Registration deadline: September 30th, 2008

“”A design competition which focuses on three specific areas of the city of Roanoke, VA and challenges design professionals and students to create new environments that will transform the current urban landscape. Applicants will explore the city’s potential by creating unique urban and architectural designs that enhance the best qualities of Roanoke and create positive impact on three specific areas of the city: the Roanoke City Market, The Crossing, and Reserve Avenue/Roanoke River. Each is located along the city’s main thoroughfare, Jefferson Street. Through public/private partnerships, redevelopment efforts are currently underway in this area known as The Jefferson Street Corridor.

Drawing upon the skills and resources of designers and visionaries nationwide, we seek big plans to inspire the community and stimulate dialogue about the future growth and development of the city. Roanoke Urban Effect challenges applicants to look beyond the traditional urban planning and architectural model to present innovative and inspired ideas that create a vision for a more vibrant and sustainable urban environment.”

Contact: Joesephine Villacreces

540-857-3298

questions@roanokeurbaneffect.org

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About Roanoke

The City of Roanoke is nestled in a picturesque valley surrounded by the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. First inhabited by Native Americans, the region was a fertile hunting ground with an abundant supply of game drawn to the area by the natural salt licks occurring along the valley’s floor. These natural salt deposits gave the region its first name, Big Lick. Due to its favorable geographical location and with passable gaps in the four cardinal directions, colonials and pioneers began to settle the area. With the emergence of coal mining in West Virginia, the area developed from a small farming village into the railroad hub for the Norfolk & Western Railway. In 1882, the railroad developers, seeking a more dignified appellation for the growing town, changed the name from Big Lick to Roanoke. As the influence of rail travel increased and lines were built and expanded the town grew rapidly. Within two years the population grew from 600 to 5,000 inhabitants. In eagerness to expand the railroad lines, tracks were laid along the path of least resistance. For Roanoke this meant filling and covering the salt licks, the largest of which was filled with rock and became the city’s Main Street, now known as Jefferson Street.

old Roanoke Mills [from flickr]
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Jefferson Street runs on a North/South axis crossing the rail lines at Norfolk Avenue on the south side of downtown. The rail yards and machine shops are located along the north side of the tracks and to the east of downtown. The Hotel Roanoke and the former Norfolk & Western passenger station, now the O. Winston Link Museum, are both located to the east of Jefferson Street on the north side of the tracks. The urban core of the city extends southward from the tracks along Jefferson Street. Market Street, home to the vibrant local farmer’s market as well as retailers and restaurants, parallels Jefferson Street to the west and terminates at Elmwod Park. Jefferson Street continues through the city, past the new Carilion Medical complex and proposed Riverside Center, ending in the neighborhood of South Roanoke.

The Jefferson Street Corridor has been chosen as the focus area for this competition due to its unique influence in Roanoke’s history, on its urban core, and its potential too affect the city’s future.

downtown Roanoke, VA from Mill Mountain [from Flickr]
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Design Goals

* Improve the quality of life in the city of Roanoke by creating a more vibrant and sustainable urban environment.
* Present innovative and inspired ideas to the community, providing them a vision of how well-designed public spaces can improve the city and its quality of life.
* Encourage young talent in the area to become involved in the future growth and development of the city.
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Design Options:

Option 1 - Buildings
Present a design solution that proposes a building development plan for one of the competition focus areas. Proposals should address building function, scale, massing, interrelationship with other buildings and open spaces, and conceptual theme.

Option 2 - Urban Design
Propose an urban design solution that connects all three focus areas along the Jefferson Street Corridor. Proposals should address street scape, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, public art, street furnishings and other methods of enhancing linkage of the three focus areas.

Option 3 - Urban Planning
Propose a land use policy or scheme that creates a pattern of development along the Jefferson Street Corridor that creates synergy and connectivity between the Market area and Riverside.

In all options, entrants are encouraged to incorporate the ideals of sustainability and pedestrian movement while addressing the issues and constraints unique to each focus area.

Proposed Focus Areas
Three focus areas have been chosen for this competition. All are located along the Jefferson Street Corridor. The Jefferson Street Corridor lies along a north/south axis and is anchored by the railroad tracks and Rail Walk fountain to the north and the Carilion/Roanoke Memorial Hospital to the south. These three sites have also been identified by the City of Roanoke as preferred sites for proposed redevelopment.

Some properties on these focus areas are susceptible to flooding during periods of heavy or extended rainfall, specially focus areas #2 & #3. Any proposed solution for these areas should take into account that much of the area is within the 100 year floodplain

* Early Registration - August 18th - 31st, 2008
* Registration - September 1st - 30th, 2008
* Q & A - August 25th – September 5th, 2008
* All Q & A will be addressed by this date - September 12th, 2008
* Site Visits - September 2008 (Day TBD)
* Site Visits - October 2008 (Day TBD)
* All competition entries must be received by 5:00PM EST to be eligible for judging - October 31st, 2008
* Competition Judging - November 13th, 14th and 15th, 2008
* Awards Announcement and Final Awards Event - November 15th, 2008
* Exhibition - November 16th, 2008 – December 7th, 2008

Jury Panel: To be announced
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Check All the details of  ROANOKE URBAN EFFECT 2008 DESIGN COMPETITION on:
http://www.roanokeurbaneffect.org
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