Great downtowns have great streets, but rarely are they dominated by the automobile. Like many small American Towns, Piqua has a Main Street, but incremental engineering efforts to facilitate traffic movement have undermined downtown’s pedestrian scale and public realm. The city’s original town square and historic town hall along Main street were demolished, eroding the signature gathering space.
Consolidation of surface parking areas to the middle of the block enables the reintroduction of Piqua’s central, pedestrian-oriented Town Square. The plan creates four quadrants that enable outdoor dining, increased shade and water features designed by local artists. Investing in streets is an investment in a community itself, where safer pedestrian crossings, slower car movements and traffic calming devises create a welcoming atmosphere. Gateway elements inspired by the lift bridges along the canal signal downtown entry thresholds.
Recently completed in early 2022, Funding is being sought for initial transportation improvements.
- Booker Design Collaborative
- Choice One Engineering
- Omloop
- Design Destill
City of Piqua
Market Square
A legitimate “Public Square” for Piqua is possible (once again) at the intersection of Main and High Streets. With the iconic Fort Piqua Plaza as backdrop – the town’s most prominent building – a grand civic space can emerge. A modest relocation of surface parking is made possible by leveraging the expansive parking zone to the east of Main Street. The space, which is nearly square in geometry, is actually four separate quads.