Introduction
The economic vibrancy of many downtown cores, particularly in small- to medium-sized towns, has been waning in recent decades, losing retail and residential ground to adjacent suburbs. The reasons why are complex — but there’s no denying that at least part of the problem is the space itself: downtown districts often feature outdated and single-use design, creating a cyclical backslide in which these neglected areas lose commercial and housing customers, compounding the problem by depriving the community of sorely needed investment. It’s a challenging obstacle to overcome.
One potential way out of this cycle is to first prioritize the space itself. By approaching downtown revitalization from a placemaking perspective, you draw in the most important resource in any redevelopment effort: people. No healthy community can survive without people — and humans notoriously spend more time in welcoming public spaces, especially those with thriving greenery.
Using green space and urban forestry as a project catalyst (and not a design afterthought) can help accomplish the bottom-line goals of rejuvenated housing, commercial, and retail activity in downtown neighborhoods. And, while growing large trees in dense city centers can be a challenge, there are innovative green infrastructure solutions to help bring your vision to reality — namely, Silva Cells.
Placemaking
Bringing the energy back to downtown areas requires first identifying the things that often cause blight in the first place. What are some of the common problems found in lackluster downtowns?
- Inaccessibility (whether it be pedestrians, commuters, cars, or bikes)
- Single-use design (infrastructure built around office workers, for instance)
- Uninviting space (little thought given to public gathering areas)
- Worker or tourist focused (neglecting needs of local residents)
Many downtowns have been built around office workers, who typically comprise a large percentage of those spending time in the area. The problem is that these people are temporary visitors and not residents — the downtown itself often mimics this rhythm, being accessible for cars more than pedestrians and providing little in the way of amenities after the working hours end.
A number of these drawbacks can be addressed by prioritizing placemaking for those who live in the community (as opposed to workers or tourists who come and go). In fact, according to Jon Jon Wesolowski — an urbanist quoted in Business Insider — outsiders are more likely to be drawn to thoughtful resident-centric space: “Ironically, it’s the downtowns designed for locals that tourists love the most. Visitors are more attracted to ‘lively’ downtowns that are busy 18 hours a day because people live, work, and play there, rather than ‘program-based’ urban cores that revolve around big events — like sports games and concerts — and are otherwise dead.”
Building a great community space is one of the best methods for drawing residents and in turn revitalizing the district with businesses and tourists. Paul Bauknight, Founder and President of The Center for Transformative Urban Design quoted in a Medium article, agrees, saying “Public Space is the glue that connects the physical downtown environment. Without welcoming and vibrant public space which includes the streets that we have to walk, bike or drive on, downtowns can become soulless architectural canyons.”
Making the city walkable is a great way to stimulate redevelopment. Wesolowski recognizes pedestrian-friendly design as one of the key features in this regard: “If you think of the downtown as an ecosystem, think of pedestrians as the indicator species.” Offering safe paths and sidewalks for walkers often means creating mixed-use space or widened sidewalks, slowing vehicle traffic, and offering the by-design right-of-way to pedestrians.
In short, bringing people to the downtown cores is an essential first step — and creating welcoming space is a great strategy for accomplishing this. And what is one of the best, most proven tactics for attracting people to an area (and keeping them there for longer)? Green space.
Green Space and Silva Cells
City trees are a great cornerstone feature in any placemaking endeavor — and they’re proven tools to help stimulate economic growth. Indeed, green space has so many concurrent benefits that its adoption in any community redevelopment scheme should be a foregone conclusion. Mitchell Silver, Principal at Urban Planning McAdams, noted in the same Medium article on public space that “[After the pandemic] we rediscovered our green spaces and soon realized that parks are not just for physical health, but for mental wellbeing as well. Parks… have the power to heal and bring joy. In fact, parks should be considered as part of our healthcare system.”
Of course, creating green space and growing trees in dense urban areas can be a challenge. This is the very reason why Silva Cells exist: to help bring the benefits of green infrastructure to complex built environments. Silva Cells can serve as both the literal and figurative foundation of any downtown revitalization design.
But what about the cost? There is understandable concern about the front-end price tag of these urban forestry projects — can my town afford to spend this money on trees? Remember, when answering this question, that green space is more than just a nicety or an afterthought: it can serve as a stimulant for economic growth. Researched conducted by Trust for Public Land suggests that conservation and green space initiatives return “between $4 and $11 for every dollar invested [by measuring] how conserved lands contribute to tourism, property values, ecosystems health, and avoided healthcare costs.”
Furthermore, because Silva Cells comply with many local sustainability standards (alongside design objectives), there is often outside funding available. Cumberland, Maryland, is a great example of this. As project designer William Cochran explains:
“The final project cost was about $17.2 million, of which the city only had to pay a very small portion. The rest of it came from state funds, grants, outside funding. For a city this size to pull it off and for the soil cells to be part of the leveraging magnetic power that drew additional funding as a key part of the vision, it really did pay off for the city.”
Successful Downtown Projects
Silva Cells have a long track record of helping breathe new life into downtown communities across North America. It’s important to remember that these initiatives are not limited to huge cities — many small towns can use green space as a catalyst for growth (and embrace Silva Cells as a method for accomplishing this, often with access to outside, green-focused funding sources).
Photo courtesy of Cochran Studio
Cumberland, Maryland
The previously mentioned Cumberland project along Baltimore Street, which just reopened in the fall of 2024, is a great success story already: $35 million or more in new businesses have already opened. Read more about this project on our case study.
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Since 2009, Maple Ridge has utilized Silva Cells in dozens of downtown projects, transforming their city into a green haven with a growing tree canopy throughout the town. Read more about this project on our case study.
Rowlett, Texas
Nearly 100 trees have been planted in Silva Cells in two phases in Rowlett, Texas: a downtown district that is revitalizing itself as a transit-oriented development adjacent to the light rail line. Read more about this project on our case study.
Rochester, Minnesota
Outside the Mayo Clinic headquarters in Rochester, 1st Avenue and the Peace Plaza installed Silva Cells in 2020 to offer locals and hospital patients with a great public space worthy of the care of the world-renowned hospital. Read more about this project on our case study.
Bothell, Washington
A five-block stretch of Bothell underwent a complete overhaul in 2016, turning their old downtown streetscapes into flexible space complete with healthy tree cover thanks to Silva Cells. Read more about this project on our case study.
Selkirk, Manitoba
Two streets have already been redeveloped in Downtown Selkirk using Silva Cells — with a third phase on the way. The system is assisting with street tree growth and at-source stormwater management. Read more about this project on our case study.
Great article! It’s true, urban centers are lacking trees to keep more than just tourists there for long. That’s why at Deer Park Tree Service, we are passionate about tree planting and educating about tree care. People are drawn towards some nature. Thanks for sharing.