Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jessica Canfield / Colorado Springs' downtown streets are primarily automobile-oriented, which has lead to a deficiency of multi-modal transportation networks and user-oriented environments. The streets lack engaging public space, pedestrian and bicyclist amenities, native landscaping, and stormwater management systems. The auto-centric design presents significant physical and perceived safety issues concerning pedestrians and bicyclists in the right-of-way. The aim of this study is to redesign the downtown core of Colorado Springs to foster multifunctional user-oriented spaces which enhance overall environmental, social, and economic benefits. In order to complete this study, background literature research and a series of case studies were conducted. The ultimate goal of this masters project is to create a retrofit streetscape design for Colorado Springs that can be used as a model for other planners and designers. The results of this project will be significant to designers because it will provide them with information regarding the best practices for designing urban streetscapes that activate the public realm and promotes safety.

Recent trends in planning and landscape architecture are moving the two disciplines closer together, yet there persists a lack of awareness of each discipline to the other. Planning’s roots in street design and landscape architecture’s new theory of landscape urbanism, which focuses on infrastructure, provide common ground for a fruitful dialogue between the two – a dialogue that could have particular significance given the historical influence of design theory on streets and urban form. To investigate these relationships, this report considers the history of street design, landscape urbanism, the planning framework, and the implementation of street design in two cities, Colorado Springs and Austin. This report explores how planning and the new ideas of landscape urbanism in landscape architecture can mutually inform each other to address street design. / text

Project/Thesis (D. Min.)--Abilene Christian University, 1997. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 238-243).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 262-284).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 262-284).