Planning & Urban Design

Placemaking isn’t limited to the large urban scale. At Intersect we know that the best places big or small start with great design. At Arbors we focused on nodes of activity each with its own unique identity to give residents a variety of places to relax and play.

The Focusing Downtown on People, Chicago Street – Lifestyle Enhancement Plan corridor improvement planning project has been an opportunity to engage stakeholders throughout the City and work towards a vision that meets the wants and needs of our community. Nonprofit leaders, residents, City staff, members of local boards and commissions, and others collaborated to identify opportunities for improving the US-12 corridor from Clay Street on the west side of downtown to Sprague Street on the east. The result is a group of compelling images, potential projects, and budgets that will help direct our efforts to create a more walkable, vibrant, interactive, and safe corridor. These projects can support and encourage even greater improvements to the downtown by ensuring our public places are well-designed with the needs of diverse users in mind.

When an urban building becomes functionally obsolete, too costly to update and doesn’t contribute to the street, opportunities for new places present themselves.  In Coldwater, the proposed removal of an old funeral home opened the door to create a place for community celebrations at the center of town, which is missing today.  The new event lawn with loggia for farmer’s market, pavilion for indoor events, performance stage, memorial and great human comfort amenities creates a Place for all to experience throughout the year.  The design also links the current identity of the “Four Corners” with City Hall uniting in a strong civic presence for Downtown Coldwater.