Designing the Most Impactful Social Spaces

Landscape Architect Lisl Kotheimer, Associate, PLA, LEED AP, shares how the most innovative public spaces bring communities together.

In the age of social media and online retail and services, there is a need to reimagine the spaces where communities come together and the places where everyday interactions take place. MKSK is always looking for ways to make an impact, build value, be inclusive, and design the most innovative social spaces to support the communities where we work. From our experience, we have found that people want social spaces they can call their own, that fit the urban fabric of their cities and towns, and are authentic.

We take pride in designing and building public space with the finest granite pavers, the coolest LED color changing lights, and we love the modern Adirondack chairs and the colorful bistro tables that are ubiquitous in the urban landscape – but these design features are not the key to our most successful social spaces. Success comes from the collaborations and partnerships that tie a space to the community. If you ask your average user what they love about a great new public space, they may not even have the vocabulary to describe the ombre paving pattern or the native plant palette. More likely, they will describe the artisanal peach popsicle they enjoyed, purchased from a local pop-up vendor that activated the space for the day.

Van Aken District

Providing for the spontaneity of a local pop-up vendor or other types of community collaboration is what makes a place like the Van Aken District a success. The mixed-use development located in Shaker Heights, Ohio features 102 apartments, a mix of dining, retail, wellness, and office spaces, all centered around a public green space called “The Living Room.” The developer, RMS Investment Corporation, was committed to long-term engagement with the community of Shaker Heights through activations such as markets, pop-ups, and live music alongside a merchandising strategy that favors “best of local” retailers and restaurants. The residential and office spaces were designed with fewer private amenities with the intent that the employees and residents would be a large part of the Van Aken District community, frequenting the restaurants and public space alongside the residents of Shaker Heights.

The walkable streets in the Van Aken District fit into the urban fabric of historic Shaker Heights.

The site design in the Van Aken District provides gathering spaces that are family friendly.

The Market Hall is the heartbeat of the Van Aken District and provides a variety of indoor and outdoor social spaces.

Everyone comes together in the Market Hall, a truly social space that features a variety of indoor and outdoor public seating and provides pop-up and business incubation space for small local merchants and restauranteurs. The development strategy and walkable urban fabric of the Van Aken District provide a unique sense of place and make for a true “downtown” that the Shaker Heights community can call their own.

Lawrenceburg Civic Park

In Lawrenceburg, Indiana, what was once 1.5 acres of paved parking lot is now a new public park and outdoor entertainment venue that promotes the development of a “Riverfront Cultural and Entertainment District.” Lawrenceburg Civic Park is the type of central public green space you would expect to see in a historic riverfront city of 5,000 residents – meandering paths, a sloped lawn, an interactive splash pad fountain, and lots of trees. The centerpiece of the park is a performance stage that was designed for Lawrenceburg’s already popular Music on the River concert series. With the support of the City of Lawrenceburg and Main Street, Inc., a non-profit organization that works to revitalize Lawrenceburg’s historic downtown, the park is regularly programmed with community activities including a farmer’s market, mobile library, Shakespeare performances, movies, and fitness classes.

Lawrenceburg Civic Park was designed to accommodate the popular Music on the River concert series

A key new development supported by the park is the Proof 124 restaurant, which opened in Summer 2020. Located in the historic firehouse building that is directly connected to the north end of the park, the restaurant patio spills out and engages with the public space. The restaurant is a true public-private partnership with the City, contributing 50% of the project costs. The development agreement ensures that the City’s investment in Proof 124 will be a benefit to the Lawrenceburg Civic Park, and the park will inversely support the restaurant.

Promenade Park

When healthcare giant ProMedica relocated their headquarters to downtown Toledo, Ohio they saw an opportunity to reimagine historic Promenade Park to support their corporate campus development while providing a 21st century park for the Toledo community and beyond. ProMedica worked with the City of Toledo and stakeholder groups to provide an updated park with a variety of public amenities that would help spur economic development in the downtown riverfront area. The Park features several event lawns that are wired for power and data, a 50-foot LED screen that often streams live baseball games from nearby Fifth Third Field, a programmable pop-jet fountain, and the Instagrammable ECHO Sculpture designed by Kristine Rumman and Dane Turpening.

The Toledo Arts Commission was engaged in the park planning process from the beginning and they recommended a public art program that includes a mix of permanent pieces like the Echo sculpture and seasonal events like the Momentum Festival. The Momentum art and music festival features larger-than-life inflatables that encourage public interaction through in-person events and social media.

The Instagrammable Echo Sculpture in Promenade Park

The Momentum Festival is held seasonally in Promenade Park.

The programmable pop-jet fountain activates the park during hot summer days and provides ambience during the evenings.

The Van Aken District, Lawrenceburg Civic Park, and Promenade Park are each highly successful social spaces that are integrated into the urban fabric and are part of the every-day routine for the communities they serve. Early planning by municipalities, developers, and stakeholder groups informed the site design for the public space, while their activations and partnerships ensure that the cities and towns will have unique social spaces for their communities to come together for years to come.