Moule & Polyzoides Leads Design Charrette in Paso Robles
05/16/08
Amphitheater terminating 8th Street, Paso Robles Uptown/Town Centre Specific Plan, Paso Robles, California
Moule & Polyzoides completed a design charrette for the historic town of Paso Robles, establishing a comprehensive and sustainable vision for the future. “El Paso de Robles,” as it was known in earlier days, was favorably located along the historic De Anza Trail, the Camino Real and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Its early appeal owed to its role as a health resort with natural sulfur springs, which fostered the establishment of a traditional downtown District. The Paso Robles charrette focused on bridging the richness of such historic traditions with the need to address contemporary issues. This included revitalization of the existing uptown, establishment of greater identity for the downtown, resolution of the downtown’s relationship to the Paso Robles Events Center and to the Salinas River, and unification of a variety of uncoordinated planning efforts. Building from a vigorous discovery process, the five-day charrette embraced recommendations from the City, the stakeholders and the community within a 1,000-acre, 245-block planning area. The Plan seeks to revitalize and expand the historic downtown by introducing infill buildings, preserving historic fabric, establishing a pedestrian-friendly street network, developing a range of sustainable strategies, and rethinking traffic circulation, public transit and parking.
