What is an activation?

An activation can be an event, a written document like a playbook or manual, demonstration project that showcases a long term goal in a short term format (i.e. it would require heavy lifting to make permanent but you find a way to do it in an incremental way to push city officials to start considering the ideas and be forced to answer questions and challenges to objections.

East Cesar Chavez Micro Retail Parklet concept-matched to image above

The example above is a rough outline for a micro retail parklet concept we are developing. One of the areas in the city that I am focused on is East Cesar Chavez Street.

There is so much history and potential in this area to be a unique commercial district. There are also a lot of problems that are holding this area back.

Right now there has been investment in regard to people purchasing properties but not a lot of development activity. Thus there are many dilapidated structures and vacant lots.

The micro retail parklet is a strategy to bring more life to the sidewalks and encourage increased pedestrian activity in a way that can be done using public space as you can only intervene so much on private property.

Example-The Pit

The image below is a conceptual drawing for converting a parking lot in Downtown High Point, North Carolina into a active "park while also maintaining its needs to serve as a parking lot for events like The Furniture Market.

Each of the group grass sections were conceptualized to have wheels so that the separated pieces can all be pushed to the center of the lot when not activated so cars can still manuever and use the parking lot and moved outward when the property is set to be used for more pedestrian purposes.