Santa Rosa, California
As part of the regional planning process for a new regional light rail system (SMART), a coalition of designers and environmental activists, working with the City of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, solicited proposals for the redevelopment of the Northwestern section of the city. The award-winning proposal by Richard Price and William Grimm envisions an evolutionary planning process that will result in the gradual transformation of the suburban environment into a more sustainable settlement.
The proposal includes appropriate renovation, re-use and development around neighborhood centers, streetscape renovations to make streets linking centers more bike and pedestrian-friendly, a neighborhood transportation system and phased implementation of other transformational strategies, such as energy efficiency upgrades, bioremediation of storm water and water conservation.
A primary focus of the proposal is the siting and conceptual design of the new light rail station. The proposed site is at the nexus of residential, business, retail and light industrial areas, offering easy connections to surrounding neighborhoods via pedestrian-scaled streets and potential future neighborhood transit.
The phased redevelopment of the new light rail station starts with the creation of a new Station Square, with associated parking, commercial space and a pedestrian / transit crossing of the railroad tracks. The station will then act as the catalyst for significant additional redevelopment over time.