Urban Land Economics – �鶹��Ƶ

Downtown Revitalization: A Design for the City of Brodhead

Victor Manzanilla — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 23:27:35 +0000

To fulfill the requirements of the Senior Capstone Program in
the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison I will investigate how ideas of human
perception may inform the design of streetscapes and suburban redevelopment. This investigation will be given context
and focus by the concerns and goals of The City of Brodhead,
which include pedestrian safety and mobility and economic
development. The City of Brodhead, WI will be the site for this
study.
Human perception, and the resulting actions of these
perceptions, are what define who we are. The doubtful safety
of a steep ledge, and the immense joy of riding a roller coaster
both pose similar dangers, so what makes the roller coaster
so appealing? Our perception. We know, because of elements
in our surroundings, that we are inherently safe on a roller
coaster. Landscape elements give users internal clues about
land use inferring characteristics like safety, aesthetic quality,
and cleanliness.
While human perception is often addressed at a walking and driving perspective, when designing landscapes for
multiple groups of users, it is also important to address those
on bikes, wheelchairs, and other non-motorized forms of transportation. Eric Dumbaugh and Wenhao Li have focused their
research on this very issue, and provide a critical resource for
designers looking to plan more effectively.The City of Brodhead, WI provides an important opportunity to address these issues at many angles. The downtown
Business Improvement District (BID) has set out to making
their land a safer, more welcoming place for not only their immediate community, but to their audience of frequent visitors.
With a state highway dissecting the BID, it is imperative to
draw from research done in the past to guarantee the health,
safety, and welfare of the townspeople.
Through creative streetscape design, and strategic
land use planning, the BID has the potential to transform
the surrounding community. Open store-fronts, designated
pedestrian spaces, and interactive streetscapes all tied together with safe, effective way-finding would provide flurries of
economic growth and long-term financial success.
The products of this capstone will include a set of
design documents and recommendations for The City of Brodhead, which will be submitted to The City Officials, and a capstone document, which will be submitted to the Department of
Landscape Architecture in partial fulfillment of the degree of
Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

UniverCity Year Contact Info
Gavin Luter
Managing Director
gavin@cows.org
608-261-1141

University Faculty Contact
Tom Landgraf
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics

tlandgraf@wisc.edu

Local Government / Community Contact

Monona Senior Living

Victor Manzanilla — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 23:26:29 +0000

Students in this 1-credit course will examine and make recommendations on issues specific to residential and commercial health care settings, including interior design for reducing falls and injuries of older residents.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

UniverCity Year Contact Info
Gavin Luter
Managing Director
gavin@cows.org
608-261-1141

University Faculty Contact
Tom Landgraf
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics

tlandgraf@wisc.edu

Local Government / Community Contact

Downtown Revitalization: A Design for the City of Brodhead

Ada Inman — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 18:05:23 +0000

To fulfill the requirements of the Senior Capstone Program in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison I will investigate how ideas of human
perception may inform the design of streetscapes and suburban redevelopment. This investigation will be given context
and focus by the concerns and goals of The City of Brodhead,
which include pedestrian safety and mobility and economic
development. The City of Brodhead, WI will be the site for this
study.
Human perception, and the resulting actions of these
perceptions, are what define who we are. The doubtful safety
of a steep ledge, and the immense joy of riding a roller coaster
both pose similar dangers, so what makes the roller coaster
so appealing? Our perception. We know, because of elements
in our surroundings, that we are inherently safe on a roller
coaster. Landscape elements give users internal clues about
land use inferring characteristics like safety, aesthetic quality,
and cleanliness.
While human perception is often addressed at a walking and driving perspective, when designing landscapes for
multiple groups of users, it is also important to address those
on bikes, wheelchairs, and other non-motorized forms of transportation. Eric Dumbaugh and Wenhao Li have focused their
research on this very issue, and provide a critical resource for
designers looking to plan more effectively.The City of Brodhead, WI provides an important opportunity to address these issues at many angles. The downtown
Business Improvement District (BID) has set out to making
their land a safer, more welcoming place for not only their immediate community, but to their audience of frequent visitors.
With a state highway dissecting the BID, it is imperative to
draw from research done in the past to guarantee the health,
safety, and welfare of the townspeople.
Through creative streetscape design, and strategic
land use planning, the BID has the potential to transform
the surrounding community. Open store-fronts, designated
pedestrian spaces, and interactive streetscapes all tied together with safe, effective way-finding would provide flurries of
economic growth and long-term financial success.
The products of this capstone will include a set of
design documents and recommendations for The City of Brodhead, which will be submitted to The City Officials, and a capstone document, which will be submitted to the Department of
Landscape Architecture in partial fulfillment of the degree of
Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

UniverCity Year Contact Info
Gavin Luter
Managing Director
gavin@cows.org
608-261-1141

University Faculty Contact
Tom Landgraf
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics

tlandgraf@wisc.edu

Local Government / Community Contact

Monona Senior Living

Ada Inman — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 18:02:29 +0000

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

UniverCity Year Contact Info
Gavin Luter
Managing Director
gavin@cows.org
608-261-1141

University Faculty Contact
Tom Landgraf
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics

tlandgraf@wisc.edu

Local Government / Community Contact

The City of Monona receives on-the-ground support to work toward a more sustainable, livable future

Ada Inman — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 11:42:40 +0000

The UniverCity Year program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an �鶹��Ƶ member, was created to help local government and community partners with identified sustainability and livability projects. Participating University faculty would incorporate community-identified projects into classes, providing students with on-the-ground experience in working towards a more sustainable and livable future for the partnered community.

During the 2016 to 2017 academic year, the City of Monona was chosen to partner with the UniverCity Year program due to its proximity to the university and for strong support from Mayor Bob Miller ().

The City of Monona, Wisconsin, is a small community within Dane County with almost 8,000 residents. The city has many amenities to offer its population, from being located seven miles from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus to offering access to “over 330 acres of green space, including parks, woodlands, and wetlands.” () However, after more properties were annexed into the region during the mid-20th century, Monona could no longer expand.

Now the oldest community in Dane County, the City of Monona is “seeking solutions to its aging housing stock, how to grow without the ability to expand, and how to preserve its small-town community feel and natural resources during redevelopment” ().

UW-Madison faculty adapted thirty courses—from disciplines including public affairs, population health, life science communication, civil engineering, geography, and urban & regional planning—for the UniverCity Year partnership with Monona, which integrated various sustainability and livability projects, including efforts to:

Increase the usability of public parks
Ensure biking and walking routes are safe and accessible to all
Improve the city’s digital resources for residents
Inform redevelopment goals which address resident health and housing opportunities

Thanks to this extensive collaboration, the UniverCity Year program—administrative staff, professors, and undergraduate and graduate students—provided innumerable support to the City of Monona, resulting in considerable “on-the-ground impact and momentum for a community working toward a more sustainable and livable future” ().