Introduction
Main Street as a pedestrian-only space has become a summer staple in Ann Arbor. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ann Arbor City Council voted to temporarily close some downtown streets to give residents and visitors space to be socially distant. These street closures also allowed businesses to expand and offer outdoor dining options. Since the closures proved popular, the City Council opted to close the streets again in the summers of 2021 and 2022. Because of the success and popularity of this seasonal pedestrian mall, it raises the question of whether some of these streets could remain closed year-round and be transformed into a permanent pedestrian plaza. To assess this site’s viability as a permanent pedestrian plaza that will enhance the vitality of downtown Ann Arbor, I utilized the framework presented by Jane Jacobs in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961). For this assessment, I will describe the specific area being considered for a permanent pedestrian plaza, examine the strengths and weaknesses of the space according to Jacobs’ framework, and finally make recommendations based on all of these elements about the possibility of closing Main Street year-round.
Site Description
For the purposes of this assessment, I have designated the potential area for closure as the two blocks of Main Street between East William Street and East Washington Street (see green highlight on map to the right). These blocks contain some of the most popular restaurants and entertainment opportunities of the area and are turned into a temporary pedestrian plaza during the summer. There are over 20 different retail shops (Shop, n.d.) and around 15 different restaurants, bars, and clubs (Eat & Drink, n.d.). Outside of these private establishments, there are many murals, and these 2 blocks of Main Street are part of the Ann Arbor Art Center (A2AC) Mural Walk (A2AC, 2022). Many attorneys, financial, real estate, media, health/medical, non-profit, and other professional offices also contribute to the economic activities of Main Street (Services, n.d.).
During the summer when the streets are closed off, local restaurants are able to expand their outdoor seating into the street, while still allowing room for pedestrians on the road in between seating areas on both sides of the street. On Thursday nights and Sundays during brunch, local musicians perform throughout the closed streets, including on Main Street. Local businesses, non-profits, fitness centers, and arts organizations can host free events on the weekends. The sidewalks are shared by private outdoor dining space and pedestrians walking through the area.
To gain resident feedback on the closure of these streets and the possibility of making this closure permanent, I posted a prompt on the location-based social media site, Nextdoor:
Private dining chairs from restaurant Black Pearl stacked up on the edge of the sidewalk. Black Pearl is still utilizing the sidewalk for dining space with weather-proof greenhouses.
Strengths
The diversity of businesses on Main Street ensures a steady flow of users which promotes a safer and more diverse environment. Jane Jacobs (1992) asserts that the casual familiarity between informal contact in a public space is something that can keep streets and cities safe. In order to create opportunities for this kind of informal, casual contact between strangers, city streets must be well-used and have a steady flow of people throughout all hours of the day and into the night as well (Jacobs, 1992). There is a plethora of economic and social opportunities in these two blocks of Main Street. Many of these businesses are small, local businesses which helps contribute to the safety of this area. Jacobs (1992) argues that small business owners have more of an investment in safety as “they hate broken windows and holdups; they hate having customers made nervous about safety. They are great street watchers and sidewalk guardians if present in sufficient numbers,” (p. 37). The variety of offices, shops, and restaurants can keep people in the area for hours as it is easy to pop into a shop or grab a meal before or after other errands. This dynamic helps create what Jacobs (1992) calls “exuberant diversity” (p. 150).
The seasonal closure of the streets allows more space and safety for families to explore downtown. Jacobs (1992) is a strong proponent of the power of streets and other public spaces to assimilate children in safe and stimulating ways. She asserts that “children in cities need a variety of places in which to play and to learn” (Jacobs, 1992, p. 80). This was also a theme that emerged when I solicited feedback from local residents on the location-based social media site Nextdoor. Alexa B. commented “I enjoy visiting with my young kids because they can run around and explore while safe from traffic,” and Jon A stated, “our son could walk about freely with little concern for him getting flattened”. The closed streets in combination with the cultural activities that are available during the summer, make this area of Main Street a great place for “unspecialized play” that contributes to happy and healthy families (Jacobs, 1992, p. 81). This year, Ann Arbor was ranked as the number one place to raise a family by Fortune Magazine, so fostering places that are safe for children to explore is important to the culture of Ann Arbor (Fortune Editors, 2022).
Weaknesses
The most glaring weakness of the temporary street closure is the lack of accessibility for people with limited mobility. While not something Jacobs explicitly addresses, accessibility needs to be purposefully addressed if the space is to become a permanent pedestrian plaza. This inaccessibility was mentioned 15 times in Nextdoor responses. Most of these were personal anecdotes around mobility challenges when the streets are closed. Linda H. commented, “I personally hate it when the city closes off the streets in Downtown Ann Arbor. It makes it extremely difficult for physically challenged individuals to be dropped off close to a store front or restaurant. Also, many of the [accessible] parking spaces are now not available”. With several blocks of parking closed during the summer and especially on weekends, only five additional accessible parking spots are added to the surrounding areas (Parking Accessibility, n.d.). This is not sufficient to address the accessibility needs of Ann Arbor residents and in responses to my Nextdoor post, community members offered better solutions. One respondent recommended retractable pylons to help make deliveries to small businesses more accessible. Residents also brainstormed solutions like optimal spots for additional accessible parking and designated pull in or drop off areas.
While the diversity of economic opportunities is a strength, the lack of residential use in the two blocks of Main Street is a weakness. The lack of dwellings is the only missing element of use which promotes safety and diversity that Jacobs (1992) advocates for. It appears that many of the upper-story apartments original to the buildings on Main Street have been converted to office space and/or are sitting empty. A low number of residential units takes away one of the needed primary uses that contributes to city diversity and safety, according to Jacobs (1992). This makes Main Street more of a destination which limits the hours that people are likely to utilize the streets - reducing overall safety.
Reccomendations
To foster vibrant year-round use, more public seating and gathering options should be added to Main Street. Additional seating is much easier to add to a pedestrian-only area. One important element of a vibrant street according to Jacobs (1992) is a sidewalk where there is a clear delineation between what is public space and what is private space. The difference between public and private space is clear on Main Street both when the streets are closed and when they are not. However, when the streets are closed, there is noticeable a lack of sufficient public seating and gathering areas. The only publicly available sitting areas are the elevated edges of tree planters in the sidewalk. The private seating used during the summer by restaurants is unusable as it is stacked up along the edges of the sidewalk. However, during my observation period, I did see people utilize private outdoor seating areas that were still open (even if not staffed). Patrons (including young children) of Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub were utilizing the outdoor seating area to finish their drinks before heading to the football game in below-freezing temperatures. Some restaurants have also invested in weather-proof outdoor seating options to continue to utilize their sidewalk space year-round.
For my final recommendations, I want to elevate the ideas that many residents expressed about this area of their community and recommend that these ideas are prioritized in the planning and design of a permanent plaza. Even though my original post on Nextdoor did not ask for it, many of the responses engaged in envisioning ideas that could improve the space, especially if it was made permanent. Some of the most-loved features of the summer closures are the more casual cultural and economic opportunities available when the streets are closed. Several respondents mentioned continuing the practice of having street vendors throughout the year and not just during fairs, festivals, and other events that happen while the streets are closed. Stages for musical performances were also mentioned several times. A new cultural attraction a respondent suggested is an ice sculpture garden in the closed-off streets if it were extended into the winter. Another made suggestions about how to reroute traffic for better vehicle flow around the area in response to the critique that Main Street is an important north/south artery for vehicle traffic. Residents also mentioned pedestrian malls and plazas in other cities that they have enjoyed using and therefore could serve as inspiration for Main Street, Ann Arbor. The mentioned malls and plazas include Denver, CO’s Larimer Square; Boulder, CO’s Pearl Street Mall; Madison, WI; Fubganager Zones, Germany; Santa Monica, CA; and Burlington, VT. Unprompted solutions about how to improve the street closures show a great deal of enthusiasm about this space. There is a good amount of support for creating a permanent pedestrian plaza in downtown Ann Arbor.
bibliography
[1] A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center). (2022, October 24). A2AC Murals - Public Art Initiative from the A2AC. Ann Arbor Art Center. https://www.annarborartcenter.org/art-in-public/murals/
[2] Eat & Drink. (n.d.). Main Street Ann Arbor. https://mainstreetannarbor.org/dining/
[3] Fortune Editors. (2022, September 29). Ann Arbor. Fortune. https://fortune.com/best-places-families/2022/ann-arbor/
[4] Jane Jacobs. (1992). The Death and Life of Great American Cities: Vol. Vintage Books edition. Vintage.
[5] Parking Accessibility. (n.d.). Main Street Ann Arbor. https://mainstreetannarbor.org/parking-accessibility
[6] Services. (n.d.). Main Street Ann Arbor. https://mainstreetannarbor.org/services/
[7] Shop. (n.d.). Main Street Ann Arbor. https://mainstreetannarbor.org/retail