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What dose "Retrofitting" Imply?
To retrofit suburbia is to take the existing suburban sprawl landscape, and add elements to create an environment characteristic of old town developments pre-automobile, where buildings were close together, and goods and services could be reached easily by foot. Adding elements such as sidewalks, landscaping, streetscaping, and infill buildings to fill in the gaps between stores will help to improve the walking environment. Allowing for mixed uses to occupy the new infill developments, such as residential above commercial, will encourage people to walk here, linger a while, and thus create a community with a 24 hour life.
Looking specifically at the proposed project, such a retrofit of suburban commercial corridors in "Middle America" is not highly exemplified. Places such as Mizner Park in Boca Raton, Florida and New Seabury Shopping Center in Mashpee, Massachusetts have successfully retrofitted similar auto-oriented developments centered around a suburban mall. However, these areas have much higher per capita incomes than Saginaw, Michigan, and are typically in areas of high tourism, not areas where the automotive industry has been, and still is the economic bloodline of the state.
It is hoped that the charrette's recommendations and the consensus built amongst all stakeholders (residents included) will lead to both an implementation strategy for both private sector investment and changes to land use policies that guide development. The charrette is a needed opportunity to promote partnership formations and address a common problem that has yet to be tackled in many American communities. The charrette could be the catalyst needed to fuel changes to planning processes, so that planning for transportation and community do not continue to be independent of each other.
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