Jackson Community Design Center

This report is a programming document – programming the non-road space in the Jackson Metro Parkway’s public right-of-way. The project team collected data on existing conditions, worked with institutional actors, and met with members of the community to broadly outline the future possibilities for the Parkway’s public space. This document will serve as the foundation for the more specific design work such as identifying and designing playgrounds, plazas, and active parks. This is the broad and general view of the entire space.

In producing this programming document, the project team members viewed the work as an attempt to integrate a road corridor into an urban community. The history of the project and its justification on transportation, community and economic development grounds, as well as its name – the Jackson Metro Parkway – all point to the idea that urbanism, traditional or otherwise, is at the core of a successful project. Urban communities are connected, provide opportunities for different modes of transportation, and offer a variety of land uses, and economic and community activities. A large swath of land with a four-lane limited access road passing through its center has wonderful and interesting urban design possibilities. By looking at the physical conditions at the point where the right-of-way and the existing street pattern connect, and by understanding the social, economic, historical, and cultural resources in the community, the programming document aims to chart a broad plan for an integrated urban asset.

The project team took a comprehensive view of the Parkway as an urban asset. We had to look outside the boundaries of the right-of-way to understand how the spaces fit into and relate to the adjacent land. Consequently, the survey of current conditions was not only quantitative. We recognized early on that there has to be a unique balance between number driven activities such as engineering a road and some of the more quality driven activities such as community design. After all, good urbanism is not easily qualified. The reality is, however, the Jackson Metro Parkway must be an amenity for community members and not just a way for automobile users to get from downtown Jackson to the west side of Jackson State University.

Of course, this document is a plan. We recognize that the political process and fiscal limitations will perhaps alter our recommendations. We feel, however, that this document provides an important starting point for the next stages – design and policy phases.

August 2002


	This report is a programming document – programming the non-road space in the Jackson Metro Parkway’s public right-of-way. The project team collected data on existing conditions, worked with institutional actors, and met with members of the community to broadly outline the future possibilities for the Parkway’s public space. This document will serve as the foundation for the more specific design work such as identifying and designing playgrounds, plazas, and active parks. This is the broad and general view of the entire space. In producing this programming document, the project team members viewed the work as an attempt to integrate a road corridor into an urban community. The history of the project and its justification on transportation, community and economic development grounds, as well as its name – the Jackson Metro Parkway – all point to the idea that urbanism, traditional or otherwise, is at the core of a successful project. Urban communities are connected, provide opportunities for different modes of transportation, and offer a variety of land uses, and economic and community activities. A large swath of land with a four-lane limited access road passing through its center has wonderful and interesting urban design possibilities. By looking at the physical conditions at the point where the right-of-way and the existing street pattern connect, and by understanding the social, economic, historical, and cultural resources in the community, the programming document aims to chart a broad plan for an integrated urban asset. The project team took a comprehensive view of the Parkway as an urban asset. We had to look outside the boundaries of the right-of-way to understand how the spaces fit into and relate to the adjacent land. Consequently, the survey of current conditions was not only quantitative. We recognized early on that there has to be a unique balance between number driven activities such as engineering a road and some of the more quality driven activities such as community design. After all, good urbanism is not easily qualified. The reality is, however, the Jackson Metro Parkway must be an amenity for community members and not just a way for automobile users to get from downtown Jackson to the west side of Jackson State University. Of course, this document is a plan. We recognize that the political process and fiscal limitations will perhaps alter our recommendations. We feel, however, that this document provides an important starting point for the next stages – design and policy phases. August 2002	P r o g r a m D o c u m e n t R E A D : before viewing Part One (pdf file 1,103 kb) Acknowledgements Table of contents Introduction Part Two (pdf file 21,840 kb) Physical Survey Part Three (pdf file 5,085 kb) Social and Economic Survey Part Four (pdf file 1,743 kb) Historic Survey Part Five (pdf file 3,387 kb) Institutional Survey Part Six (pdf file 1,049 kb) Case Studies Part Seven (pdf file 18,969 kb) Preliminary Recommendations Part Eight (pdf file 1,433 kb) Community Meeting Part Nine (pdf file 2,594 kb) Programming Recommendations Part Ten (pdf file 768 kb) Conclusions List of Images Bibliography Appendix


JACKSON METRO PARKWAY COMMUNITY MEETING No. 2 IMAGES

H O M E