Connections
Downtown Carson City is linked to its neighbors within the city and beyond. Strengthening these connections is a key recommendation of Downtown Answers.
Transportation
This is a dramatic time of change for our region's transportation network. Currently, a new freeway is being built and will offer a “ring road” by 2011. An emerging public bus system has been put in place, and our regional bus network is being adapted to work with today’s transportation changes. Downtown Answers supports these exciting regional developments, while also endorsing key recommendations of transportation plans underway.
Green Space
Downtown can be blessed with multiple public spaces, wide streets that create a sense of openness, and an enviable closeness to both the foothills and the Sierra. Few cities can claim a downtown as close to a mountain environment as ours is to Lake Tahoe.
Character Districts
Downtown Answers recommends establishing and nurturing districts with distinctive character and soul. Districts are defined by a multitude of elements, including predominant users, architecture, the scale of buildings and the materials they are made from, the type of landscaping, and the nature of street uses. A forthcoming market demand study will help guide the development, nature and boundaries of such districts.
Park with Ease
With ample parking available on Carson Street, residents and visitors will be able to park with ease in front of downtown stores, restaurants and businesses. This will encourage foot traffic through downtown, and the parked cars will provide a natural buffer from traffic.
Nevadans Love Water
Turing a challenge into an asset, a seasonal creek could flow above ground along Washington Street. This would eliminate overflow from spring runoff and add the beauty of water to downtown Carson City. An adjacent walking path and plaza would be developed to promote interaction with nature.
Flowing Fountains
Designed for Carson City's high-desert climate, lovely fountains will grace downtown, offering a stunning architectural element even in winter, when the water may be turned off. The fountains will feature conservative water usage and low water volume, to minimize spraying on windy days.
Places to Play
The addition of plazas and parks in and around downtown Carson City will create public spaces and a sense of place. Locals and tourists can share a meal, rest on a bench, stroll in the cool shade of trees, or bring a picnic and watch children play.
Pedestrians Please
Sidewalks will be widened throughout downtown, providing plenty of room to stroll, with benches, planters and trees along the side of the roads to further enhance the ambiance and provide a buffer from moving vehicles.
Mixed-Use Movement
The new vision for downtown Carson City includes mixed-use developments, where homes, retail shops, restaurants and businesses coexist. This allows for more efficient use of space, a built-in customer base and a greater quality of life.
Finding Our Way
Carson City's exciting history and deep cultural offerings lend to educational and informative way-finding signs. Attractive useful signage shapes the visitors experience and builds local pride.
Moving Traffic
Six additional lanes of north/south traffic will be developed concurrently along Roop and Stewart Streets as two of the four lanes on Carson Street are reshaped. Between the traffic relief brought by the new freeway and the additional six north/south lanes, Carson City traffic will function at optimal levels.
Setting a Standard
Resident input said it loud and clear: Carson City is proud of its rich history, and it is essential to maintain historical buildings. Thoughtful and purposeful building standards will enable the community to do just that, while continuing to revitalize the downtown corridor.
