />
• Feasibility studies<br />
• Data visualization/reporting
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Implementation<br />
Management<br />
Transition Services and Change Management<br />
What are Transition Services and Change Management?<br />
Transition Management employs a range of tools to track and address human resource,<br />
operational, and facility related issues that inform and guide pre-move through post-move<br />
activities. The life-critical nature of a healthcare facility demands that a comprehensive and<br />
organized transition plan be designed, managed and executed in order to ensure seamless<br />
“Go Live” operations and a successful occupancy.<br />
Change management is a deliberate process that helps organizations succeed in making<br />
positive change. A good program builds a system in which people get the support they need<br />
so they are ready and able to embrace the new ways of doing business.<br />
What is the value of Transition Services and Change Management?<br />
• Readiness, safety, increased efficiency and uninterrupted patient care delivery<br />
• Staff retention throughout a transition<br />
• Staff empowerment leading to individual and group satisfaction<br />
• Mitigating risk misalignment between elements of a new framework and people<br />
• Sustainability of change, and influencing and supporting good design<br />
• Protects investment across the business, people and the built environment
Section 3<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
Tools & Methods<br />
• Research<br />
• Team organization<br />
• Readiness assessment<br />
• Budget development<br />
• Project scheduling<br />
• Facilitation<br />
• Portal development<br />
• Patient/physical move plan<br />
• Systems integration plan<br />
• Communications plan<br />
• Training/orientation plan<br />
• Policy development<br />
• Protocol development<br />
• Process change analysis/<br />
• management<br />
• Pre/post occupancy evaluation<br />
• User guides/playbooks<br />
• Equipment planning<br />
• Equipment procurement<br />
• Equipment Installation<br />
• Licensing & registration<br />
• Decommissioning<br />
• Live simulations<br />
Learning<br />
Post-occupancy Evaluation and Teaching<br />
What is Post-Occupancy Evaluation and Teaching?<br />
Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is a management tool tailor-made to evaluate the building<br />
performance and assess the effectiveness of the building facilities and services systems after<br />
tenant occupancy.<br />
POE also helps to facilitate a smooth handover of the building facilities to the end users and<br />
maintenance parties and allows them to have a better understanding on the design intent<br />
and operational conditions of the building facilities.<br />
Why are Post Occupancy Evaluation and Teaching valuable?<br />
• Continuous stakeholder engagement.<br />
• Affirmation that building facilities are functioning as the original design intent and<br />
comprehensively utilized to fulfill client’s needs.<br />
• Fine tuning of systems to meet users’ operational needs.<br />
• Teaching teams through doing to ensure understanding of people, process, technology and<br />
space in a new setting.<br />
• Sustainability review to identify means to enhance energy efficiency and conservation as well<br />
as to recommend good energy saving housekeeping practice.<br />
Tools & Methods<br />
• Research<br />
• Organization design definition<br />
• Population/demographic analysis and<br />
forecasting<br />
• Service area analysis<br />
• Market/competitive analysis<br />
• Departmental workload analysis<br />
• Functional need analysis<br />
• Financial analysis<br />
• Concept evaluation<br />
• Construction cost estimating &<br />
escalation<br />
• Feasibility studies<br />
• Data visualization/reporting
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
NBBJ: REV Studio Profile<br />
DO_tacit knowledge<br />
SAY_explicit knowledge<br />
observation<br />
ethnography<br />
time-lapse study<br />
surveys<br />
journals<br />
interviews<br />
INSIGHT<br />
prototyping<br />
co-design<br />
image card sorts<br />
collaging<br />
MAKE_latent knowledge
Section 3<br />
CityVisions Associates<br />
CityVision Associates<br />
Master Planning Implementation<br />
CityVisions Associates, formed in 2008, is a unique and specialized partnership focused on<br />
the creation of action-oriented downtown development strategies that blends over 30 years of<br />
distinguished and award-winning experience and expertise of its two principals, Barry Alberts<br />
and Bill Weyland. They have led and managed major downtown planning efforts, such as<br />
the Louisville Downtown Development Plan. They have successfully developed revitalization<br />
strategies for historic urban districts, such as the West Main Street District in Louisville.<br />
CityVisions has created new urban destinations, such as the Glassworks District and the<br />
Henry Clay; they have worked to reinforce a strong city “brand” for enhanced marketing with<br />
a focus on riverfront, arts, and history in Paducah. In addition, they have developed physical<br />
improvement plans that both celebrate the community’s sense of place and connect downtown<br />
to its river and adjacent historic neighborhoods.<br />
Project Team:<br />
Barry Alberts, Principal<br />
balberts@cityvisionsassociates.com<br />
C. William Weyland, Principal<br />
bweyland@cityvisionsassociates.com<br />
CityVisions Associates<br />
604 South Third Street<br />
Louisville, KY 40202<br />
Office: (502)561-7885<br />
Fax: (502)584-9414
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Ninigret Partners<br />
Ninigret Partners<br />
Market Analytics<br />
Ninigret Partners (NP) specializes in market assessments for private and public sector clients,<br />
especially in the medical research and health industries, providing strategic and creative<br />
insight on project financing and implementation. NP leverages the business tools of the<br />
private sector to help their public and non profit clients with insights into the strategic drivers<br />
of their problems as well as recommend practical ideas and solutions. The firm has been<br />
actively engaged in a number of development projects, infrastructure issues, and planning<br />
activities across the Northeast, California and the southeastern US on behalf of communities,<br />
development entities, and regional planning agencies.<br />
Project Team:<br />
Kevin Hively, President<br />
hively@ninigretpartners.com<br />
David Panagore, Senior Advisor<br />
panagore@ninigretpartners.com<br />
Kate Nagle, Communications Manager**<br />
nagle@ninigretpartners.com<br />
Ninigret Partners<br />
121 S. Main Street, 11th Floor<br />
Providence, RI 02903<br />
401-276-2618<br />
**New team member
Section 3<br />
Ninigret Partners<br />
Kathryn Nagle<br />
Communications Manager, Ninigret Partners<br />
Kathryn Nagle is a recent addition to the Ninigret Partners team. Ms. Nagle<br />
is an experienced public affairs and communication consultant with extensive<br />
experience in grass roots advocacy, coalition building and media relations.<br />
Her experience includes the following:<br />
Education<br />
BA, Government, Cum Laude<br />
Harvard University<br />
Affiliations<br />
RI Mentoring Partnership (Bd of<br />
Directors)<br />
• Grass roots organizing to support ballot initiatives involving state higher<br />
education bond issues and as well as for a manufacturing association;<br />
• Development and execution of communication plans for RI Water Resources<br />
Board & RI Scholarship Alliance;<br />
• Crisis communications for the state public transit authority during a strike<br />
and for a museum during several executive transitions;<br />
• Store launch work for Walmart in RI and CT;<br />
• Media relations work for a range of museums, corporations. real estate<br />
development and public agencies; and<br />
• Grant writing for nonprofit agencies including a manufacturing partnership<br />
Previously Ms Nagle worked for RDW Group one of the largest independent<br />
full service advertising and communications firms in New England. She also<br />
worked for Advocacy Solutions, a leading public affairs and government<br />
relations firm in RI. Prior to that she worked for the RI Manufacturing<br />
Partnership and served on the Washington DC staff for US Senator Lincoln<br />
Chafee.<br />
She is a graduate, cum laude of Harvard University.
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Nelson \ Nygaard<br />
Parking and Traffic Consultant<br />
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. is a nationally recognized firm committed to<br />
developing transportation systems that build vibrant, sustainable communities. With seven<br />
offices covering North America, we have one of the largest groups of transportation planners<br />
that focuses entirely on planning for transit and non-auto modes.<br />
Since its inception in 1987, Nelson\Nygaard has become renowned for consensus building<br />
and developing plans that are practical and implementable. Recognized for projects across<br />
the country, Nelson\Nygaard has received awards and honors from a number of professional<br />
organizations including the American Planning Association, the Association of Environmental<br />
Professionals, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the Congress for the New<br />
Urbanism.<br />
A fully multimodal approach, drawn from the real world experiences of industry specialists,<br />
is a hallmark of every Nelson\Nygaard project. We specialize in planning comprehensive<br />
transportation and parking systems that smartly balance investments in communities. We<br />
understand the impacts that different parking management practices have on transit use,<br />
transit-oriented development, traditional development feasibility, retail success, downtown<br />
walkability, and safe bicycle access.<br />
Project Team:<br />
Jason Schreiber, Principal<br />
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates<br />
10 High Street, Suite 700<br />
Boston, MA 02110<br />
617-521-9404 (main)<br />
617-521-9403 (direct)<br />
jschrieber@nelsonnygaard.com<br />
Thomas Brown, Senior Planner<br />
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates<br />
121 West 27th Street - Suite 705<br />
<strong>NY</strong>C, <strong>NY</strong> 10001<br />
212-242-2490<br />
tbrown@nelsonnygaard.com
Section 3<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Parking and Traffic Expertise<br />
Nelson\Nygaard specializes in developing parking plans and management programs that<br />
go beyond single-issue parking studies and instead focus on creating livable environments<br />
through efficient, fiscally responsible use of parking resources. We are highly experienced<br />
in drafting policies, regulatory language and practical implementation plans that set forth<br />
successful parking management strategies while understanding the specific needs of a city’s<br />
administration, advocacy groups, businesses and residential neighborhoods. Nelson\Nygaard<br />
is skilled in helping clients understand the real costs of parking and developing strategies for<br />
balancing parking demand with financially feasible levels of supply.<br />
Parking Demand — How Much is the Right Amount?<br />
Providing too much or poorly-placed parking can be immensely costly, increase vehicle traffic,<br />
reduce pedestrian and cyclist safety, and reduce development density. Conversely, supplying<br />
too little parking can create its own set of problems including undermining the financial<br />
feasibility of development projects, hampering the revitalization of commercial districts, and<br />
creating parking spillover issues.<br />
Nelson\Nygaard undertakes parking demand studies in recognition of the larger community<br />
context, realizing that parking must often support several goals simultaneously, such as<br />
promoting economic development while maintaining a quality pedestrian environment.<br />
Building Consensus Among Stakeholders<br />
Policymakers, business interests, and residents often have conflicting objectives and<br />
competing community goals. Nelson\Nygaard builds consensus by having these separate<br />
players see the larger picture, bringing key stakeholders together to explore potential tensions<br />
and tradeoffs. Our innovative public education strategies ensure that communities understand<br />
the planning process with ultimate plans reflecting local values and needs.<br />
Analytical Expertise<br />
Land use and parking are inextricably linked: you have a variety of land uses in your downtown<br />
and corresponding parking for the users of these land uses. Nelson\Nygaard uses ITE and ULI<br />
tools to evaluate the supply and demand of a parking supply relative to the square footage of<br />
existing land uses, assessing the ratios and understanding any deficits. A shared parking model<br />
methodology is utilized to best represent how downtown parking is actually utilized throughout<br />
the course of a day and week.<br />
Parking Policy<br />
From citywide parking strategies to neighborhood plans, Nelson\Nygaard has developed<br />
policies for small downtowns and major metropolitan centers. Our outreach tools help foster<br />
community consensus on policy objectives, and translate these into decisions on specific<br />
management policies. The firm is also at the cutting edge of new policy formulation: we have<br />
written best practice guides for the EPA, taught training courses for the American Planning<br />
Association, and developed our in-house best practice database.
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Parking Management<br />
Our senior staff includes former parking managers who can lead clients through the<br />
implementation process for parking cash-out, shared parking, residential permit parking and<br />
other programs. We advise on how to take advantage of new payment and enforcement<br />
technologies, and implement customer-friendly information systems.<br />
Bringing It All Together<br />
Nelson\Nygaard combines the technical ability of skilled parking planners with expertise<br />
in translating difficult and contentious transportation subjects to ensure public buy-in and<br />
generate local enthusiasm for projects. Our view is that transportation planning is fundamentally<br />
a public process where applying technical rigor is equally important as gaining community<br />
support when putting into practice effective and innovative parking plans.
Washington, DC<br />
Section 3<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Downtown DC BID Parking Study<br />
The Downtown DC Business Improvement<br />
District (DBID) retained Nelson\Nygaard to assist<br />
in completing a Parking Benefit District feasibility<br />
assessment for downtown Washington.<br />
Planners from our New York and Boston offices<br />
assisted the DBID in this process by first<br />
developing a comprehensive Survey Toolkit for<br />
completing Inventory, Occupancy, and Duration<br />
surveys within the downtown curb-parking<br />
inventory. This Toolkit included all necessary<br />
materials for field implementation, data entry,<br />
and findings analysis for all three survey types.<br />
Upon receipt of the Toolkit, the DBID completed<br />
a series of surveys and delivered all resulting<br />
data to Nelson\Nygaard for analysis. Nelson\<br />
Nygaard used Toolkit resources to fully analyze<br />
the capacity, occupancy, and duration data that<br />
DBID collected and entered. Finally, we used the<br />
Toolkit instruments to develop a full evaluation<br />
of curb performance across the surveyed inventory<br />
— based on industry-standard utilization<br />
metrics for optimal curb performance — and<br />
projected the performance and financial impacts<br />
of a short series of performance-based price<br />
change recommendations.<br />
Implications of our findings included the<br />
potential to generate millions of dollars in new<br />
revenues by recalibrating meter rates based on<br />
measured demand. This would not only create<br />
new, direct revenue, but would improve overall<br />
mobility performance (especially surface transit)<br />
by reducing parking-related congestion, and<br />
make available parking spaces consistently easier<br />
to find.<br />
Thus, it was concluded that, not only were<br />
revenues significant enough to make it worth<br />
establishing a Parking Benefit District, but that<br />
doing so was the best means of ensuring that<br />
curb-management was effective in responding to<br />
observed conditions, and that resulting revenue<br />
gains were used to maximize the residual, longterm<br />
benefits of well-managed downtown street<br />
parking.<br />
Project Duration: 2011<br />
Total Budget: $30,000<br />
For more information:<br />
Downtown DC Business Improvement District<br />
1250 H Street, NW, Suite 1000<br />
Washington, DC 20005<br />
www.downtowndc.org<br />
Contact:<br />
Ellen Jones<br />
Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability<br />
202-638-3232<br />
ellen@downtowndc.org
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Montgomery County, MD<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Parking Study<br />
Recognizing the growing pressure on their downtown<br />
parking supply, the City of Haverhill hired<br />
Nelson\Nygaard to develop a comprehensive<br />
strategy for addressing parking needs in advance<br />
of the regional transit agency completing a new<br />
parking garage at the commuter rail station.<br />
Haverhill’s 2007 Master Plan for downtown<br />
calls for creation of a vibrant, urban, pedestrianfriendly<br />
environment that can only exist in an<br />
area with a functional parking system.<br />
Downtown Haverhill experiences parking pressures<br />
from residents, employees, customers,<br />
commuters, and visitors. Competition for parking<br />
in certain areas at certain times can be intense.<br />
Meanwhile, the overall supply of parking is never<br />
more than 63% utilized, allowing room to dedicate<br />
guaranteed spaces for specific user groups.<br />
With the RTA’s garage opening soon—and a<br />
burgeoning downtown residential population—<br />
Haverhill recognized that they should act. Haverhill<br />
needed several changes to be able to manage<br />
its downtown parking system in a way that will<br />
accommodate its continued vitality.<br />
A detailed counting program mapped utilization<br />
throughout the downtown, and multiple workshops<br />
identified areas of need. Nelson\Nygaard<br />
then developed several guiding principles underlying<br />
the program:<br />
• Provide convenient available parking for<br />
customers and clients<br />
• Establish permitted parking for residents<br />
and employees<br />
In September of 2011, the Haverhill City Council<br />
approved the program, and the City is moving<br />
ahead with full implementation, with Nelson\<br />
Nygaard’s on-going assistance.<br />
Project Duration: 2010–Present<br />
Total Budget: $24,950<br />
Nelson/Nygaard Budget: $30,000<br />
For more information:<br />
City of Haverhill<br />
4 Summer Street<br />
Haverhill, MA 01830<br />
Contact:<br />
David Van Damm<br />
Mayor’s Chief of Staff<br />
(978) 374-2300<br />
• Protect publicly available parking from<br />
commuter pressures<br />
• Return any excess parking funds generated<br />
to downtown improvements<br />
• Make the parking system user friendly<br />
A detailed parking program was developed that:<br />
• Implements paid parking in busiest places<br />
to encourage availability/turn-over<br />
• Eliminates most time-limits<br />
• Uses in-car meters for new permit parking<br />
• Establishes a clear enforcement policy
Lansdale, PA<br />
Section 3<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Comprehensive Parking Study<br />
The Lansdale Parking Authority retained<br />
Nelson\Nygaard and McMahon Associates<br />
to undertake a comprehensive parking study<br />
of downtown Lansdale. Lansdale is actively<br />
seeking to facilitate the redevelopment of the<br />
borough’s downtown area as a vibrant, healthy,<br />
safe, and pedestrian-friendly destination. The<br />
goal of the study was to provide a framework<br />
upon which the Borough could integrate sound<br />
parking policy and realistic parking information<br />
into its downtown development plans.<br />
Lansdale, located 20 miles northwest of<br />
Philadelphia, seeks to capitalize on its compact<br />
downtown area and excellent transit access<br />
with a busy SEPTA rail station. Yet the city<br />
struggles with an antiquated parking system in<br />
terms of regulations, pricing, governance, and<br />
enforcement. With a recently completed Main<br />
Street streetscape project, and the potential<br />
development of a 200+ space municipal parking<br />
lot adjacent to the rail station, the Nelson\<br />
Nygaard team documented the existing parking<br />
supply and utilization. Working with community<br />
stakeholders, the Lansdale Parking Authority,<br />
and Borough Staff, the team established a<br />
base understanding of how parking works in<br />
Lansdale and developed recommendations to<br />
update the parking management system so that<br />
it supports larger Borough goals while accommodating<br />
current users. The recommendations,<br />
approved by the Parking Authority, would:<br />
• Establish a Demand Responsive Pricing<br />
system for on- and off-street parking in<br />
thecore area around Lansdale Station to<br />
create availability for customers<br />
• Organize parking policy and governance<br />
functions under the direction of the Parking<br />
Authority, while maintaining current staffing<br />
levels and responsibility<br />
• Enhance the Downtown Business Overlay<br />
District Zoning to incorporate the most<br />
progressive parking provision policies<br />
• Eliminate time limits and establish unpaid<br />
parking in area’s highest availability<br />
• Remove antiquated meters and consolidate<br />
best existing technology into most utilized<br />
areas<br />
• Recommend signage, wayfinding, and<br />
physical infrastructure improvements<br />
to encourage a park and walk system in<br />
Downtown Lansdale.<br />
Project Duration: 2011-present<br />
Total Budget: $80,000<br />
Nelson\Nygaard Budget: $55,000<br />
For more information:<br />
Lansdale Parking Authority<br />
1 Vine Street<br />
Lansdale, PA 19446<br />
Contact:<br />
Robert McDyre<br />
Police Chief<br />
215-368-1801<br />
rmcdyre@lansdalepd.org
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Medford, MA<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Medford Square Parking and Circulation<br />
Nelson\Nygaard was hired as a subconsultant by<br />
Utile Architecture who was preparing a garage<br />
feasibility study in Medford on behalf of MassDevelopment,<br />
the State’s economic development<br />
arm. The City sought to rebuild a garage that had<br />
to be torn down years earlier. Nelson\Nygaard<br />
recommended that a full parking study accompany<br />
the feasibility study for the new garage in<br />
order to understand how much supply was really<br />
needed and how it should be managed.<br />
Nelson\Nygaard’s approach was to look comprehensively<br />
at the entire public parking supply and<br />
associated access within a five-minute walking<br />
radius of the proposed garage site. This included<br />
a traffic operations study at key intersections, a<br />
full parking inventory, utilization counts, public<br />
workshops, parking surveys, and field observations.<br />
By assessing how a parker would access destinations<br />
from the garage on foot, Nelson\Nygaard<br />
identified key traffic signal and intersection<br />
improvements that would significantly, reduce<br />
pedestrian crossing delays, bringing more<br />
destinations within a short walk. This also<br />
demonstrated that more existing vacant spaces<br />
could also be made closer, helping lead the City<br />
to prioritize better management of the existing<br />
parking supply before building a new garage.<br />
The project team proceeded to develop a park-<br />
ing pricing structure using demand-based zones<br />
and demonstrated that on-street parking and<br />
a new-permit program could adequately cover<br />
the costs of a new parking facility and bring in<br />
additional revenue.<br />
As of summer 2010, the City’s first priority is a<br />
parking management plan that may extend to<br />
other parts of the city. This work in Medford<br />
Square has demonstrated the value of a highlywalkable<br />
space for improved parking access that<br />
reflects Nelson\Nygaard’s technical creativity in<br />
solving multimodal transportation challenges.<br />
Project Duration: 2010<br />
Total Budget: $134,904<br />
Nelson\Nygaard Budget: $36,012<br />
For more information:<br />
MassDevelopment<br />
160 Federal Street<br />
Boston, MA 02110<br />
Contact:<br />
Rhonda Spector<br />
Vice President, Planning and Development<br />
(617) 330-2000<br />
rspector@Massdevelopment.com
Section 3<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Jason Schrieber, AICP<br />
Principal, Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Education<br />
Bachelor of Science, Urban Planning<br />
University of Massachusetts, Amherst<br />
Selected Lectures and Presentations<br />
Transportation Planning & Emissions,<br />
Integrating Sustainability & Climate Action<br />
Planning With the Comprehensive Master<br />
Plan, Society for College & University<br />
Planning, National Harbor MD, July 2011<br />
Transportation Planning and Emissions,<br />
Harvard Executive Education Instructor<br />
on Planning and Building Sustainable<br />
Campuses, Cambridge MA, July 2011<br />
Mode Shift: Moving to Transit, Biking<br />
& Walking, University Park Foundation,<br />
Akron OH, March 2010<br />
Campus Parking Strategies and Best<br />
Practices, Paperclip Communications<br />
Webinar, December 2009<br />
Transportation in College & University<br />
Communities, APTA University<br />
Conference, Athens GA, May 2010<br />
With 19 years of private and public sector national experience, Jason<br />
provides multi-modal planning and design skills with a unique understanding<br />
of municipal needs, community concerns, and institutional priorities. Jason<br />
previously led planning efforts for Cambridge, Massachusetts’ municipal<br />
parking system while also managing parking regulations for private parking<br />
and curb space citywide. This included setting policies, payment rates,<br />
permit programs, etc. Jason also approved parking layouts & garage<br />
designs; promulgated safety, slope & sightline guidance; and designed<br />
street cross-sections and walking infrastructure. Jason now manages<br />
downtown planning and parking management projects for Nelson\Nygaard<br />
in several metro regions, such as Washington DC, Boston MA, Denver CO.<br />
Jason regularly presents on parking best practices around the country.<br />
Relevant Project Experience<br />
Parking Policy and Management. Helping communities re-prioritize their downtown<br />
transportation systems:<br />
• Springfield, MA. Helping the Parking Authority restructure its policies and<br />
operations contracts in order to improve operating efficiencies and reduce costs<br />
while improving customer service. Includes system audits, new contracts, vendor<br />
RFPs, and public bidding assistance.<br />
• Montgomery County, MD. For the County DOT and MNPPC, led the<br />
development of a restructured parking regulatory structure and associated<br />
management programs for the county’s urban districts and new master planned<br />
developments, such as White Flint. Included the innovative incentive-based<br />
restructuring of the County’s pioneering ad valorem tax on new parking to reduce<br />
trip-making.<br />
• Lansdale, PA. Leading an effort to change parking policy and governance to<br />
expand commercial activity and control commuter demand. Recommendations<br />
have enabled the Borough to have a private developer turn a municipal parking<br />
lot into a prime TOD in the heart of downtown.<br />
• Haverhill, MA. Guided the City through its first successful public process<br />
in eight tries to evaluate real parking demand in the face of new residential<br />
development and a priced commuter rail garage. Led the process to bring<br />
outsourced parking pricing; continuing to support the City during roll-out.<br />
• Abu Dhabi, UAE. Created the regulatory structure for parking and<br />
transportation-related requirements of new development throughout the city by<br />
applying progressive shared parking and public-private management practices.<br />
• Boston, MA. Leading the development of parking policy changes, including new<br />
green transportation and TDM initiatives, as well as the creation of Boston’s first<br />
comprehensive parking database, to be designed as an open source, integrated<br />
government and public information platform.<br />
• Salem, MA. Led the complete re-structuring of downtown parking operations<br />
to create a forward-thinking system that is customer-friendly, neighborhoodprotective,<br />
and accommodating of employees and commuters. With broad<br />
stakeholder support, the City has recently implemented the full plan.<br />
• Portsmouth, NH. Performed a detailed utilization study and demand assessment<br />
in advance of a parking garage feasibility study. Results demonstrated such<br />
strong sharing and trip capture that the City Council has delayed garage<br />
construction to explore NN’s management recommendations.
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Thomas Brown, Senior Associate<br />
Project Manager, Nelson\Nygaard<br />
Education<br />
M.S., Urban Planning, Hunter College,<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
B.A., History, Ohio State University<br />
Tom will be the Project Manager for Nelson\Nygaard. Located in the<br />
New York office, Tom is one of the firm’s lead parking specialists<br />
with over 10 years experience. Tom was the lead planner for Nelson\<br />
Nygaard’s Parking and Transportation Demand Management study<br />
for Howard University, which brought the University’s transportation<br />
investments, policies, and actions into better alignment with the<br />
ambitious campus redevelopment vision set out in its recent Campus<br />
Master Plan update. A core task for this study was a peer review of<br />
leading campus parking and transportation programs and strategies.<br />
Tom has completed comprehensive parking management studies for<br />
cities and communities of all sizes, including New York City (Lower<br />
Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, Queens), Philadelphia, Washington,<br />
DC, Ann Arbor, Vineland (NJ), and Seaside, FL. Tom is currently leading<br />
downtown parking studies in Marquette, MI and Huntington, New York<br />
Relevant Project Experience<br />
• EPA Building Block Assistance Workshops: Parking Capacity Audits,<br />
Various - 2012 - Ongoing. Leading a series of EPA-funded workshops<br />
for seven communities across the country designed to provide a quick<br />
assessment of critical demand/ supply conditions in their downtowns or<br />
targeted, Smart Growth opportunity areas. This included the development<br />
of survey tools, guideline documents, and analysis spreadsheets designed<br />
to become “off the shelf” resources for any community in completing similar<br />
assessments without need off outside consulting.<br />
• Ongoing Downtown Parking Studies, Huntington, <strong>NY</strong> and Marquette,<br />
MI - 2012 - Ongoing. Leading downtown parking studies in both cities to<br />
determine the sufficiency of on- and off-street capacities to meet current<br />
and anticipated parking demand. Both studies focus on first measuring<br />
existing resources, then reviewing options to extract their full benefits<br />
before investing in any new supply construction. Options being reviewed<br />
in both areas will include: sharing of private facilities during offsetting-peak<br />
opportunities, reducing parking demand through multi-mobility investments,<br />
raising awareness and incentivizing use of under-utilized resources .<br />
• DBID Parking Study, Washington, DC - 2011. Led an analysis of current<br />
curb-parking resources, utilization patterns, and strategic-management<br />
options for the Downtown DC BID. Tasks included survey and surveyinstrument<br />
design (including the development of guideline and instruction<br />
materials to support DBID’s continued monitoring of on-street conditions),<br />
an assessment of technologies to support improved curb-management, and<br />
projections of market-price impacts on utilization levels and revenue within<br />
the Downtown and Golden Triangle BID districts.<br />
• Joint Parking Study, Montgomery County, MD–2009-11. Led a<br />
comprehensive review of the County’s Parking Lot District program for<br />
the County DOT and M-NCPPC. This included a review of leading parking<br />
benefit district programs, change recommendations for existing and<br />
emerging urban centers within the County, and a proposed restructuring of<br />
parking requirements in these areas to minimize on-site parking facilities not<br />
managed as public parking.
Section 3<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Landscape Architects for the Corning Reserve Plan<br />
Stoss is a Boston-based, collaborative design and planning studio that works at the<br />
intersection of landscape architecture, urban design, and planning—in an emerging field<br />
known as landscape urbanism. This field implicates sites and projects in broader ecological,<br />
infrastructural, and socio-cultural systems and dynamics, thereby making them more<br />
environmentally, urbanistically, and economically rich and viable over time. While many other<br />
practices have since taken on landscape infrastructure and landscape urbanism as part of<br />
their agenda, Stoss was instrumental as one of the first studios to bring this emerging theory<br />
into professional practice, with real clients, real sites, real budgets, and real people. For<br />
this, we were recognized with the 2012 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in Landscape<br />
Architecture.<br />
Founded in 2000, Stoss traces its roots to 1995 with the design and exhibition of a number<br />
of landscape urbanism projects, early studies in strategic framework planning, brownfields<br />
recovery, stormwater harvesting, and landscapes as infrastructure. We value research and<br />
innovation, but we understand the critical need to be BOTH pragmatic AND inventive—<br />
particularly for work in the public realm.<br />
Stoss is an intentionally small studio; we bring a high level of energy and commitment to each<br />
project. We have the ability, time, and motivation to work closely with clients, teams, and<br />
stakeholders to fully understand and develop individual project goals and demands, thereby<br />
embarking on a process of design and discovery that is both responsive and catalytic.<br />
We have been lucky enough to be recognized for our work nationally and internationally<br />
for many years now—both by leading design journals (Progressive Architecture Award and<br />
Topos International Landscape Award) and by place-based organizations (Top Honor Award<br />
for Waterfront Design by the Waterfront Center). We have also won numerous awards from<br />
organizations such as the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Boston Society of<br />
Architects, and the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, for both built and speculative<br />
projects.<br />
Project Team:<br />
Chris Reed, Principal<br />
cr@stoss.net<br />
Scott Bishop, Associate Principal<br />
sb@stoss.net<br />
Erik Prince, Associate<br />
ep@stoss.net<br />
Amy Whitesides, Designer<br />
aw@stoss.net<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
423 W Broadway #304<br />
Boston, MA 02127 USA<br />
T 617 464 1140<br />
F 617 464 1142
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Milwaukee . wi . usa<br />
Erie Street Plaza<br />
Stoss Landscape<br />
Urbanism<br />
team lead, urbanism,<br />
landscape, planning<br />
Client<br />
City of Milwaukee<br />
Budget<br />
$850,000<br />
Size<br />
0.25 acres<br />
key personnel<br />
Chris Reed,<br />
design director<br />
Scott Bishop,<br />
project manager<br />
Milwaukee’s new waterfront plaza is the result of an<br />
international design competition won by Stoss. The proposal<br />
is for a flexible social space that can accommodate large<br />
gatherings and day-to-day activities, built on sustainable<br />
design principles. It is one of a series of public space<br />
activators along the Milwaukee Riverwalk, a three-mile<br />
pedestrian and bicycle corridor that connects downtown<br />
Milwaukee to the emerging and redeveloping Third Ward and<br />
Beerline Districts, and to the lake front beyond.<br />
The plaza is conceived as a flexible field that fosters<br />
social and environmental activity and appropriation. It<br />
activates and registers environmental cycles of stormwater by<br />
collecting runoff to support a reconstituted marsh / wetland,<br />
re-charges the groundwater tables, and utilizes river water<br />
for irrigation. Socially, the plaza is designed to accommodate<br />
a wide array of potential activities, including art festivals,<br />
gatherings, concerts, movies, weddings, festivals, farmer’s<br />
markets, and winter carnivals, as well as less intense, everyday<br />
activities like boat-watching, fishing, sunbathing, and<br />
simply hanging out.<br />
The project included extensive interface with the<br />
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the City of<br />
Milwaukee Public Works and Community Development<br />
Departments, the Planning and Fine Arts Commissions, and<br />
various community groups, abutters, and stakeholders.
Section 3<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
GREEN BAY . WI . USA<br />
Fox Riverfront + The CityDeck<br />
Stoss<br />
Landscape<br />
Urbanism<br />
team lead, urbanism,<br />
landscape, planning<br />
(collaborators included<br />
Vetter Denk Architects)<br />
CLIENT<br />
City of Green Bay<br />
Budget<br />
$14 million<br />
Size<br />
5 acres<br />
key personnel<br />
Chris Reed,<br />
design director<br />
Scott Bishop,<br />
project manager<br />
The CityDeck is the heart of a multi-phase redevelopment<br />
project along Green Bay’s Fox Riverfront, whose aim is to<br />
allow for significantly increased access to the river and to<br />
diversify social and ecological life along it.<br />
The boardwalk is activated by an undulating wooden<br />
surface that provides spaces for gathering, docking,<br />
watching, and playing. The sectional diversity creates a<br />
wide range of seating configurations and river overlooks.<br />
The boardwalk is designed flexibly, to accommodate both<br />
large and small gatherings comfortably, and for round-theclock<br />
and year-round activity.<br />
The design inventively integrates sustainable<br />
stormwater, material, and lighting strategies; it reorients<br />
downtown to the riverfront; it frames opportunities for new<br />
development; and it creates an entirely new image for the<br />
City of Green Bay.<br />
Project planning and design involved intense public<br />
and stakeholder participation, as well as extensive<br />
coordination with local, county, state, and federal agencies.<br />
Phase 1 opened in stages in 2009 and 2010. Phases<br />
2 and 3 were completed in 2012-2013.<br />
Mike Roemer<br />
Jeff Mirkes
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Minneapolis . MN . USA<br />
Minneapolis Riverfront<br />
Stoss<br />
Landscape<br />
Urbanism<br />
team lead, urbanism,<br />
landscape, planning<br />
Client<br />
Minneapolis Parks<br />
Foundations +<br />
Parks and Rec Board<br />
Budget<br />
N/A<br />
Size<br />
2200 acres<br />
key personnel<br />
Chris Reed,<br />
design director<br />
Scott Bishop,<br />
project manager<br />
Jill Allen,<br />
planner<br />
The project re-imagines 5.5 miles of Mississippi Riverfront<br />
in Minneapolis, from the cultural riverfront in downtown<br />
north to the city limit.<br />
Stoss’s proposal is titled Streamlines; it’s about sheer,<br />
unfiltered experience of direct contact with the river and<br />
river life, in many ways and at multiple moments. And it’s<br />
about weaving these experiences back into the everyday<br />
city.<br />
Streamlines is also a project about working ecologies,<br />
ecological systems and dynamics put to work to clean, to<br />
re-constitute this working riverfront, and to guide a longerterm<br />
transformation of the city fabric.<br />
But it is not about a single green line along the river.<br />
Rather, this project is about multiple threads, multiple<br />
strands; it evokes the stories and lives of the people who<br />
live, work, and play by the river’s edge and have done so<br />
for centuries. It builds from the rich histories and evolving<br />
identities of the Mississippi River, the ecological, economic,<br />
social lifeblood of the city, and of the continent. And it puts<br />
in place a series of working and operational landscapes,<br />
green infrastructures, and landscape-based urban fabrics<br />
that will guide this transformation for the next generation of<br />
city-dwellers, just as the Grand Rounds did for 20th-century<br />
Minneapolis.
Section 3<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Chris Reed, Principal<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism . Boston . MA<br />
Chris Reed is the founding principal<br />
of Stoss. His innovative, hybridized<br />
approach to public space has been<br />
recognized internationally, and he has<br />
been invited to participate in competitions<br />
and installations in the United States,<br />
Canada, Europe, Israel, the Middle<br />
East, Taiwan, and China. Reed’s<br />
research interests include the impact of<br />
ecological sciences on design thinking,<br />
and city-making strategies informed by<br />
landscape systems and dynamics; he<br />
is co-editor of an upcoming volume of<br />
research and drawing titled Projective<br />
Ecologies. Reed received a Master<br />
in Landscape Architecture from the<br />
University of Pennsylvania and an AB in<br />
Urban Studies from Harvard College. He<br />
is currently Adjunct Associate Professor<br />
of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard<br />
University Graduate School of Design.<br />
EDUCATION<br />
University of Pennsylvania<br />
Master of Landscape Architecture . 1995<br />
Harvard College<br />
A.B. cum laude in Urban Studies . 1991<br />
Columbia University<br />
New York / Paris Program . GSAPP . 1989-1990<br />
REGISTRATION<br />
Registered Landscape Architect Arizona .<br />
Massachusetts . Ontario . Pennsylvania . Rhode<br />
Island . Wisconsin<br />
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Founding Principal . Boston . MA . USA .<br />
2000-present<br />
Hargreaves Associates<br />
Senior Associate . Associate . Cambridge . MA .<br />
USA . 1995-2000<br />
Stephen Stimson Associates<br />
Landscape Designer . Falmouth . MA . 1995<br />
Burck Ryan Associates . Landscape Designer .<br />
Watertown . MA . USA . 1995<br />
Wallace Roberts & Todd Intern .<br />
Philadelphia . PA . USA . 1994<br />
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates . Intern .<br />
Cambridge . MA . USA . 1991-1992<br />
AFFILIATIONS<br />
American Society of Landscape Architects -<br />
Member<br />
The Forum for Urban Design - Fellow<br />
RECENT AWARDS<br />
Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design<br />
Award . Landscape Architecture category . 2012<br />
Top Honor Award . CityDeck . Excellence on the<br />
Waterfront Awards . Waterfront Center . 2011<br />
Topos Landscape Award . Topos International<br />
Review of Landscape Architecture and Urban<br />
Design . 2010<br />
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design . Adjunct<br />
Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture .<br />
2010-present<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design . Design<br />
Critic in Landscape Architecture . 2003, 2005,<br />
2008-2010<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design . Research<br />
Fellow . Center for Technology and Environment<br />
. 2003-2005<br />
University of Pennsylvania . Adjunct Associate<br />
Professor . Department of Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2008-2009<br />
University of Pennsylvania . Lecturer .<br />
Department of Landscape Architecture . 2000-<br />
2008<br />
University of Pennsylvania . Teaching Assistant<br />
. Department of Landscape Architecture . 1994-<br />
1995<br />
University of Toronto . Adjunct Faculty . Faculty<br />
of Architecture Landscape & Design . 2006<br />
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee . Visiting<br />
Faculty . Department of Architecture . 2005-2006<br />
Florida International University . Visiting Faculty .<br />
School of Architecture . 2004<br />
University of Virginia . Lecturer . Department of<br />
Landscape Architecture . 2003<br />
Rhode Island School of Design .<br />
Visiting Faculty . Department of Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2000, 2003<br />
BOOKS + EDITED VOLUMES<br />
Projective Ecologies . ed. by Chris Reed and<br />
Nina-Marie Lister. ACTAR / Harvard Graduate<br />
School of Design . (Spring 2013)<br />
Stoss / The CityDeck . Sourcebooks in<br />
Landscape Architecture 7 . ed. by Jason Kentner<br />
. The Ohio State University Press . (2012)<br />
STOSSLU . Monograph by C3 Publishers /<br />
Korea . 2007<br />
PUBLISHED WRITINGS (SELECT)<br />
“Mat Ecologies: Landscape<br />
Representations” . Representing Landscapes:<br />
A Visual Collection of Landscape Architectural<br />
Drawings . ed. Nadia Amoroso . Taylor & Francis<br />
/ Routledge . March 2012<br />
“Landscape Urbanism in Practice” . Topos 71:<br />
Landscape Urbanism . Callwey . July 2010<br />
“The Ecological (and Urbanistic) Agency of<br />
Infrastructure” . Deconstruction / Construction:<br />
The Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project in<br />
Seoul . ed. Joan Busquets . Harvard Graduate<br />
School of Design . 2010<br />
“The Agency of Ecology” . Ecological Urbanism .<br />
ed. Mohsen Mostafavi and Gareth Doherty . Lars<br />
Muller . 2010<br />
“Underpinnings for an Arid Urbanism” . The Al<br />
Qattara Oasis in Al Ain . ed. Jorge Silvetti and<br />
Felipe Correa . Harvard Graduate School of<br />
Design . 2010
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Scott Bishop,<br />
Associate Principal<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism . Boston . MA<br />
Scott Bishop is Associate Principal at Stoss, a<br />
registered landscape architect (MI, MA, CT), and<br />
a human ecologist. He currently works around<br />
the world with a variety of environments and<br />
ecologies including Eastern Africa, the Middle<br />
East, North America, Asia and Europe. He has<br />
also taught at the University of Pennsylvania<br />
School of Design as a studio critic for the<br />
Department of Landscape Architecture, and<br />
he directed the Stoss Studio for the Sasaki<br />
Distinguished Visiting Critic Award at the Boston<br />
Architectural College. Bishop holds a Master of<br />
Landscape Architecture from the University of<br />
Pennsylvania and a BA in Human Ecology from<br />
the College of the Atlantic.<br />
EDUCATION<br />
University of Pennsylvania<br />
Master of Landscape Architecture . 2005<br />
College of the Atlantic<br />
B.A. in Human Ecology . 1997<br />
REGISTRATION<br />
Licensed Landscape Architect<br />
Connecticut . Michigan . Massachusetts<br />
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism . Associate Principal<br />
. Boston . MA . USA . 2005–present<br />
University of Pennsylvania School of Design<br />
Studio Critic . Department of Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2012<br />
Utile . Staff Designer . Boston . MA . USA . 2005<br />
National Park Service . Intern Landscape<br />
Architect . Philadelphia . PA . USA . 2004<br />
Foglia Design Associates . Landscape Designer<br />
. Somerville . MA . USA . 1999–2002<br />
AFFILIATIONS<br />
American Society of Landscape Architects -<br />
Member<br />
RECENT AWARDS<br />
Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design<br />
Award . Landscape Architecture category . 2012<br />
Top Honor Award . CityDeck . Excellence on the<br />
Waterfront Awards . Waterfront Center . 2011<br />
Topos Landscape Award . Topos International<br />
Review of Landscape Architecture and Urban<br />
Design . 2010<br />
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE<br />
Boston Architectural College . Studio Director .<br />
Sasaki Distinguished Visiting Critic . 2010<br />
University of Pennsylvania . Lecturer .<br />
Department of Landscape Architecture . 2009<br />
University of Pennsylvania . elective studio:<br />
Network Dynamics . Metro Phoenix . AZ . USA<br />
University of Pennsylvania .<br />
Visiting Critic . Department of Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2007<br />
University of Pennsylvania .<br />
elective studio: Mat Urbanism . Massachusetts<br />
Military Reservation . Cape Cod . MA . USA<br />
University of Pennsylvania .<br />
Visiting Studio Assistant . Department of<br />
Landscape Architecture . 2005<br />
University of Pennsylvania .<br />
elective studio: De/generative Urbanism .<br />
Georgia-Pacific Mill Site . Fort Bragg . CA . USA<br />
University of Pennsylvania . Teaching Assistant .<br />
Department of Landscape Architecture . 2004<br />
University of Pennsylvania . core curriculum:<br />
Media 3<br />
University of Pennsylvania . PENN Praxis .<br />
Student Team Leader . Bensalem Waterfront<br />
Studio<br />
University of Illinois . Professional Director<br />
of student team . Department of Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2008<br />
University of Illinois . Windsor Road Charrettte .<br />
Urbana-Champaign . IL . USA<br />
Somerville High School . Advisor + Professional<br />
Assistant . High School Courtyard Renovation<br />
Club . 2001–2002<br />
PUBLISHED WRITINGS<br />
“Disappearing Mangroves” . The Al Qattara<br />
Oasis in Al Ain . ed. Jorge Silvetti and Felipe<br />
Correa . Harvard Graduate School of Design .<br />
2010<br />
“Dynamic Fields: Toronto’s Lower Don Lands”<br />
Landscape Architecture China . Chris Reed and<br />
Scott Bishop . 2009<br />
PRESENTATIONS<br />
Formation . University of Nebraska . Lincoln .<br />
NE . 2011<br />
Arid Urbanism . Keynote Speaker . 3rd<br />
International Conference on Drylands, Deserts,<br />
and Desertification: The Route to Restoration<br />
. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev . Sede<br />
Boqer Campus . Israel<br />
WORK PUBLISHED + CITED<br />
Landscape Architecture Magazine . Minneapolis<br />
Riverfront . volume 101 no. 4 . April 2011<br />
“On Board for Change” . volume 99 no. 9 .<br />
September 2009<br />
Architektura (Poland) . CityDeck . vol. 193 . 2010<br />
Competitions . “No Student Left Behind” volume<br />
16 . Fall 2006<br />
Panorama . “Urban Design: Imagining a New<br />
Grand Central Square for Caracas” . 2005<br />
and coverage in the following newspapers:<br />
nacional<br />
el universal<br />
el mundo<br />
construction and design of the urban<br />
environment
Section 3<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Erik Prince, Associate<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism . Boston . MA<br />
Erik has over nine years of professional<br />
experience practicing Landscape Architecture<br />
in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and<br />
New York City. He holds a BS in Landscape<br />
Architecture from Colorado State University<br />
and in 2010 graduated with distinction from<br />
the Harvard Graduate School of Design with<br />
a Masters of Landscape Architecture where<br />
he received the Jacob Weidenman Prize,<br />
the school’s highest honor for design. Erik’s<br />
professional experience emphasizes the<br />
design, communication and construction of<br />
award winning urban projects ranging from the<br />
community level to the urban scale. His interest<br />
in the transformation of complex industrial<br />
waterfronts is demonstrated through his<br />
previous experience as a designer and project<br />
manager for numerous projects at Michael<br />
Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA). Erik’s<br />
research investigates the constructed interface of<br />
urbanism and water where the typological urban<br />
and ecologic systems confluence and index<br />
a relationship to sub-surface conditions and<br />
regionally operative systems.<br />
EDUCATION<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design<br />
. Master in Landscape Architecture<br />
II . 2010<br />
Colorado State University .<br />
Bachelor of Science in Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2002<br />
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE<br />
Tom Leader Studio . Designer .<br />
Berkeley . CA . USA<br />
CMG Landscape Architecture .<br />
Designer . San Francisco . CA . USA<br />
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates<br />
. Consultant .<br />
New York . <strong>NY</strong> . USA<br />
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates<br />
. Associate .<br />
New York . <strong>NY</strong> . USA<br />
Gates Associates . Associate .<br />
Danville . CA . USA<br />
Wenk Associates . Intern . Denver .<br />
CO . USA<br />
National Park Service, Water<br />
Resources Division . Consultant .<br />
Fort Collins . CO . USA<br />
Bath Landscape Design . Design<br />
Staff . Fort Collins . CO . USA<br />
RECENT AWARDS<br />
Municipal Art Society of New York<br />
Brendan Gill Prize . Brooklyn Bridge<br />
Park . Brooklyn . <strong>NY</strong> . USA . 2011<br />
Rudy Bruner Award Silver Medal .<br />
Brooklyn Bridge Park . Brooklyn . <strong>NY</strong><br />
. USA . 2011<br />
1st Place (with MVVA) . City + Arch +<br />
River 2015 Competition . St. Louis .<br />
MI . USA . 2010<br />
Equal 1st Prize (with OPSYS) . Sea<br />
Change 2030: An International<br />
Urban Sea Level Rise Ideas<br />
Competition . Sydney Harbour . 2010<br />
ASLA Award . Honor in Analysis +<br />
Planning (with MVVA) . Brooklyn<br />
Bridge Park . Brooklyn . <strong>NY</strong> . USA<br />
. 2009<br />
ASLA Award . Honor in Design .<br />
Boston Children’s Museum . Boston .<br />
MA . USA . 2008<br />
ASLA Award . Honor in Analysis &<br />
Planning (with MVVA) . Lower Don<br />
Lands . Toronto . ON . Canada .<br />
2008<br />
1st Place (with MVVA) . Hudson<br />
Park and Boulevard . New York . <strong>NY</strong><br />
. USA . 2008<br />
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design<br />
. Teaching Assistant . Landscape<br />
Architecture IV Core Studio . 2010<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design<br />
. Teaching Assistant . Studies in<br />
Landscape Representation II . 2010<br />
Boston Architectural College .<br />
Visiting Critic . 2008-2010<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design<br />
. Teaching Assistant . Landscape<br />
Technology (Landform + Grading)<br />
. 2009<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design<br />
. Planting Design Research &<br />
Teaching Grant with Michael Van<br />
Valkenburgh . 2009<br />
published writings &<br />
CITATIONS<br />
GSD Platform 3 . Ephemeral<br />
Crossroads . Harvard University<br />
Graduate School of Design, Actar<br />
. 2010<br />
Sea Change 2030 Competition .<br />
Topos . Design & Function . vol 72 .<br />
2010 (with OPSYS)<br />
Brooklyn Bridge Park . Topos .<br />
Design & Function . vol 72 . 2010<br />
(with MVVA)<br />
“New York Firm MVVA Wins Arch<br />
Design Competition” . St. Louis Post<br />
Dispatch . Doug Moore . 2010 (with<br />
MVVA)<br />
Studio Works . Architecture .<br />
Stimulus Package . Harvard<br />
University Graduate School of<br />
Design . 2010<br />
“The Greening of the Waterfront” .<br />
New York Times . Nicolai Ouroussoff<br />
. 2010 (with MVVA)<br />
“On Mat Ecologies” Ecourbanism<br />
V Oblivion . Trays . Ecological<br />
Urbanism Conference . GSD . 2009<br />
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates<br />
- Reconstructing Urban Landscapes<br />
. Yale University Press . 2009 (with<br />
MVVA)<br />
“Playful, but Not a Playground:<br />
Boston Children’s Museum Brings<br />
Learning Outside” . Landscape<br />
Architecture . Marty Carlock . 2008<br />
(with MVVA)<br />
Lower Don Lands . Concept, Korea .<br />
vol 100 . 2007 (with MVVA)<br />
“Winning Design Returns Don River<br />
to Its Rightful Place in the City” .<br />
Globe and Mail . 2007 (with MVVA)<br />
“The Active Edge: Designed<br />
by Michael Van Valkenburgh<br />
Associates, Brooklyn Bridge Park<br />
Destined to Become New York’s<br />
Third Great Urban Landscape” .<br />
Metropolis 25 . no 7 . 2006 (with<br />
MVVA)
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
Amy Whitesides, Designer<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism . Boston . MA<br />
Amy is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate<br />
School of Design where she obtained a Masters<br />
in Landscape Architecture. Upon completion<br />
of her degree Amy was awarded the ASLA<br />
certificate of merit. Her student work, Vertical<br />
Territories, has been awarded both an ASLA<br />
honor award and third prize in the 2011 IFLA<br />
competition. In addition to her work at Stoss,<br />
Amy is a lecturer at University of Toronto Daniels<br />
School of Architecture where she teaches<br />
history and theory with a focus on topics of<br />
contemporary landscape architecture. Amy holds<br />
a graduate certificate in Scientific Illustration and<br />
a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies<br />
from University of California, Santa Cruz and has<br />
worked as a freelance illustrator for University of<br />
Chicago Press, California Academy of Sciences,<br />
Sally Ride Science, Central Coast Bat Research<br />
Group, and researchers at Stanford Hopkins<br />
Marine Lab.<br />
EDUCATION<br />
Harvard University Graduate School<br />
of Design . Masters in Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2012<br />
University of California Santa Cruz<br />
Extension . Graduate Certificate in<br />
Scientific Illustration . 2007<br />
University of California Santa Cruz .<br />
BA Environmental Studies . 1997<br />
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism .<br />
Designer . October 2012-Present<br />
Geoadaptive LLC . Consulting Editor<br />
. Cambridge . MA . USA . August<br />
2012-Present<br />
Design & Graphics Consultant .<br />
Sault-Sainte Marie . ON . Canada .<br />
July-August 2012<br />
Freelance Scientific Illustrator .<br />
2007-2012<br />
Office of Landscape Morphology .<br />
Design Intern . Paris . France . 2011<br />
Harvard Graduate School of Design<br />
. Community Service Fellow .<br />
Roxbury . MA . USA . 2010<br />
Harvard GSD and Harvard Center<br />
for Global Health & The Environment<br />
. Harvard University Garden Project .<br />
Design Team Member . 2009-2010<br />
University of California Santa<br />
Cruz . Department of Ecology and<br />
Evolutionary Biology . Course<br />
Coordinator. 2008-2009<br />
UC Santa Cruz Department of<br />
Environmental Studies . Teaching<br />
Assistant and Writing Tutor . 2000-<br />
2009<br />
RECENT AWARDS<br />
GSD Class of 2012 ASLA Certificate<br />
of Merit<br />
ASLA Honor Award . ‘Vertical<br />
Territories’ with Chen Chen and E.<br />
Scott Mitchell . 2011<br />
IFLA Competition . 3rd Prize . Zurich<br />
. Switzerland . ‘Vertical Territories’<br />
with Chen Chen and E. Scot Mitchell<br />
. 2011<br />
GSD Platform 4 selection . 2011<br />
Penny White Travel Grant. Harvard<br />
GSD. 2011<br />
GSD Platform 3 selection . 2010<br />
Community Service Fellowship<br />
Award . 2010<br />
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE<br />
Lecturer . Univerity of Toronto<br />
Daniels School of Architecture . 2012<br />
- Present<br />
Studio Instructor . Landscape<br />
Architecture . Harvard GSD Career<br />
Discovery . 2012<br />
Teaching Assistant . Landscape<br />
Representation II . Harvard GSD .<br />
2012<br />
Committee Member . 2013<br />
Admissions . Harvard GSD<br />
. Department of Landscape<br />
Architecture . 2012<br />
Committee Member . Penny White<br />
Travel Grant Selection Committee .<br />
Harvard GSD . 2012<br />
Research Assistant . Harvard<br />
University GSD . Green Roof<br />
Initiative . 2011-2012<br />
Class Representative. MLA I class of<br />
2012 Harvard GSD . 2009-2012<br />
Volunteer Instructor . Project Link .<br />
Harvard GSD . 2011<br />
Research Assistant . Ecological<br />
Architecture/Biotic Roofs Publication<br />
. 2011<br />
Teaching Assistant . Introduction to<br />
Ecology . Harvard GSD . 2010<br />
Botanical Illustration Instructor .<br />
University of California Santa Cruz<br />
Summer Session . 2009<br />
Teaching Assistant and Writing Tutor<br />
. UC Santa Cruz Department of<br />
Environmental Studies . 2000-2009<br />
PUBLICATIONS + EXHIBITS<br />
Instigations GSD 075 . ed. Moshen<br />
Mostafavi and Peter Christensen .<br />
(2012)<br />
Qinglonghu Foothill Strategy . Periurban<br />
development alternatives for<br />
Southwest Beijing . ed. Kongjian Yu<br />
. (2012)<br />
Adaptive Terrain . Infrastructural<br />
Strategies in the Foothills of Medellin<br />
. ed. Christian Werthmann . (2012)<br />
GSD Platform 4 . Harvard GSD .<br />
Publication and Exhibition . 2011<br />
View on Harvard GSD . Harvard<br />
GSD . 2011<br />
Architecture for Humanity ‘Safe<br />
Trestles’ Competition . Educational<br />
exhibit illustrations . 2010<br />
Journal of Mammalogy.<br />
Illustrations 90(5): 1157-1164.<br />
2009<br />
An Orchard Invisible.<br />
University of Chicago Press.<br />
Chapter Illustrations. 2008<br />
Filoli Botanical Illustration<br />
Exhibition . Filoli . Woodside .<br />
CA . USA . 2008<br />
Earth’s Precious Resources<br />
. Sally Ride Science book<br />
series . Collaborative role in<br />
illustrations . 2007<br />
Illustrating Nature . Santa Cruz<br />
Museum of Natural History .<br />
Science Illustration Student<br />
Exhibition . 2007
Section 3<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Structural Engineer for the Corning Reserve Plan<br />
Buro Happold is a global, integrated, multidisciplinary engineering firm that offers a complete<br />
range of services for the built environment: Urban Design & Planning; Regeneration &<br />
Masterplanning; Transportation Planning; Sustainability Consulting; Structural, Façade,<br />
MEP, Environmental, Energy, Geotechnical, Fire and Life Safety Engineering, Computation &<br />
Simulation Analysis, Lighting Design, and Project Management.<br />
Buro Happold practices from a worldwide network of 27 offices in 12 countries. In addition to<br />
our office in New York, which was established in 2000, our North America presence includes<br />
offices in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.<br />
We provide focused engineering solutions for projects ranging from large urban and regional<br />
master plans to campuses to individual buildings. Our current planning, infrastructure and<br />
engineering projects include the High Line and Jamaica Bay Great Park developments in New<br />
York City, Navy Pier Redevelopment in Chicago, and St. Petersburg Pier Redevelopment in<br />
Florida.<br />
We work in numerous sectors and from our work with internationally-renowned architects on<br />
diverse range of projects our engineers have gained a depth of experience and understanding<br />
of complex projects. We combine this globalized knowledge with local understanding and<br />
experience to execute successful, award-winning projects. Through consultation and industry<br />
collaboration we can introduce sustainable, appropriate, innovative and value-added solutions<br />
at all stages of the design process.<br />
Currently a firm of 1,400 professionals world-wide, 160 of whom are located in North America,<br />
Buro Happold distinguishes itself from other engineering practices by its holistic, creative<br />
and flexible approach to problem solving and in developing economical and sustainable<br />
solutions for our clients. Our multi-disciplinary approach enables us to assist effectively<br />
across every stage of design, from concept through construction and subsequent operation<br />
and maintenance. We pride ourselves on tackling complex projects, often with aggressive<br />
schedules and stringent performance goals, providing the best possible service by creating a<br />
streamlined and efficient team with strong technical delivery..<br />
Project Team:<br />
Neil A. Porto, Project Director<br />
neil.porto@burohappold.com<br />
David Koysman, Sr. Civil Engineer<br />
david.koysman@burohappold.com<br />
Samantha Cohen, Sustainable Infrastructure Specialist<br />
samantha.cohen@burohappold.com<br />
Buro Happold<br />
100 Broadway, 23rd Floor<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong> 10005<br />
Tel: 212.334.2025
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Our relevant urban design, masterplanning and revitalization experience includes:<br />
• East River Waterfront Redevelopment Masterplanning & Design - New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
• The High Line - New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
• Jamaica Bay Great Park - Queens, <strong>NY</strong><br />
• Olympic Park Lower Lea Valley Redevelopment - London, UK<br />
• Chicago Navy Pier Redevelopment - Chicago, IL<br />
• St. Petersburg Pier - St. Petersburg, FL<br />
• Pier 17 Redevelopment - New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
• Orange County Great Park - Irvine, CA<br />
• Jackson Square Redevelopment Master Plan - Roxbury, MA<br />
• Detroit Works Revitalization Study - Detroit, MI<br />
• Brookfield Denver Master Plan - Denver, CO<br />
• Jingjin New City Master Plan - Tianjin, China<br />
• King Abdullah Financial District Masterplanning & Design - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<br />
• Abu Dhabi Media Zone District Master Plan - Abu Dhabi, UAE<br />
• Kuala Lumpur International Financial District Master Plan - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />
•Columbia University Manhattanville Campus Master Plan - New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
• Lynn University Campus Master Plan - Boca Raton, FL
Section 3<br />
Buro Happold<br />
East River Redevelopment Planning<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong>, USA<br />
Buro Happold<br />
In 2003, the Mayor’s Office of Lower Development,<br />
Department of City Planning, and Economic Development<br />
Corporation (EDC) laid the groundwork for an ambitious<br />
new effort designed to attract more New Yorkers and<br />
tourists to the historic East River waterfront by selecting<br />
an international design team to produce a comprehensive<br />
master plan for the redevelopment of the East River<br />
waterfront from Battery Park to the East River Park.<br />
The project involves a masterplanning study for a 1.5<br />
mile stretch of New York City bordering on the East River.<br />
The study compromises a 12-month design period to<br />
develop a strategy for expansion of residential, cultural<br />
and commercial building for this area. It is estimated that<br />
10-20 million square feet of new building space needs<br />
to be created over the next 50 years in Lower Manhattan<br />
and this site is seen as one of the promising areas for<br />
development<br />
Goals for the redevelopment include:<br />
• Enhanced access to and along the water’s edge<br />
• New waterfront uses and amenities<br />
• Increased open space<br />
Key project information<br />
Client<br />
City of New York<br />
Architect Richard Rogers Partnership with SHoP<br />
Architects / Olin Partnership<br />
Project value $10M<br />
Dates Scheme Design completed in 2004<br />
Services provided by Buro Happold<br />
Structural engineering, sustainability services, urban<br />
planning & design, water supply & distribution, waste<br />
water solutions, marine, coastal & river engineering
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Buro Happold<br />
The High Line<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong>, USA<br />
Buro Happold<br />
The High Line, since its construction in the 1930’s and<br />
last use in 1980, had fallen into disrepair. The initiative to<br />
determine the fate of the elevated railroad line, that spanned<br />
22 blocks from West 34th Street to Gansevoort Street in the<br />
Manhattan’s meatpacking district, began in 1999 when its<br />
demolition seemed imminent. Buro Happold, working with<br />
Field Operations, was selected by the Friends of the High<br />
Line and the City of New York to create the master plan for<br />
the re-use and re-integration of the High Line.<br />
Inspired by the melancholic, unruly beauty of the line, the<br />
design team re-imagined this industrial infrastructure as<br />
a place of leisure, city life, and nature. The design strategy<br />
evolved by challenging the traditional rules of ecological<br />
and pedestrian engagement, and combining organic and<br />
built materials that accommodate the wild, cultivated,<br />
intimate, and hyper-social.<br />
To preserve the High Line’s unique character., the design<br />
is to remain perpetually “unfinished”, sustaining emergent<br />
growth and change over time and forever creating a place<br />
of community engagement, connectivity and inspiration.<br />
The success of the High Line has been reinforced with the<br />
redevelopment of the surrounding area that has occurred<br />
in parallel with the multi-phase project. There is 1.5<br />
million square feet of mixed use development completed<br />
or under construction with another 2.5 million square<br />
feet in planning. It is estimated that the City will realize<br />
approximately $900m in revenue over the next thirty years<br />
with around $4 billion in private investment as a direct<br />
result of the High Line project.<br />
Key project information<br />
Client<br />
Friends of the Highline (FHL)<br />
Architect Field Operations / Diller Scofidio+Renfro<br />
Project value $52M<br />
Dates Phase I: Completed 2009<br />
Phase II: Completed 2011<br />
Phase II:I Estimated Completion 2014<br />
Services provided by Buro Happold<br />
Structural engineering, MEP engineering, Sustainability
Section 3<br />
Buro Happold<br />
St. Petersburg Pier<br />
St. Petersburg, FL, USA<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Buro Happold on the Michael Maltzan Architecture design<br />
team were selected as winners of an international design<br />
competition for the replacement of the existing 625,000<br />
SF St. Petersburg pier. Phase One of the project includes<br />
design and construction services for the new pier only,<br />
including Above Water Drive, Above Water Bridge, Pier<br />
Promontory, Lens Canopy, Elevator Towers and Balconies.<br />
A fixture on the St. Petersburg, Florida waterfront since<br />
the late 19th Century, the St. Petersburg pier has been<br />
an important commercial, social, and tourist center for<br />
the community. The pier has been rebuilt seven times<br />
since the initial structure was completed in 1899. The<br />
most memorable was the 1926 Mediterranean revival<br />
architecture inspired “Million Dollar Pier” demolished<br />
in the late 1960s. The current pier is the iconic ‘inverted<br />
pyramid’ structure which was completed and opened to<br />
the public in 1973.<br />
The intent of this project is to redefine what the pier could<br />
be and how it supports the City’s image and identity<br />
within the framework of an evolving downtown, which<br />
includes attractions such as the internationally recognized<br />
Salvador Dali Museum.<br />
Key project information<br />
Client<br />
City of St. Petersburg<br />
Architect Michael Maltzan Architecture<br />
Project value $35M<br />
Dates Completion expected in 2015<br />
Services provided by Buro Happold<br />
Structural engineering, civil engineering, MEP engineering<br />
Images ©Michael Maltzan Architecture
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Neil A. Porto PE<br />
Principal<br />
Role on Project: Project Director<br />
Mr. Porto has nearly 30 years of progressive experience<br />
in infrastructure project management, project planning,<br />
civil and structural engineering, quality assurance/<br />
quality control, and construction management. He<br />
has managed complex, high-profile projects and led<br />
the development of comprehensive master plans,<br />
transportation studies, environmental documentation,<br />
and phased rehabilitation programs. He has specialized in<br />
the evaluation and assessment of complex engineering<br />
projects and presented to clients and the public to aid in<br />
informed decision-making and phased implementation<br />
of infrastructure improvements.<br />
Key Project Information<br />
The High Line / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
St. Petersburg Pier / St. Petersburg, FL<br />
East River Park Waterfront Redevelopment * / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Stuyvesant Cove Park* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
North Shore Esplanade* / Staten Island, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Gateway Park & Atlantic Avenue Extension* / Queens, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Discipline<br />
Qualifications<br />
Registrations<br />
Firm<br />
Civil Engineering<br />
BCE, CornellUniversity; ISO 9001 Certified<br />
Quality Assurance Auditor<br />
Professional Engineer in <strong>NY</strong> and NJ<br />
2012 - Present<br />
Queens West Waterfront Park and Street and Infrastructure<br />
Improvements* / Queens, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Swindler Cove Park Pedestrian Bridges* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
FDR Drive Rehabilitation, <strong>NY</strong>SDOT, East 54th Street to East<br />
53rd Street* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
FDR Drive Rehabilitation, <strong>NY</strong>SDOT, East 34th Street<br />
Viaduct* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Route 9A Reconstruction, Segment 6* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Elevated Transit work for 10 Transit Stations for <strong>NY</strong>CT and<br />
LIRR* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Jamaica Station Plaza Intermodal Improvements* /<br />
Queens, <strong>NY</strong><br />
East River Park Redevelopment, New York, <strong>NY</strong>* Stuyvesant Cove Park, New York, <strong>NY</strong>* The High Line, New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
* Denotes work done by Neil Porto prior to joining Buro Happold
Section 3<br />
Buro Happold<br />
David Koysman PE<br />
Civil Engineer<br />
Role on Project: Senior Civil Engineer<br />
Since earning undergraduate and graduate degrees<br />
in Civil Engineering from <strong>NY</strong>U Polytechnic Institute,<br />
David Koysman has been working in multiple capacities<br />
as a project engineer. His project portfolio includes<br />
transportation, residential and commercial complexes of<br />
varying scales and complexities of scope. David has direct<br />
experience working with public agencies such as the DCP,<br />
DEP, DOT and DOB and a comprehensive understanding<br />
of city regulations and the approvals process. Mr.<br />
Koysman is a member of ASCE and Engineers Without<br />
Borders and is licensed Professional Engineer in the State<br />
of New York.<br />
Key Project Information<br />
The High Line / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Pier 57 Redevelopment* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Riverside South Park , Phase V* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Barclays Arena Traffic Impact Assessment * / Brooklyn, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Willis Avenue Bridge Replacement* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Harlem River Drive Bridge Replacement* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Discipline<br />
Qualifications<br />
Registrations<br />
Firm<br />
Civil Engineering<br />
Masters of Science, Civil Engineering, New<br />
York University Polytechnic Institute, 2010;<br />
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, New<br />
York University Polytechnic Institute, 2008<br />
Professional Engineer in <strong>NY</strong><br />
2012 - Present<br />
130 East 59th Street, UJA-Federation Building* /<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Diamond Tower* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
50 Bowery* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
2182 Broadway* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Harlem Village Academy* / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
Pier 57 Redevelopment, New York, <strong>NY</strong>* Riverside South Park, Phase V, New York, <strong>NY</strong>* The High Line, New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
* Denotes work completed prior to joining Buro Happold
Team Profile, Qualifications, and Experience<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Samantha Cohen<br />
Engineer<br />
Role on Project: Sustainable Infrastructure Specialist<br />
Samantha Cohen joined Buro Happold in 2011 after<br />
completing studies in both engineering and architecture<br />
with an advanced sustainability and environmental<br />
emphasis. Ms. Cohen has worked on a variety of<br />
sustainable infrastructure projects at both the domestic<br />
and international level.<br />
Discipline<br />
Qualifications<br />
Firm<br />
Sustainability, Infrastructure & Master<br />
Planning<br />
BSc-Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br />
2011 - Present<br />
Key Project Information<br />
The High Line / New York, <strong>NY</strong><br />
St. Petersburg Pier / St. Petersburg, FL<br />
JingJin Sustainable Infrastructure Master Plan /<br />
Tianjin, China<br />
Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD)<br />
Mixed Use Development Master Plan /<br />
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />
Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD)<br />
LEED Consulting /<br />
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />
Punggol Neighborhood Master Plan / Singapore<br />
Lodha Place Residential Development / Mumbai, India<br />
Tata TCS IT Campus Sustainable Master Plan /<br />
Murukkumpuzha, India<br />
JingJin Sustainable Master Plan, Tianjin, China St. Petersburg Pier Redevelopment, St. Petersburg, FL The High Line, New York, <strong>NY</strong>
Section 4<br />
Reference and Quality of<br />
Performance History
Reference and Quality of<br />
Performance History<br />
Section 4<br />
NBBJ<br />
Kairos Shen, Director of Planning<br />
Boston Redevelopment Authority<br />
One City Hall Square<br />
Boston, MA 02201<br />
(617) 918-4471<br />
Kairos.Shen.BRA@ci.boston.ma.us<br />
CityVisions Associates<br />
Louisville Downtown Plan/West Main Street<br />
Hon. Jerry Abramson, Lieutenant Governor<br />
Commonwealth of Kentucky<br />
Frankfort, KY<br />
(502) 564-2611<br />
ltgabramson@gmail.com<br />
Lisa Schroeder, President and CEO<br />
Riverlife<br />
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1340<br />
Pittsburgh, PA 15219<br />
(412) 258-6636<br />
lisa@riverlifetaskforce.org<br />
Richardson Olmsted Complex<br />
Monica Pellegrino Faix, Executive Director<br />
Richardson Center Corporation<br />
Buffalo, <strong>NY</strong><br />
(716) 849-6070<br />
monica@richardson-olmsted.com<br />
Monica Pellegrino Faix<br />
Richardson Center Corp.<br />
c/o The Buffalo News<br />
One News Plaza<br />
P.O. Box 100<br />
Buffalo, <strong>NY</strong> 14240<br />
(716) 849-6070<br />
monica@richardson-olmsted.com<br />
Owensboro<br />
Fred Reeves<br />
Downtown Development Director<br />
Owensboro-Daviess County Economic Development<br />
Authority<br />
Owensboro, KY<br />
(270) 925-8962<br />
freeves41@gmail.com
Reference and Quality of Performance History<br />
Ninigret Partners<br />
Kelly Murphy<br />
Deputy Mayor For Development<br />
City Of New Haven, CT<br />
203-946-2367<br />
kmurphy@newhavenct.net<br />
Rhonda Spector<br />
VP Planning And Development<br />
Mass Development<br />
617-603-3116<br />
rspector@massdevelopment.com<br />
Bonnie Nickerson<br />
Director Long Range Planning<br />
City Of Providence, RI<br />
401-225-8192<br />
bnickerson@providenceri.com<br />
Nelson\Nygaard<br />
MARQUETTE <strong>DOWNTOWN</strong> PARKING <strong>PLAN</strong><br />
Marquette Downtown Development Authority<br />
203 S. Front Street<br />
Marquette, MI 49855<br />
Mona Lang, Executive Director<br />
906-228-9475<br />
mlang@downtownmarquette.org<br />
LANSDALE COMPREHENSIVE PARKING STUDY<br />
Lansdale Parking Authority<br />
One Vine Street<br />
Lansdale, PA 19446<br />
Robert McDyre, Police Chief<br />
215-368-1801<br />
rmcdyre@lansdalepd.org<br />
CONCORD COMPREHENSIVE PARKING STUDY<br />
Town of Concord<br />
141 Keyes Road<br />
Concord, MA 01742<br />
Marcia Rasmussen, Planning Director<br />
978-318-3290<br />
mrasmussen@concordma.gov
Section 4<br />
Stoss Landscape Urbanism<br />
FOX RIVERFRONT + THE CITYDECK<br />
Carl Weber<br />
Director of Public Works, Green Bay, WI (former)<br />
Director of Public Works, Janesville, WI (current)<br />
608 755 3182<br />
weberc@ci.janesville.wi.us<br />
Erie Street Plaza<br />
Robert Greenstreet<br />
City Planner, Milwaukee<br />
414 229 4014<br />
THE PLAZA AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY<br />
Lisa Hogarty<br />
Vice President<br />
Harvard University Campus Services<br />
617 495 0759<br />
lisa_hogarty@harvard.edu<br />
Tanya Iatridis<br />
Director<br />
Harvard University Planning Office<br />
617 496 1999<br />
tanya_iatridis@harvard.edu<br />
Buro Happold<br />
EAST RIVER WATERFRONT MASTER <strong>PLAN</strong> &<br />
REDEVELOPMENT *<br />
Terri Bahr, Lead Project Manager<br />
New York City Economic Development Corporation<br />
110 William Street<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong> 10038<br />
Tel: 212.312.3714<br />
Email:tbahr@nycedc.com<br />
* Reference contact is for work completed by Neil Porto<br />
while at HDR. Buro Happold provided structural engineering,<br />
sustainability consulting, urban planning & design,<br />
water supply & distribution, waste water solutions<br />
and marine, coastal & river engineering for the Master<br />
Plan phase of the project.<br />
JAMAICA BAY GREAT PARK MASTER <strong>PLAN</strong><br />
David Bragdon, Director<br />
Office of Long-Term Planning & Sustainability<br />
<strong>NY</strong>C Department of Parks & Recreation<br />
830 Fifth Avenue<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong> 10065<br />
Tel: 212.360.3423<br />
Email: David.Bragdon@parks.nyc.gov<br />
Giles Moore<br />
Director, Design Services<br />
Harvard University Planning Office<br />
THE HIGH LINE MASTER <strong>PLAN</strong> AND DEVELOPMENT<br />
Louise Eddleston Lewis, Director of Capital Projects<br />
Friends of the High Line<br />
529 West 20th Street, Ste. 8W<br />
New York, <strong>NY</strong> 10011<br />
Tel:212.206.9922<br />
Email: Email: louise.lewis@thehighline.org
Section 5<br />
MWBE and<br />
Local Participation
MWBE and Local Participation<br />
Section 5<br />
At this time we have not recruited any local or MWBE firms. We have built a strong team for<br />
the scope of services in this proposal, but should we find as we negotiate the final scope with<br />
Capitalize Albany Corporation that we need the assistance of subconsultants that are better<br />
recruited locally, such as civil engineers, code consultants, cost estimators or public process<br />
facilitators, we will work with you to identify the best firms, with the goal of recruiting locally<br />
and from the MWBE certified firms in New York. Our experience in campus planning for SU<strong>NY</strong><br />
has provided us with experience with a number of such firms, although none are based in<br />
Albany.
Section 6<br />
Cost Proposal
<strong>TACTICAL</strong> <strong>REVITALIZATION</strong> <strong>PLAN</strong> <strong>FOR</strong> <strong>DOWNTOWN</strong> <strong>ALBA<strong>NY</strong></strong> FEE SCHEDULE<br />
NBBJ<br />
CityVisions<br />
NinIgret Partners<br />
Stoss<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Nelson Nygaard<br />
NBBJ<br />
CityVisions<br />
NinIgret Partners<br />
Stoss<br />
SCOPE<br />
Tasks<br />
Notes<br />
A EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS $ 65,150<br />
1 Collect and Analyze Market Data o n $ 3,200<br />
$ 3,200<br />
2 Review Existing Reports n o o o $ 10,000 $ 3,200<br />
$ 13,200<br />
3 Additional Information Review and Incorporation n o o o $ 3,200<br />
$ 3,200<br />
$<br />
-<br />
Deliverables Summary of Existing Conditions (physical) n $ 15,000<br />
$ 15,000<br />
Summary of opportunities and challenges n $ 5,000<br />
$ 5,000<br />
Market Analysis Reports o n $ 25,550<br />
$ 25,550<br />
(optional) Existing financial resources [$8,000] $<br />
-<br />
(optional ) Existing organizational capacity report [$4,800] $<br />
-<br />
$<br />
-<br />
B STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT $ - $ 84,800<br />
1 Interviews (action team(s) and individual) n o o $ 10,000 $ 3,200<br />
$ 13,200<br />
Interviews<br />
2 Public Meetings (2) formats to be determined n o o o $ 25,000 $ 6,400 $ 3,000<br />
$ 34,400<br />
Pecha kucha format TedX format Draft plan presentation Final plan presentation<br />
3 Site Walkthrough (1) n o o o $ 5,000 $ 3,200<br />
$ 8,200<br />
Deliverables Engagement and communications plan o n $ 2,000<br />
$ 5,000<br />
$ 7,000<br />
Execution of plan n o $ 12,000<br />
$ 12,000<br />
Feedback summary n o $ 5,000<br />
$ 5,000<br />
(optional) Media relations plansocial media content $ 5,000<br />
$ 5,000<br />
(optional) Website prodcution or crowd sourcing $<br />
-<br />
$<br />
-<br />
C VISION & GOALS $ - $ 25,200<br />
1 Develop Vision Statement n o o o $ 10,000 $ 1,600 $ 2,000<br />
$ 13,600<br />
Vision statement<br />
2 Graphics and Presentation n o o o $ 10,000 $ 1,600<br />
$ 11,600<br />
$<br />
-<br />
D CORNING PRESERVE PHASE 2 MASTER <strong>PLAN</strong> $ - $ 157,813<br />
1 Project Scoping Session o n $ 3,551 $ 1,184<br />
$ 4,735<br />
Scoping<br />
2 Site Reconnaissance o n $ 11,836 $ 11,836<br />
$ 23,672<br />
Site reconaissance<br />
3 Community Visioning (to be combined with Task B) n o o $ 7,891<br />
$ 7,891<br />
Community visioning<br />
Deliverable Draft master plan o n o $ 7,891<br />
$ 40,715 $ 14,519<br />
$<br />
63,125<br />
-<br />
Draft master plan<br />
4 Community Meeting (to be combined with Task B) n o o $ 3,156<br />
$ 3,156<br />
Community meeting<br />
Deliverable Final master plan o n o $ 7,891<br />
$ 39,058 $ 8,285<br />
$ 55,234<br />
Final master plan<br />
$<br />
-<br />
E IMPLEMENTATION <strong>PLAN</strong> $ - $ 140,400<br />
1 Development Opportunities n o $ -<br />
Reverse engineering<br />
Deliverable Pro forma analysis of redevelopment program n o Reverse engineering $ 8,000 $ 10,000<br />
$ 18,000<br />
Deliverables (optional) Fiscal Impact Analysis level : Basic n $ 2,000 [$12,000] $ 2,000<br />
Optional analysis<br />
(optional) Fiscal Impact Analysis level : RIMS II Econ Impact n [$15,000] $<br />
-<br />
(optional) Fiscal Impact Analysis level : IM<strong>PLAN</strong> model n [$22,000] $<br />
-<br />
(optional) Fiscal Impact Analysis level : REMI model n [$34,000] $<br />
-<br />
2 Targeted Attraction and Retention Strategies o n $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable Customer targeting and attraction strategy $ 9,000<br />
$ 9,000<br />
Deliverable (optional) Business attraction and retention plan o n included $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable (optional) Talent attraction program o n included $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable Retail recruitment and tenanting strategy o n $ 6,400<br />
$ 6,400<br />
Deliverable Resident retention and attraction plan n $ 10,000<br />
$<br />
10,000<br />
-<br />
3 Financial Assistance Options n o $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable Financing/Incentive Tool Development Strategy n o $ 8,000 $ 1,000<br />
$ 9,000<br />
Deliverable (optional) Revenue Generation Plan Should be part of individual project analysis $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable Tax Restructuring/Incentive Plan n n $ 4,800<br />
$<br />
4,800<br />
-<br />
4 Marketing and Placemaking Strategies n o $ 10,000 $ 3,200<br />
$ 13,200<br />
Deliverable (optional) Wayfinding and Signage Plan Not recommended at this stage: should follow implementation strategy $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable (optional) Comprehensive Marketing and Branding Plan Not recommended at this stage: should follow implementation strategy $<br />
-<br />
5 Quality of Life and Infrastructure Initiatives n o o $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable Parking strategic plan o o o n $ 5,000 $ 3,200 $ 2,000<br />
$ 10,000 $ 20,200<br />
Deliverable Parks/open space streetscape plans n o o o Included in base bid for selected streets $ 15,000<br />
$ 15,000<br />
Deliverable (optional) Entertainment and cultural program We do not recommend such a service at this time, but such a service would be good<br />
for the Corning Preserve to better calibrate event facilities should be addressed in<br />
scoping session. $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable Summary of applicable best practices n $ 10,000<br />
$ 10,000<br />
Implementation Plan o n $ 10,000 $ 12,800<br />
$ 22,800<br />
Performance Reporting (metrics) n $<br />
-<br />
Deliverable (optional) Implementation Guide [$6,400] $<br />
-<br />
$<br />
-<br />
F WOW FACTOR $ - $ 37,000<br />
"TedX" Albany Recommended format for one public meeting $ 10,000<br />
$ 2,000<br />
$ 12,000<br />
Pecha Kucha night Recommended format for one public meeting $ 10,000<br />
$ 10,000<br />
Beta Testing concepts Not to include hard costs $ 10,000<br />
$ 10,000<br />
Albany Visual Essay Coordination with SU<strong>NY</strong> students $ 5,000<br />
$ 5,000<br />
$<br />
-<br />
G FINAL REPORT $ - $ 63,200<br />
$<br />
-<br />
Deliverable Tactical Plan document (all components) n o o o $ 40,000 $ 3,200<br />
$ 43,200<br />
Additional marketing document (executive summary) n o o o Recommended for marketing purposes $ 20,000<br />
$ 20,000<br />
(optional) Multi-media Animation n Could be provided by REV [$25000] $<br />
-<br />
Buro Happold<br />
Nelson Nygaard<br />
TOTAL by subtask<br />
TOTAL by task<br />
Month 1<br />
Month 2<br />
Month 3<br />
Month 4<br />
Month 5<br />
Month 6<br />
Month 7<br />
Month 8<br />
Month 9<br />
TOTAL BY FIRM $ 254,000 $ 102,982 $ 64,550 $ 106,207 $ 35,824 $ 10,000 $ 573,563 $ 573,563
One Beacon Street · Suite 5200 Boston MA 02108<br />
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