Featured Projects - Nelson\Nygaard

Nelson\Nygaard, on a team led by Design Workshop, produced a corridor master plan which included a "road diet" for a six block section of South Grand Boulevard. The work was part of the Great Streets Initiative and included economic, traffic, parking, streetscape, landscape, wayfinding, and public engagement components. Construction was completed in 2011.

Nelson\Nygaard prepared the initial conceptual designs and followed through to construction drawing support. Key elements included transitioning the street from four lanes to three, redesigning intersections, mapping bicycle routes, documenting pedestrian behavior, adding crosswalks, adjusting signal timing, and working with the Missouri School for the Blind to incorporate the specific needs of their students. The work prioritized retail uses, transit, and safety over through traffic, which was seen as a hindrance to economic activity and quality of life.

Nelson\Nygaard performed the traffic analysis, including video simulations, which predicted the success of the road diet. As a pilot, the city restriped the road with three lanes and demarcated the curb extensions with colorfully painted concrete planters. Before and after analysis of the traffic showed very little change in volume, but noticeable speed and noise reductions.

Nelson\Nygaard led the parking element, conducting a series of field surveys to document utilization patterns. Surveys revealed modest periods of constraint—primarily on-street spaces during evening (dining) hours. Recommendations included sharing parking facilities as part of a Park-Once management approach, setting meter rates based on demand, and extending meter hours to maintain availability during the dinner hour.

Once again, Nelson\Nygaard has been recognized for their work helping a community realize its goals of value, livability, and quality. The American Society of Landscape Architects bestowed a 2011 Honor Award in the Analysis and Planning Category for this project.